уАКOne Piece: Path to PowerуАЛ Chapter 0: Disclaimers Note: Don''t even think about skipping this. A few disclaimers and added information need to be addressed before diving in (at least skim through it): Disclaimer 1: Rewrite. This is a rewrite of a story with the same name, the original version can be found on my Discord alongside its relevant images. Disclaimer 2: Canon Divergence. As the actual story is ongoing and Oda is a master of twists and turns, naturally, there will be content that will not match the future plot. Though my perfectionism demands me to line it up, I know that in that case, I''ll be waiting for like five more years before releasing this book. So this fic will be relatively accurate up to chapter 1090. Anything that does not line up can and should be considered AU. Disclaimer 3: Selective Tags Explained. # SYSTEM бк Not the main focus of the story. It will be prevalent in early chapters, up to perhaps the first 10 chapters, and then be dialled down, not to the point of being obsolete but just not exceptionally pivotal. It can be considered a side bonus and has a creative twist to its link to the main character. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. # ROMANCE / HAREM бк Not the main focus but it will be present. The harem will be small and will not be Pokemon-style. Expect it to be built up over arcs and reasonable. # TRAGEDY бк Tragic start that may cause some desolation. Nothing overly dramatic but it may be painful to some. Outside of that, the tag will be less and less applicable. Technically there is some fun gore like ripping heads out and crushing people into red mists but like, Big Mom literally stepped and flattened a dude into nonexistence in Wano, so take that as you want. Final Rating: 16+. Disclaimer 4: Images. I am cross-publishing this on multiple sites, ScribbleHub, RoyalRoad, Fanfiction.net and AO3, hence it is very time-consuming to post images on each website. Thus I will post the relevant images onto Discord in a separate channel that covers each arc (WN will still get images into paragraphs). Disclaimer 5: Woes of the Author. I am pursuing a B.Sc. in Computer Engineering so expect delays which can be caused by any of the following: brain-dissolving coursework, despicable professors, obscene number of exams and all other tragedies that befall aspiring Engineers alongside less-than-ideal time management skills. Disclaimer 6: Webnovelitis. I have no intention of altering the plot to cater to any picky desires. Of course, I want people to enjoy my craft and feel free to drop your story ideas in Discord but do not feel obliged to announce your departure.

Note: The Discord server will have many auxiliary channels for more niche details such as bounties, Devil Fruits, arc summaries, skill information, Haki & Powerleveling, World Government structure and associated agencies and more: https://discord.gg/aJHHHPvb6q. The actual mass release will drop in 1-2 hours. I released this early as I knew people would skip it and dive into the rewrite straight away. Chapter 1: The Banality of Life "A stranger." These are the words that echoed in the mind of a young boy as he glanced into a pond of tranquil water. The bright blue sky reflected off as the young visage of a 7-year-old child could be seen. A few ripples echoed through the water as some fish swam through, breaking the boy''s concentration. A heavy sigh escaped his mouth, unbefitting of his age. "No matter how many times I see it, it''s all so different," the childish voice broke out. "But this is reality." It was quite odd to see such a focused gaze coming from a child, but it wasn''t odd considering the mind of said child. His name was Damien. He had distinct hair: messy, raven-black hair with red streaks decorating the left side of his head. His red pupils, though seemingly unnatural from his previous life, were not overly uncommon where he currently was. He wore a simple black tunic that seemed rather dirty, spots of mud and dried ounces of blood were apparent. [Image (in Discord)] . "The One Piece world," he sighed. "Should I be thankful that I get another shot at life, but this world is so messed up!" It wasn''t hard for Damien to recognize the world, the villagers nearby gave enough information to connect the dots. The One Piece World was exceedingly vibrant, just about anything could be found there. From superpowers such as turning into animals, elements and just about anything that could be imagined. Exotic plants and animals roamed the lands; a truly beautiful world. Behind the beautiful curtain was a world filled with corruption, death, maladies, and disasters. The ones who preached justice could be seen through many lights. Though they maintained the balance of the world, the dark hands hidden behind the curtains were soaked with innocent blood. Nations coming together under the banner of the World Government. Mortals were idolized as Gods ruled from above. All the while the indomitable Marines of the Navy Headquarters acted as their face and greatest sword and shield. The pirates that roamed the seas committed great tragedies whilst the innocent were the true victims. Forgotten truths, hidden conspiracies, and tumultuous seas filled the world. . Never did Damien think that one day he would be thrown into this messy world. "Kids who have never seen peace and kids who have never seen war have different values! Those who stand at the top determine what''s wrong and what''s right!" These words echoed in the boy''s mind as he recalled the blond-haired psycho who preached them in his previous life. It was considered quite an incredible moment in the anime, but having reached such a world, it was a whole new reality. *Thump* A blue-feathered bird suddenly landed on a tree nearby as many leaves rained down. Damien shook his head, his mind was filled with too many thoughts. . He didn''t have a "good" experience in his previous life. All was well, he was an average child in a family of four, parents, himself and a younger sister. If there was one word Damien could describe himself with, it would either be "resilient" or "unlucky". Early passing of his parents to surviving a tough childhood and the eventual loss of his sister by illness. Being born with an exceptionally strong memory went from being a gift to a curse. Yet finding strength in his profound grief, drawing strength through the enduring memories of his family. Powering through school and university, running off the renewed determination to honour his dead parents and sister. Yet it was all for naught as Damien''s story came to a close at the age of 18 at the hands of a drunk driver. . An odd occurrence persisted as the boy was lost in thought. *Flutter* The grass around his feet seemed to shiver and dance around where he stood, the flowers by the tree looked as if they were singing. Damien was used to it, he attributed it to another phenomenon of this fantasy world. It wouldn''t be the first thing that surprised him here. The child then walked down the grassy fields and entered a large cabin that sat at the edge of the cliff in the small village he resided in. *Creak* The oldened door gave out a sorrowful groan as the hinges cried out from the abuse of being used for decades. "Mom," he sighed. "You shouldn''t move around in your condition." The boy looked at the woman who was rummaging through the aged kitchenware, seemingly unaware of her sickness. She seemed to be in her early twenties with long white hair and a slender body. Equipped with a rather radiant smile. [Her Image (In Discord)] "Don''t worry about me, Damien-chan, go wash your hands, breakfast is almost ready." The young mother gave a sweet smile, though, in the eyes of the boy, he only saw her hidden pain. ''She''s gotten worse,'' he thought. His mother, Nadia, was the one who had taken care of him for the past seven years. Most children wouldn''t recall their early years, and yet Damien was fully conscious of everything since birth; his impressive memory carried over. . You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. The one thing he''s noticed over the past seven years: his mother was a devil fruit ability user. She never talked about it much but it''s not hard to notice. Weakness to the sea and still water, in general, was quite loud. She also had some sort of illness that dragged her down quite a bit but her heart somehow always found the will to keep going. Nadia gave her usual optimistic smile and dragged Damien to the table, clapping her hands and announcing: "Let''s eat." бн It wasn''t an overly filling meal, mostly plants and vegetables with little meat, but it was enough. The conundrum Damien faced was that of reality itself. What to do? There are schools and learning institutions in this world but it wasn''t the recipe everyone here went by. You didn''t need a college diploma to succeed amongst your peers, nor did you need to attend school itself. Most kids were taught at home by their parents, getting small jobs in the village. Though it was One Piece, not every casual soul who had transmigrated over wanted to become an Admiral, or a Great Pirate of the Seas or dream of having a harem! Reality and fantasy were two different things until one got plunged into a place where the fantasy was the reality. Damien just wanted to live in a relatively comfortable home with his caring parent, a feeling that was robbed of him in his previous life. The unfortunate reality was that the world was teeming with horrors, from giant sea monsters to crazy pirates, to disastrous weathers and corrupt governments. бн A few hours passed as Damien went outside, to fetch some water from the well. Though he was only seven, his body was unnaturally tough and resilient, Nadia said that he got it from his father. "Good morning, Damien!" "Diligent as always." "I wish my son would be as hardworking as you." The friendly villagers waved toward the boy as he carried four buckets down the road. Small wooden houses decorated the side of the road, small shops around every corner. *Chirp* Birds flew on above as the sun''s warm rays bathed the village in its warmth. It was a rather poor village, but not poor in its vibrance. A warmth that was robbed from Damien in his previous life. The village was not large. It had around 1600 inhabitants. It was built on a small island in the West Blue by the name of Renaissance Island. A forested land mass with lakes circling the main residence area. A nearby island of Greta housed a Marine Base, the 111th branch of the West Blue; their existence warded off anyone with malice. Renaissance was a poor island, but it had happy and genuine people, something worth more than what money could buy. [Renaissance Island Image (in Discord)] бн *Thunk* The four empty buckets slammed onto the ground next to the well at the core of the village. The stone slabs that lined its walls were cracked and overgrown with moss. "Damn," He murmured. "Almost empty." It was a hot summertime, the well had begun to dry up, and the reservoir beneath was almost gone. The young boy attached the bucket to the rope as it was lowered in, within moments, the water filled it to the brim. Damien did the same with the second bucket, third and fourth as it took a decent while. "Tch!" A bright ray of sunlight reflected off the clear water and into Damien''s eyes, causing an annoyed groan. His eyes darted to the side, glancing at a tree that blocked the sunlight. A sigh escaped Damien''s lips as he picked up the buckets with ease. "That fruit." It was quite interesting. The tree he was looking at was a rather giant apple tree, though it had quite the imposter amongst the fruits. The fruit had the body of an apple, though with a vibrant look: instead of a uniform red, the fruit sported black lines running down the stem to the bottom and swirls throughout. Without a doubt, a Devil Fruit. [Fruit Image (in Discord)] бн Though Damien had seen it there for seven years now, he didn''t eat it, nor did he have the desire to. A devil fruit was a lottery, a gamble. Zoan, Paramecia or Logia. Though he could be lucky and get some incredible fruit, he could also be equally as unlucky and get something trashy. And there are MANY trash fruitsбн Such as the Jacket-Jacket fruit: turning into a jacket to be worn by others, just the thought sent shivers down Damien''s back. "Considering my luck, my curiosity really isn''t worth it," Damien resolutely told himself. "It''s probably something like the Turd-Turd Fruit." *Cough* "It is our saving grace, young Damien," An aged voice called out from behind, making his existence known. He turned around to see the 82-year-old village chief, Naruhe. Long white hair, sucking on a pipe. "It has been here for decades, protecting us with its divine grace," Naruhe voiced out as he gestured to the fruit with a nod. Damien rolled his eyes. Devil fruits, though rather common in the Grand Line, were seen as myths and legends in many of the Four Outer Seas; Renaissance Island included. "The fruit never rots over so many years, through the coldest of winters and the hottest of summers, truly a miracle!" the old man cried out. Naruhe looked at Damien with an elderly smile. "You too are a miracle, your mother was practically drained of life when she had you, we even invited a doctor from Greta Island who said the baby would be born dead, a stillbirth, what a tragic announcementбн" He placed his hand on the boy''s head. "It''s a miracle that you were born so strong, weighing nearly 6 kilograms, my-my!" . Damien squinted his eyes while the old geezer continued his senile comments. ''A healthy woman is said to give birth to a dead baby. The baby is born exceedingly healthy, but the mother is left ill. Why?'' Damien never asked this question out loud as he knew his mother would chide him to death. He bid farewell to the old man, walking back home. Not paying attention to the nearby trees as they swayed joyfully, and the grass that surrounded them danced about. ---------------------------------------------- Night crept in from the windows left ajar. The dishes had been cleaned from a usual dinner. A soft wind blew through the home occasionally. Nadia and Damien sat on a swinging bench outside, each swing sending out loud creaks from the old contraption. It was a miracle it hadn''t fallen apart yet. The boy leaned his head on his mother''s shoulder as they watched the sunset. Though the height difference was almost void. At the age of seven, Damien stood at exactly five feet tall (1.52 m). In contrast to his mother at 5'' 3" (1.6 m). [A/N: I use Imperial for heights and Metric for the rest, adding their corresponding counterparts in brackets.] . "You seem very quiet nowadays, Damien-chan," Nadia said as she admired the glorious night sky. "I can tell you''re dying to ask me something." The boy looked up at his mother, a little surprised, "How can you tell?" Nadia giggled, "Hmm, I could always see the grace in someone''s heart, it was a little odd growing up but now I''m glad to have it." She cupped Damien''s nose, "So, go ahead and ask." A quick silence followed until Damien finally brought up his thoughts. "Can you tell me more about my birth, mom?" Nadia saw the solemn gaze of her son as she uttered a soft sigh. "You are special, Damien-chan. A few months after my pregnancy, the doctor told me about your eventual death and it ate away at me," Nadia said as she stroked Damien''s unique hair. Her eyes then drifted into an old memoryбн ---------------------------------------------- [Seven Years Ago] [Village Hospital] Naruhemi, Naruhe''s sister, glanced at the pregnant woman who lay on the aged bed at the center of the room. It was nighttime and the chirps of crickets could be heard. And yet they were drawn out by the tense atmosphere present in the room. "Is the medicine ready!?" Naruhemi yelled at the women gathered around the table by the side of the room. At the center of the table was a small bowl with green syrupy liquid inside of it. A nurse threw in a handful of ingredients and another nurse crushed them into a paste as they mixed. "We need more magicae berries!" "Ugh!" Nadia groaned as her eyes failed to open, her hands felt heavy and her heart slowed down. "Madam! She''s not going to make it, and the baby will be out any second!" *Thwank* The door bashed as another nurse ran in, a basket of small, green-coloured strawberries in her hands. "I have them!" She quickly threw in a handful of the green fruits as they were crushed into the medicine pellet, overlooking one berry that was greatly different from the rest, equipped with black swirls. The nurse worked incredibly fast and a few moments later, the medicine was ready. бн "Drink it, Nadia!" Naruhemi''s voice rang out as she placed the bowl by the dying woman''s face. Nadia, with every bit of her strength, got up and began to drink. "That''s it!" Nadia''s face visibility scowled, the medicine was unusually bitter, disgusting even. *Clatter* Naruhemi collected the bowl as she saw Nadia''s pale face slowly brighten. "The baby is coming! Find your strength and push, Nadia!" бн Time passed and the tense room turned bright as a joyful atmosphere pervaded the walls. Nadia sat up, her tired eyes gazing at the wrapped-up baby in her hands. Naruhemi smiled as she wiped the now-mother''s sweaty forehead. "What will you name him?" She asked. Nadia peered at the child''s crimson eyes as another face came into her memory. "Damien," She answered. "Einar D. Damien!" ---------------------------------------------- [Present Time] "Such a magical medicineбн" Damien muttered as he heard the entirety of the story. Nadia continued to stroke Damien''s hair as she replied, "Mhm, though I''ve never tasted something so distasteful, it did lead to my beautiful boy''s healthy birth!" "You are so much like your father, both in appearance and maturity. You were born so strong, much like him, ah, you grow up too fast!" She then grabbed Damien into a strong hug as she hummed a happy tune. Damien sighed in her surprisingly strong grip as he thought her words. ''My father left to get the milk years ago. Leaving mom so weak and sick, not exactly a strong figure to emulateбн,'' He thought. The name of his father was Einar D. Ares, a name Nadia chose for Damien to carry on. бн Time passed on as the village was enclosed in silent tranquillity. A little too quiet. *Creak* The docks at the very edge of the islands bellowed in disrepair as numerous boots slammed onto the wooden boards. A man with an eyepatch stood at the front, a wild grin attached to his face. "What a nice little place, let''s go see what treasure it hides!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 2: Reality Check "If only the world could exist without borders, without violence, without greed," Nadia said as she sat under the calm moonlight. Damien remained quiet as he heard her words. He didn''t believe such a thing was possible, both from the perspective of his old world and the new. Humans, or intelligent species in general, are destined to fight. Nadia wasn''t naive enough to believe her own thoughts, she was just a little too kind. бн "Hmm?" Nadia''s eyes shot away from the starry night onto the quiet village; her gaze, wary. Moments later a smell of fire pervaded as the bright embers lit up certain parts of the village. "What''s going on?" Damien stood up alongside his mother as they heard screams and painful groans echo throughout the area. Nadia squinted her eyes as she ran into the home, Damien left outside, frozen. "Help!" A bloodied man ran out from the faraway street, towards Damien''s home. His eyes were swamped with fear as the bloodied trail followed him. *Thump* The man fell not too far from Damien, his life near its end. Damien recognized him as Nacrossa, a fellow villager he''d known since he was a toddler. "Who did this to you?" Damien questioned as he put pressure on the gaping wound in his stomach. "D-Damienбн you must run! They''re hereбн the pirates are here!" With that, Narcossa passed away, his eyes empty of all life. Damien gulped as he felt the man''s body go limp, his first time seeing a corpse, let alone one from a murder. "So this is where you ran, Lololo! Looks like there''s ''nother little house here for us to ransack!" Damien''s gaze fell upon a man in a red coat and shaggy beard. Fresh blood dripped from the sword in his hands as he licked the blade, a wide grin plastered to his face. . Damien subconsciously took a few steps back as the pirate walked towards him. "Don''t worry, I''ll end it quickly!" the man roared as he dashed forward, his blade ready. Damien froze as he felt the cold grasp of death once again. And suddenly a sharp whistle resounded by Damien''s ear as he saw a black shadow shoot towards the coming pirate. "Ugh!" The man roared out as he was shot back nearly two meters, his body impaled with a rusty spear. Damien turned his head to the side as he saw his mother as she stood near the door to the house. Nadia gazed at the dead villager as she walked to the fallen pirate. Her foot pressed into the ground as her hands grabbed the spear. Damien''s eyes widened as he saw his mother shift the spear back and forward, causing it to cut apart more and more flesh of the pirate. "Ahh! S-Stop! It hurts!" Nadia continued her actions as she questioned, "How many of you are there?" The man continued to groan but didn''t answer. A look of impatience flashed by Nadia''s eyes as more blood gathered under the pirate. The sound of gurgling flesh rang out as she weeded the spear out. *Shwack* She then impaled the man''s back as he exploded in pain. "E-Eighty! There''s eighty of us!" Nadia took a deep breath as she heard the answer. The man then slowly gazed up, blood poured from his smiling lips. "B-Both of you will die!" "You bitch! My boss will enjoy yo-!" A sharp screech rattled onto the man as his brain was overwhelmed with a powerful force, and his eyes rolled back into unconsciousness. . Nadia turned around and gestured at Damien, "Damien-chan, come with me, hurry!" She yanked the spear out from the man without a second thought and ran into the island. Damien shook his head in disbelief, ''Was my mom always such a badass?'' He looked at the pirate who was sure to die from blood loss, picked up his sword and ran behind his mother. . "Mom, shouldn''t we run into the woods rather than towards the pirates?" Damien questioned with uncertainty as he jumped over a fallen tree. Nadia looked to the side and shook her head as the two continued their run. "That man had a crest of the Blazing Pirates on his coat, they like to burn down the villages and islands they loot. Hiding in the forest is death, and escaping through the sea in these currents is the same." She then looked at the village, "Sometimes the most dangerous place is the safest!" ---------------------------------------------- "No!" An old man roared out as he grabbed a bloodied woman. It was Naruhe, the village chief. His grief-struck face was covered in blood and tears as he held his dead sister. He picked up a rake and walked up. "Hey, hey, old man. Go join that old hag in the afterlife!" A bald pirate laughed as he saw the enraged chief. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Naruhe swung the rake with all his strength, just for it to be dodged without problem. The pirate closed into the old man and drove his sword into his chest. "Ugh!" Naruhe cried out as he fell to the ground. The pirate just snorted as he kicked the rake to the side. He was about to slash at Naruhe''s throat until an unsettling whistle broke out. The creaking of bones then followed as the pirate flew into the wall of the nearby house, his body two feet above the ground as a long spear was engraved in his heart. . Naruhe smiled at the dead pirate as he saw the two people walk to him, a woman and a young child. "Nadiaбн you must hide, they are only the scouting party here and many more will come soon!" Naruhe''s breathing then halted. Nadia smiled at him as a tear ran down her cheek. She gently closed the man''s eyes. Damien who stood at the side could only gaze at his surroundings. The cheerful village, once a hub of joyful people was now turned into a hellhole. Dozens of bodies laid out, some in pieces, some unrecognizable. The creaky wood that once brought comfort and nostalgia bathed in blood; a heavy stench filled the air. Damien rolled his hands into a fist as he felt the despair bloom in his heart, mixed with anger, grief, fear and wrath. *Pat* He then felt a warm hand gently touch his cheek, it was Nadia who had come before him. "Come, Damien-chan, we don''t have much time." The two then ran deeper into the core of the village, the pirates'' main party not too far. бн "Here we go," Nadia muttered as they arrived at the center of the village, the well before them. Nadia was breathing heavily as she held the rusty spear in one hand. Her condition worsened due to her sickness. Damien turned to the side as he heard a bustling noise around 200 meters away, within the forested area. It was a group of men, around 70 of them. They marched closer by the passing second. Nadia noticed them as well and she moved fast. *Creak* The wooden bar creaked as Nadia pulled up the bucket to the top. She turned to Damien and kissed his forehead. "Damien-chan, I need you to do as I say, okay?" Damien saw the look of his mother and felt a foreboding feeling. Nadia smiled at her child''s worried eyes, "Hold onto the well, I need you to hide down below." Damien immediately refused, "You should go first, Mom! The well is wide enough for us bo-" Nadia put her finger on Damien''s lips as she shook her head. "I can feel it, I don''t have much time. I knew this day would come but I wish it wasn''t under these circumstancesбн" Nadia''s voice cracked at the end as she tried to hide her distraught. "You must live, Damien. If not for yourself, then do it for me!" Damien was about to shake his head but then saw Nadia''s unswerving gaze. He took a deep breath and nodded. *Creak* The wooden bar that the rope was tied around creaked as Damien held onto it. The young child put his feet onto the cobblestone walls of the well and his hands tightly grasped the rope. Nadia smiled at Damien''s agreement as she looked away into the forest. The pirates were only 40 seconds away. She then raised her hand into the air and closed her eyes. A soft wind blew through. Damien looked up after he secured himself, ready to rappel down to the bottom of the well and saw something incredible. The tree not so far away started to shift from its stable position as it seemed to move on its own. The branches bent in unnatural, human-like movements as they seemed to reach down to Nadia''s raised hand. The branch was now only two meters above her hand as it then seemed to shake. Another branch came from the side, only this time, it had something attached to it, a fruit! *Snap* It was like a quick tear of a string as the fruit seemed to free itself from the branch and fall into the woman''s grasp. Nadia eyed the black and red fruit with a soft smile. She then turned to Damien and met his shocked eyes. "Take this, your father told me about magical fruits that gave powers, it has kept our village safe for years and I''m sure it will keep you safe too." She gently placed the fruit into the bucket as Damien did. The mother gazed into her son''s eyes as if she were treasuring the moment and engraving it into her mind. . The pirates'' relaxed walk was just seconds away as Nadia gave one last kiss on his head as she gently said, "Go." Damien then started to rappel down, the rope barely holding his weight. His eyes were lost, knowing this was the last time he''d see his mother alive. The rocks that lined the 50-meter-deep well began to chip away as Damien continued his descent. After around 30 meters, the rope seemed to start to give way from the weight. The individual strings that were spiralled around it began to stretch and tear. Damien felt the failing integrity of the rope and went faster. *Snap* Five meters further, the rope split. Damien''s hands tried to grab at the moss-covered walls but they simply tore from Damien''s momentum. The young man held his voice, gritting his teeth, and fell 15 straight meters down. Knowing such a fall could lead to grave danger, Damien shifted his weight such that his body was straight, his legs pointing down, and his knees bent. Alas, the fall came to an end. *Crack* "Ugh!" Damien cried out as he held his mouth shut, his legs seemed to pulsate as he felt both of them break, his bones unable to fully absorb the force as they snapped without mercy. Spinal, pelvic and other internal injuries were surely possible as well. бн "Look at what we have here," a masculine voice boomed with a rather humorous tone. The pirate with nearly 70 other companions surrounded a silver-haired woman. "What a beautiful woman!" "Captain, she''d sell for millions!" "Why don''t we make sure she''s up to standards ourselves?" Nadia squinted her eyes at the pirates who glared at her with unsettling gazes. She twirled the spear in her hands, the drying blood on it stamped the grassy ground. The lead pirate cracked his knuckles in return as he gave an order, "Make sure she doesn''t take any lasting damage!" The pirates cheered in a boisterous manner. Nadia raised her empty hand. The pirates seemed alerted as the slender hand began to glow an unsettling green. She then suddenly made a fist. *Creak* The forest nearby seemed to come alive as the branches suddenly shot out at incredibly fast speeds. Blood splashed out as tens of pirates were instantly killed by the attack, gaping holes left all over their now-cadavers. Nadia then ran frontwards as she threw her spear at great speed, nailing the captain in the chest as he was nailed onto a tree nearly 5 meters away. "You monster!" A pirate roared out as he saw his companions getting ripped to shreds by the sharp branches. He ran forth at the woman only to have his throat pierced through by a 30-centimeter-wide branch. Nadia kneeled to the ground, her hands still glowing green. The pirates were reduced to nearly half. . "Damn woman! You lot, light the forest on fire, I want to see how long she can do this for!" Then men nodded as they ignited the woods with some oil and alcohol. The dry temperature quickly set the surroundings ablaze into a fiery hell. The heat invaded the area as the tree began to die out. "W-What about the loot!?" a pirate questioned. "Forget it! There should be heavy rain tomorrow, we will pick up what is left then, retreat for now!" They then ran out from the slaughter as their numbers were reduced to around thirty. Nadia broke out in a loud gasp for air. "Ugh," She groaned, blood leaking from her mouth and nose. ''I can''t let them get away or else Damien-chan will be endangeredбн'' ''No matter what!'' ''Stopбн!'' She fell to the ground while watching the thirty or so shadows disappear, the heat worsening her condition. ''Stop!'' In a last moment of desperation, Nadia seemed to unleash a burst of energy, taking everything out of her. бн A few seconds later, the 30 or so pirates slowly felt a great weight on them as their eyes rolled back into their skulls, dropping to the ground like flies. The fire only grew as their unconscious bodies were caught ablaze, leading to their untimely end. Nadia gave out a soft smile as she crawled near the well. She placed her bloodied hand onto the cobblestone walls of it. A green light suddenly emanated from her hand as it shined the walls of the well as they spread tens of meters down. The gaps in between seem to shake as vines and moss burst out vibrantly, slowly growing and sprouting about. Within moments the wide open well seemed to close and sheets of green enclosed it wholly, making it seem as if the well went untouched for decades, overgrown with vines and moss! Nadia finally sighed in relief as her life began to give way. She finally leaned onto a crack in the ground that seemed to run into the well. бн Damien reeled in pain as he tried to aright his body, straightening his broken legs. His face was bleeding heavily and a deep gash was adorned right above his right eyeбкit would certainly leave a mark. Aching pain pulsed through the left side of his body, originating from his hip. He slowly stabilised his breathing, knowing that he''d need to preserve energy. Damien looked up and saw the open night sky, and then suddenly felt the entire well shake. The open sky darkened into blackness as it was shut closed with vines and moss. ''This is mom''s fruit powerбн'' Damien''s eyes widened in shock as he heard some whispers. His body was too hurt to speak, his consciousness was drifting in and out but his ears picked up the sound. "..." It was the sound of a breath, very faint but audible. "Damien-chan..." The boy tilted his head to the left and saw a crack in the wall, it was the sound of his mother running down the aged well! "I don''t know if you can hear me, Damien-chan, but I hope you can." Damien just stared at the cracked wall as tears seemed to escape his eyes. "No matter what happens, no matter what tribulations you face, no matter who stands against you, just remember that your mom will always stand on your side." "It will be very hard after tonight. But no matter what, the sun will rise in the morning and things will get better." "Mom will say goodbye nowбн but do me a favour, please." "I only want one thing from you, my treasured child." "Gather those who you can trust with your life. Marry a beautiful girl. Treasure them deeply for they will be your greatest strength." "Live on for yourself, for me, for your father." "Live, my child. Live." Damien''s eyes slowly closed as the voice subsided, his mind unable to keep conscious. "..." A deep silence seemed to shadow the entire village as the night ensued. A tragedy hidden away; forever unknown to the rest of the world. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 3: A New Day *Squawk* The crows flew about as a heavy rain fell upon Renaissance Island. It was now evening time. The blazing flame had left the trees to ashes, a once booming forest reduced to blackened wood and debris. Bloody rivers began to wash away in the storm to come. бн [Near the Docks] A heavy foot fell onto the wet docks as the coming ship lowered its anchors. The ship had a jolly roger attached to it. A skull with a flame behind it иC the Blazing Pirates! "The hell happened hereбн Didn''t it say this was a forested island with a thousand or so inhabitants?" the captain of the ship questioned. The man had a red mohawk hairstyle and a crimson coat draped over his shoulders. Thick muscular arms crossed before his chest. He stood at a towering 12-feet stature, his name was Brando Ignis, a man with a bounty of 39 million berries! . "No clue Cap'', should we send out some scouts?" Pabulum, the green-haired first mate, replied. He was also the ship''s main strategist, his intelligence being his forte. Ignis gazed at the burnt island and shook his head. "Let''s all go." ---------------------------------------------- [Three Hours Later] "Hey boss, you wanna check this well?" Ignis walked through the destroyed land and saw what his subordinate pointed at. He gazed inside and saw a sheet of moss and vines covering it. He looked at the recruit. *Slap* He smacked him upside the head, knocking him to the ground. "You idiot, you think moss and cobwebs would grow overnight if someone was hiding down there?" Ignis roared in impatience. He then pointed at the others. "Look over the entire island, get the loot that remains, don''t waste any more time." бн The fodders spread out. Pabulum walked ahead, a cigar in his mouth. "Cap'', you think someone killed all our men or those idiots fell drunk and got eaten by the fire?" Ignis gazed at the dead men and shook his head. "Someone killed them but there is no one hereбн" His eyes then locked onto the giant structure that was right next to the well''s entrances. "That tree, it might be worth something. I''ve never seen anything like it." Pabulum nodded as he looked at it as well, "Such a thick bark, and it also seems to have the face of a woman, Rubububu, to think such a tree could exist." . The men weren''t wrong for their thoughts. After all, there was a small mangrove of a few trees in the center of the island whereas everywhere else was burnt to cinders. Not only that, the trees and greenery seemed to form the face of a beautiful woman, peering into the well as some flowers adorned her hair. [Portrait Image (in Discord)] бн What the men didn''t know was that the dried well did indeed have a person hidden away within. In the dark confines of the well were two sharp, crimson eyes, gazing into the darkness before him. As the saying goes, if you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back. Damien, who had woken up, felt a flurry of emotions. After drinking handfuls of rainwater, he had regained some energy. Many thoughts flashed through his eyes. He wanted to get up and find a way up but something told him not to. He heard some whispers, ''Not yet.'' And thus he waited while in deep thought. "Seven years of peace," He muttered. After living a life of constant ups and downs, he was thrown into this world. It isn''t wrong to say that he was lucky. Beyond the idea of being reborn and given a second chance at life, he also had many other fortunes. Compared to the children born into war and battle, he was indeed lucky. He didn''t need to grow through a famine or drought, there was enough food, good people around him, and a loving mother. He fell into a delusion that he was safe in this remote village, willing to live out the rest of his life in this calm environment in the embrace of his loving mother, a feeling robbed from him in his previous life. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. It wasn''t a cowardly wish, just a foolish one. Under the guise of this very peace and tranquility was the storm of reality that hit him last night. "Mom is goneбн and these bastards are here to collect the remains of whatever there even isбн" Damien clenched his hands into fists to the point that blood began to dribble out. Happiness, joy, and freedom are privileges only for the strong to enjoy, anything even remotely close to that for the weak is simply delusion. . "It''s easy to give up but if I do that, I would fail Momбн She carried me through nine months of pain and sickness and cared for me for seven yearsбн" The looming darkness continued as the red eyes hidden near the floor seemed to shine a fiery red. "I will live on and claw my way to the top!" ---------------------------------------------- [Seven Hours Later] "We found some jewelry that wasn''t burnt by the fire and a decent amount of food hidden away," a pirate reported. "The people who lived here weren''t too stupid, they seemed to design a fire-proof room to store the emergency food." Ignis nodded. "At least it wasn''t a waste of time, store it back onto the ship. We''ll camp out here for a few weeks. Hunt for Sea Kings by the shore too, we need to make the quota and this island is known to have a good position for those fish," he ordered. The men nodded and began to move, leaving the well unattended. Had they remained, they would be surprised. The moss, vines, and even the spiders began retreating into the cracks of the walls as a ladder-like structure formed with the plants. After a good 15 minutes, a small hand reached the top of the well and a young boy climbed out. He was covered in sweat, grime, and blood. The boy reeked of many stenches as his ripped clothes made him seem as if he had survived a great disasterбкand he had, for now, that is. Yet under all that filth were two bright eyes, filled with youth and determination. . "Finally those pirates left the area, I was getting tired of waiting." He then looked forward and saw it. A large collection of trees that seem to reach nearly 50 meters in height. They grew out from the center that seemed to form the face of a woman with her eyes shut, asleep. "Momбн" Damien smiled slightly as he saw the marvelous greenery, and then he looked around him. His home was reduced to ashes. He clenched his fists once more and let out a deep sigh. Damien then gazed at his feet and his hand. The previously broken legs and bloodied hands were healed, completely! Even the deep gash on his face had healed though it left behind a diagonal scar over his right eyebrow. His body was fixed, though remained emaciated. . "I finally figured it out," Damien said as he climbed out of the well. "All those times where the trees and grass seemed to move near me, and now I am healing so fast, could it be?" "Was it mom''s devil fruit?" "Then why is it still active now? Once a fruit user dies their abilities should disappear. Why do I have these powers?" Damien had naturally taken baths in the sea before, he never felt any weakness, and yet he was born with certain unnatural powers. Damien touched the tree as he felt its vibrant life force, almost as if it was flowing in between his fingers. "Mom seemed to have eaten her fruit at the moment of my birthбн could it have gone to me?" The boy then shook his head. "No, she was also controlling the branches last night. So why?" Damien failed to come up with an answer and moved on. "If anything, mom has been protecting me even after her deathбн" . And then his eyes fell into another deep thought. "One Piece has countless powers. She gave me so much and I returned nothing, maybe, just maybe, I can bring her back?" "A resurrection fruit? If the Ope-Ope fruit can grant eternal youth, surely there is a fruit that can bring the dead back to life." Damien slowly nodded his head. "Regardless, even if such a power exists, I need to get stronger. So strong that no one can ever hurt or take away the ones closest to me." "No matter what!" *Grumble* "..." Damien coughed slightly, his soliloquy was interrupted by his empty stomach, destroying the moment. "First, I need some protein." ---------------------------------------------- [Four Hours Later] "Hey~ I could have sworn we had more *Hic* food than this, no?" He was naturally drunk. His companion looked to the barrels of food, his eyes heavy. "Heyбн whenever I look at the food it seems to double and quadruple in size. I''m sure it was nothing." The two men were on guard at the food storage as the others had gone to sleep, even the captain. What they didn''t know was that there was a shadow sitting in the darkness, munching on some sea king meat. ''Delicious stuff.'' Damien felt the urge to burp and could only mask it with great effort. He had been eating. Eating well. He ate for almost 10 people in just 10 minutes! ''Food equals growth in One Piece!'' Damien determined as he recalled the ginormous humans that exist, all of which seemed to eat quite a lot to get there. Though he didn''t want to be 20 feet tall, Damien would want to at least reach the average Admiral height of 10 feet. Therefore, he must eat! ---------------------------------------------- [The Next Day] Damien stood at the edge of the island where his house used to be. Naturally, it too was eaten by the flame and reduced to cinders. He instead watched the calm seas, enjoying the salty sea air. The pirates on land stuck near the docks, mostly fishing for something in the sea. . "Renaissance Island is remote and away from the world," he muttered. "Even the newspapers don''t reach here." Naturally, Damien knew very little about the time of the seas. He needed information. "Those pirates can enlighten me but at my current level I''m no match and they will be gone soon," He surmised. Damien had a few choices. 1. Sneak on their ship and dock off at another inhabited island to gather information. 2. Wait for them to leave and make a ship or wait for another ship to arrive and hope they''re friendly. 3. Kill them all and pry the information from their soon-to-be writhing corpses. . Though Damien could take one down and try to torture the truth from him, these pirates were quite punctual and a missing member would surely alert them. Taking one down would need more thought and power. "Sneaking as a stowaway could work but it may lead to a worse scenario. I could swim off but the Sea Kings would love a free meal." Damien shook his head and continued to think, "Waiting would leave little food available, I can''t count on other ships'' kindness either." He then gazed at the fruit in his hands. "Though I can''t take them down at my current level, this may just solve the problem." Damien then reached to his side and brought out a fruit. It was the same one that he had seen growing up and the one his mother left him with. The choice was clear. "God-bless, Bismillah, Amitabha, may the force be with me, godspeed, to infinity and beyond," Damien uttered some random prayers and hoped the gamble would pan out in his favour. He waited one second then decisively bit the devil fruit. *Crunch* The taste pervaded his mouth. "..." Disgusting. Putrid. Vile. Repulsive. Unpalatable. Revolting. Sickening. Those were a few words Damien could use to describe the taste. The urge to throw up was there but Damien persisted and swallowed the piece whole with determination. A few bated breaths and his eyes finally fell onto the quarter-eaten fruit. A sigh erupted. "My paranoia will be the end of me." *Crunch* Naturally, he knew a devil fruit ability could be granted with a single bite but Damien''s paranoia would not allow any chances. He ate it whole. "Absolutely disgustingбн" He washed his mouth with some water and then focused on his newfound thoughts. A devil fruit seemed to come with an ''instruction manual'' that outlined the basics of the fruit alongside its name. бн He gazed at his hand and concentrated. A red mist of energy emanated from his fist as the air around it seemed to groan in pain. Damien walked up to a 2-meter-tall rock and touched it with his hand. *Creak* The rock seemed to cry out as its entire body was covered in the same redness. *Boom* It then exploded into thousands of small pieces as if detonated from within. Damien looked at the result, the tiny pebbles rained down, all equal in shape, mass, and size, as if they were cut by a million lasers. He then raised his left foot which too began to glow the familiar yet eerily red. He tapped the ground with the raised foot. The sound of pixelation broke out as the ground, within 10 meters, seemed to turn into a large checkered field of tiny squares. Moments later the entire area crumbled into the same countless pieces, leaving a 10-meter wide hemisphere depression on the land. . Damien hummed in satisfaction. The ability to crush and cripple anything to everything into innumerable pieces through pressurization and pulverization. "Paramecia-type: Pulverize Pulverize Fruit." To Be Continuedбн Chapter 4: A Storm of Change [The Following Night] More food disappeared from the storage as the guards continued to drink away their confusion. And then, one moved from his post. "Oye, I''m gonna take a leak~" The remaining guard seemed rather annoyed, "Hurry up, if the Cap'' noticed the disappearing food and will kill us both if it continues!" "Yeah, yeah~" Slow and limping steps resounded as the man walked off the ship near the shoreline under the vessel. He unzipped his trousers and gave out a sigh of relief. *Zip* The pirate hummed in satisfaction. He looked up and enjoyed the night horizon. "Ugh!" And suddenly his vision went dark. бн The same pirate regained consciousness 10 minutes later as he ended up in an unknown area. Behind some large rocks that blocked the vision from the ship that now stood around 1.5 kilometers away. "What the hellбн" He was about to get up and then a black shadow was cast over his body. "Huh? A brat? Where''d you come fro-" The child drove his foot into the man''s liver area before he could finish his as the air in his lungs escaped without control. The pirate was only 6 feet tall, giving Damien enough confidence to take him down without much worry. . Damien''s hand shot forth and grabbed the man by his brown dreadlocks while grabbing his right arm as well. "Here''s how this goes, I ask, you answer." The pirate regained his breath and was about to struggle. "A little boy thinking he''s everything, let me teach you something, kid!" The pirate began to wrestle out of Damien''s clutches and then suddenly froze. A sound of pixelation seemed to resound on the calm shore as the man gazed at his grasped limb. The arm suddenly turned red as it abruptly ruptured into a mist of blood, dyeing the blackened soil a new crimson colour. "My armбн Ahhh!" The man began to roll in pain as his cry sprang out in all directions, hoping it would reach his comrades. Unfortunately for him, a scream could only travel to about 1.2 kilometers and was unable to reach his companions. Damien then grabbed the man''s remaining arm and began to speak, "Stop screaming or I''ll double the pain. Answer my questions and it''ll be over fast." The man woke up from his pain in great struggle as he gazed at the immature face of the boy. He saw black hair with red streaks running down one side and a thin scar above the right eyebrow. . Damien saw his unrelenting eyes and channelled his power onto the limb. The pirate felt heat over his arm and immediately gave in, "Stop! I-I''ll talk! Ask away!" Damien waited a few seconds as his powers remained in wait for his orders to pulverize under the fearful eyes of the victim. Then slowly retreating, temporarily. "Tell me who you are and why you''re here." The pirate frantically nodded and began to say, "W-We''re the Blazing Pirates, our mission was to come to this island in search of a rare fish that migrates this season." He continued, "W-We knew of primitive people living here so naturally they needed to beбн r-removed." Damien gritted his teeth as the man could only retreat in fear with an audible gulp. "So you burnt it down after ransacking it?" The pirate squealed, "I-It''s the fastest way!" His voice seemed to be filled with desperation as if wanting to convey that he was the victim and what transpired was only natural. Though it did give him a single second to notice Damien''s pause of anger. "Die brat!" The man roared out as his remaining hand shot forth with a small dagger hidden in his pocket. The motion took barely a split-second as the blade was inches away from Damien''s throat. And yet it stopped. *Drop* Droplets of blood fell as Damien''s left hand held the blade in a vice-like grip, cutting into his palm. "It hurtsбн but not as much as hearing my own mother breathe her final breath." The man''s eyes widened as the dagger soon glowed the nostalgic red as it exploded into tiny metallic pieces, the moonlight reflecting off their surface. The young boy''s hand then descended onto the pirate''s remaining arm causing it to explode into tiny chunks of flesh accompanied by a shower of blood. The screams continued as Damien gazed back down. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. He looked at his bleeding palm that had begun to heal, ignoring the pain. "What about the marines? The naval base on Greta Island is not too far out, there''s no way a ship of eighty men could get here without stepping in their jurisdiction." The pirate began to cry with tears as he heard Damien''s voice, knowing that the boy could explode in anger any second caused him to be quite truthful. "W-We paid them off! The Marine Captain in charge could care less if some small village outside of their jurisdiction gets raided! It''s nothing new! Ugh!" the cries of pain ensued alongside the explanation. . Damien glared at the weeping man and could only accept the truth: some marines are good, but just as many are corrupt and despicable. Beyond that, Renaissance Island was a poor island, naturally unable to pay the Heavenly Tribute and therefore not a member of the World Government; the Navy had no ''duty'' to save them. The blackened soil crumpled as Damien walked towards the man and grabbed his head by the long dreads. "You''re right, leaving one''s fate in the hands of others is the greatest sign of weakness. Thank you for teaching me that." The man thought this was his saving grace, ultimately, he was wrong. *Splash* The head exploded like a grape, fresh blood and brain matter all in the shape of a few centimeter-wide cubes rained down. Damien''s face was soon covered in the red liquid as he gazed at the headless body before him. The young child subconsciously took a deep breath as his hand shook slightly. This was the first life Damien had taken. It was an odd feeling, robbing a man of his life. Perhaps if this was before, Damien would be quite shaken up. But now, it just felt like it needed to be doneбкa soon-to-be natural part of his life. Damien then walked to the shoreline and washed his face and body, though his ripped clothes remained bloodied. He then kicked the body into the sea, such fresh blood would surely invite some Sea Kings to an open buffet. бн "I swear, Captain, he said he''d be back soon!" a pirate explained as his mouth dribbled with blood. Ignis snorted as he gazed at the pirate kneeling before him. Pabulum walked beside him and asked, "Cap'', I''ll send out the men to scour the village, There''s gotta be a few survivors here thinking to take revenge." But then the crew''s strategist shook his head, "Though he could have become lost under this much sakиж, that fool." Ignis looked at his strategist and nodded, "It should be nothing too serious. But we can''t mess up the contract either so it''s best to check, if there are survivors then I hope they''re ready to be skinned alive!" The pirates nearby raised their weapons in agreement, howeverбн *Pitter Patter* A rather unnatural storm suddenly formed above, heavy rain pouring down without any prior forecast. Ignis looked up at the storm and squinted his eyes, though he felt something afoot, it was not that serious. "Wait till tomorrow, let the storm clear away." ---------------------------------------------- [On the Other Side of the Island] "What a random storm," Damien commented as he felt the rain wash his clothes, his hair already damp. He went back to the familiar edge and thought to wait out the storm. The pirates were his target and they required some thinking to remove. His devil fruit worked great in close combat and even had some range capabilities Damien wanted to try out. Since the Blazing Pirates were offering themselves as training targets, Damien could only humbly accept. Yet the storm had other ideas. Damien suddenly felt a chill pass over his body as he subconsciously looked up and saw some bright plasma. *Boom* Thunder roared as a sharp bolt of lightning bathed Damien with 300 million volts of electricity. And it all went black. бн Time passed. Ten minutes of rain continued as the downed child slowly regained consciousness. His fingers twitched under the sound of heavy rain. The crimson pupils reappeared as the boy sat up without difficulty. "What the hell, did I just get struck by lightning?" He looked over his body and didn''t see much, not even any Lichtenberg figures. There were no other obvious markings of what had happened either. No displaced soil, no charred ground, no echoing sound. At first glance, it was as if nothing odd even happened here! "Perhaps I used all my luck on this devil fruit and the lightning strike was the remaining bad luck?" [I wouldn''t say that.] Damien blinked. He looked around and saw the usual blackened soil, though swamped in water, there wasn''t anyone else. [Don''t look around, I''m inside of your mind.] The young boy stabilised his breathing. "Perhaps the influx of emotions is causing hallucinations, it''ll pass," He comforted himself. "..." [I assure you, you are of sound mind. I am a collection of intelligence and data called ''Sibyl''.] Damien took another deep breath and chose to humour the insanity, "A collection of intelligence and data? A system, like from those trashy fanfics I read in my previous life?" [...] [You could consider me so. Though I would appreciate not being associated with the term, "trashy".] Damien slowly nodded, "Okay, whatever. Though I think you''re a little late, seven years at that. Shouldn''t you be thrown into this world with me?" [Not exactly. You see, I am not "your" system and neither was I paired with you. If it makes any difference, I have been searching for you for centuries now.] Damien could only pause, though Sibyl continued: [I cannot say much, just know that my true user, the person I was sent with, fell dead many, many years back.] [I have been searching for you throughout the entire world since that day. It took a while to lock onto this primitive island so far from the epicenter of worldly powers.] "Why am I here? Does my rebirth into this world have to do with this original system host of yours?" Damien asked a barrage of questions. [Your rebirth here was directly caused by the original host, yes. But I cannot give you any more answers, unfortunately. My memory was locked away and I only had the mission to find you.] Damien shook his head in slight disappointment. "And what exactly will you do now that you found me?" Sibyl replied in her usual tone, [My duty is to assist you in gaining strength and power. Ready you for a certain objective that too was locked away.] Damien scowled, disliking the idea of being led on by some aged mission he could care less about. [Don''t worry, every lock has a key. I''m sure there''s one out there that will answer your questions. I know it may worry you to be kept in the dark but I can only ask for your patience, Damien.] Damien could only relent, "Fine. Tell me how you can assist me." [I can grant you a storage space, first of all. It will allow you to store inanimate objects. I can translate the data of the world into text to be displayed. I can store any information you need to archive to be pulled whenever.] Damien blinked. "All you have is storage, some worldly details, and a notes app?" It was certainly a slight let-down, though Damien was ready to train for power, he wouldn''t mind some freebies. "At least tell me you have some immediate benefits?" Unfortunately, reality was often disappointing. [Nope. As I said, you are not the original host, therefore, the gift pack was opened by the original host and that is it.] Damien rubbed his head in thought as Sibyl continued with some decent news. [However, the previous user did send you some tools to aid in your path to power.] [Though I currently need to observe the surroundings, being in motion for centuries has led me to a need to update. It will take a handful of days.] Damien waved the little delay aside but then asked a question that was on his mind. "..." "Sibyl," He said in a solemn tone. "Can I rid myself of this system of yours at any point in time?" Though Damien didn''t mind the bonuses of the system, he was wary of the story behind it and naturally had some reservations. [...] [Yes.] ---------------------------------------------- [Two Days Later] Time flowed as a couple of days went by. The missing pirate was never found and the others gave up, concluding the man was swept away by the storm. It was barely 8 am and the pirates had spread out once more throughout the island, looking for their missing comrade. "Qulalala! I got one!" A pirate suddenly pulled hard on his rod as a shadow of a fish shot out from the sea. Most of them continued the daily fishing, having already caught ninety of them. They were only a meter in length and had a small pink body that was only a third of their size. The rest was a gorgeous rainbow-coloured tail, giving them a mystical appearance. They were called the ''Rainbow Betta Fish of West Blue''. [Image (in Discord)] . "Good work, we are only ten short of the quota then we can get off this burnt rock," the pirate''s partner said. Ignis who was drinking by the side nodded in satisfaction. He then glared at his strategist, "Oye, Pabulum. You still think someone''s after us? Igugugugu! Give it a rest and drink with me!" Pabulum slowly nodded, though his thoughts elsewhere, ''This unsettling feeling, I cannot put my finger on it. Could a survivor have killed that fool?'' He then shook his head and went to reluctantly drink. бн [Six Hours Later] "That''s the last one!" "Cheers!" "All done!" A banquet exploded at the large ship as the pirates raised jugs of sakиж in celebration. A boisterous environment ensued as the warm night continued. Though none of them saw a pair of crimson eyes watching them from a distance. A fiery glint passed by the pupils as the night passed on. Suffice to say, a bloodbath will soon arrive. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 5: A Frightening Reality "Chug! Chug! Chug!" The festive mood continued as the men partook in the joyful occasion. It certainly was not odd for such parties to erupt in pirate crews. Ignis sat at the core of the ship as he too raised his drink and devoured liters of the forsaken liquid. бн "Hey, when did we bring a brat on board~?" a drunken pirate questioned with a mix of confusion and joy. His friend beside him also joined in, "Oya? How come I don''t remember having this kid on our crew?" Damien now stood at the bow of the ship. He gazed at the banquet before him and raised his left hand. A red glow encompassed the palm as crimson energy seemed to swivel within it. The drunken pirates didn''t think too much of it. "Oh, so he''s the one with the party tricks~!" "Wait, that is-" . "Utter Ruin." . The churning red currents suddenly acted in tandem as they exploded into a crimson light, shooting out in a river of blazing wisps. *Boom* The pulverizing energy raged out as if a dam had given way, the horizontal stream simply extended without stopping and left a shredded and crushed trail of utter destruction. As it encountered its first human obstacle, the energy ripped into the man''s body as it was enveloped in the eerie red glow, exploding into a mist of flesh and bones. The current shot its way through the ship, obliterating every pirate that stood in its way while reducing them to macro-sized cubes. "Ahh!" "Aooh!" "Ugh!" "Ouch." "Ruahh!" Screams and cries of pain broke out. Those who were only partially in the way of the current had limbs or parts of their bodies removed. It was simply horrifying. Twenty of the eighty pirates died while another ten were missing parts of their bodies and therefore incapacitated. "Run, he''s got some witchcraft!" "Momma no!" "My leg!" Ignis who was able to dodge out of the way in time could only look up in great worry. "An ability user!" Pabulum commented as he unsheathed his rapier. "So I was right, there was someone ready to take us down!" Ignis picked up his axe and roared in anger, "Damn brat! He waited right till we were all drunks! Men, kill him!" Most of the remaining pirates picked up their weapons and charged forth. . Damien squinted his eyes as he readied his fists, each glowing the familiar red. The flash of indecision from hordes of people looking to kill you passed by quickly, leaving a determined expression behind. It was beyond reckless to dive into such a party with little to no training, but Damien knew this was his last chance before the pirates would leave. Information with a sprinkle of vengeance was his greatest motivation. *Swish!* One pirate with a sword slashed at Damien as he sidestepped, allowing the weapon to get lodged into the ground. Seeing this opening, Damien drove his left fist into the man''s liver area, kicking the air out of his lungs. The man then glowed red and exploded into pieces. Another three came running from separate angles. As they were drunk, it wasn''t difficult for the smaller Damien to dodge the attacks, after all, a single touch would take them all out. *Slam* A pirate suddenly jumped from the upper deck onto the one where Damien was, slashing his saber right away. Damien''s glowing fist collided with the blade and it shattered like glass, Damien''s hand then grabbed the man''s throat and stomach. *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* Three shots went off as a couple of gunmen unloaded their flintlocks in Damien''s direction. The young boy used the pirate in his hands as a meat shield. He then tossed the dead pirate in the air as he exploded like a firework. The blood showered down caused the gunners to wipe their eyes by which Damien had already arrived and taken them out. "Die, kid!" "You''re surrounded!" "Lights out for you!" Out of nowhere, twenty men rushed around Damien forming a complete circle. Damien hummed as he crossed his hands in front of him, the opposite hand pointing out to each side. The desire to name his every move was overpowering, perhaps originating from him being in an anime world. . "Obliteration Pulse." . The pirates'' faces were swamped with fear as they saw the familiar red energy rage its way towards them. Damien''s body pulsed out with a full 360-degree attack as all within 10 meters of him were reduced to minced meat. The wooden boards were now slicked in blood and the heavy smell pervaded within the entire area. Ignis scowled in both anger and fear as he saw his fine men reduced from a staggering eighty to the now less than thirty could only shake in fear. "I-I''m outta here!" The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. "I don''t get paid enough for this!" "Sorry Cap'', but that kid is far scarier than you!" The majority of them chose to jump ship, leaving barely 10 men behind with their fearful captain. Damien slowly walked forth, trying his best to use as little stamina as possible. He had only eaten the devil fruit a mere three days ago and could only do some basic attacks, of which each drained a noticeable amount of stamina. ''Killing so many peopleбн'' Damien thought to himself. ''If someone told me I would be slaughtering tens of people like this a few days ago then I would probably laugh them offбн'' he thought while shaking his head. ''But here I am, taking life without second thought.'' A slight sigh as the boy shook his head, snapping out of his reverie. *Step* *Step* Ignis subconsciously took a few steps back but then snorted. "Ugh, enough of this nonsense! You know who I am, brat!? I have a 39 million bounty and am the captain of the Blazing Pirates!" "You idiots! Kill the ones that jumped ship while I take care of this red-eyed boy!" Damien hummed in return as he readied himself to fight the towering man who stood over twice his height. A deep breath to calm his thoughts, allowing his instincts to take over. Any staggering thoughts were converted into sheer will and commitment to his actions, born from his mother''s final words. . Ignis roared out as he shot forward with his axe. Boom! A giant hole was left on the ground as Damien sidestepped. The boy tried to throw a punch at the pirate but then lowered his head. *Bang!* A surge of instincts told him to retreat as the other pirates tried to shoot him down. He raised his left foot as it gathered with his pulverizing energy and slammed it onto the ground. The sound of pixelation erupted as the entire main deck seemed to be filled with a red checkered pattern. Boom! Around half the floor crumbled and gave way. "Ugh!" the pirates fell nearly eight meters, left with bruises and broken bones. Damien gave out some short breaths as his stamina began to plummet. "!!!" the hair on the back of his neck suddenly stood as Damien felt the chill of death. Boom! As he moved to the side, the entire ground previously under him was destroyed. The 12-foot tall (3.66 m) giant stood before Damien with his trusty axe. . Damien took a deep breath as he rushed ahead with great resolve. *Woosh!* Ignis waved his axe horizontally as the air whistled in return. Damien sprang into the air with all his energy, clearing the axe and then extending both his arms to grab the pirate''s knees. The red energy swam out and wrapped itself around the man''s legs as they glowed red. "AHHH!" Ignis roared out like a dying boar as his body fell to the ground, his legs reduced to tiny cubes. "Y-You damn brat!" Ignis'' unyielding gaze met Damien''s eyes as he saw the sharp glint in the red pupils. The boy reached out and grabbed the enemy captain by the head. "This is for my mother." . "Crumble." . A thin current of pulverizing energy then swam out from Damien''s palm and into Ignis'' head. Swimming its way through his brain and down his entire nervous system. Each cluster of nerves was enveloped in the crushing energy as the unimaginable pain clouded the pirate''s eyes. "Ahhhhhhh!" "Ugh! It hurts!" "S-Stop, just kill me!" It didn''t take long for the squirming pirate to beg for death as moments passed and the torture only continued. Damien''s face showed tiredness as he felt ounces of stamina remain. Ignis'' eyeballs soon popped out of their sockets as blood dribbled out from all orifices. *Splatter* Like a watermelon, he exploded in a flurry of red. Thud! Damien fell to one knee, trying to stabalize his breathing. Though it seemed that the danger had not entirely disappeared. *Swish!* A sharp whistle and a wave of pain. Blood erupts as Damien''s upper chest goes hollow as a thin and sharp rapier blade cuts right through his sternum. "Ugh!" The dripping of the red liquid created quite the melody as the boy was swarmed with intense pain. "You left your back open, kid." Damien tilted his head to see a green-haired man standing behind himбкPabulum, the ship strategist. He had been hiding under two corpses, even using his own captain as bait. "Better I get all the cash for that fish, Papapapa! You did me a solid!" Damien''s pained eyes suddenly flash as his hands shoot out and grab the rapier. A moment passed as a familiar scene went down, followed by the sound of pixelation. *Fwooo* Pabulum retreated as he saw his weapon explode into tiny bits while seemingly shocked. "Youбн fool! You want to bleed to death that fast? I pierced your lung with that one!" Pabulum''s smile then vanishes as he sees his young adversary stand up. Damien''s clothes had mostly been ripped and the bloody hole was visible. The flesh around it seemed to squirm as squishes of blood were heard, and yet the hemorrhaging began to stop. The wound, at least from the outside, was sealed. Damien let out a deep sigh as he wiped the blood off his now-closed chest, "That hurt." . Pabulum gulped as he fell to the ground, tripping over his fallen companion with a thud. A shadow cast over his body as he saw the menacing red in the young boy''s eyes. Pabulum instinctively knew that he could only rely on one method to get out of this alive: Scare away the threat! "L-Listen kid, you don''t know who you''re messing with!" He said. "We''re just doing the bidding of one of the Five Families of the West!" Pabulum saw Damien pause and continued in a hurried tone, "If you let me go, I can get them their goods and say the others died from the storm, a win-win, n-no?" Damien recalled some info from his past life. The Five Families of the West were five enormous mafias that controlled Underworld operations in the West Blue. Luke Bege headed one of such families before becoming a Supernova. "..." Pabulum then saw Damien reach out and grab him by the throat. "So am I right to assume they were the ones who gave you the intel for this island and paid the marines off?" Pabulum regained some courage and nodded, "T-That''s right! The Gambino family did this, I just followed orders! It''s best if you let me go and nothing will change!" Damien squinted his gaze upon the man, "Don''t worry, they''ll get what''s coming for them." His hand then swirled with the crushing red energy as it enveloped the strategist''s body, "They will join you soon." *Splatter* The raided ship was practically painted red after Damien had finally completed his goal. Thud! Damien then fell to the ground, laying out in a T-shape as his body recovered. His insides were still damaged and would take a few hours to fully heal. As for his stamina, it too was practically empty. Sure enough, Damien''s gamble had panned out in his favour. бн [Thirty Minutes Later] Damien slowly got back up, his bones giving slight cracking noises as the joints were moved after a while. He had enough energy to move around but he needed food. Before that, there was one thing to check. *Creak* Damien walked into the captain''s quarters and looked around for some goodies. And lo and behold, some interesting things were there. First, he saw two bounty posters smacked on the walls of the cabin. "I guess it fills one''s pride to see their infamous poster, how conceited, though I''d probably do the same," Damien said as he glanced at the pages. -----< WANTED >----- < PABULUM > < ''Green Fox'' > < ?? 12,900,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > -----< WANTED >----- < IGNIS > < ''Blazing Axe'' > < ?? 39,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ---------------------------- Damien also found a chest filled with banknotes. A directory noting the exact amount: 14.4 million berries. There were some cheap compasses and maps laid on the desk alongside some empty sakиж cups littered on the floor; the room reeked of sweat and alcohol. Damien then reached for the drawer and found a thick red book, as thick as a telephone directory from his previous world. *Thunk* He plopped it on the desk and read the bolded title. "DEVIL FRUIT ENCYCLOPEDIA" [Image (in Discord)] . Damien nodded at the contents and flipped his way through it. There were three main sections, Paramecia, Zoan and Logia. Though Damien did see that some familiar devil fruits could not be found. Such as the Dark-Dark Fruit. "Interesting, Oh-ho, look at this," he murmured as he went to the Paramecia Section. The subheadings were bolded. "Internal-type, external-type, secretion-type, release-type, support-type, special-type, and disaster-type." Each fruit was associated with a picture of the fruit itself. Damien looked over some interesting fruit powers. [SPECIAL PARAMECIA TYPE] [Mochi-Mochi Fruit - Allows the user to create, control, and transform into mochi, making them a Mochi Human.] . [Ope-Ope Fruit иC The user can create a spherical space in which the user has complete control over the placement and orientation of the objects inside, making them a Free-Modification Human.] . [Soul-Soul Fruit иC The user can freely interact with and manipulate human souls, making them a Soul-Manipulating Human.] . [Balance-Balance Fruit иC The user can freely switch anything of equal value. This can be a physical, psychological, spiritual or cosmic exchange, making them a Mad Tita- *COUGH* an All-Conserving Human.] . Damien then turned to another section. [DISASTER-TYPE PARAMECIA] [Tornado-Tornado Fruit иC The user can summon tornadoes of varying intensity, making them a Tornado Human.] . [Gravity-Gravity Fruit иC The user can create and manipulate gravitational forces, making them a Gravity Human.] . [Tremor-Tremor Fruit иC The user can create vibrations, or quakes to cause enormous damage, making them a Tremor Human.] . [Pulverize-Pulverize Fruit - Gives the user the ability to crush anything into pieces, making them a Pulverizing Human.] . [Weather-Weather Fruit - User gains complete control over the weather, making them a Weather Human.] . [Clank Clank Fruit - Allows the user to create things by combining inanimate objects at will, making them an Assimilation Human.] бн "How familiar," Damien muttered as he saw the black and red fruit in the image. Damien spent the next 15 minutes just going over certain fruits, admiring the crazy and weird devil fruit powers that existed, on record that is. Naturally, certain fruits with more special characteristics were kept hidden or ''unknown''. His eyes then drifted to a newspaper wrapped up with a string. He unfurled the paper as he smelled the nostalgic aroma of ink. "What the hellбн" he uttered. And it wasn''t wrong to do so, after all, the date wasn''t what Damien was expecting! He then heard a familiar voice in his mind. [Damien, I have completed my update and am ready to assist you henceforth.] [...] [How could this be? This makes no senseбн] It was the first time Damien heard panic in Sibyl''s voice. [Damien, you are early. Way too early!] He blinked as he read the date once more. The paper was recent, dated February 21, 1474! Roger reigned over the seas well after the 1490s and became the King of the Pirates by 1499! This wasn''t Luffy''s Era, nor was it Roger''s Eraбн It was Rocks'' Era! To Be Continuedбн Chapter 6: Times of Turmoil Rocks D. Xebec. That was the name of the taboo existence that struck fear into the masses before Roger. And yet, he was eventually forgotten, or more specifically, erased. The World Government made it their mission to wipe out any remnants of the name, alongside the terrifying Rocks Pirates that once roamed the seas under this man. Edward Newgate, Charlotte Linlin, Kaido, Shiki, Captain John, Silver Axe, Wang Zhi. Three of the future Four Emperors. A man who was known to equal Whitebeard and Roger in his heyday. A man whose treasure was sought after by many far past his death. The final two men were supposedly known for their strength, enough for their names held high. All these fearsome pirates were once under the captaincy of Rocks D. Xebec. It came down to the unpredictable alliance between Roger and Garp to take him down. [A/N: Wang Zhi is also called "Ochoko", it is the Japanese version of the name but I prefer keeping the original.] . Damien took a deep breath as he recalled these thoughts from his previous life, information shared by Sengoku. It was a time of untold turmoil, a time which was a thousand times more chaotic than the one the protagonist of the series, Luffy, was born. An odd grin grew on Damien''s face. "If this was before, I would probably be quite unsettledбн but now, it may just give me the best time to achieve the strength I desire!" he exclaimed with determination. However, there was a problem. Damien was weak. Ridiculously weak. Rocks Pirates? He is barely strong enough to take down a drunken pirate worth 39 million berries. That was quite literally loose change before the monsters under Rocks! Damien clenched his hand into a tense fist, feeling his weakness. "No matter what, I will never let my future be controlled by others ever again, even if it comes at the cost of my life!" . His thoughts then went elsewhere. "Sibyl, what did you mean by me being ''too early''?" He asked. There was a slight pause. [I don''t know much as the truth was locked away from me as well. However, I was programmed to remember that you were to arrive at a much later time, around forty-five years from now.] Simple arithmetic would lead to the year 1519. ''Awfully close to when Luffy set out, why do I feel like this wasn''t a coincidence?'' Damien thought. He shook his head, now that he was here in such an era, he had no intention of fulfilling the ''grand'' mission set for him by someone centuries ago. . "Tell me about what you left off with days ago about the original host''s items," Damien said. [Yes, they are there to assist you. I''ll list them out.] [1. Count''s Regal Attire иC An attire that grows with its user and can be reformed after combat.] [2. 3x ''Fruit Ability Transfer Token'' иC Allows you to take a fruit ability and translate it into an auxiliary power (can only be support-type, i.g., hard skin from a defensive Zoan, cell-change to rubber from ''Gum-Gum'' fruit, etc.)] [3. Locked Skills: ''Underwater Breathing'' and ''Underwater Maneuverability''.] [4. 1x ''Map of Surroundings'' иC Can showcase nearby terrain.] [5. 1x ''Universal Pose'' иC Can be used as a log pose, or eternal pose for an indefinite amount of uses (eternal requires previously being on the island in question).] [6. ''Seastone Pendant'' иC Can grant seastone immunity as it''s worn over a duration of time.] [7. Skill: ''Evolable Anatomy'' иC Allows the user''s physique to evolve as overall strength increases.] . Damien took a deep breath as he went through each of the items. His eyes were first attached to the second one. "Sibyl, tell me more about the transfer tokens," He asked. Sibyl replied in her usual polite tone, [These were actually from the original host''s beginner gift box. He was given seven of them and only ended up using four, ultimately leaving the remaining three for you.] She continued, [It essentially allows you to transfer a fruit ability to yourself. This ability is absorbed as a skill to be used whenever.] Damien thought of Blackbeard''s multi-fruit capabilities but then felt that seemed too good to be true. [However, you cannot take just any fruit. Only auxiliary abilities can be transferred from a fruit. In other words, these can only support you in your endeavours and not be used in battle to cause harm to others.] Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Damien sighed in agreement, though he can''t use them to carry multiple fruits, he may be able to get some useful bodily property to enhance his combat output. [A/N: I''m not a fan of multi-fruit as they usually bland out the story. Damien will however find innovative ways to use other types of attacks so don''t take it too literally.] . "What''s with the locked skills?" He then asked. He was referring to {Underwater Breathing}and {Underwater Maneuverability}. [These are abilities created by the original host, they allow you to ''go around'' the curse of the sea. Much like how a fruit-using Fishman can breathe underwater but not move around. If you pair these two concepts, you can achieve a remedy for said curse.] Damien nodded as he recalled Jack from the anime, being able to breathe while immobile under the sea. Sibyl elaborated, [You can unlock the two when you reach certain levels of strength.] Damien rolled his eyes, "Might as well just give them to me." [It''s to test your mettle; ensure you can grow without such things and not become reliant on them.] [Speaking of strength levels, I need your permission to go through your memory. With that, I can generate a flowchart of strength-levelling that you can understand.] Damien thought for a second and eventually relented, "Go ahead." He didn''t have any major secret to hide from his mundane life back on Earth. [One second.] [...] Damien played around with the ''universal pose'' which looked like any log pose from One Piece as Sibyl did her thing. "Hmm, this attire is pretty sweet, not gonna lie," the boy muttered as he laid out the ''Count''s Regal Attire''. It was a nice, dark-themed attire. It didn''t stand out from afar but still looked very pleasing to the eye. It had a sense of mystery due to the enchantments. Allegedly it can grow alongside Damien and even repair itself over time. It was certainly solid enough to stop your average bullet. . The ''Map of Surroundings'', ''Universal Pose'' and ability tokens were stored in the inventory as Damien brought out a small pendant. It was a simple locket with a palm-sized black-coloured stone hanging from it. Just touching it caused Damien to feel a stinging and numbing sensation. He put it around his neck and lay back down, trying to get used to the feeling. Sibyl then returned. [Okay Damien, I translated out a series of levels of strength. I found some rather questionable web novels you read had similar ideas so it should seem simple enough to understand: ] [Paradise Pirate (Level 1-5) б· New World Pirate б· Yonko Crew Pirate б· Pseudo-Yonko Commander б· Yonko Commander (Tiers: Bottom/Middle/Top) б· Pseudo-Yonko б· Yonko (Tier: Bottom/Middle/Top) б· Beyond Yonko.] Sibyl continued, [Also, Damien. I noticed in your memory that you spent quite a lot of time playing games. I was able to manifest a statistics interface that emulated these details.] "..." "You mean like a stats panel? Show me what you mean." Damien then saw a blue screen pop up in his mind with details. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Einar D. Damien] [Age: 8 years, 20 days] [Height: 5''] (1.52 m) [Status: Tired, Hungry, Weakened] [Devil Fruit: Pulverize-Pulverize Fruit (Initial Mastery)] [Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars] [Seastone Resistance: 0.08%] [Skills: Enhanced Recovery, Enhanced Vitality, Evolable Anatomy, Natural Conscience, Will of D.] [Strength: Paradise Pirate (level 3)] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< Glossing over the stats, Damien nodded at the devil fruit info. Supposedly, a devil fruit''s mastery went from initial, intermediate, advanced and finally to Grandmastery, aka, Awakening. [A/N: Considering Luffy''s progress, you can say his Gear 2 & 3 were Intermediate Mastery, Gear 4 was Advanced Mastery, and his Awakening would be Grandmastery.] He also saw the seastone resistance, just by wearing it now he had already developed some immunity to the metal. His eyebrows then furrowed at the skills list. "Sibyl, these skillsбн" She replied sharply, [Yes. It seems you are more of an anomaly than I thought, Damien.] [From what I can tell, you somehow inherited {Enhanced Recovery}, {Enhanced Vitality}, and {Natural Conscience}.] A display then appeared in Damien''s head. [{Enhanced Recovery} иC Increases bodily recovery to superhuman levels.] [{Enhanced Vitality} иC Increases bodily endurance to superhuman levels.] [{Natural Conscience} иC Allows the user to ''hear'' nature; nature will also protect the user.] . "Inherited?" Damien muttered as the figure of a white-haired woman came to mind. She continued, [I can conclude from your memory that your mother''s devil fruit power is all linked to the aforementioned abilities.] [Hmm, as you were born at the same time as she ate the devil fruit power, you seemed to have syphoned a part of the fruit ability into your own body, hence being born as healthy as you were.] Damien''s heartbeat suddenly spiked as he heard her words, "But if a person eats the fruit even once, the ability is wholly consumed into them!" A scary thought came to the boy as he couldn''t help but freeze: "My mom''s bodily weakness could have been resolved had I not been bornбн" Then the image of the kind Nadia came, forcing Damien to shake his head with a deep sigh. "...but I also know she would hate for me to think of it like that." Damien calmed himself down. "Rather, Mom has been protecting me since I was born and even after her death!" "Now that I think of it, controlling and conversing with nature seems like a Paramecia. But enhanced bodily recovery and super endurance is more of a Zoan." His mind then clicked, "A Mythical Zoan!" Sibyl then chimed in, [Yes, that adds up. As Mythical Zoans come with an array of abilities, both your mother and you ended up gaining abilitiesбн It should be considered a miracle.] . Damien then looked over the other two skills. [{Will of D.} (Inherent Skill) иC Passed down from either or both parents. An abstract ability with undefined powers.] [{Evolable Anatomy} иC Allows the user''s physique to evolve as overall strength increases.] Naturally the former came from his absent father, it seemed that One Piece had a knack for deadbeat dads. ''I wonder if I can reach Kaido''s endurance level with the second skill?'' Damien wondered. . "Haaaaah," Damien gave out a deep breath. He was hungry, sweaty, bloody, and quite overwhelmed with a boatload of information. Such an info dump was beyond his expectations, leaving him with a lot of thoughts and hunger. Moving on, he quickly dispatched the remaining pirates who had fallen into the lower level of the ship and went to dine on the Blazing Pirates'' food supply. There was enough food for eighty people that could last a few months. Naturally, it would go bad soon so Damien had no qualms about munching it all down. бн [Two Hours Later] Damien ensured the ship was docked, intending to use it to sail out in a handful of years. Damien wanted to punish those who caused his mother''s death, such as the Gambino Family. But he also knew that with his current strength, departing to the unpredictable sea was not a good idea. He eventually made his way to the edge of the island once more, a nostalgic spot. Gazing at the horizon was always a glorious and soothing sight. It calmed his desire for vengeance, allowing him to think things through. "I guess a training arc is necessary," He muttered. "My devil fruit drains way too much stamina, way too fast. The first aim is to train my body and stamina." He had drawn out a ''training guide''. It was based on some athletes from his previous life mixed with Might Guy and Saitama. He had to multiply the exercise intensity by quite a factor as One Piece''s bodily capabilities were crazy high. A tiny child who hasn''t fully grown could easily take down a giant beast had they trained enough. Outside the training was the diet aspect. He had to eat a lot. Damien felt that his body was devouring the food without stopping. "Sibyl, bring up the training routine I made." [Coming right upбн] ------ Daily Workout ------ - Stretching for 15 minutes - Run: 10 km - Hand Walk 500 Meters - 500 Push-ups - 200 Fingertip Push-ups - 500 Sit-ups - One Leg Forward Hops (100 Meters Each Side) - Wall Sit - 5 Sets for MAX Time - Double Lateral Hops - 100 Each Side - 500 Punches to Striking Post (tree) - 500 Kicks to Striking Post (tree) ---------------------------------------------- Naturally, the intensity was only set for his current body and it would drastically increase in time. бн [The Next Morning] Damien had woken up and was ready to begin his hell-training. Ready to take his first step towards the Path to Power! To Be Continuedбн Chapter 7: Greta Island [Renaissance Island, West Blue] "Koo~" An owl cried out as it flapped and rested on a small oak-like tree. It was curiously gazing at a human who was ''dancing'' around. It saw a black-haired boy with red streaks running down the left side punching and kicking at a worn-down tree. The island that was once all green then burnt down, had recovered a decent amount of greenery. The rejuvenation was unnaturally quick, especially the nature around the center of the island which had become especially vibrant. "4996." "4997." "4998." "4999." "5000." The boy gave out a short sigh, "And, done." *Creak* He then watched as the whittled-down tree gave out and fell with a loud crash. Behind the young man was a trail of numerous downed trees, the perpetrator was obvious. Damien, who had just finished his daily tree-beating training, rubbed the back of his head in slight embarrassment. "It''s a good thing Mom''s power still seems to bloom nature here, otherwise I really would be sued for deforestation." The aspiring pirate had grown in many ways. Before even touching on strength growth, there was a height increase! It had been a little under seven years since his clash with the Blazing Pirates. Damien was now fourteen years of age and naturally had been through a spike in terms of height. With the high protein intake from feasting on large fish and smaller Sea Kings, alongside the extremely ''cooperative'' plant life, Damien had quite the healthy boost in all ways. He now stood at a strong 8'' 2" (2.49 m)! Damien could be considered a towering specimen had this been his previous world, the NBA would surely be hounding him away. However, in the One Piece world, this height could be considered a ''giant'' to some, but a ''midget'' to just as many. In other words, tall and short were highly subjective in this world. Another thing that accompanied his growth was a weird tick in his laughter. Every time he laughed, the first syllable seemed to direct itself to a certain "R" sound. . Damien''s body had also developed quite well, his muscles were defined, not bulging, as most of the protein went towards his growth, but it could be considered an ''enviable'' physique to many. Going outside of physical growth, there was the higher level of stamina and endurance that Damien had earned. The Blazing Pirates were of no difficulty had Damien encountered them now. "Sibyl, pull up my stats," He ordered as he donned his Count''s Regal Attire. [Roger roger.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Einar D. Damien] [Age: 14 years, 6 days] [Height: 8'' 2"] (2.49 m) [Status: Slightly tired; Healthy] [Devil Fruit: Pulverize-Pulverize Fruit (Initial Mastery)] [Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars] [Seastone Resistance: 23.9% б№] [Skills: Enhanced Recovery (+), Enhanced Vitality (+), Evolable Anatomy, Natural Conscience, Will of D., Primitive Shave] [Strength: Pseudo-Yonko Commander б№] (A/N: It was stated that the average fodder in a Yonko crew was Arlong level. Thus Damien is at a level a little above that.) >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< Damien had vastly focused on physical attributes throughout the years and his anatomy was ready for an upgrade, hence the plus indication. Due to this focus on the bodily increase, Damien even tapped into a special movement ability which he promptly named as "Primitive Shave". It was similar, though a simpler version of the Rokushiki used by the World Government and Navy иC Soru (Shave). Its main use was the instant teleportation-like movement which allowed its user to appear a few meters away from their original location. The way to use it was by kicking the ground tens of times nigh-instantly to achieve its effect. . "Though my Devil Fruit mastery remains at the initial level, I can surely use it far less restrictively," He said. It was a completely different story unlike before where he was tired from just showcasing a handful of attacks. This all boiled down to the level of a ''Pseudo-Yonko Commander''. Damien wasn''t entirely sure as to what that entailed, but he would probably be around Luffy''s strength level when he raided Marineford during the Summit War. . "After all the training, it seems my evolvable anatomy has kicked in," Damien murmured as he saw the plus sign next to two skills. Not only was the upgrade availability written out but Damien could also ''feel'' it. It felt like a dam within his own body was waiting to burst open. He didn''t need to ask for directions from Sibyl, he simply closed his eyes, took a deep breath and concentrated on his breathing. A few moments passed as he felt his bones and skin bubble in heat. "Hmm," Damien groaned as his entire skeletal system began to vibrate, his joints and muscles ripped and dissolved as strong flesh regrew in place. His skin cooled down as great power gathered around his limbs. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. [{Enhanced Recovery} has evolved into {Rapid Recovery}]. [{Enhanced Vitality} has evolved into {Beastly Vitality}]. Damien exhaled a heavy breath as the evolution concluded, his entire body felt invigorated with newfound strength. [{Rapid Recovery} иC 3 times the speed of {Enhanced Recovery}] [{Beastly Vitality} иC 3 times the durability of {Enhanced Vitality}] Satisfied with the boost in his physical capabilities, he then made his way to the center of the island, to a sight that was very dear to him. бн [Ten Minutes Later] Damien now stood before the grove of trees that resembled a woman. The natural life around it had blossomed with beautiful flowers, dancing grass, and even incredible wildlife. After the fire that wiped out its greenery, Renaissance Island had become the home to new birds and winged creatures due to its vibrant nature and mostly lack of human intervention. Even Damien ''smelled'' like nature to them, allowing for a peaceful coexistence. . Damien took a few steps forward and gently touched the arboreal portrait. A familial warmth. "One day I will bring you back," he muttered. He felt the grass under his feet dance as the flower sang under the gentle breeze. "Hmm?" Damien''s thought process was interrupted as a blue bird flew to a small nest resting on the tree right above him. The bird seemed to feed a worm to its nestling, but this is not where Damien''s attention ended up. For he saw a collection of juicy green strawberries. However, there was an imposter amongst them! Damien took a subconscious breath as he had an inkling as to what the ''odd'' fruit could be. *Whizz* The air whistled as the 14-year-old boy''s body flickered from the ground and onto the thick branches of the tree; the special strawberry right before him. Damien slowly plucked the fruit, it was only the size of his palm. [Fruit Image (in Discord)] Following that, a blue screen appeared in Damien''s mind. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Human-Human Fruit иC Mythical Model: Dryad] [Zoan Fruit] [Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars] [Allows the user to transform into a hybrid and full Dryad at will.] [Expanded: Grants immunity to all maladies while greatly increasing lifespan, body functions and overall bodily capabilities. Also allows the user to control and converse with nature.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< Sibyl had generated a fruit classification model, rating a devil fruit out of 7 stars. In which a 7-star fruit could be considered an ''ultimate-class'' devil fruit ability. Even Damien''s Pulverization Fruit was only scaled at 6.5 stars. . Damien absently played around with the strawberry as he went over the devil fruit. Indeed, it was consistent with his mother''s powers. From what he could see, Nadia could transform into a Dryad and control nature. Whereas Damien got a great boost to his bodily capabilities and to converse with nature. If anything, Damien could be considered as a once-in-a-century anomaly. He stared at the fruit and eventually decided something: "It''s time to venture out," he decided. "Gambino Family alongside some recon." Damien then promptly stored the fruit in his storage space alongside the Universal Pose, Map of Surroundings, and Fruit Ability Transfer Tokens. ---------------------------------------------- [Near the Docks] "Though my sailing abilities are almost null, it really couldn''t be that bad, right?" Damien thought. He was in the West Blueбкabrupt weather changes were quite rare and the general climate was predictable. With the maps he found nearly seven years ago, he could simply sail southeast to reach the nearest inhabited island: Greta Island. . Damien uttered some simple tunes as he walked around the Blazing Pirates'' ship, hopping over the shattered floor and shredded bow. A rather odd thing in the front deck was the two humanoid bodies wrapped in large, green leaves. "Though they were wastes, I could use the extra cash," Damien muttered at the well-preserved bodies of Pabulum and Ignis. The 5-meter-long leaves were from the ''thriving elephant trees''. They had strong preservative properties, credit to Damien''s {Natural Conscience} for finding them. The sails unfurled with a heavy swatting sound as Damien pulled up the anchor. *Fwoooo* It was quick to catch the wind, enabling the vessel to move. Naturally, Damien had no sailing or navigating experience, but he had seen some pirate movies to understand some surface knowledge. "Andбн set sail!" ---------------------------------------------- [Greta Island, West Blue] [Three Days Later] Greta Island was around 10,400 square kilometers in area, located near the center of West Blue. It boasted a population of around 1.3 million inhabitants, and was a member of the World Government, having its own Marine Base: the 111th Branch Base of the Navy. A Marine Captain reigning over said base. The island had four main docks in each cardinal direction. The Northern Dock was for more merchant ships, with the Marine Base being set near it. The Western Dock and Eastern Dock were both for commercial travel. While the Southern Dock was for the general public. ---------------------------------------------- [Southern Docks] "Alright, back it up, now!" "Watch your step!" "Welcome home!" The dock had quite a few people walking about, around 200 of them. Mostly citizens returning home from a trip. There were a few marines posted near the side, overseeing the entire establishment. A few cannons were mounted at three strategically placed towers. . "Ha! My eyes are surely playing tricks on me, must be the long hours ''cause that almost looks like a pirate ship," a man joked in an unsure tone. His eyes locked on a faraway vessel. Another man nearby had the same inclination, "Hmm, let''s wait till the sails are fully visible." A few worried citizens diverted their attention as well as the ship neared. бн "I-It''s a pirate ship, no doubt about it!" "That Jolly Rogerбн it''s the Blazing Pirates!" "What the hell is that crazy pirate doing here? Doesn''t he know Greta Island has a marine base!?" Naturally, the citizens were shaken by the pirate flag. *Click *Click* A few marines loaded their muskets, aiming at the coming ship, ready to fire. "This is Marine Lieutenant Watt A. Bottel, I have confirmed a pirate ship at the Western Docks, requesting backup," a higher-ranked marine reported into his transponder snail. "Ready to fire, Lieutenant!" Their exchange forced a heavy atmosphere onto the docks. Some civilians gasped, covering their mouths while others slowly retreated. The previously calm air had warped into a tense gust. However, just as the mounted cannon was about to open fire, they saw a white blanket being draped onto the bow of the ship. "A white blanketбн?" the marine commanded as his subordinate pulled out his 4x Binoculars. "Check who''s on board!" "L-Lieutenant, you''re not gonna believe this!" "What is it? Did that Ignis surrender?" The marine shook his head in reply, quite taken aback by the turn of events. "No! I-It''s an empty ship, there''s just a single young lad on the shipбн And two bodies wrapped up in leaves!" The Lieutenant who was ready to put his life on the line paused in his footsteps. "Huh?" бн *Creak* *Splash* The withered pirate ship eventually docked as the sails were furled up and an anchor was dropped, slamming onto the floorboards of the dock rather haphazardly. *Gulp* The citizens gulped in unison as they saw a young, though relatively tall, boy walk off the board with little worry, two bodies being dragged by either hand. Naturally, it was Damien, donning his beloved regal attire. Damien nodded at the group of people and nodded in greeting, "Yo, you guys got my money for these two?" *Slam* He dropped the pair of bodies right in front of the Lieutenant who was still gathering his thoughts. "U-Uhm, young man, are you by any chance a bounty hunter?" he questioned. Damien blinked for a second and shrugged, "Something like that. I''m here to turn these two pieces of trash in." The marines turned to look at each other, unsure of how to direct the young teen. "Ahem, well, just follow me, I''ll take you to our base and proceed with your request there." Damien just nodded, dragging the corpses once more. . "He''s dragging those two with such ease, Ignis is a big guy too; what kind of strength is that?" "Reminds me of my youth!" "Shut up, last I remember you couldn''t even do a push-up at that age!" ---------------------------------------------- [111th Branch Base] [15 Minutes Later] "Let me get this right, you took down the entire Blazing Pirates crew and want to turn in ''Blazing Axe'' Ignis, and ''Green Fox'' Pabulum?" the marine asked Damien. They were inside the marine base. It was a rather large lobby with a series of counters lining up people for proceedings. Bright tube lights placed along the ceiling to brighten up the room. At this time, everyone''s attention was on the strong 8-footer teenager who was effortlessly holding up two grown men by their cold, dead heads. "That''s right and can you hurry up?" Damien replied. The marine slowly nodded, "O-Of course! I will ask my superior to process you as I cannot give out so much cash." Damien shrugged as he threw the two pirates onto the red-draped carpets. "Here''s some tea," A worker in his 30s offered to Damien. The young teen sat on the comfortable sofa, enjoying some tea, looking out the glass windows and toward the green forests. "Hey, who''s coming to process me, by the way?" Damien asked the worker. He promptly replied, "Uhm, it should be the Captain Marine here." Damien''s eyes then sharpened as he gazed at the man before him. A few seconds later, he asked in a slow yet powerful voice, "This Marine Captain бн Was he here seven years ago too?" The worker gulped heavily as his back felt cold under Damien''s sharp eyes, though answering his question nonetheless. "N-No, the previous Marine Captain died under the siege of the Gambino Mafia Family a few years ago, sir!" Damien''s eyebrow suddenly twitched. The man who was paid off by the Blazing Pirates to effortlessly sail through their jurisdiction and toward Damien''s home island died in the hands of the Mafia. "Rahahaha!" Damien unconsciously laughed, his hands covering his face. "How ironic!" A certain anger and reluctance bloomed in his heart from being unable to punish the man with his own hands. The maddened laughter left the worker greatly panicked as he scurried off posthaste. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 8: Knowledge is Power Damien shook his head with a sigh, though a shadow suddenly was cast upon him. "I am Captain Raiden presiding over this Marine Branch, are you the one who came to turn in the Blazing Pirates'' bounties?" Damien gazed to the side and saw the 8-foot-tall man who had appeared. He wore a black t-shirt and grey trousers with a marine coat draped over his shoulder, decorated with golden cuffs. He had a buzzcut and a few scars on his face. [Raiden Image (in discord)] . "That''s right," Damien simply nodded. The marine squinted his eyes and slowly nodded. He didn''t seem to believe that Damien had taken down the two pirates but it didn''t matter as long as the scum were dead. Since Damien brought them in, he was within his rights to cash in the bounty. But there was a little problem. "Young man, I have a little advice I suggest you follow," Raiden said with his deep voice. He then gestured his hands to the marines nearby as they immediately left the main lobby. Leaving the two alone. Damien narrowed his eyes and hummed as if telling the marine to elaborate. "Those two are aligned under the Gambino Mafia Family," Raiden informed with a hint of worry. "If you cash in their bounty, the scum of the Mafia will be alerted right away and they will come to hunt you down." Damien slowly nodded, appreciating the man''s concern. He beamed a smile, "Thank you for the warning, but I still want to cash it in." Raiden closed his eyes with a slight sigh, "Very well, then what do you think of being a marine? With this, I can protect you from their claws." Damien eyed the rather kind marine and stood up in recognition of it, "I appreciate your words, Captain Raiden. But being a marine is not for me." Raiden eyed the young man who was a little taller than him and gave a dull sigh once more. "I see, well, think it through, you''re still young. Don''t think of yourself as immortal." The marine took one last look at the corpses and said, "I''ll have some men ready the cash immediately." Damien nodded with a slight smile. бн [A Little While Later] *Slam* A large chest was soon placed before Damien by the hard work of two marines. "''Green Fox'' Pabulum иC 12.9 million berries." "''Blazing Axe'' Ignis иC 39 million berries." "For a total bounty of 51.9 million berries, including an 8% income tax, that comes down to a grand total of 47.748 million berries." Damien blinked. "Hey-hey, what with the income tax, you might as well put up a jolly roger and say you''re robbing me!" he complained. The marine scratched his head, "Sorry, lad, but all legal income under the World Government is taxed, including bounties. Any hints of tax evasion or fraud will get you hunted down by the relentless Revenue and Taxation Bureau." The soldier shook his head in dismay. "Those guys are like bloodhounds, worse than any pirate out there if you ask me!" Damien''s lips twitched, ''Seems like bloodthirsty Governments are a universal thing.'' He gave up and left with the chest of berries. The exit door creaked as Damien walked out with an empty chest. Naturally, he moved the cash into his inventory right away as only an idiot would keep so much cash in hand. Damien picked up a brochure and walked towards the main town of Greta Island through a stone road surrounded by trees. He continued at a stable pace under the warm sunlight, the occasional breeze making his hair fly wildly. Though his mind was elsewhere. Captain Raiden was a fairly nice guy. Though he looked rough, he did mean well for Damien. This also did wake the young teen up. He had a prejudice against the World Government and the Navy from his memories, but the truth is far from that. The Marines were, for the most part, the ''good'' guys. It was the top brass who were the mainly corrupt ones, not even considering the Celestial Dragons at the very top. Outside of corruption, the Navy could be seen as ''evil'' by some simply because of one main point: their purpose. They were the sword of the World Government; their duty was to maintain the authority of the Five Elders and the Celestial Dragons. They may wear "JUSTICE" on their backs but that justice comes in many forms. . Becoming a marine wasn''t a bad idea. With Damien''s strength, he could surely reach a high rank, even an Admiral. After all, you didn''t need a ''just'' heart to reach the top. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "Unfortunately, though I could probably grow fast through the Marines, it would be risky," he said as he shook his head. "With this hellish Rocks Era, marines dying and recruits being pushed to the front are simply innumerable. I''d probably die by showing too much potential." "And showing too little strength would restrict my growth." . Damien suddenly stopped in his path. The grass and trees had just alerted him of some rats crawling about. *Thwonk* The empty chest fell to the ground. "You might as well come out now, you work for the Gambino Family, no?" And soon twenty men walked out from all directions. "LuLu-lala-la! That''s right kid, you annoyed the wrong people! Ready to die? I''ll take that cash as some extra commission too!" *Crack* Damien cracked his knuckles with a small smile, "I didn''t think I''d have such a graceful welcome to my first outing ever. I hope you can answer a few of my questions once we''re done." The raiders simply laughed at the words as they grinned in a manner they probably thought was considered frightening. ''The news leaked faster than I thought, nice,'' Damien thought. . The men then began a not-so-teamwork approach to attack him, thinking the death of Ignis was simply luck. Damien had no intention of acting weak, or like some certain genres of fiction would say, ''A tiger pretending to be a pig.'' He simply exhaled a heavy breath as a certain burst of power spread in all directions. . "Obliteration Pulse." . It was an omnidirectional attack that rippled its way through the entire clearing and into the bushes around him. *Crack* The ground was riddled with tears as the trees shattered into fragments. "Wha-" The crimson burst of energy tore right through the masses as they exploded into 3-cm cubes, blood following in their wake. The air continued to screech and howl as the attack neared its end, deliberately leaving all but one survivor. . "Are you ready to speak?" Damien asked the shocked and frightened man. *Drip* Damien then scowled as he saw some unsightly liquid drop from the man''s trousers. "M-Monste-!" The man attempted to run for his life and yet he slipped in his urine and fell into the yellow pool that only seemed to grow in volume. Damien slowly walked forward and in front of the shivering man. "Alright, tell me about who sent you here," he said. *Gulp* The raider furiously nodded; his desire to live made him rather cooperative. "T-The Gambino Family got news on their dogs being cashed in and wanted you dead," he said in a quivering tone. "L-Let me go now!" Damien hummed at the info and questioned further, "I know that little. Where is their main base located?" "T-They kill me if I tell you!" The red-eyed youth simply raised his hand. *Grrr* A dazzling red energy appeared in the boy''s palm as the air cried out in return. The bright sun seemed to fade away as the raider''s eyes saw the volatile energy swarm his attacker''s hand. "I-It''s at El Pavor Island!" Seeing that Damien''s power had not retreated, the man continued, "T-That place is swamped with their mobsters and even pirates-for-hire, you''re safer anywhere else!" Damien nodded at the last bit of information but felt no threat from it. "W-Wait, don-!" The man was directed into innumerable pieces as Damien returned to his journey to Greta Island, now looking for a more detailed map of El Pavor Island. бн "Captain Raiden, w-what happened here?" a younger marine asked, obviously a new recruit. The 8-foot tall man he spoke with was also surprised. "Looks like that young man wasn''t lying about Ignis," the marine muttered. "I hope you won''t butt heads with the Mafia, it would be a waste for such a young lad to die in this small sea." ---------------------------------------------- [Two Hours Later] The red-eyed youth walked through the stone roads within the main town of Greta Island. There was a faint smell of seawater lingering about as it was located near the ocean. It was a fairly clean place with colourful banners decorating the houses and buildings. Kids running about, adults busy with their work. Damien spent a while just soaking in the atmosphere of civilization. He had spent the past seven years on his own. Seeing, hearing and even conversing with humans was refreshing. Though he had resolved himself to reach the greatest of heights, he didn''t want to become some emotionless robot. . "It''s been fourteen years since I ate ice cream," he smiled while devouring some vanilla-like ice cream. He then unfurled a large piece of paper that was filled with pictures of islands and points of interest in the West Blueбкa map. Damien continued to lick his ice cream as he located El Pavor Island. It was further south from Greta Island, a minimal journey of around two weeks by ship. Naturally, this was the route for normal people, adjusted to travel within marine jurisdictions to avoid any pesky pirates. The shortest distance was more of an eight-day trip. Damien was fairly confident in taking down the Gambino Family. He recalled that Capone ''Gang'' Bege was able to dominate the Mafia Families before raising his flag and becoming a pirate. If a Bege of that level could reach the top of West Blue then naturally Damien could take down a single family alone. He also wanted to get some actual combat experience, solo-practise could only go so far. Only by putting your life on the line can you truly blossom in strength. Damien suddenly woke up from his thoughts as he saw some letter in the newspaper held up by a middle-aged man sitting not so far away, enjoying a cup of tea. The bolded subheading read: "ROCKS STRIKES AGAIN!" Damien read the description without difficulty, suffice to say his vision was quite impeccable. ''That''s it?'' The problem was that the entire story wasn''t even on the cover. Not only that, it barely spanned a half page. Simply stating that the Rocks Pirates had attacked a kingdom in the New World and left it ablaze. No names were given, it was simply a hollow report that focused on showcasing the Rocks as a group of devils without giving much information to any single individual. ''I thought the news of the Rocks was erased only after his death, but it seems even now the general public only see them as some reckless fools in the New World,'' Damien surmised. His eyes then glanced at the news distributor. "WORLD NEWS AGENCY." Damien scoffed in return, "No wonder, the entire news is under World Government control!" Unlike in Luffy''s time when Morgans controlled the news, it seemed that the ''World News Economy Journal'' simply did not yet exist and everything was under the Five Elders'' thumbs. "Whoever controls the media, controls the mind," Damien muttered as he shook his head and got up. бн *Splash* The water burst apart as the anchor was pulled up. It was a rather pristine yet small ship that Damien had purchased for 10 million berries. The sail was unfurled as Damien set off towards the south. *Bam* The table groaned as it was put under great pressure. Damien gazed at the tower of books before him, courtesy of Greta Island Public Library. He had ''borrowed'' some tens of books for his own knowledge. It was a simple thought. Damien wanted to soak in as much information and data about this world as he could. Though the academic side of things of the One Piece world was rather primitive from Earth, he focused more on the history and geography of the seas. Whether it was about the weather and its random changes, the types of Sea Kings in the oceans, the types of poisons found in what animals, or the countless animals and plants that were known. Even the diseases of the world were important to know of. The history aspect includes the kingdoms under the World Government, previous wars and battles, the big names of the seas and finally and most importantly, the history behind the World Government itself. Though the information available was surely heavily censored and even altered, only a fool would sail the endless seas without having basic knowledge of what to expect. Damien had always been studious and used the free time available during his longer voyage to soak in the needed information. "Boons of having a strong memory, otherwise I''d be slamming my head on the wall trying to memorize all this stuff," he thought before setting sail. бн [Nine Days Later] A lonely ship docked at the eastern side of El Pavor Island. A large garrison of mobsters naturally surrounded the area beyond the lonesome ship. There were a few hundred men dressed in rather well-fitted black suits. A small cloud of smoke covered the island and 95% of the mobsters were perpetually smoking! *Click* Hundreds of guns were loaded as they pointed at the rather empty ship. "Be careful, the attacker was able to ward off all cannon fire, most likely an ability user!" an aged gangster said as he sucked his cigar. The armed personnel then saw a single person stand at the bow of the ship, the morning sun masking their appearance. A few men gulped as they were enveloped in the shadow cast onto them. "Open fire!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 9: A Sixth Sense б░Open fire!б▒ *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* Hundreds of guns fired out an endless sea of bullets towards the pristine ship at the docks. The wooden bow was riddled with craters as it creaked and shattered apart. A soft whistle blew out as the black shadow on board whizzed in disappearance. The same strong 8-foot-tall silhouette reappeared behind the senior mafia member. Before the man could even react, his head had exploded from a punch. *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* The gangsters quickly shifted their aim onto the young attacker but were surprised by the results. Every projectile that was traveling faster than sound was immediately stopped as if meeting an immovable object. Going from a sturdy bullet shape to folding into a pancake, letting onto the ground with a melodious clatter. б░A monster!б▒ Seeing their attacks bear no fruits, some more senior members drew their blades and rushed forth. Damien smiled in return and shot towards them, ready to practice. He abandoned his devil fruit temporarily and stuck to hand-to-hand combat. The punches came flying in with slashes of the blades as he worked on his reflexes and response time. *Slash* A sharp sword slashed toward the boy and he returned his right elbow directly at it. Bam! The blade didnбпt cut fully in. б░How hard is his skin!?б▒ the man cried out as he saw his bent knife. Only a few drops of blood dribbled from the young man. боMy skin can mostly block bullets, and even bend blades, but not completely,бп Damien complimented his {Beastly Vitality}. The bullets came raining down as they left tiny depressions in his skin, though they failed to dig any deeper before being deformed. *Crack* Damienбпs elbow crashed on a manбпs neck from above as his head plunged into the dirt below, surely broken. б░Die!б▒ a man with a minigun screamed as he unloaded a spray of bullets. *Whizz* *Ratatatata!* The young man simply flickered away as the bullets met some friendlies, dropping them like flies. б░Watch the crossfir-б▒ The man couldnбпt finish his sentence as a strong chop smacked his neck and sent him into instant paralysis. Minutes passed as the hundreds of men were massacred. б░Heбпs too fast, we gotta report it to the boss!б▒ бн A 10-foot tall (3.05 m) man gazed at the battlefield hundreds of meters away, a binocular at hand. б░You see that?б▒ he asked his younger companion who also had binoculars. б░Looks young, very young,б▒ the man commented. б░His moves are a little choppy and full of openings, but carry great power.б▒ б░Heбпs purposely not using his devil fruit abilities?б▒ б░Not just thatбн,б▒ the older man gulped. б░H-Heбпs sharpening himself with every kill, heбпs treating us like whetstones!б▒ The other man clenched his fist in anger, б░Weбпre feared all over West Blue, just to be used by a boy to train himself!?б▒ The grumbling man soon froze as he unconsciously gulped. His binoculars fell to the ground, б░he saw us!б▒ бн Damien who was just about to finish his last enemies felt peering eyes from afar. A few black silhouettes watching, the sunlight reflecting off their tools. б░Better to attack them quickly before they can organize themselves, there should be a treasury filled with some goodies too, right?б▒ Damien broke the neck of the last man as his body fell. боMy combat capabilities are growing quite fast, unnaturally fast,бп he thought while rushing towards the main base of the Gambino Family. ---------------------------------------------- [Main Base of the Gambino Family] A 16-foot tall (4.88 m) man sat on an equally large golden chair. He was towering in not just his height but also his demeanour; the scars on his face and body alongside the gun wounds painted quite the picture. The middle-aged man had a thin mustache and well-combed hair as he sat with a pistol in his hand. [His Image (in Discord)] A transponder snail sat on the table in front of him as he puffed out an annoyed cloud of smoke. б░Boss!б▒ the snail cried in a human-like expression. б░Heбпs too strong, the entire Eastern Forces have been taken out!б▒ The mafia boss bit on his cigar and he spat out, б░How many are there?б▒ The snail replied posthaste, б░J-Just one!б▒ б░Heбпs making his way to the main base, boss!б▒ The man hung up the snail as he grumbled in anger. His name was Gambino Delago, the head of the Gambino Mafia Family. Delago waved at his butler and ordered, б░Round up all our men to hold down this threat, I want him dead!б▒ The old man nodded. бн б░Show him the might of the Gambino Family!б▒ б░Raze боem to the ground!б▒ б░For the boss!б▒ Thousands of men in tight-fitted suits stood with their guns and weapons ready. Even some cannons and RPGs were set to aim in the direction of the attacker. The wall that surrounded the entire base was made with 5 feet-thick concrete, mounted with watchtowers and snipers. б░We have the target in sight,б▒ a sniper said as he peered into his scope, lining the crosshairs to the invader. б░Take him down!б▒ *Bang!* Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. The bolt-action rifle recoiled, shooting the bullet at great speeds. Boom! The ground exploded and a small crater was left behind, though the attacker was nowhere to be seen. б░I missed?б▒ The sniper then heard a calm voice resound in the area. . б░Utter Ruin.б▒ . A huge current of crimson energy exploded from under the sniper as the thick walls were obliterated to their simplest form: dust and debris. Cuboid pebbles rained over the entire base as the men standing by were engulfed by the cloud of dust. *Vvoosh!* Suddenly a black shadow whizzed through the dust and into the horde of men. Explosions went off; trigger-happy gangsters unloaded their firearms haphazardly as their numbers steeply declined. Damien continued his hand-to-hand combat as he broke bones, limbs, and necks; thinning the crowd. Shots went off and yet Damien was able to dodge them instinctively. б░Fire the cannons!б▒ a booming voice spread out of the snail in the main watchtower. б░But boss,б▒ The chief executive cried out miserably, б░itбпll hit our own men!б▒ б░Fire the damn cannons!б▒ Boom! The heavy barrel of the iron cannon exhaled a cloud of smoke as the cannonballs rained down on the panicked crowd. Boom! Boom! Boom! The explosions roared continuously as the cannons opened fire without pause, finally reaching a slow silence. б░D-Did we get him?б▒ a man uttered from the walls on the other side as his hands shook in fear. б░A-Above!б▒ A black shadow flickered into the sky as the red eyes seemed to shine through the dust cloud, staring into the manбпs soul. . б░Obliteration Pulse.б▒ . A huge burst of crimson energy followed by an omnidirectional attack ensued as it engulfed the entirety of the plaza. It kept spanning, from meters to tens of meters, reaching 100 meters. A huge crater appeared, left with sharp cuts and scars on the earth within it. Blood dyed the ground a fresh red as the walls crumbled to dust, destroying nearly 80% of the entire Gambino Family defense force! . Damien nodded at the impact while breathing a heavy breath and continued into the Mafia compound. He roamed through the well-lit halls and a trail of goons followed in his wake. *Crash* The thick iron doors exploded as Damien made his way into the bossбп chambers. He saw expensive lights that lit up the regal decorations and animal heads mounted on the walls of rare species. It was quite the room filled with golden delights. Damien looked ahead and saw the man in the large chair, devouring two cigarettes together. He was surrounded by tens of bodyguards in black suits, and dark sunglasses equipped like the Secret Service. Guns were drawn as usual. б░Just a kid doing this much damage,б▒ Delago said in an annoyed tone. б░What will the other four think of me when they hear about this?б▒ He then gazed at the regal attire Damien was wearing. б░Why donбпt you work under me, kid?б▒ He offered with a thin smirk. б░Iбпll give you money, women, whatever, hmm, whatбпd you say?б▒ Damien hummed at the offer with a smile while he thought in his mind, боSibyl, pull up his stats.бп >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Gambino Delago] [Age: 52 years, 5 months] [Height: 16''] (4.88 m) [Status: Healthy, Enraged] [Strength: Unknown] [Devil Fruit: Unknown] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< Naturally, Damien hadnбпt seen Delago fight and had no info on his devil fruit, or the lack of it, thus the information of the stats was rather restricted. бн б░I refuse.б▒ Delago crushed both his cigars and scoffed. *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* Shots rain at Damien who just stood to eat them. *Clatter* The bullets littered the floor as the men continued to unload their entire magazine without mercy. Damien had begun to tire and instead of dodging, chose to take the regular bullets which caused small wounds, but that was it. *Squirm* The ripped flesh soon reformed as the jacket he wore seemed to become alive, patching its many holes. б░What the hell?б▒ the men gulped as they saw the result. The red-eyed boy raised his hand and shot out a current of energy that decimated the entire room. Screams followed by a sudden silence as the dust settled. Damien glanced at the dead bodyguards but raised an eyebrow in return. Delago seemed to flicker outside of the range of the attack, slowly ripping his shirt off to show the scarred yet muscular chest. б░Donбпt be too cocky, brat!б▒ б░Shave!б▒ The man whizzed from his location and appeared behind Damien. . б░Penetrating Finger Pistol!б▒ . Delagoбпs fingers popped with veins as four bursts of air shot forth into the young invaderбпs position. A similar scene broke out as Damien flashed away from the attack and rolled to safety. Boom! An explosion resounded in the torn-down room as four deep craters were left on the ground, they dug beyond the floor and unknowingly deep down. A thin cloud of dust floated out from the gashes, reflecting the sheer power of the attack. б░Navyбпs Rokushiki?б▒ Damien muttered as he saw Delagoбпs moves. б░Delalala! You can use боShaveбп too, not bad,б▒ the Mafia boss laughed. б░It took me quite a lot of time to get my hands on the Rokushiki Manual.б▒ Damien glanced at the four craters, they seemed to cause damage beyond his expectations. The mobster grinned, б░Your youth wonбпt guarantee you immortality, kid, now die!б▒ Delago then pointed both hands towards Damien. . б░Penetration Fever!б▒ . Damienбпs eyes widened as he saw the bullet-like attacks shoot at his body, even faster than he could react. *Splash* He was able to dodge most but three of the shots reached his chest and right arm as they went right through his skin and even showed bone. Damien groaned as he touched his wounds, боIt went through my skin?бп б░Devil fruit ability paired with Rokushiki,б▒ Damien concluded as the flesh slowly began to heal, but it would take at least an hour to fully remedy. . The mobster grinned with a hidden surprise, б░What kind of monstrous endurance ya got, kid? My Penetration-Penetration Fruit ability should have gone right through you!б▒ б░It seems you hid the fruit power from the media, thereбпs no news of it,б▒ Damien said as he stood in a ready-stance. The mobster didnбпt reply as he pointed his hand at Damien once more. б░I want to see how long you can stand, boy!б▒ He was about to shoot but Damien was faster. *Slam* The boyбпs foot slammed on the ground and the entire floor was coloured in a red-checkered pattern. Delagoбпs eyes widened as he felt his balance give out. The entire floor exploded into countless pieces of debris as the two fell into the abyss below. Thud! Delagoбпs 16-foot tall frame crashed on the ground. He hurriedly stood up and saw his surroundings. It was the basement level used to torture prisonersбкthe catacombs. Some broken pillars lined the dark and damp surroundings as dust continued to rain down. Cobwebs scoured the edges, showcasing the decrepit spirit of the chamber. Delago then turned to the side as he felt his back go cold. б░Ugh!б▒ his back creaked as the spine seemed to bend from the kick from behind, launching the towering man into the pillars before him. His body crashed through the obstacles and into the old stone walls. Damien stood, blood dribbling from his chest as he squinted his eyes, б░I used my Pulverization on that kick and he was able to take it, боIron Bodyбп, is it?б▒ *Rumble* The crashed man stood up in renewed vigour, blood pouring from his mouth as his back was extremely bruised and had turned purple. б░Dammit!б▒ he roared out as his body ached. He then responded with an attack of his own, picking up an assault rifle that was on the ground. . б░Unholy Penetration Barrage!б▒ . The rifle shot out bullets far faster than they should have been fired at, surrounded by a bubble of white energy as they blasted their way toward Damien. The bullets continued to rain down as Damien jumped to cover behind a large heap of broken pillars. Each projectile left 5-inch wide craters, digging equally deeper. The voluminous amounts of dust showed the depth of the attacks, enough to strike fear in the normal man. боMy range needs work,бп Damien thought as he felt the pillars behind him explode from the flurry of attacks. His stamina began to bottom as he felt a thrill of death. A smile broke out on the young invaderбпs face as he felt a few fruit-enhanced bullets making it through and nailing him in the back. боThis feelingбнбп Damien closed his eyes as his mind felt a new sense. He ignored the pulsating pain from the increasing amounts of wounds across his back, opting to focus on the blooming sense. The sounds of Delagoбпs attacks faded out as Damienбпs attention spanned all over the nearby area. *Pitter Patter* A few drops of water fell to the ground near the corner of the basement from a leaky pipe. *Flutter* A few panicked flies swarmed about from the onslaught of the constant explosions. *Squeak* Rats hiding in the corners of the room, trying to stay in the cold and wet edges, away from Delago. *Lub Dub* Damien even heard the beating hearts of some lucky mafia members as they scurried away from the main base. *Huff* He then felt the heavy breathing of the wounded Delago who continued his barrage of attacks. Damienбпs eyes opened as the newfound sense expanded through the dark room. He stood up with little worry and turned to Delago. б░Giving yourself up? Very good, die!б▒ The man unloaded the hundreds of penetration rounds onto Damien with a crazy grin. Damien took a deep breath and let his body move on his own. Delagoбпs eyes widened as he saw Damienбпs body dance through the barrage of bullets, bending and twisting in perfect angles to dodge the hail of bullets. Such fluid movements continued without end as the young man slowly walked ahead, his body dodging every single bullet with ease. Delago gulped and roared out, б░Impossible!б▒ . Damien now stood a meter from Delago as his hand shot out to grab the gun in the mobster''s hand. A sound of pixelation boomed through the damp halls as the firearm exploded into tiny metallic pieces, even the bullets had been crushed into tiny cubic pieces. Delagoбпs eyes widened in pain as Damienбпs left foot slammed onto his knee, bending it to an unnatural degree, and causing him to fall to his knees. Damienбпs hand grabbed him by the throat, his eyes gleaming with confidence. б░I thank you for boosting my strength,б▒ he said. Delagoбпs breathing hastened as he felt the shadow of death envelop him, б░W-Why are you doing this? Just to train yourself?б▒ Damien saw the madness fill the manбпs eyes as he replied in an emotionless tone. б░You killed my Mom.б▒ Delago frantically waved his hands, trying to buy himself some time. б░W-Wait, you mean from Rendition Island!?б▒ б░Renaissance.б▒ Delago nodded like a chicken pecking rice. б░Right! I-I just did what I was told, i-it wasnбпt my doing!б▒ Damienбпs eyes narrowed into the desperate manбпs face. б░What do you mean?б▒ Delago started tweeting like a bird, telling everything he knew. б░It happened eight years ago, t-this man came to our family and almost killed us all! H-He gave us a chance to live by raiding a small, no-name island and so we did!б▒ б░I swear! The Rainbow Fish was just an excuse to calm the Marine Base down so theyбпd accept the bribe more easily, i-it really wasnбпt my fault!б▒ б░Who told you to do it?б▒ Damien questioned with an icy tone. Delago gulped. б░I-I-I never saw his faceбнб▒ Damien scanned his eyes with his newfound observation, not feeling any hints of a lie. . б░Crumble.б▒ . б░Nooo- Auuughh!б▒ The red energy shot out from the young manбпs palm and into the mafia bossбп body and entire system. His nerves were overloaded as his eyes popped out of their sockets from the impact. *Splatter* His body shook and eventually exploded like a grape as Damien stepped out of the bloody shower. The strong metallic smell of blood pervaded the atmosphere, leaving a silent Damien pondering with a complicated expression. So close to avenging his mother and yet so far. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 10: Tumultuous Seas It was seven years ago when Damien felt the pain of losing a loved one. It ate his soul at the start, and yet he was able to bury it under the guise of training and growth. That anger and hatred were bottled up and placed to the side. He used the excuse of training himself to haphazardly raid the Gambino Family. There werenбпt many backup plans in place, he simply attacked with great offense and was able to break right into their core, even facing their leader. It was a reckless attack that fortunately bore fruits, but the reality was that his bottled-up anger had burst out after seven years and he wanted to kill the man behind his motherбпs death. Unfortunately, things did not turn out as black-and-white as he had hoped. б░An unknown variableбнб▒ [He could have been lying,] came a thought from Sibyl. б░Maybe, or maybe there was someone who wanted my home island laid to waste, but who? The World Government?б▒ б░...б▒ He shook his head, opting to take upon more immediate concerns. . Damienбпs red pupils stared at the puddle of red littered with the pieces of flesh that were once the great head of one of the Five Families of the West. He slowly stabilized his breathing and thought over the battle. His body ached with the deep holes over his back and chest from Delagoбпs attacks. It was his first clash with another Fruit User and he was certainly caught off-guard. The cakewalk he expected was surely wrong. *Ptui* He spat out a wad of blood as his bones creaked from his stretching. б░I need to be more careful next time,б▒ he told himself. б░But it seems I did get quite the reward for my recklessnessбнб▒ . Damien expanded his mind like before and felt the same feeling. It was like a new sense beyond his body that could capture the surroundings in great detail. Every slight movement, even if it was an insect, was caught under this perception. It was a sixth sense! б░Is this Observation Hakiбнб▒ he muttered, rightfully so. [Yes, Damien. Haki tends to bloom in times of great conflict and in the heat of battle, congratulations.] Damien nodded at Sibylбпs comments. б░Why does it feel soбн familiar?б▒ It was odd, there was an air of familiarity with this supposed sixth sense. [Haki is found in all living things, this is true in every single world. Even in your previous life.] Damien remained silent, allowing Sibyl to continue. [The Laws of Reality, or what your people called the боLaws of Physicsбп, binds natural order. Though it was far tighter on your Earth, they were still there.] [Observation Haki is the easiest to Awaken as it appears throughout random times of life.] б░What do you mean?б▒ She answered immediately, [Like when you feel someone watching you from afar, and you turn around and someone was indeed watching you. Or when you feel something will happen and it does.] [All these are some of those боrandomбп times Observation Haki appears. Even the Advanced application of Future Sight occurs in what I believe your боscientistsбп called боDeja Vuбп. Itбпs just an instinct that can be so much more.] She closed off by saying, [However, to awaken it at fourteen years of age is quite rare. It seems you have-] б░A talent for Observation Haki passed down from my parents,б▒ Damien finished the sentence. б░...б▒ б░Well anyways, letбпs go find the treasury!б▒ ---------------------------------------------- [Elsewhere in West Blue] б░What do you mean El Pavor Island is in shambles? Someone attacked that Delago guy?б▒ б░Send men over and grab their entire chain of power before the other Families get to it first!б▒ Similar orders rang out throughout the Underworld of the West Blue as the entire sea was shaken. Naturally, these words reached the ears of the Marines as well! ---------------------------------------------- [Ten Minutes Later] [Gambino Family Treasure Chamber] Damien glanced at the piles of gold and banknotes that decorated the room. The golden hue was bright enough to make any man greedy for money. But what Damienбпs eyes were glued to were the items on the pedestal at the center of the room. He saw a jug of liquid, a book, a sword, and three devil fruits! . The jugs were that of alcohol, finely aged and considered quite expensive. He then picked up the book and smiled at the title which read: б░ROKUSHIKI MANUAL.б▒ It was a complete guide to train in the 6 Navy Styles of the following: 1. Soru (shave). 2. Geppo (moonwalk). 3. Shigan (finger pistol). 4. Tekkai (iron body). 5. Rankyaku (tempest kick). 6. Kami-e (paper body). This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. [A/N: They will be referred to in their English names beyond this.] . б░Nice stuff, I guess Delago wasnбпt lying about having found the manual,б▒ Damien said. Though his attention was diverted elsewhere. It was a dark-coloured sword in the shape of a katana. A purple electricity pattern was printed on its blade. Looking closely, the blade seemed to pulse as if it were alive! Damien glanced at the name card placed on the pedestal that stood out from the dull and dusty surroundings. б░One of the 21 Great Grade Swords: Kyинran.б▒ The blade graced the world with its majesty with a swish of the air! б░A beautiful blade but unfortunately I have no affinity for swords,б▒ he muttered as he sheathed the blade. Damien was not averse to getting a weapon to further use his power, but he would need a heavier and larger weapon to properly use it with his devil fruit. Much like how Whitebeard used his glaive to concentrate his quake attacks. Such a thin blade focuses more on sharp and quick slashes than what Damien can use in tandem with his abilities. Plus, he was no swordsman. He then eyed the three rather blaring devil fruits at the heart of the treasury. Damien had allowed Sibyl to intake the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia to identify what she could. It didnбпt take long for three fruit details to pop up in his mind. . The first two were Paramecia devil fruits. Kilo-Kilo Fruit иC Allows the user to change their weight from 1 to 10,000 kilograms without, in any way, affecting the overall size of their bodies, making them a Mass-manipulating Human. Glue-Glue Fruit иC Allows the user to secrete glue from their pores, making them a Glue Human. But what made Damienбпs eyes sparkle was the next devil fruit. Ice-Ice Fruit иC Allows the user to create, control, and transform into ice at will, turning them into a Freezing Human. *Gulp* Damien had to take a subconscious gulp as he picked up the blue devil fruit. It was a powerful Logia fruit, one of the absolute strongest Logia, at that. Future power of Admiral Aokiji, aka Kuzan. б░Why is it here? Last I recall from my hobby of digging at the lore, Kuzan was from the South Blue,б▒ Damien muttered. б░Perhaps a rather fruitful exchange of gold between the Mafia and other parties? Or recovered by a young Kuzanбнб▒ With the ability to effectively overrule the greatest weakness of Devil fruit users: water, this fruit could be considered overpowered. . Damien shook himself out of his lost state and thought for a second, б░Sibyl, what would happen if I used the Fruit Ability Transfer Token on this?б▒ Sibyl replied, [As the token can only translate auxiliary powers, Iбпd say it would give you a Logia ice body but that would be it. You will not get anything more.] Damien gave a disappointed sigh. Though a Logia body would be great, it would lose most usage against anyone with decent Armament Haki. Perhaps only auxiliary fruits by nature can be transferred completely, he just needed to find three that would fit that bill. Damien decisively stored all the treasures alongside the Rokushiki manual, Kyинran, and the fruits in his Inventory and whizzed to the top floor. боThey are coming.бп It was the sound of the grass that carried the thoughts of the trees by the edge of the island. Supposedly a large fleet of pirates and mafia members were about to arrive. Damien didnбпt have much energy to fight them all so he naturally chose to retreat. бн [Ten Minutes Later] Damien reached the edge of the island that was away from the raiding troops, credit to the nature that led him here. It was an abandoned dock with an old ship there for emergency evacuation, naturally, Damien would borrow it indefinitely. He unfurled the sails and set out as the island was slowly crowded by thousands of mafia agents. The once calm El Pavor island turned into a hot potato in the hands of other top forces. There were people from the Underground, pirates, undercover marines, reporters, you name it, they were there. The other Four Families had arrived as well; El Pavor Island would surely become a moshpit of battle. The vacuum of power was not a peaceful void to fill. ---------------------------------------------- [Marineford, Grand Line] б░Gambino Family in ruins?б▒ a powerful voice boomed in a spacious office within the core of marine supremacy. An Admiralбпs office! б░Admiral, should we send men to settle the carnage?б▒ a Rear Admiral respectfully questioned. б░Never mind that, let those vultures fight it out, it doesnбпt concern us,б▒ the man in the full-brown suit waved his hand. He then glanced at the picture of a young man that had been faxed to his office. б░This boy was responsible for it? Whereбпd he come from?б▒ the overpowering man questioned. The marine in front of him shook a little and responded, б░He turned in a bounty of around fifty million berries not too long ago, the name recorded by regulation was боEinar D. Damien.бпб▒ The Admiralбпs eyes widened as his hand clenched into a fist, б░Release out a bounty immediately!б▒ The Rear Admiral was caught off-guard as he asked, б░A bounty? Should we not try and recruit such a powerful young lad? All he did was kill some scum of the Underworldбнб▒ The Admiral scoffed, banging his fist onto his desk, б░The D. are an unruly people. Thereбпs no point, rather it''s best to nip them in the bud!б▒ ---------------------------------------------- [On an Island in the Grand Line] б░Puru,б▒ б░Puru,б▒ б░Puru,б▒ б░Puru.б▒ б░Puru,б▒ б░Puru,б▒ б░Puru,б▒ б░Puru.б▒ A Transponder snail transmitted a call under the darkness of the room. б░What is it?б▒ a growling voice boomed in question. The person who called simply puffed out a cloud of smoke while slowly reading a page of information. б░One of our arms suppliers was taken down, it was the Gambino family of West Blue,б▒ the person replied calmly, a woman. б░You didnбпt call me for such a little thing?б▒ the animalistic voice thundered out in impatience. The womanбпs face was hidden in the cover of the dark, but her soft smile was quite visible. б░A young man, no older than fifteen,б▒ she said. б░He alone took down the Gambino Family within a few hours.б▒ The woman continued, б░Thatбпs not the main point, rather itбпs his nameбнб▒ She then glanced at the details listed on the sheet of paper in front of her. б░Einar D. Damien.б▒ There was a pause in the conversation. б░Einar D.?б▒ the voice on the other end seemed interested. б░Xahahaha! Keep an eye on his movements, tell me when he resurfaces.б▒ б░When, not if?б▒ the woman curiously asked. б░Heh, a D. canбпt help themself from challenging the World Governmentбпs Authority, itбпs in our blood, Xahahaha!б▒ б░Iбпll do as you ask, Captain.б▒ б░Katcha,б▒ the snail went to sleep as the call ended. б░...б▒ The woman breathed out a soft sigh as she wiped a bead of sweat off her young face. She was quite young and carried an air of sensuality, б░Another young monster, I feel as if you will be something special, letбпs see how far you go~.б▒ ---------------------------------------------- [Greta Island, West Blue] б░So you actually did it, young one,б▒ Captain Raiden muttered as he heard the report. б░But can you remain resolute in the path you have chosen?б▒ The eight-foot-tall marine sighed, he was greatly impressed, but also worried for the young man, now deemed a pirate. Once the frenzy of the El Pavor settles down, not just the marines, but the other Mafia will also hunt Damien down. Such an unpredictable factor is disliked by all. If you canбпt control him, then kill him! ---------------------------------------------- [Five Days Later] [West Blue] A tired-looking ship sailed past the clear ocean of the West Blue. It had the Gambino Family symbol on it. Damien put down a book titled: б░боA Million Species Exploredбп иC By Clover; Captain of the Clover Pirates.б▒ Naturally, the authorбпs name was awfully familiar to him. And yet the reading was disrupted by a seagull with a newspaper. It was not the same ones from the future, but rather a bird Damien had personally asked to bring him news from nearby islands. The paper was unfolded fully as Damien saw the title, б░A STORM OF VIOLENCE SWAMPS THE WEST BLUE!б▒ The main story was about the fall of the infamous Gambino Family of the Five Families. The main perpetrator of the incident was also highlighted in bolded font. Alongside a bounty paper. -----< WANTED >----- < EINAR?D?DAMIEN > < ?? 100,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ---------------------------- б░No epithet? Should I feel disrespected?б▒ Damien muttered with a wry smile. Though he chose to shrug it off with a hint of narcissism, б░Well, whatever, at least the picture captured some of my charm.б▒ ---------------------------------------------- [Sabaody Archipelago, Paradise Sea of the Grand Line] б░A first bounty of a hundred million on a fourteen-year-old? And from the West Blue at that?б▒ б░Five Kingdoms under the World Government lost nearly 10,000 marines and civilians from the unrest caused by this monster, I say we toss him into Impel Down forever!б▒ б░Just last year there was another kid around this oneбпs age who was given a bounty of seventy million, heбпs a monster who ransacked Marine ships for food, and now thereбпs this monster!б▒ The people were shocked. Some were fearful, some excited. It was a moment when the New World was already in chaos, and now the more peaceful seas outside of the Grand Line had begun to boil as well! No one knew what was to come but it would surely lead to more innocents dying unwilling deaths! ---------------------------------------------- [Six Days Later] [Renaissance Island, West Blue] A worn-down ship docked onto the uninhabited island. The plants and greenery seemed to dance in welcome as the gentle and nostalgic breeze waved by. Damien stepped on familiar soil, returning home after almost a month of travel. He walked through the welcoming woods while thinking about his next steps. б░Not time to sail out yet, I need Armament Haki at the least,б▒ he concluded. Luffy ended up clashing with Smoker just weeks after he departed from Goa Island and was saved by Dragon. Damien does not have that identity and no one to help him, there was no way heбпd go off into a much more hellish era without having the tools to fight Logia opponents. б░I also need more stamina and strength, the Rokushiki would certainly help with my lack of mobility.б▒ Therefore, Damien had created a to-do list. 1. Comprehend the Rokushiki. 2. Attain Armament Haki. 3. Further improve his physical capabilities as much as possible. The first two were a must to sail out into the Grand Line, the latter was more of a as-much-as-possible situation. Damien felt that around two years of wait would be enough and naturally resumed his thorough training once again. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 11: A Fated Meeting Boom! A loud explosion echoed through Renaissance Island as a giant Sea King attacked the bay. ''Moonwalk.'' A black shadow jumped on what seemed to be air as it reached 50 meters in height. The shadow resembled a young man as he shot forward from the sky and toward the Sea King. His fist was coiled back, ready to shoot forth. Oddly enough, the fist was soon wrapped with a dull sheet of black armour. The youth''s fist went on and slammed onto the Sea King''s dome. Bam! A quick shockwave erupted as a fist dug into the skull of the beast. "Rawr!" it roared in pain and fury, its eyes dimmed as blood splashed from its cracked-open skull. The young man landed on the ground with a thud, his black fist returning to normal. A few large chunks of flesh were about to rain on the red-eyed youth as he instead aimed out his right index finger. ''Flying Finger Pistol Barrage.'' *Zip* *Fwip* *Zip* An onslaught of air pockets shot out from the tip of the finger as they were nailed into the raining meat, causing it to explode in the sky. This way, not even a speck of dirt landed on the young man''s body, allowing him to casually walk away. . He had medium-length black hair with red streaks running down the left side while fashioning a thin scar above his right eye. The crimson pupils carried firmness and great ambition. Damien, who had cleaned up a rather large Sea King, had been preparing himself to depart from his home island. Having spent two more years in hardcore training, he was ready to sail the seas and take another step towards his path to power. The years of training and an incredibly healthy diet had led to a sizable growth for the now-sixteen-year-old. Damien''s body was muscular and brimming with power, enough to send just about any lady from his back home into a coma from just a peak. He had grown rather handsome as well, perhaps the genes of a Dryad could be considered quite enviable. [Image of Damien (in discord)] . "Sibyl, bring up my stats, it''s been quite a few chapters since I''ve seen them," he said. [Coming upбн] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Einar D. Damien] [Age: 16 years, 2 months, 4 days] [Height: 10'' 1"] (3.07 m) [Status: Thriving] [Devil Fruit: Pulverize-Pulverize Fruit (Nigh-Intermediate Mastery) б№] [Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars] [Seastone Resistance: 56.6% б№] [Skills: Rapid Recovery (+), Beastly Vitality (+), Evolable Anatomy, Natural Conscience (+), Will of D., Rokushiki] [Haki: Observation Haki (Intermediate Mastery) б№, Armament Haki (Initial Mastery) б№] [Strength: Bottom Tier Yonko Commander б№] (~Brook; Tesoro Level) >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< Yet again the feeling of pent-up power had arrived after the two-year training session. Both the physical and spiritual growth had led to feelings of a flood of power building up. Damien jumped straight into concentrating his body into a meditative posture as he felt the growth in bodily capabilities. His bones and tendons hardened as the flesh strengthened and solidified further; the blood vessels dilated as the muscles devoured energy for their evolution. [{Rapid Recovery} has evolved into {Lightning Recovery}] [{Beastly Vitality} has evolved into {Mighty Vitality}] A wave of heat passed through the young man''s body as his eyes sharpened with his newfound power. [{Lightning Recovery} иC 3 times the speed of {Rapid Recovery}] [{Mighty Vitality} иC 3 times the durability of {Beastly Vitality}] He had grown in strength once more. "Hehe," Damien gave a wry smile. "Even with this recovery and vitality, I still pale in comparison to the real monsters out there." "Kaido''s acclaimed invulnerability, Big Mom''s steel balloon and Whitebeard''s absurd vitality," he listed to himself, people vastly beyond himself. Though it could be considered a step in the right direction. "!!!" "This feeling," Damien muttered as he felt his senses feel rather constrained. It was something that he had felt throughout the past few months as his Observation Haki had continued to grow. Not long ago he raised his Observation to Intermediate Mastery. Essentially it allowed him to further his range of Haki and allow him to sense finer and sharper movements. The main point was that the feeling of Observation was similar to his {Natural Conscience} which gave him the ability to converse with nature. The same feeling of evolution was present. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. His mind felt overwhelmed with newfound senses as the world slowed down around him. The voices, the sounds, and the whispers of life were all magnified to the nth degree! "Ugh," Damien groaned in discomfort, grabbing his head. And then came a ding in his mind. [{Natural Conscience} has evolved into {Voice of All Living Things}] Damien subconsciously took in a deep breath as the ''voices'' of trees, grass, and greenery were mixed with the voices of the animals, birds, and even insects. . "This is like the ''Voice of All Things'' used by Roger, Luffy, Oden and Momonosuke," he murmured. "But mine only hears living things." "Perhaps as my Observation grows in mastery, I can take this skill to the level of Roger," Damien surmised. However, the feeling of progress was quickly dispelled as Damien clenched his hand. *Fwwm* The same sound of armour being plated went off as a dull-black sheet of metal was wrapped around his hand. "My Armament Haki is barely worth talking about, staying here any longer will be a waste of time." The same was true with his devil fruit. The thing was that training his body could only increase his stamina which would then increase his fruit ability usage as well. But it wouldn''t increase his mastery of the devil fruit to the next level. ---------------------------------------------- [A Few Hours Later] Damien had familiarised himself with his new abilities and made his way to the heart of the island. The one area he visited almost every week to remind himself of his past weakness. Damien heard the welcome from the nearby nature as he sat down in the soothing land. The well he once hid in had broken down though was filled with water after years of no usage. He gazed at the grove of trees that formed the portrait of his mother. Still the same over the past nine years. The scene was a mix of nostalgia and old pain. After a few silent moments, Damien stood up from his seat and touched the warm bark of the tree. "You told me to liveбн," he murmured. "I will put everything I have on the line to stand where no one can push me down." Under the solemn face of the young man were the two crimson pupils that seemed to glow in response. It was a flash of pure ambition. What Damien didn''t know was that deep down in his mind was a whirlwind of wild currents that churned all over, like a hurricane building up, waiting to free itself from its confines and break the chains that shackled it. "I''ll be back, one day." ---------------------------------------------- [A While Later] "Goodbye, Renaissance Island," the red-eyed youth muttered as he unfurled the sails of the broken-down ship that was once under the control of the Gambino Family. Damien held up a crinkly map in front of him, adjusting the ship to head East at full speed. The weather was quite nice and a smooth journey was expected. . The West Blue was known for its Five Mafia Families and two major sites that Damien was familiar with. Ohara, where the Tree of Knowledge was rooted, and Kano Country where Don Chinjao hailed from. However, Damien had no real reason to go to either site as of now, rather his goal was somewhere else. "Severa Island, the island right before the Reverse Mountain, kinda like the Loguetown of West Blue," Damien thought out loud as he read the name of the island. ---------------------------------------------- [Eleven Days later] [Severa Island, West Blue] A sixteen-year-old young teen walked through the crowd of hundreds under the joyous atmosphere. Bright and clear skies, flocked with the island''s inhabitants. All one could hear was their endless chatter. Most people here think the area to be a relatively safe and healthy society but those with sharp enough eyes would feel the wisps of danger hidden about. As this was the island right before the Grand Line the pirates'' population here was noticeable. But there was an unofficial rule to abide by, don''t make too much noise and the marines will not bother you. . Damien made his way to a small bar by the edge of the road, a few rats scurried through the side as some droplets of water dripped onto the stone road. *Creak* The wooden doors parted as the young man walked into the crowded pub. Some drunk men sat near the front of the bar, talking amongst themselves. "Give me some sakиж," Damien said casually as he sat on an empty stool. The waiter blinked as he examined his customer, "Uhm, perhaps you are a little youn-" His words were interrupted with a subconscious gulp as crimson pupils locked onto him. "R-Right away!" бн The order came fast as Damien drank down the island''s special drink. He wasn''t an alcoholic like many pirates, rather he tasted the sakиж from the Gambino Family a few years ago and found the taste intriguing. *Slurp* He sipped down the throat-burning liquid while in thought. There were a few paths Damien could go down. He could put up his own pirate flag and traverse the seas with a crew he would need to put together. But there was a major problem. The Rocks Pirates were the big dogs of the current era and who knows what other monsters were present. Riding into the sea now would be disastrous. ''It''s currently the year of May first of 1482,'' Damien thought to himself. ''The God Valley Incident that led to the annihilation of the Rocks Pirates happened in 1486.'' Damien was lost in thought as he leaned his head back. . A large shadow was cast over him suddenly. "And here I thought I came for a drink but ended up finding a big wad of walking berries!" a grumbly voice broke out. A few tens of men soon came surrounding the young man on the stool, vicious grins plastered over their faces. "Though you''ve grown older, you should be the kid on this poster, right?" the 11-foot tall (3.35 m) man questioned as he waved an old bounty. Damien glanced at the poster and simply nodded, "If you want an autograph then you gotta wait for me to finish my drink." "..." The pirates blinked and then broke into a boisterous laugh. "Yababababa! I want your head, kill him!" The pirate unsheathed his scimitar and slashed down with great power. The blade cut the air and descended on Damien''s neck but the result was not what the onlookers expected. *Crack* The blade shook upon impact as the force ripped it off from its handle and was shot and driven into the ceiling with a bang. A deafening silence ensued. *Thunk* Damien lowered his empty cup and slowly stood up, much to the fear of those surrounding him. "He was a monster two years ago, perhaps it''s a bad idea to mess with him nowбн" a younger pirate muttered. Damien simply cracked his neck, raised his leg and swung it around. . "Tempest Kick: Orbital Slash." . A near 360-degree slash of the air followed Damien''s swinging foot as the collection of air raged onwards. The pirates were too slow to move as their bodies were quite literally split in half. The slash continued as the tens of pirates were halved, sending out geysers of blood to paint the worn-down floorboards. *Krrrr* Boom! The entire bar was split in two! *Crash* The building fell upon itself as a cloud of dust rose as a result. Damien looked satisfied and suddenly thought of a funny thought. *Click* A pen materialized in his hand as he picked up his bounty poster. *Scratch* *Scratch* "Take this," he handed the signed paper to the quivering barkeeper. "In a few years, it''ll sell for a lot." The man was too frightened to speak but he did as told, pocketing the poster. бн Damien stepped out from the dust cloud as the people around him simply gulped in fear. And yet something odd happened at the distance. Boom! A huge explosion shook the island as a mushroom cloud dominated the sky, sending the birds and wildlife into a panic. The people were no better; creating a stampede to escape. Damien squinted his eyes to the far end of the island, it was the pirate area. He made his way over, pushing past the hordes of citizens wanting the escape. бн Damien soon saw the docks that were broken and ripped apart. Dead bodies floated over the muddy sea as a large group of marines circled the ship nearby. A stench of blood mixed with the salty sea air assaulted the young pirate''s nose, alongside the wailing cries of anguish and pain. It wasn''t entirely clear due to the dust and fire but Damien could make out a hulking frame on a rampage; massacring a crowd of marines. Blood splashed wildly as the marines were whittled away. Damien was watching from a hundred or so meters away but then a voice made its way to his ears. "Ufufufu, I found quite an interesting person on this small island." ''I couldn''t sense her,'' Damien thought in alarm, whizzing to the side to see the woman who had snuck up on him. She was only a mere 6'' 1" in height but had quite the figure. The woman had short black hair, with two tufts pointing upwards and, casually smoking a cigarette. She wore a pink tank top with a spider motif, exposing her large cleavage for all to see. A thin smile etched on her face as she watched the young pirate in front of her with curiosity. . Damien then glanced at the battle that embroiled the Marines not far away. The dust had cleared, alongside the marines that were left in broken bones and ruined bodies. He saw the hulking figure responsible for the carnage. Thick, muscular arms, a simple shirt with rolled-up sleeves and a black vest over it. Long dark hair added with the two large horns protruding from both sides of his skull, a heavy mace in one hand, dripping with flesh and bloodбкa terrifying image. Though under the viscous appearance was a young face, not much older than that of Damien. . "These marines of the West Blue are too weak!" the monstrous young man roared out with a grin. The woman then replied with a casual tone, "Don''t expect so much from the Outer Seas." The large young man simply grumbled and went into the ship to fetch something. "Einar D. Damien," She said with a small smile. "I''ve been meaning to find you." "My name is Shakuyaku but my friends call me Shakky, care for a chat?" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 12: The Status Quo ''Shakky, the future wife of the Dark King: Silvers Rayleigh'', Damien thought with surprise. [Her Image (in Discord)] The woman watched in intrigue, blowing a cloud of smoke. Finally, Damien spoke up, "What do you want to talk about?" Shakky beamed a thin smile and said, "You should know whose flag we''re under~" Damien slowly nodded and gave his thoughts, "Rocks Pirates." Shakky nodded at Damien''s answer and slowly walked to a deserted seating area at the local cafe. The younger pirate followed suit, seating himself in front of the lax woman. A short silence arrived between the two as the background booms were apparent; Shakky''s companion continued wreaking havoc in the distance. The young woman, in between some puffs of smoke, asked, "Do you know the major forces of the Grand Line so far?" Damien shook his head, the information regarding the Grand Line, let alone the New World was heavily controlled. The World Government did not want the public to know the lack of control they had in those waters and chose to keep the status quo unknown. . Shakky hummed, not surprised by the answer. "In terms of pirates, there is one overwhelming force that has existed for quite some time," she said. "They are called the ''Three Overlords of the Sea''!" Damien squinted his eyes at the newfound knowledge but chose against interrupting. Shakky nodded with a hint of approval, before continuing: "These three have held the reins to the New World for decades." ''A primitive version of the Yonko, then,'' Damien concluded in his mind. "Thaddeus Enigma," "Esso Borealis," "Pryde D. Sol." She then tapped her cigarette with her finger and proceeded to take another puff. "The World Government has six main powerhouses to combat these Overlordsбн" She then listed them out once more. "Fleet Admiral иC ''Strange Beast'' Kong." "The Three Admirals иC ''Buddha'' Sengoku, Basara ''the Mountain'', and ''Kurowashi'' Masao." "Alongside the two new rising stars, Garp ''the Fist'' and ''Black Arm'' Zephyr." She then showed a slightly annoyed expression, almost that of pouting, "That man-ape Garp even chased me down not too long ago, what a pain he can be." *Huuuu* Damien took a deep breath as he stored the data in his mind. He was unaware of all three Overlords and two of the Admirals. In other words, they were extraneous to the story and ended up lost in the annals of history! . Damien then picked up a vital missing piece of information, "So the Rocks Pirates want to challenge the status quoбн" Shakky smiled in agreement, giving an alluring smile, "Mhm, our captain would never allow such pirates to exist, after all, his end goal goes far beyond such petty notions of ''balance''." Though another moment and the woman''s demeanour flatlined as she muttered, "The Rocks Pirates, to say the least, are simply a collection of pure evil." Damien saw a pang of ambivalence flash in the woman''s eyes, a certain helplessness. He then addressed the elephant in the room, "And you''ve come all the way here, why?" Shakky gazed at the young man''s eyes, and spoke after a second: "Our captain wants to change the world, but before that, he needs a mighty ship." She continued, "A ship that can carry the weight of the world. And its ingredients are rather rareбн" Shakky then glanced at an alley to the far right, a few seconds before a black-clothed man slowly walked out. Damien watched as the man soon stepped in front of their table. "Shakuyaku," he nodded as a gray portal-like construct opened by the wave of his hand. *Thwonk* Large stacks of wood slammed onto the ground, piling up to a huge amount. "Our deal has concluded," the mysterious man said, disappearing into a similar portal of his own. Meanwhile, Damien eyed the wood and immediately felt its great durability. "Wood from the Treasure Tree Adam." Shakky nodded, "One of two main things we need." . She then fixed her focus on Damien and smiled. "I see great ambition in your eyes, Damien-chan." Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. The young pirate in question couldn''t help but twitch as he heard her way of addressing him. "You should know the state of the seas is not something you can easily subvert, especially at your age." She then waved her hand, "You are alone and have no one to rely on, no navigator to guide your path and no ship to carry you." Damien squinted his eyes in return, "Where are you going with this?" She shrugged, "It''s very simple, the captain took in a new apprentice on the ship a couple of years ago, I can give you that same invitation." "..." Shakky eyed Damien''s pause and flashed a smile, "You bear the surname D. like the captain, plus, he favours the young and feisty~" Boom! Their conversation was then interrupted, however. A large shadow dropped, throwing shards of earth out of the ground and spiking out. A dull echo boomed through the emptied area, shattering glass in its wake. "WORORORO!" a laugh thundered out, originating from a hulking figure at the core of the crater. The deep voice came alongside a curious tone: "You''re the one who they suspect to become a top-tier Supernova, I wasn''t expecting to run into you here!" Damien glanced at the grinning figure of the beast-like human, it was the future Emperor of the Seas иC Kaido! Though he didn''t have his Azure Dragon Fruit as of now, he was still an imposing figure; standing at a towering height of 19 feet (5.79 meters)! [Image of Kaido (in Discord)] The beast-like pirate was grinning and glaring at Damien, deep lust for battle evident in his eyes. The chair screeched as Damien stood up. Matching the bone-chilling glare with one of his own, returning it to the pirate more than twice his own height. "..." A short standstill erupted as the two young men of similar ages simply eyed one another. Almost like a duel of fates. . Shakky gave out a small sigh and picked up her pistol. *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* Three bullets were fired, though not someone, but rather around the piles of wood. The bullets formed a triangle that soon was connected with black lines, and soon everything inside the triangular net went purple and sucked in all the wood! The purple void-like ground soon disappeared as the wood was nowhere to be seen. ''A devil fruit?'' Shakky, as if she expected the question, tapped her gun and said with a wink, "My pistol is a little special~" She then walked away from the two. "I''ll watch from the side as you boys play around," Shakky said as she sat by the edge of the peer. Though she seemed quite curious about the coming duel. *Rumble!* The ground shuddered as the 19-foot tall monster grabbed his mace that was wedged into the ground and placed it on his shoulder. Damien smirked in return, breathing in the tense atmosphere, "Bring it on," he waved. Kaido broke out in a grin and raged forward without care. Loud gong-like steps went off following the hulking mass of the pirate. The mace was raised into the sky, intending to crash into its opponent. Boom! The air whistled as the heavy weapon slammed into Damien''s position. ''He wants to take it head-on?'' Shakky thought as she saw the response. Damien raised his left fist clad it in Haki and returned a punch. *Clang!* The sound of metal-on-metal erupted as the ground between them was torn asunder, a wave of shock followed and left all nearby windows in pieces. A grinding noise soon followed as the two attacks struggled to give way to one another. Damien smirked as he felt his Haki waver, but enough to stop the descending mace. *Whizz* Damien''s body disappeared and reappeared at eye-level with Kaido and shot four fingers into his opponent''s chest. The fingers that were wrapped in air and Haki dug into the beast-like pirate''s skin and left a bloody graze. Kaido took a step back and saw his bruised chest. "The Navy''s little tricks, they tickle!" He once again raised his club but this time he jumped into the air with a loud bang, reaching nearly 20 meters in the sky. *Grrrr* The air groaned as Kaido shifted his weight, holding his weapon up with both hands. *Fwwm!* Damien readied both arms as they were wrapped in a dull coat of Haki, armouring his defence. BAM! A resounding explosion went off as Damien gritted his teeth, holding up the coming mace. His fingers creaked at the metallic texture, trying to drill themselves in. A huge weight fell onto the red-eyed pirate as he held up the weight of both Kaido''s attack and weight; both pushing forth, wrestling for victory. *Rumble* The ground under Damien was cracked like a mirror as the shockwave continued to erupt. Kaido gave up the assault and landed a handful of meters away. He gave no chance for recovery and swung his club forth once more, a roar of refusal following it. Damien once again returned a powerful left fist as he clashed head-on with the absurdly large mace. ''What power!'' he thought with some struggle as his feet tore into the ground to maintain his balance. ''But my Armament Haki is growing fast!'' Damien then released his attack in retreat, causing Kaido to stagger a few steps forward due to inertia. *Whizz* Utilizing Soru allowed Damien to once again appear in the air in front of the momentarily immobilized pirate; a fist ready. BAM! Damien slammed his fist into the very sternum of the future Emperor, driving all his physical power in without mercy. "Ugh!" Kaido gave out a groan as he felt his ribs tremble. He was then shot forth at great speeds from the hit and crashed into the buildings a few hundred meters away. Kaido went through three walls as the debris rained down everywhere. . Damien narrowed his eyes at the crash and saw a predictable result. Kaido stood up in no time, throwing off huge piles of concrete and earth with ease, eliciting a deep rumble. His chest was purple with some bruising but nothing worth mentioning. "WORORO! Again!", he roared out with a wide grin. He picked up his fallen mace and rushed forward with a thunderous charge. *Crackle* Purple lightning flashed around the weapon as if it was awakened from slumber, the smell of a beast emanated from the young pirate. ''His Haki is combusting the air into lightning?'' Damien thought as he saw the flashing spectacle. . "Raimei Hakke!" . Kaido drove his thunderous mace without mercy as the air was ripped apart; the sheer pressure sent out tornadoes of wind as the giant weapon neared Damien. Damien smiled in response as he ran head-first into the attack. *Purrup* His black fist was soon covered with a bubbling crimson mist. Another stream of energy was helically wrapped around his arm while the main one gathered at his fist. *Fwooo!* Suddenly the energy around his arm shot forth like a spring, driving the one gathered in his hand like a rocket. Flames sparked from the increased friction from the crushing ability as it blazed its way to the coming mace. . "Fury Road!" . BOOM! The erupting fist clashed with the black mace dancing with electricity as a booming shockwave pulsed out. The air screeched in return as the overpowering strength of Kaido collided with Damien''s crushing powers. The ground shattered apart in a spectacle of red and purple as the two sides refused to back down. The two young pirates roared out in unison, loud enough to overshadow the torrents of air whirling out from their collision. Boom! Another explosion rattled the island as the two were soon sent flying in opposite directions and crashing into the walls at the expense of Severa Island. Dust rained down and debris befell the land, more resembling a battlefield than a peaceful island. *Cough* *Cough* Damien slowly stood up from the pile of debris as some blood dribbled from his mouth. He glanced at his broken arm which had turned purple. Kaido, on the other side, got up as well, his right arm was bruised and his wrist seemed to have cracked from the clash. However, both young pirates had something in common, a grin plastered to their faces! Damien''s broken arm creaked as it was soon put back together and the recovery began. Kaido''s physical condition was surely better but his beloved club was cracked. The two were about to rush at each other once more butбн "Ahem," a voice broke out. "That''s enough for now, the marines from nearby branches will be here soon and I can''t gamble the wood on your little game," Shakky said as she walked in between the two. Kaido grumbled, "To hell with those marines!" Shakky was not amused. "You can play later, right now we have a mission to complete and you''ll have to hunt and cook your own food, Kaido-chan." The horned youth scoffed in return as he lowered his fighting desire in silent surrender. . Shakky then turned towards Damien and said, "Your strength went beyond my expectations~" She then winked in question: "Well, what do you say, do you want to come under the Rocks Pirates as an apprentice?" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 13: The Devil "Well, what do you say, do you want to come under the Rocks Pirates as an apprentice?" Damien narrowed his eyes at the smoking woman. Shakuyaku and Kaido. Both had deep connections to the huddle of power in the New World, though currently, they both were simply weapons of Rocks D. Xebec. Such an invitation could be considered signing one''s own death certificate, but to Damien, it was a calling. ''Rocks is due to fall in a few years,'' the young pirate thought to himself. ''The flourish way to survive in this hellish era would be in the den of danger.'' Damien could feel that his small clash with Kaido had already shaped his Haki quite a bit, reflected in the notification that had come. [Armament Haki mastery has reached the Intermediate stage.] Such a boost in strength begged the question: just what height could he reach by being around such monsters? A smile appeared on the young pirate''s face as he resolutely answered: "Alright, I''ll join." "Hehe, I look forward to your growth, Damien-chan~" Shakky returned a smile. She then walked to the docks, caring little of the mess they left behind. "Let''s go then, we need to leave before some nuisances arrive." Kaido roared out a laugh, "WORORORO! We''ll finish our fight later!" ''Pull up Kaido''s stats,'' Damien ordered. After a duel, it was enough to quantify the future Emperor''s current power. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Kaido] [Age: 17 years old] [Height: 19''] (5.79 m) [Status: Healthy] [Devil Fruit: None] [Haki: Observation Haki (Intermediate Mastery), Armament Haki (Intermediate Mastery), Conqueror''s Haki (Initial Mastery)] [Strength: Middle Tier Yonko Commander] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< He was around Damien''s strength level. But he had a feeling that in a drawn-out combat, it would come down to his Devil Fruit to decide the outcome. Just their little scuffle now had left some much-desired outcomes to occur. ---------------------------------------------- [Marineford] [Fleet Admiral''s Office] "What did you say?" a heavy voice boomed within the walls of the office. A large man with thick muscles and scars sat in the seat of power, endless strength brimming from stature. He had a short-sleeve shirt and a gray-coloured marine coat draped over his shoulders. The marine had hair and beard arranged in an array of spikes, and some fuzz on both sides of his face. He also sported a stitched scar under his left eye. [Image of Kong (in discord)] . "F-Fleet Admiral Kong, the news was confirmed and the sightings of Shakuyaku and Kaido of Rocks Pirates alongside Einar D. Damien at Severa Island!" the Rear Admiral broke the news. The muscular marine simply squinted his tired eyes as he massaged his forehead. He closed his eyes as a brief figure of a bloodied, grinning man flashed in his mind. "Those damn D''s, just one problem after another, looks like Rocks found another new apprentice who will cause me more headaches," Kong muttered. The Fleet Admiral shook his head and ordered, "Update their bounties, even for that woman supervising them, I want them taken down before they can enter the New World!" Kong clenched his fists, "We still have time to crush these budding threats!" ---------------------------------------------- [West Blue иC Near Reverse Mountain] "So that''s it, the gargantuan continent, the Red Line!" Damien exclaimed as he saw the colossal crimson wall run across the entire ocean. No matter how far out you looked, the Red Line just kept on stretching beyond it; cutting beyond the line of clouds, seemingly touching heaven! [Image (in Discord)] . "Damien-chan, I''ll need you and Kaido-chan to hold up the ship, it will be a rickety ride," Shakky said while preparing the ship to climb the mountain. The two pirates grabbed the sides of the ship as it slowly began to rise up the mountain; creaking uncontrollably. Great amounts of water splashed onto the ship and the two, threatening to push them back down. *Creak* *Swish* Moments passed as the ship was fixed in speed as the ascent continued, leaving the West Blue behind. Damien eyed the blue sea as they soon disappeared into the clouds. бн It took a few minutes for the ship to climb to the top of the Reverse Mountain. A short sigh escaped Damien''s mouth as he glanced at the sea of clouds. {Find us.} A whisper suddenly echoed in Damien''s ears, drawing his eyes into the white sea. The words had come as soon as the ship reached the apex of the mountain, an area where the ascent from all Four Seas met. ''What was that?'' Damien thought while examining his surroundings. ''It came from beyond the Red Lineбн'' If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Paradise Sea, the first part of the New World, lay in the direction the ship was headed while the end of the New World was behind them. [A/N: The world is round so naturally the start of the Grand Line and the end of the Grand Line meet at Reverse Mountain.] Damien was left pondering as the ship began to descend the mountain at great speeds, howling winds following suit. *Vvoosh!* He felt the cold and powerful streams of air as the rollercoaster ride came to an end. *Splash* The broken-down ship finally landed into the Grand Line! Damien walked across the main deck of the rickety ship as he took in the changed atmosphere. The air feltбн chaotic; much wilder and more out of control than the West Blue. . "How do you like the air of the Grand Line, Damien-chan?" a soft voice brought him back. Damien returned a thin smile as he breathed in the air of Paradise. Kaido also walked over, impatience etched on his face, "Oye, woman, how long till we go back to Hachinosu?" Shakky shook her head at the young beast, "This is your first main mission, Kaido-chan. We can''t return without the new ship so be ready for a lengthy wait." The man-beast simply growled and then sat his giant body down, falling into a nap immediately. . Shakky ignored the snoring Kaido and began speaking to Damien. "We''ll go to the nearby island for resupply, I also need to contact the captain about you," She said as she took out an Eternal Pose from her pocket. The pose had, "Uruguana", written on it, indicating the island it led to. Damien nodded at her words. The journey there would take at least a day and it left some time to waste. Damien proceeded to ask her a question. "Shakky-san, why''d you come under Rocks?" The woman glanced at the young man and gave a small sigh. "I''ll tell you if you call me ''Shakky-nee'' from now on," she said with a teasing smile. Damien scratched his head at the odd request and shrugged in agreement. *Puff* She then exhaled a cloud of smoke. "I come from the Calm Belt, you know where I mean, right?" Damien nodded as he gestured to the snake symbol on her belt, "Empress of Amazon Lily, the captain of the Kuja Pirates." Shakky gave a small nod and continued, "Right. Well, you see our island is protected by the lack of wind in the Calm Belt, it keeps the pirates away." She then hummed a little tune while taking in another puff of her cigar. "But there are fruits out there that can give ways to overcome the Calm Belt," Shakky explained. "As the Empress, I couldn''t just wait for the day to come when we no longer could protect ourselves." She continued, "One day I had to come to Sabaody to resupply but got caught up with that Garp, it was Rocks who saved me." "But that man would never do anything without expecting something in return." A sigh escaped her lips, "A dear lovestruck friend of mine wanted to take my place but I ended up turning her down." "Since then, we made a deal while I worked under him, acting as his eyes and ears." She then glanced at the young man before him, a hint of helplessness in her eyes. "The captain''s name keeps both the Navy and other pirates away, but there''s always a price for selling your soul to the devilбн" "..." Damien took in the information and couldn''t help but visualize the ''devil'' she spoke of. She then walked up, reached up and patted Damien''s shoulder. "When we get to the New World, trust no one." Shakky left to go inside the main cabin, leaving a snoring Kaido and a pondering Damien behind. ---------------------------------------------- [A Day Later] [Uruguana Island, Paradise] *Munch* *Burp* Two young men sat at a giant table as an absurd amount of food was slowly inhaled away. Though the youth differed greatly in height, they both had a mind-numbing appetite. It was like a bottomless pit; the food kept on disappearing as the two munched on. . "Hey, hey, those two have a big reward on their heads," a man whispered from the side as he watched the display. Another man quickly nodded as he read over some papers. They were newly released bounties that had made their way to the world! -----< WANTED >----- < EINAR?D?DAMIEN > < ''Sin Incarnate'' > < ?? 150,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > -----< WANTED >----- < KAIDO > < ''Hundred-Beast'' > < ?? 220,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ---------------------------- Damien was slightly annoyed by the vast difference in the numbers. The only reason the gap existed was due to Damien''s disappearance from the world news while Kaido had been rampaging his way through the seas over the past two years. "What the hell is up with that epithet? What sin did I commit?" he said with a confused look. Kaido, who was gobbling a huge piece of meat, grinned, "WORORORO! Our Captain is called ''The Abyssal Sin'', looks like the Navy sees you as his little toy!" The revelation left Damien befuddled. Though seeing Kaido''s condescending look made him shoot back, "I guess they see me as a graver threat than you, just wait till I leave you in the dust." *Crunch* A huge chunk of the table was ripped off by the hulking pirate as he heard Damien''s reply. бн The people nearby chose against picking a fight as they just watched the two young monsters arguing amongst one another, while simultaneously devouring enough food to fuel a small village. *Burp!* Kaido let out a ground-shaking burp as he gurgled down a huge barrel of alcohol. Damien just shook his head at the scolding to come, and it came fast. A slender woman appeared from the side with a stern face, "You shouldn''t be drinking at your age, Kaido-chan, it''ll mess with your growth." Even though her size was dwarfed by the hulking young pirate, she carried a certain air of hidden power. Kaido harrumphed at the scolding, "Something that tastes good can''t be bad for you, stop pestering me, woman!" Shakky squinted her eyes in return, "Don''t test my patience, young man." The giant teenager just growled as he threw the sakиж to the side, exploding into an aromatic spectacle. Damien couldn''t help but laugh out loud as he saw the future Emperor being reprimanded like a child. Even the spectators were baffled but chose not to display their amusement and stifled their laugh from the fear of the 6-foot-tall woman. A man gulped as he waved another bounty poster around, ensuring no one nearby was dumb enough to make problems: -----< WANTED >----- < SHAKUYAKU > < ''Black Death'' > < ?? 670,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ---------------------------------------------- [A Few Hours Later] Shakky had finished some shopping and resupplying, alongside repairing the ship enough to sail for another few months. Kaido was napping away as Damien made his way to the small room inside the cabin. It was the same room Shakky was in. The female pirate had called him for something of grave importance. He took a deep breath, knowing what was waiting for him once he entered. *Creak* The wooden door opened as the red-eyed youth walked in. He saw the small room that was lightly lit, a normal bed and furniture in place. Damien glanced at the short-haired woman sitting by the table, a transponder snail set in front of her. The snail emulated the face of the person on the other side of the call. Wild hair set in spiky dreads, feral expression plastered to the scarred face, a wide grin etched on. . Shakky nodded at Damien in silence and turned her attention back to the snail. "He''s here now, Captain." She then gestured for Damien to take the snail''s receiver and moved out of the way. Damien saw the snail break out in a wider grin as it broke out a deep and hoarse voice: "Einar D.," It said. "A familiar nameбн" Damien took a deep breath and replied in an unshaken voice: "Rocks D. Xebec." "..." The snail''s scarred and savage appearance warped into deep intrigue. "Xahahaha!" he laughed in a low tone. "You''re the interesting kid that left West Blue in shambles a few years ago." The voice continued, "Shakuyaku told me that you want to come under my flag as an apprentice, good, very good, I always welcome you ambitious brats." His voice then grew frighteningly low, "Just remember this, kid, you can betray me whenever you want but just be prepared for the hell that will followбн" A solemn expression appeared on the young pirate''s face as he heard the menacing voice. Damien wasn''t surprised at the man''s words, if anything, he admired Xebec''s power to make so many powerful forces subservient to him. He vied for that power too. . The snail then addressed the woman standing by the side. "Shakuyaku, you''ve brought some heat on yourself by picking up that kid, you head to Sabaody while the new kid will go to Yozora Island to get the ore." Rocks went on to say, "I''ll send someone to bring you to the New World from there in a month." The snail didn''t wait for a reply and simply hung up with a: "Katcha~" Shakky put away the snail and then glanced at Damien, "You heard the boss. I''ll give you the Eternal Pose to Yozora Island and a ship, your mission is to retrieve the ''Eternal Ore'' that is kept there." She then warned Damien, "That place is also called the ''Island of Darkness'', according to the captain he read a Poneglyph that said the people at Yozura Island await for someone to come and retrieve that very ore." Damien noted down the fact that Xebec was able to decipher Poneglyphs somehow and then proceeded to ask, "What exactly is the ore for?" The woman shrugged, "Captain said it can absorb and spread out forces it''s subjected to in some magical way, let''s just say that Adam''s Oak is not enough for a ship to carry the monsters under the Rocks'' Flag." . The two then walk out to the main deck of the ship. "Take these and buy a small ship, you have a month to rendezvous with us at Sabaody, I''ll wait for you there." Damien grabbed the items the woman gave him: some money to buy a ship, an Eternal Pose to Yozora Island, a Vivre Card with Shakky''s name on it, and some food. She then pulled out a small red pouch and raised her pistol. *Bang!* *Bang!* The bullets hit the outside of the pouch and seemed to enchant it with some purple void-like energy. "This pouch will store the ore, better than you carrying it back overseas, no?" Damien nodded, though he could make do without the pouch with his Inventory, he naturally didn''t want to expose it. He graciously took all the items and walked to the edge of the ship. "See you in a month then, Shakky-nee." He hopped off using Moonwalk and made his way to the shipyard of Uruguana. Shakky gave out a small laugh, "What an odd kid~" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 14: The Guardians of the Ore [A Few Days Later] б░Calling it the боisland of darknessбп wasnбпt an understatement,б▒ Damien muttered. He was currently on a small ship, not far from the gloomy landmass before him. Yozora Island was covered with a thick, black cloud that was simply immobile. It didnбпt move, float or even shift in position like a blanket covering the land under it. No light passed through; just a perpetual darkness. [Island Image (in Discord)] *Creak* The ship docked on and the anchor splashed into the sea. According to historical archives, this island had no random weather changes, it was just forever dark with occasional rain. *Pitter Patter* It was one of those rainy days as the water befell the land. Damien landed on the dark soil, his boots digging into the moist soil. The island was relatively small, covered with coniferous trees, silent chirps echoed through the valley as a swampy smell covered the land. A symphony of voices arrived in his ears, originating from the grass, trees and other foliage. The life that existed on land was used to darkness, the grass was a special kind that had evolved to live off the sunlight reflected by the moon. Many mushrooms and nightly plants exist, some even evolving to develop their own luminescence. . {Show me the way.} The natural life seemed to hear Damienбпs thoughts and began to weave and mould a path for him to travel. Some glow bugs and fireflies appeared and lit the way over, granting Damien a full view of the path. б░A castle,б▒ Damien murmured as he saw the structure at the center of the land. It was built over a large cliff, an olden-style manor that dominated its relative landscape; an eerie sight to say the least. [Manor Image (in discord)] б░!!!б▒ Damien felt a distant gaze, but he was unable to pinpoint it, leaving him no choice but to venture on ahead. бн He walked through the self-clearing grounds; the trees and grass granting him the fastest path to the castle. Eventually, he came through a large open clearing, surrounded by cone-like trees, seemingly unnatural. {Watch outбн} The voice of the trees echoed in Damienбпs ears as he heard a sharp whistle of the air. Shing! Damienбпs eyes widened as he felt the touch of a cold blade at the back of his neck. It didnбпt cut into his skin, just rested on his neck; a warning not to move. б░I didnбпt come here for a fight,б▒ Damien calmly stated. Though he remained unmoved, Damienбпs boots were swirling with crimson mist, ready to return an attack if needed. б░...б▒ A silent moment passed as he then heard a sharp yet stern voice. б░Why have you come here?б▒ It was a manбпs voice, middle-aged, confident. б░I was sent here to pick up an ore, the Poneglyph said it to be here.б▒ Damien waited and felt a very faint tremor in the sword that was grazing his skin, now sure that the Poneglyph meant quite a lot to the man. б░...б▒ Another moment passed as the blade was removed from Damienбпs neck. The young pirate slowly turned his head and saw the man behind him. He was around 7 feet tall. He looked to be in his early forties. The upper half of his face was covered with a hood, probably to keep away from the rain. He seemed to have short dark hair and a stubble beard. The man wore a dark coat that covered his entire body, but the missing right arm was obvious. A sharp katana-style sword was in the manбпs left hand, but he was still quite defensive. б░Youбпve read the stone,б▒ the man lightly said. Damien just gave a small nod as he replied, б░I came for the Eternal Ore.б▒ The manбпs eyes seemed to examine the young man before him, even though they were hidden under the hood, Damien felt the sharp gaze. б░Follow me to the castle.б▒ The man took off in the direction of the dark mansion, and Damien followed suit. боEven with a missing limb, it feels like he can cut me up, quite the guardians.бп бн It took a quiet 10-minute walk to reach the castle. It was gothic-themed with creaky and dark-coloured wood. Water dripped down the rotting wood, sending ripples through the puddles littered over the region. The two walked in via the main doors that creaked in response. The halls were lit with green candles, and a warm and cozy ambience filled the rooms. б░Itбпs more welcoming than I thought,б▒ Damien said. The man looked at him and nodded, б░I hope you forgive me for my haste earlier, there have been many invaders in the past few years.б▒ Damien shrugged, showing he didnбпt mind. The man seemed more comfortable as he elaborated, б░It happened twenty months ago, a few thousands raided our land looking for treasure.б▒ This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. б░They used my nieces and nephews to kill their parents and then them. It took everything to repel them; an arm from me.б▒ б░Only my wife and son remain with me as their protector.б▒ The two walked down the red-carpeted floor and into the main lounge area. . б░Our ancestors have been waiting for someone to collect the ore for centuries now,б▒ the man said. as they made their way to the sofa at the edge of the room. The red couch was laid in front of a giant window that spanned from wall to wall, boasting a wide view of the hedge maze beyond it. A beautiful woman sat on the couch, combing a very young childбпs hair. The black-haired woman carefully sat the child to the side and stood up, bringing her hands together in obvious excitement: б░Ara~ A visitor, how rare!б▒ Damien blinked at the rather contrast between husband and wife but something else caught his gaze: the womanбпs eyes. The pupils were yellow, with two black rings circling them; sharp, piercing eyes to say the least. Damien took a deep breath as he made the connection but took it slow. . б░My name is Einar D. Damien, pardon the intrusion,б▒ he said, somewhat impressed by his own etiquette. The woman beamed a smile and replied courtly, б░What a well-mannered young man, my name is Mina, and youбпve met my husband, Vlad.б▒ The man by the side gave a quick боahemбп and took off his hood, the same eyes and hair colour apparent. б░Why donбпt you have a seat while I get some tea, Dear, why donбпt you change into something warm,б▒ Mina said, getting up from her seat. This left Damien on the sofa with their child. боThey just leave a stranger with their kid?бп the pirate muttered to himself. б░...б▒ An awkward silence broke out as Damienбпs eyebrow twitched under the sharp gaze of the toddler sitting away from him. Damien met his sharp, examining eyes. The child was less than a meter in height, around 38 inches. Same short-black hair and piercing yellow eyes. б░Well, whatбпs your name?б▒ Damien asked though he could guess the reply. The boy tilted his head and blinked a few times. б░Mihawk,б▒ He said. б░Dracule Mihawk.б▒ The confirmation made Damien take a deep breath, nodding to himself. It also made the pirate take a closer look at the boy, seeing loneliness, curiosity, nervousness, and even excitement in those hawk-like eyes. . б░Youбпre awfully mature for your age, Mihawk, tell me, what do you want to be when you grow up?б▒ The boy wasted no time and answered subconsciously, б░The greatest swordsman in the sea.б▒ Mihawk then turned his gaze to the hedge maze right outside. A sharp bright light reflected from the center of the maze as if a metallic object was there, and there indeed was. It was a large, silver sword planted within a thick black rock. It had a very odd-shaped golden crossguard with a complex pattern printed upon it, yet the blade carried an unparalleled beauty. Mihawkбпs longing eyes stared at the blade that seemed to cut the low winds every so often. At that moment, Mina came back into the room and gave Damien a cup of tea. б░Mihawk has never seen outsiders since his birth, he may be a little awkward around you,б▒ Mina apologized, playing with her sonбпs hair. Damien shook his head while gesturing at the sword outside, б░Such a sharp weapon left outside in a rock, I take it has great meaning to your family.б▒ Mina nodded while also admiring the beauty of the treasured weapon. б░The blade is one of the Twelve Supreme Blades иC боYoruбп, it has been in that stone for centuries now,б▒ She calmly said. б░You donбпt feel averse to telling a stranger of such a treasure?б▒ Damien asked with some suspicion. Mina just beamed her usual smile, б░We believe the sword awaits a suitable user, if you can free it from its confines then itбпs yours to keep.б▒ б░And yet centuries have passed and the blade still waits,б▒ Vladбпs voice resounded as he stepped back into the room. Damien then glanced at the young boy who was but a toddler. He crouched down at the childбпs eye level and asked: б░Youбпve set your sights on that sword, havenбпt you, kid?б▒ Mihawk gave a quick nod as he clenched his tiny hands, б░Iбпll free the sword one day!б▒ The exclamation caught the two parents off-guard but Damien just smirked in return, б░I look forward to that day then.б▒ Mina chimed with an invitation, б░Damien-kun, why donбпt you join us for dinner, my husband will need a while to bring out all the treasured ore from the keep.б▒ ---------------------------------------------- [An Hour Later] Damien had finished a meal with the small yet tight-knit family. It was a hearty meal of a Sea King caught by Vlad. Damien even asked some more questions about the familyбпs origin. Supposedly they were tasked to guard the ore by someone centuries ago. The island was dark for as long as time went back. Their ancestors eventually got used to the darkness and gloomy nature of the land; their eyes evolved under these conditions and over many generations to see much further and finer than others. Swordsmanship was their creed and remains so. Yoru awaited its user while the Eternal Ore awaited its retriever. According to Vlad, both Yoru and the Eternal Ore could be said to be equal in their worth! The family even welcomed Damien to stay for a while. б░Vlad-san,б▒ Damien addressed the man sitting before him. They were in a lounge area with deep-red sofas. A chandelier holding up six green candles hung above them. б░This is abrupt, but I hope to stay here for a few weeks to train before taking the Eternal Ore, and for you to help me in my training,б▒ the pirate straightforwardly asked. б░You were able to stay out of my perception before, I want to sharpen those instincts before diving into the New World.б▒ He had noticed it before against Shakky. And then with Vlad. Both of them were able to боmaskбп their presence from Damien and approach from his blind spots. . The older gentleman narrowed his eyes at the bold pirate, seemingly to inspect his worth. Vlad nodded but said with a hint of hesitation, б░We havenбпt had friendly guests over here in a long, long time. I donбпt mind you staying to train, but you must know that training your senses is best done in deathly scenarios, three weeks is not enough time unlessбнб▒ Yet the manбпs tone sharpened as he said, б░Unless I put you through hell to sharpen those instincts.б▒ Such words brought a smile to Damienбпs face: б░I wouldnбпt have it any other way.б▒ бн The two walked outside to an open garden behind the mansion. Mina appeared, holding Mihawkбпs hand as they watched from afar. Vlad and Damien stood 20 meters in between. Shing! Vlad unsheathed his blade as it sliced the air. б░This is боYozoraбп of the Twenty-One Great Swords,б▒ he introduced the dark blade. б░It has accompanied me for years, let me use it to test your mettle.б▒ *Fwwm!* The sword was soon wrapped in thick Haki as it glistened a jet-black colour. The one-armed swordsman shot from his position and appeared only inches from Damienбпs throat. Clang! A loud clanking sound boomed the area as Damienбпs metallic fist collided with the blade. A shockwave grumbled the land as Vlad weaved through the air. *Whizz* His body flashed and flickered through the air and reappeared meters away from Damien, raining down countless shots. Damienбпs senses went into overdrive mode as he struggled against the onslaught, slowly and barely warding each hit. *Clang!* Boom! Bam! Explosions popped incessantly as Damien was forced into an entirely defensive posture. A slight irritation building as his eyes followed the flickering target. б░Is this all your ambition is worth, young man?б▒ Vladбпs calm voice echoed in Damienбпs ears. The young pirate could only grit his teeth and force himself to move faster and faster. *Swish!* *Spurt* Cuts and scrapes decorated his body as blood dribbled out from the razor-sharp Yozora. A one-armed swordsman with speed beyond any foe Damien had yet seen. . б░Donбпt expect me to give in this easily!б▒ Damienбпs firm voice boomed as his eyes grew sharp. A quick burst of energy spanned out in all directions of Damienбпs body and cracked the ground in return. It was a loud screech as Vlad paused for a moment. Damien exploited the momentary pause as his blackened fist drove into the manбпs core. Bam! The overpowering strength from Damienбпs very flesh rattled the blackened blade that got in the way. Vladбпs single arm trembled as his body was shot back with great speed. *Whizz* The wind whistled as the man readjusted his balance and landed on his feet tens of meters away. б░Good strength,б▒ Vlad muttered, returning his gaze to the coming enemy.б▒ Damien shot forward as his Haki-clad fists slammed onto the blades, finally going on the offence. Boom! *Bang!* BAM! The clash went on for dozens of minutes as it began to balance out. Vladбпs sharp and calm sword style left Damien not a moment to rest while he did his absolute best to return equal attacks. His attacks grew fiercer and left fewer openings but it was nowhere enough to win the battle. бн б░You have an excellent talent for combat,б▒ Vlad said with an admiring tone as he sheathed his weapon. Damien panting lightly and gazed down at his cut-up appearance. The wounds were superficial considering his vitality, but the blood was enough to turn his attire from black to red. б░Still far from leaving a scratch on you, though,б▒ Damien said with a soft sigh. . Mina climbed down and saw Damienбпs bloodied clothes but was casually waved off. б░Iбпm fine, theyбпre just a few scratches.б▒ Mihawk too made his way down and stared at Damien. The dripping blood contrasted heavily with the firm eyes of its host. б░You asked me about my goal,б▒ the child said. б░Whatбпs yours?б▒ Damien glanced at the curious young boy and gave a simple answer: б░There was a time when my fate was at the mercy of others, since then I made it my goal to never let that happen again; no one will ever hurt what I care for the most.б▒ Mihawk blinked into a lost state but soon flinched in discomfort as Damien poked the kidбпs forehead with his index finger. б░Youбпre just a kid, stop thinking so much, you make me feel stupid with such a mature perspective.б▒ б░Letбпs go back inside, Iбпll tell you about the world outside.б▒ The two returned to the gloomy castle as the three-week training session officially kicked off. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 15: Red Metal, Black Shadows [Three Weeks Later] Clang! BOOM! Short yet powerful explosions went off as flickering slashes rained upon the red-eyed youth. He was currently standing in the center of a large clearing under the dark clouds of Yozora Island. Damien had his eyes closed as he instinctively dodged and blocked the onslaught of attacks. He had begun to anticipate attacks from more than just their intent, this included the slight changes in air current or the vibrations of the earth below him, the variations of heat and so on. He allowed his Observation to flow from the entirety of his body as the combat instincts had been drilled into each pore. Damien had quickly grown under the deathly scenarios imposed on him by the one-armed swordsman, leaving his Haki far sharper than ever before. The main thing was that he had conditioned his body against the attacks and intents of intelligent persons, something he couldn''t do back at Renaissance Island. A gruelling schedule of pain and suffering, having bled many times only for it to heal away in seconds. . A black-clothed man soon appeared in front of Damien, shaking his head with a sigh. "I take it back, your combat talent is simply beyond my understanding." Damien let out a small chuckle as he took off his blindfold, "If you had both arms then I''m sure I would have been in much more trouble." The one stern man seemingly incapable of joy was now beaming a thin smile. "I''m sure you''ll grow beyond my level in a matter of years." The man then sheathed his weapon with a click as the two walked back to the castle, all under the veil of the endless night. . A near-meter-tall toddler came running from the cliff as he trailed behind the two. "Father, when can I start training too?" The child''s voice which was usually devoid of much emotion was showing great desire and even a bit of desperation. Vlad shook his head, "Maybe in a few more years." The hawk-eyed child clicked his tongue and ran off into the dark forest. Vlad sighed with a defeated smile, "That child has spoken more in the past few weeks than since he was born, it feels odd to see him act like his age." . They eventually reached the castle gates where Mina was waiting with some cool drinks. "Did he run off again?" she rhetorically asked with a sigh. Damien smirked from the side, "You can''t blame a kid for being impatient." Mina glared at the teenager, "You are a kid in my eyes too, fighting so much at a young age, kids are in such a hurry nowadays." The woman then looked at her husband and said, "Dear, take Damien-kun to the treasured ore, I''ll go get Hawk-chan." бн Vlad and Damien soon made their way into the heart of the castle. It was a worn-down room with the same green candles that never ran out. Cobwebs decorated the corner of the room as the center was awfully clean. There were columns and rows of rather distinct metal, every single one of them was blood-red in colour, glistening with mystery. Vlad walked up and picked up a chunk of the metal, "It does not rust or break up from the passage of time, hence, Eternal Ore." He then squeezed the metal with his only arm. *Crack* The piece of metal shattered like glass and clattered onto the ground. Damien blinked in confusion. Vlad smiled a little and then slashed a Haki-clad dagger that was hidden in his jacket on a huge chunk of the metal. Clang! The blade creaked as a piece of reflective metal fell to the ground. Yet it wasn''t from the ore but from the blade! Vlad showed Damien the shattered weapon and said, "The ore is weak in small amounts, but nigh-unbreakable at high quantities." He continued to explain, "It has the ability to perfectly store and slowly and uniformly release the forces imposed upon itself, this way the larger its body the more absurd force it can intake." "Even if hit with a mountainous weight on one side, it will equally divide it all over the area of the ore, effectively cancelling the stress," Vlad finished. Damien slowly nodded with appreciation. "Where does such metal even come from?" Vlad threw his blade onto the ground and gazed back at the hill of red metal. "It was oxidized by the blood of an ancient creature centuries ago, it gave it this special characteristic, that''s all we know." Damien picked up a tiny piece of the ore, ''Sibyl, any thoughts?'' [I thought you forgot about me, Damien, let me checkбн] [Yes, the bath of blood seems to hold as I detect high levels of hemoglobin and iron in the ore. Most likely the blood was that of a fruit user of sorts in which the user could control the forces applied.] She continued, [In other words, any force, even that of devil fruits, applied over a small space will be evenly distributed all over a larger body and in all directions in a controlled time.] If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. [The fruit user would need to have Awakened their power to lead to such a change.] *Huuuu* Damien took a deep breath to let the information sink in. Another normal day with abnormal revelationsбкperks of being in an anime world. . "How much exactly can I take from this?" he asked. Vlad shrugged, "Our mission was to protect it till its rightful owner arrived, from what I know, it''s all yours." Damien took out his tiny red pouch, "Well, don''t mind if I do." He then pointed the enchanted pouch at the hill of metal. *Fwooo* A huge vacuum soon awakened from the bag as the metal was slowly but surely sucked into the palm-sized bag. Vlad blinked, his surprised face was a little comical as his facial features had difficulty showing such emotions: "You have some interesting tools." Damien smiled in return. Naturally, he didn''t intend to give all the ore to Shakky for the ship; keeping a decent amount as commission. . He then eyed the older gentleman in front of him. "Thank you for your hospitality, Vlad-san, I''ll pay back the debt with whatever you need." Damien gave him a transponder snail that had his appearance on hit. A mass of black-red hair, a tiny diagonal scar above one eye, and equipped with a stylish attire. "You can contact me through this." Vlad accepted the snail but then casually said, "I enjoyed the company of a fresh face after all these years, I will surely call you if I need your aid." The two nodded at the thought and went outside. бн Mina now stood in the greenly-lit lounge with a slightly annoyed Mihawk by the doors. She glanced at the red-eyed youth with a smile, "Damien-kun, it seems you got what you came for." "Yes, thank you for your hospitality," Damien thanked as he made his intent to leave clear. Mina slightly smiled, "You''ve helped Hawk-chan become so much more energetic, as a mother I can''t thank you enough." Damien then looked at the hawk-eyed child and gave him a small smirk. He then began to walk out of the castle and yet came to a stop. A tiny hand grabbed his cloak from behind and tugged at it. Damien turned back and saw the one-year-old grasping his attire. He then crouched to his eye level and gazed into the piercing hawk-like eyes. "The seas await for someone like you, train hard and look after your parents." The boy nodded a few times. His eyes darted around and then finally asked, "Will you come back?" It was a little odd to see the future Strongest Swordsman acting like that but at the end of the day he was but a child. Damien ruffled his jet-black hair, "I''m sure our paths will cross again someday." He then stood up and his towered figure left a shadow over the boy. "That blade is calling out to you, it''s a fitting weapon for the future Strongest Swordsman." The words left a small smile to appear on the child. A sharp glint passed the boy''s eyes as he resolutely declared, "I will hold that sword one day, so wait for me!" Damien almost froze in his steps but could only respond with a chuckle, "Rahahaha! You''ve got a nice fire in your eyes, make sure to never let it extinguish." He then waved to the older couple and disappeared into the nightly forest. A short whisper of Vlad echoed in his ears, "Stay prudent, young man." Alongside a goodbye from Mina. бн [A While Later] The ship anchored by the edge of the island soon woke up as Damien unfurled the sails. He took out the piece of paper, a Vivre Card that began to point in a specific direction, inching forward. Damien soon set the ship in the direction and began to sail. ---------------------------------------------- [Sabaody Archipelago] It was the last ''island'' before the New World! A massive mangrove forest growing out from the middle of the ocean. Since it is only made of wood, it has no magnetic pull to affect a log pose. Sabaody was made up of 79 separate trees known as Yarukiman Mangrove. Each tree is called a grove and serves as an island on which people live. Sabaody Layout: Grove 1-29: The Lawless Area Grove 30-49: Tourism and Amusement Area Grove 50-59: Shipping Area Grove 60-69: Marine Base Area Grove 70-79: Hotel Area [Images of Sabaody (in Discord)] . The other difference between most islands and this is the fact that you may find certain astronaut-like people walking around. The Celestial Dragons! They are the aristocratic descendants of nineteen of the Twenty Kings who established what is now known as the World Government. They can give any order and it must be followed through. Their words dictate all others around them. They are the LAW. They can simply point their finger out and demand you to become a slave. What would the World do in front of this absurd and dehumanizing act? They must simply look away as families are ripped apart. What will happen if you try to stand up to them? You will be killed on the spot, heck they might even deploy an Admiral to escort these Nobles. . So what are the Celestial Dragons? They are the Gods of this world! бн *Thuck* Damien closed the thick book of records that detailed well-known islands of the Grand Line. "Gods? I suppose with such rights and authority, it would make just about anyone a god." Though his deep-red eyes flashed with determination, "I wonder if these ''Gods'' can bleedбн" ---------------------------------------------- [Six Days Later] [Grove 41, Sabaody Archipelago] It was a pleasant area with a large population, the sounds of kids scrambling about alongside the occasional popping bubbles resounded everywhere. A warm sunlight bathed the grassy land, further enhancing the joyful atmosphere. [Image of Grove 41 (in Discord)] "Damn annoying fleas," a young man muttered as he made his way through the crowds of people. The person in question was a little over 10 feet in height with messy black hair and red streaks running down the left side. Damien had met some nuisances along the way to Sabaody. Terrible weather on the first day. Meet a pirate crew looking for a quick sum off his head on the third day. Damien''s ship sank at that time so he had to take the pirate''s ship. Another random storm on the fourth day. Marine attack on the fifth, looking for the crew he killed. Left the ship broken again from cannon fire and the previous storm. It seemed the stormtrooper aim of the marine ships wasn''t as prevalent as shown in the show. Or perhaps the Rocks Era had a higher level of marines. Eventually, he made it to Sabaody on the sixth day, hitching a ride on the marine ship and abandoning it at Grove 41. . Damien checked the clock on the tower nearby. ''It''s only midday, there''s still half a day left till the meet-up time,'' Damien surmised. His eyes were then drawn to a rather conspicuous poster attached to the wall nearby. "Public Employment Security Office Monthly Postings." It was almost like a flyer for goods but the name implied something more despicable. ''I guess the Human Auctions were around even before Doflamingo''s sites,'' Damien thought as he read over the post. It was essentially written in ''legal'' terms but in layman''s terms, it was a poster for a slave auction happening tonight. "!!!" However, at that very moment, Damien''s senses spiked. *Whizz* A sharp whistle erupted as a dagger-like object shot at Damien''s open neck. Damien didn''t even move as the blade hit his skin. Clang! The sound of metal hitting metal broke out as the dagger failed to pierce Damien''s hard skin. The red-eyed pirate looked around and surprisingly saw nothing. All he felt was a cold air whistle. Soon his instincts fired one more as the attacker reappeared, this time with a purple coat of energy around their body. Damien raised one finger and shot out a bullet of air. ''Flying Finger Pistol.'' The pocket of air travelled supersonic and into the body of his attacker and yet it then hit the wall, leaving a deep crater. "Logia?" Damien narrowed his eyes. "You ate quite the rare devil fruit." The figure was caught off-guard by the quick reflexes of her prey and chose the quick-second of Damien''s admiration of their power to disappear. Naturally, it didn''t escape Damien''s senses as he saw the assassin merge themself into the shadow of the tree 10 meters behind him, disappearing into its darkness. "..." A few quiet minutes went by until his Observation spanned and eventually felt a slight movement, but it was from an odd locationбн from his own shadow? Suddenly the dark-clothed figure shot up from under Damien''s chin with the same daggers aiming at his carotid artery. And yet even at such a distance, the daggers somehow missed and only cleaved the air. The shadowed figure was stumped as its body trembled at the sound of a voice from behind: "Bounty hunter?" The figure turned around but was met with something painful. *Crack* Damien''s left fist adorned with Haki drove into the core of the assassin''s chest as the sound of a broken bone echoed through the empty alleyway. A muffled groan followed as the figure was shot into the wall. And yet right before the crash could occur, the figure simply dissolved into the shadows of the wall. However, the clean hit left an odd feeling. "Soft chest?" Damien murmured as he recalled the sensation. "But that would have broken the sternum and punctured a lung at the least." "Though I guess bounties aren''t just for show, there really are people actively on the hunt for the quick buck," he chuckled. "Looks like learning Armament Haki before leaving Renaissance was a good call." . Damien then looked at the poster that was still in his right hand and smiled. "Quite the coincidence for this auction to happen on the one day I have free," He muttered. "It would be a shame to miss itбн" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 16: Evolution [Grove 1] "Ladies and gentlemen, friends and folks, welcome to this month''s special recruits auction!" a man''s voice boomed through the large halls. The walls were nicely finished and cleaned up, with a well-lit and rather loud atmosphere. "I kid you not, we have some incredible goods here today!" The audience was mostly male with some higher-class women involved. The rows were neat and filled to the brim; people of vast professions, of all classes: government employees, merchants, citizens, businessmen, and nobles. Though at the very front were the true VIPs. The ones surrounded by black-suited men. They were dressed quite flauntingly. Four astronaut-looking people. They had glass domes on their heads for their own air to breathe and wore white suits all over their bodies. Their eyes held great pride as if everything around them was all but worthless. A noble of a major country? Just another ant in their eyes. They are the Celestial Dragons, four of them. бн The auction was about to commence while the early proceedings were wrapping up. What the people involved didn''t know was that a wanted man was traversing through the storage area. The long hall was dark, lit by some large lamps above the central walkway. It was dry and damp, a few droplets of water trickled from the roof and onto a puddle. The atmosphere was humid and simply void of both noise and vibrance, it was like walking through a field of dead and withered flowers. . Damien''s red eyes glanced through the tens of cells with hundreds of soon-to-be slaves. Many expressions clouded their faces: anger, despair, rage, and pain. ''I thought I had moved on from my previous life and completely committed to this one,'' the young man thought as he stood lost. ''Slavery? A heavily frowned-upon notion. Age, gender, and race are all up for cash. Something like this happened in my previous life and people would rise against it, and yet it''s the norm here.'' Damien wasn''t questioning the truth of his new life, but rather himself. The One Piece world, under the adventures and vibrant lands, was full of tragedies and broken people. Damien had tapped into his past persistence to train like hell, but his mind had yet to graduate from that kindness. *Tap* Dull footsteps broke out as Damien reached for the cage. He looked in and saw some eyes. One emotion shined through, the brightest of them amongst them: hope. Such silent and helpless eyes left the pirate to ponder. Damien had committed himself to reaching the peak of power. And yet he lacked an opportunity to leave it all behind. From what he could see, his past life was getting in the way of his choices and perspective of this ruthless world. It needed to be left behind; a necessary evolution. *Clatter* A dull clattering resounded in the quiet prisoned halls as a bundle of keys fell before the one hopeful prisoner, a child. "To bid farewell to my old life, I will free you all," he muttered. "It can be considered my final act of kindness and pity to fully accept my new existence." . The prisoner''s hand shot out as the keys wildly jingled, as if fearful to waste even a second. *Click* The locks clicked open as the child ran out from the chains and the collar around their neck, rushing out. The keys were passed along as the would-be slaves plagued out of the halls. *Rumble* The ground shook as a handful became tens and tens became hundreds; the prisoners all running out and grasping and clawing every moment to escape from their misery. . Damien just watched from the side, seeing all kinds of desperate looks from the would-be slaves. Such weakness left them prey for the predators. BAM! The doors blasted open as eight guards came in, rifles drawn. If they couldn''t recover the ''goods'' then naturally they would need to put them down. They cocked their weapons and aimed to shoot. Yet under all the chaos were two crimson eyes. Slowly but surely, they began to clear up and become firmer than ever before. Damien''s mind had let go of some chain that shackled him down, as the churning ambition began to blossom. "From now on, I am Einar D. Damien, a pirate, and nothing more." *Rumble* Upon his words came a screeching wave of energy, the ground under Damien''s feet cracked as the waves rippled out. The guards suddenly felt the weight of the world pressing down on their shoulders and very minds. Their eyes rolled back into their skull as their knees weakened. *Thud* One by one, they all fell. Dropping like flies, swept away. "Hmm?" Damien felt the release of some inborn power, his hands subconsciously reaching out to bathe in the feeling. The emptiness and relief left a need to breathe. A need to revel in his evolution. "This is Conqueror''s Haki?" the young pirate muttered to himself. Damien was about to leave but soon felt something afoot. A shadow of a child remained in a cell. ''Dead in sleep?'' He then heard the heartbeat, and something else. *Yawn* It was an awfully comfortable yawn. One you''d make after waking up from a nap in school. "Is it morning already?" a dull, young voice broke out. *Jingle* The boy soon got up from the ground and slowly walked to the front in curiosity about the changed environment. "A ra ra! Things look a lot different from how they were a few hours ago." He had a sleeping mask pulled over his forehead, and the scruffy afro-like hair seemed dirty. Droopy eyes still waking up. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. . Damien felt something familiar about the boy''s demeanour but he couldn''t put his finger on it. "The keys are right there, you can walk out of here if you''re stealthy enough," Damien casually said. The child looked at the ground and saw the bundle of keys, "Ehhh, it looks like a lot of work to go through them, can''t you just pop off my shackles? You look quite strong, Mr. Pirate." Damien smiled with intrigue and walked to the cage. *Creak* The metal bars groaned as they were bent without difficulty and ripped open. Boom! The door was thrown into the wall and they crashed into a cloud of dust. "What''s your name, kid?" Damien asked. *Tap* All the while his left hand grabbed the cold collar around the boy''s neck. *Ring* A subtle ringing broke out as the device seemed to activate. The ringing was getting faster every second. The child woke up fully as some tension overtook the lazy eyes. "On second thoughts, I''ll take my chances with the ke-" Damien hummed at his words before he could finish as a mass of crimson energy bubbled in his palm. The energy wrapped around in a string and was quickly inserted into the device. *Grrr* The inner gears growled as their core was crushed and destroyed. *Zip* The air whistled as the collar crumpled from its solid form and off the child''s neck. Damien casually tossed the metal scrap behind himself as it went off in a resounding explosion! One echoed in the now-empty halls as the dust and debris rained down. The kid fell to the ground with a thud, his forehead swamped with cold sweat. . Damien smiled at the physical response, "No need to thank me." The boy raised his face with annoyance, "Thank you!? I almost became the youngest documented case of a heart attack victim because of you!" Damien showed an innocent face and gave a small shrug in return: "Hey, you''re the one who said I looked strong enough to free you." He then walked out from the dull cell and readied himself to leave. The kid ran out with some excitement, "Wait, how''d you rip metal like that, that was kinda cool!" Damien was walking out of the hall at this point as the young stray peppered him with questions. "Are you really a pirate?" "Do you have a pirate crew?" "Why''d you save us?" "Are you an ability user?" "Can I do that too?" Damien massaged his temples and gave out a sigh, "Maybe I should have left you in there." . The pirate soon stepped through the doors back into the auction hall and saw an unexpected sight. Even the kid trailing behind him paused in his steps. *Gulp* The young boy gave an audible gulp as his eyes frantically blinked, "Hey-hey, Mr. Pirate, this is a big deal!" And it was. Some of the freed prisoners had found themselves here, no, rather they especially wanted to come here. The halls were empty and certain individuals were targeted by the prisoners. Ones with enough prestige to even cause Damien to pause. . "Damn Celestial Dragons, you took my daughter and chained me up when I came for answers, this is what you deserve!" "Give me back my wife!" "My son came back broken because of you, pay for it with your lives!" There were at least fifty of them. The men in suits were long dead. They looked as if they''d been mauled by a pack of hungry wolves. It was incredible what a group of enraged individuals could do. Having their lives ruined or their parents and children ripped away from them, leaving broken minds living off vengeance. "Ahhh!" "Damn ants, you know who I am!?" "My arm!" The World Nobles endured the slow and painful torture as the freed prisoners simply clawed at them with every ounce of anger. . The boy shook slightly, his breathing spiked as he saw the display. "Such anger can turn them into monsters, animalsбн" Damien hummed at the display and nodded in agreement. The kid was about to ask something again but this time Damien answered before he could even speak: "They''ve resolved themselves to die once the marines arrive, if anything, they''re treasuring every moment they get to torture these Nobles." The child nodded, some grief in his eyes. Damien watched the expressions of the boy who interested him. "You didn''t tell me your name yet, kid." The black-eyed boy with the scruffy hair was awfully familiar. A name came to Damien''s mind but he waited for the confirmation. And it too, came. "My name is Kuzan, just Kuzan." ---------------------------------------------- [Marineford] [Fleet Admiral''s Office] "Katcha~" A transponder snail hung up. A different roar soon broke out. "How could this happen!?" Kong clenched his rusty and scarred fists. *Boom!* The desk of the Fleet Admiral was soon reduced to dust as its owner''s fist descended upon it. A Rear Admiral ran in and saluted. "S-Sir! I just checked and most of our forces are deployed! S-Should I recall some?" Kong eyed the marine and slowly shook his head. A deep sigh escaped his mouth as he uttered, "Basara is responding to the Golden Lion''s rampage at G-1 and Masao is deployed to keep Borealis in check considering his recent antics." Kong then reclined into his chair while dialing a number. "Puru," "Puru," "Puru," "Puru." "Katcha~" "Kong-san, did something happen?" Kong hummed with a low growl, "You recently took on the mantle of Admiral, I never meant this mess to be your first endeavour." The voice on the line paused for a second and came back on, "I''m ready to depart right away." Kong nodded in satisfaction, "Sail to Sabaody immediately, we lost contact with Celestial Dragons." The voice once again paused. "Kong-san, we''ve received news on the Rocks Pirates also making waves there." The Fleet Admiral shook his head. "Yes but the priority has changed, your mission is the Nobles." . The leading marine then leaned forward to the snail. "Sengoku, no matter what, we can''t lose face with Celestial Dragons at Mariejois, do what must be done; I''ll send that unruly brat to head your way too!" The reply came fast as the call soon ended. ---------------------------------------------- [Grove 1, Sabaody Archipelago] The entire surrounding zone, and even the nearby Groves had been emptied. Not a soul left, only tracks of running and escape. "Got it, Shakky-nee, I''ll head there right soon." Damien hung up his snail. He then gazed at the kid in front of him. [Image of Kuzan (in Discord)] The two stood near the edge of the grove, right next to the open sea. . "You got over the mauling of those Dragons quite quick," Damien said as he glanced at the boy. Kuzan looked at Damien and slowly said, "I did some stuff to get chained up, and saw some bad stuff too." He then looked to the sea, "My father was gonna sell my sister and me, he died before it could happen but I got caught nonetheless." Damien sat beside the boy. "He died?" "...I killed him." "But he had already contacted the buyers, I was able to get my sister to a small family who lived on the same island, but not myself." "She''s only two years old and probably will forget about me in a few yearsбн but at least she can grow up in a nice house, right?" The boy soon wiped his face with his sleeve and shook himself out of the old memory. "Even under those chains a part of me wanted to become a marine one day, give the oppressed a voice." "And yet you were saved by a pirate," Damien chimed in. "Now, you''re lost." He nodded silently. "..." A few moments passed as he then asked, "What is your reason? Why become a pirate?" Damien shrugged, "You''re the second kid to ask me that. I just want to be the master of my own fate." "Even if you have to kill for it?" A determined light flashed by the pirate''s eyes as he said, "If they get in my way, then yes, without hesitation." "..." Damien slowly stood up as he patted the non-existent dust off his attire. "How about I give you the chance to find your path?" The boy''s lowered head soon shot up to meet Damien''s in question. Damien just smiled, "I''m no saint but I do what I want. I intend to gather some like-minded people one day under my flag. As long as you don''t go against me, I''ll let you figure out your moral compass." The boy blinked in thought, but he was a little too young to fully see the big picture. ''Perhaps it''s a little risky to invite a future Admiral but it is a power I rather not go against. I also got his devil fruit before, is this another quirk of fate?'' Damien thought. . "Kuzan, don''t think too much, I won''t give you any handouts, just a place to train, hellishly at that. You can choose your path from then on." The boy''s eyes soon began to clear up. "W-What if I choose to leave?" Damien just shrugged, "No handouts, you get what you earn. I''ll show you what the world hides from its everyday people, you can decide your fate then." Though at this point, his calm tone turned sharp: "And if it goes against me, well, you would be wise not to get in my way." The seven-year-old broke out with an audible gulp as he saw Damien''s smile. He then cleared his throat, "I agree! But I can at least rest often, right? Maybe fourteen hours a day?" Bam! A fist slammed onto the child''s head and he rolled on the ground in pain. "Eight hours of sleep is enough, this training guide should help you understand what''s to come." Damien unconsciously showed a rather sadistic smile as he handed the sheet of paper that appeared out of nowhere. Kuzan skimmed through. Each line, each training routine brought an increasing amount of fear and apprehension to the boy''s eyes. "T-This should be the torture routine, are you sure you''re not insane!?" Damien shrugged. "A wise man I once knew, like myself, would say, ''A small price to pay for salvation'', you''ll get used to it." Kuzan shook his head and dashed away. Unfortunately, a vice-like grip grasped his jacket as he flailed around in the air like a dying fish out of the sea. "Don''t worry, if you meet my expectations then I wouldn''t mind giving you a suitable prize." He then kicked something into the sea. *Splash* It was a wrapped-up, bloodied figure of a Celestial Dragon that Damien had borrowed from the prisoners. "бн" "Rawr!" A Loch Ness monster-like Sea King soon popped out from the water as it roared its arrival. The giant figure of the beast was gnawing away at the white-clothed Noble all the while it glared at the two in front of it. Damien eyed the beast and a burst of overwhelming weight soon fell upon it. The Sea King shuddered and whimpered as it swallowed the Celestial Dragon whole, though stuck in place. Damien just glared at the sea monster and gave out an order: {I want you to send this kid to Mortem Island a few days away.} It was a mixture of Damien''s newly conceived Conqueror''s Haki and Voice of All Living Things which allowed him to command the weaker Sea Kings. Mortem Island was one of the many less-than-ideal locations Damien found through his years of study. No inhabitants. Unforgiving weather. Countless monsters. Endless threats. Perfect place for a near-seven-year-old to thrive in their youth. But some precautions were needed for him to get there safely: {If you in any way allow harm to the boy then I will personally feast on you in front of your children.} The beast seemed to make a familiar audible gulp and it comically nodded its head. . Damien hummed at the response and tossed the boy in his hand as if he were a sack of potatoes. "Hey!" Kuzan landed on the Sea King''s back, barely keeping himself on board. "I swear I''ll sue you for child abuse one day!" Damien waved at the whining boy, "Good luck on the training, I''ll make sure the Sea Kings properly ''educate'' you if you don''t put your all into it." Kuzan gulped once more as he began to question his life choices. He saw them disappear into the horizon, leaving the lonesome Damien behind. A white paper that inched forward was soon pulled out, leading the way to his next destination. "Looks like it''s time to go meet up with the rest, I wonder what hell will meet us soonбн" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 17: Trouble in Paradise *Ding Ding* The cabin door creaked open, ringing the bells at the top. The 20-feet tall doors were quite the sight. It was the first time Damien had seen such an боinclusiveбп door design in the One Piece world, well, to an extent. . Damien made his way through to a dimly-lit bar, under the noisy interior. Damien scanned the audience and it didnбпt take long to see where he needed to be. It wasnбпt just the ginormous 19-foot tall Kaido who was gulping down alcohol, or the tiny Shakky who was sitting beside him leaving quite the physical contrast. It was instead the other man who sat at the same table. He was seated but it wasnбпt hard to see that he was even larger than the 17-year-old Kaido! He had loose, grey trousers, an open green shirt that showcased his muscular upper chest, and a durag over his long, blond hair. The giant pirate boasted a glorious moustache in the shape of a wide-U shape. An equally large glaive leaned by his table as he drank some sakиж. Damien paused for a second as his mind instantly clicked on a name: боEdward Newgate иC the future Worldбпs Strongest Man, aka Whitebeard!бп [His Image (in Discord)] . The pause only lasted a second before he continued to the empty seat at the same table. б░Youбпre here, Damien-chan,б▒ Shakky smiled. Whitebeard leaned forward a little as he lowered his alcohol barrel. Narrowing his eyes, he said, б░Youбпre the kid who made all that noise just a while ago, Rocks really sees me as a babysitter for the brats that interest him.б▒ Damien looked at the giant in front of him. Even though he said some annoyed words, his smirk carried another meaning. The young pirate simply shrugged, б░The Marines knew of our meetup here, trouble was bound to appear anyway.б▒ *Tap* The sakиж cup in the overpowering man slammed on the table. б░...б▒ An eerie silence broke out that even the nearby pirates began to sweat. And yet something unexpected followed: б░Gurarara!б▒ The nearly 22-foot-tall pirate broke out into a rambunctious laugh. б░Youбпre right, Iбпm sure Sengokuбпs golden ass was waiting for us anyways, I wish I could see his face when he sees what you did!б▒ . Shakky sighed at the mess and shook her head, б░Boys will be boys.б▒ б░You got all the Eternal Ore?б▒ The eyes were soon diverted to Damien who was sipping on some alcohol. He nodded while waving a red pouch around, б░All here.б▒ Shakky gave a small smile and then gestured to the others, б░We should hurry to Fishman Island, starting a war right under Marineford is too risky.б▒ Newgate slowly nodded after stopping his laugh, б░With the mess at Grove 1 we wonбпt have too much trouble sneaking away.б▒ Shakky nodded in agreement, б░Mhm, the ship is coated and ready, letбпs go.б▒ Kaido just gave out a loud scoff, б░I''d rather take the chance to kill the Admiral right now!б▒ б░Maybe when you can take a punch from me and not get knocked out,б▒ Newgate responded as the others stood up to leave. Kaido grumbled but accepted the reason, ready to leave. Damien and Shakky also made their way out to the readied ship. ---------------------------------------------- [Grove 1] б░Kong-san will not be happy with this mess,б▒ a rather tall and bulky man muttered. He was a man draped with the usual Marine coat, rocking a black suit underneath. He had a black afro and moustache paired with black circular glasses. A marine Rear Admiral saluted the prestigious marine: б░Admiral Sengoku, the Sabaody Forces are at your disposal, would you like us to scour the Archipelago to find the perpetrators? According to sources they have dispersed all over.б▒ Naturally, he talked about the freed prisoners who mauled the World Nobles. [Sengoku Image (in Discord)] Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. . Sengoku shook his head, б░There were four Celestial Dragons but we only found three, where is the final one?б▒ The marine reporting had no answer. б░We have no clue, it seems Saint Wilhelm disappeared, m-maybe kidnapped for ransom by a pirate?б▒ б░Did you try their Vivre Card?б▒ the Admiral questioned. The marine in front of him looked to the ground in shame. б░What is it?б▒ Sengoku said with a turbulent feeling. б░A-Admiral, the Celestial Dragons didnбпt have Vivre Cards madeбнб▒ Sengoku blinked and broke out in tension, б░What?! How could that happen!?б▒ The Rear Admiral shook in his socks but answered immediately, б░N-No one has killed a Noble in a long timeбн theyбпve grown used to not needing such precautions!б▒ Sengoku sighed defeatedly, б░...Then letбпs hope the Saint was indeed kidnapped and not anything worse.б▒ б░Until then secure the Archipelago, no one leaves without my notice.б▒ б░Roger that!б▒ бн The Admiral was about to leave to report but another marine soon came running over. б░A-Admiral!б▒ he exclaimed between bated breaths, б░we located the Rocks Pirates, their ship is coated and readying to leave!б▒ Sengoku turned his attention immediately to the tired marine. б░According to some unconfirmed rumour, the prisoners were freed by the боSin Incarnateбп who was also spotted on the departing ship,б▒ the marine reported. . Sengoku, who is also known as the боResourceful Generalбп, naturally had some thoughts with this information. б░If he was responsible, then he may have kidnapped the Celestial Dragonsбн Rocks has a certain delight in harming the Nobles, thereбпs a chance the Saint is with them.б▒ The Rear Admiral then gave his thoughts, б░Should we encircle them?б▒ б░How troublesome,б▒ Sengoku massaged his forehead in indecision. б░Keep your eyes on them, and notify the marine unit at Fishman Island to maintain surveillance at their arrival, I already have three dead Celestial Dragons, I canбпt risk another dead!б▒ The Rear Admiral saluted the order and began to notify the marines under him. б░And whereбпs that fool?б▒ Sengoku questioned, though he soon felt a bad feeling. An answer soon echoed in his ears. б░Heбпs what!?б▒ ---------------------------------------------- [Edge of Grove 50] A coated ship was moving towards an open area. Coating was a process in which a ship was coated with special resin from the Yarukiman Mangroves, enabling it to sail underwater and survive the crushing depths of the ocean, such as at the bottom of the Red Line, and therefore, to Fishman Island. Kaido was playing with the steering wheel, earning a scolding from Shakky who was seemingly doing everything. Damien sat at the lookout tower and soon felt his Observation Haki spike like crazy. Something was coming, the smell of a predator rushing towards its prey. . б░We have company!б▒ Newgate, who was at the main deck, had already readied his weapon. б░Back up, brat. Iбпll handle this one!б▒ His heavy glaive thudded onto the ground as if he was readying himself. б░Get ready to dive the ship.б▒ At that, he had jumped. The entire ship sank a few meters from Whitebeardбпs hop as he arched into the sky. Thud! The large stature of the pirate whistled through the air and landed on solid ground with a boom. . б░That wild dog, no care for backup or his surroundings,б▒ Whitebeard muttered at the sight of the black shadow rushing at him. It was a man in a simple white shirt and blue pants, galloping through the mangroves. He was clean-shaven with short black hair. A wide grin plastered to his face as the man raised his right hand. *Fwwm!* A pristine-black coat of pure Haki was wrapped around, erupting with great power. Whitebeard raised his glaive as its bladed edge too was coated in Haki. б░Bwahahaha! Looks like the partyбпs over here!б▒ The carefree man broke out into a boisterous laugh as he drove his fist in a primal motion toward the towering Whitebeard. Newgate just scoffed in irritation and shot his weapon at the coming fist, not withholding even an ounce of strength. And thus the two collided. BOOOM! Damien who was watching from nearly a hundred meters away couldnбпt help but rebalance himself as the ship began to move chaotically from the shockwaves. The ground under the collision crumpled and was eradicated as the cracks and rumbles spread throughout the Grove and began to shake Sabaody as a whole! The air blew like tornadoes in all directions, wrecking nearby buildings and even tree life as the two continued their clash. The bright archipelago was dulled out, seemingly turning gray. ... б░WORORO! What monstrous power!б▒ Damien could only concur as he could only watch, боThey arenбпt even at their peak and a casual hello can do thisбнбп Boom! Another secondary explosion resounded as the two men separated from their clash. Newgate and his adversary stood opposite to each other, nearly 20 meters in between. б░Gurarara! Garp, you wild dog!б▒ The man in the simple clothes continued his smile as he cracked his knuckles. Even with all that power from Whitebeard, not a single cut remained on his hand. [Garp Image (in Discord)] . б░Newgate, I can go all day!б▒ But his fantasies came to an end quite fast. б░Garp! You bastard, Iбпm in charge here and Iбпm ordering you to stand down!б▒ a roar exploded through the Grove. The cry of anger came from nearly half a kilometer away as another large marine made his way over. Garp picked his nose as if ignoring the yell. б░Heh, Newgate, you heard anything there? I think my ears are a little blocked today.б▒ б░...б▒ б░I know you heard me, Garp! Stand down!б▒ The figure of the Admiral landed on the wrecked land. б░The priority is the Celestial Dragon, you know that!б▒ Garp harrumphed in disdain, б░Heh, I say you feed them to the Sea Kings, at least that way theyбпd have some use.б▒ Sengoku grew livid, steam almost sizzled off his angered face. The two began to argue back and forth as Whitebeard was left as a third wheel. He saw the mess and returned to the ship. б░I guess one of the Dragons made it out, letбпs leave before another Admiral shows up.б▒ Shakky concurred as the diving procedure began and the coating expanded. бн б░Oye, Sengoku, you really want to let them go? I thought the higher-ups wanted those two brats on the ship there.б▒ Sengoku, who had calmed down, also grew solemn, б░In the case the Saint was taken by them, itбпs best to save them stealthy rather than sinking their ship. Iбпll ask for CP-0 to take the lead.б▒ Garp just shrugged, б░Whatever, just give me my monthly rice crackers and weбпll call it a day.б▒ The Vice Admiral then walked away, probably to some spa nearby. Sengoku was left sighing again and again, б░I hope it all works out, itбпs been over a decade since a Celestial Dragon was killed, let alone three, I just hope it doesnбпt become four.б▒ He then reached in for his snail and ordered: б░All troops! Work in full force to find news on that last Saint, no one goes off work until he is found!б▒ ---------------------------------------------- [On the Ship] б░Shakky-nee, I take it our shipbuilder is somewhere in the New World, is that our next destination?б▒ The woman, who was puffing a cigarette, nodded. б░Heбпs someone whoбпll put together the ship the captain wants, since we now have the wood and metal ready, we just need to get it to him.б▒ Damien slowly nodded. Whitebeard then chimed in, б░Show me the ore Rocks was so fond of.б▒ Damien nodded and swiped the red pouch in his hand. *Thwonk* A large piece of ore soon fell on the deck with a thud. Whitebeard pulled out a piece of the crimson ore and examined it. б░Nothing Iбпve seen before, hopefully, itбпs worth the effort.б▒ Shakky nodded from the side as she puffed out another cloud of smoke, б░Well, we completed our mission regardless.б▒ She then changed the subject: б░I wonder where that Celestial Dragon is that theyбпre so concerned about.б▒ Damien, who had begun to dine on some snacks, raised his hand, б░Oh that, I fed him to the Sea Kings. After all, itбпs our responsibility to keep the cycle of life running.б▒ б░...б▒ б░Gurarara!б▒ б░WORORORO!б▒ б░Ufufufu!б▒ б░Rahahaha!б▒ Four types of odd laughs bellowed within the confines of the bubble as they heard the answer that could lead to the destruction of entire kingdoms and civilizations. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 18: To the Deep [Mariejois] [Pangaea Castle] Mariejois was located on the Red Line on the opposite side of the world from Reverse Mountain and served as the official route for people to cross between the two halves of the Grand Line. The other path was under the Red Line by coating a ship. [Image of Mariejois (in Discord)] The capital of the World Governmentбпs interest was here, 10,000 meters in the sky. It was here that the very top members of the Government, alongside the Celestial Dragons, reside. Even beyond the city is the Pangaea Castle which was allegedly home to the Supreme Authority of the World Governmentбкthe Five Elders. Mariejois was protected by the Commander-in-Chief, Chief of Cipher Pol and Cipher Pol боAigisбп Zero and the mysterious Godбпs Knights. бн [Pangaea Castle иC Room of Authority] Brilliant light entered through the wide-open windows, gracing the chamber with incredibly clean air. Gold-plated walls, white furniture and grand architecture; an air of authority concentrated amongst the Five who sat at the majestic roomбпs center. [Five Eldersбп Images (in Discord)] The Elder with the sword, Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, sat on the sofa and placed a single bounty poster on the table. б░Einar D. Damien, are we surprised the chaos was caused by a D.?б▒ he sarcastically said. The Blond Elder, Saint Shepherd Ju Peter, the youngest-looking one, also gave his thoughts: б░Not only that, this Damien has now joined under that Rocksбп flag. Alongside another troublesome young pirate named Kaido.б▒ б░This is no longer about the unruly pirates, itбпs about the constant challenges to the World Governmentбпs authorityбн it has been questioned again and again,б▒ the Scarred Elder, Saint Jay Garcia Saturn, chimed in. The Long-Bearded Elder, Saint Marcus Mars, also spoke, б░Itбпs best to keep a tight lid on the news, we cannot allow things to get out of hand. Keeping them in the chaotic New World is best; let them kill each other.б▒ б░And this боSin Incarnateбп? His father was a problem and it seems the apple didnбпt fall far from the tree. The death of three Celestial Dragons is on his hands.б▒ The last Elder, Saint Topman Warcury, clenched his fist. б░It is best to nip them in the bud before they can truly sprout and blossom,б▒ he said in a tired tone, б░however, the Overlords of the Seas and the other bad names are draining our forces, focusing on the future threats while allowing the present one to thrive is not without mistake.б▒ Shing! The V. Nusjuro unsheathed his blade just enough for his reflection to shine at the razor-sharp metal. б░Let Cipher Pol surveil them at Fishman Island, have the Navy ready to catch them when they resurface to the New World.б▒ б░Outside of that, we need to curb the ambition of that Xebec, heбпs far too dangerous to be left alive!б▒ ---------------------------------------------- [The Same Day] The ship was a little overcrowded. Damien was given a small room, just large enough for him to lie down in, unfortunately, Kaido and Whitebeard did not have this luxury. The dive to Fishman Island would take a couple of hours. Damien had just walked into his room to take a nap but suddenly felt a familiar tingle. *Purrup* His shadow seemed to grow fluid as a figure jumped out, an instance of deja vu. Damienбпs hand was instantly locked on the arm of the attacker and began to flail in the air. б░Even if I canбпt sense you when hidden, youбпre just too slow!б▒ Damien used this moment to examine the one attempting to take his life while she struggled in his grip. The body was covered in a black shawl, a dark hood covering the face. б░Now, go to sleep.б▒ Bam! бн б░Trouble?б▒ Shakkyбпs voice echoed in the hallway as Damien looked by the door that was ajar. б░A stowaway.б▒ Shakky eyed the knocked-out assassin and hummed, б░Looks like one of the Bounty Hunters who terrorizes cocky pirates, the боTerror of Sabaody.бпб▒ б░Preys on either the fools who want to haphazardly waltz into the New World or those running from it, suspected of having a rather special Logia Fruit.б▒ б░The Aether Aether Fruit.б▒ Damien scratched his chin in intrigue while pulling up the fruitбпs details in his mind. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Aether-Aether Fruit (Sei Sei no Mi)] [Logia Fruit] [Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars] [Allows the user to create, control, and transform into aether at will, turning them into an Aetherial Human.] [Expanded: Aether is the element that fills the universe beyond terrestrial space. It has void-like properties alongside the ability to travel in places absent of light.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< Shakky blew out a puff of smoke and continued, б░She has ties with боBlack Fishбп Barro иC an Underworld Emperor, but knowing Barro itбпs nothing good.б▒ Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Naturally, Shakky was well-versed in what happens in the world hidden away, where the rats make sneaky deals иC the Underworld. Shakky clicked her tongue, б░Didnбпt think sheбпd be so young, how pitiful to be scrounging for big names.б▒ Damien shrugged, б░Unaware of Haki, just a cocky Logia user.б▒ Shakky hummed in agreement, then asked, б░Gonna kill her?б▒ Damien gazed at the unconscious assassin in his room, б░She tried to kill me twice now so itбпs not unfoundedбнб▒ б░But it would be a waste of a good fruitбнб▒ ---------------------------------------------- [Fleet Admiralбпs Office, Marineford] б░Are you sure itбпs confirmed?б▒ Kongбпs tired voice questioned the snail before him. б░Yes, Fleet Admiral, CP-1 found someone who confirmed that the missing Saint was dumped into the sea by the Sin Incarnate.б▒ The phone then hung up, leaving the top marine sitting, lost. б░Those dastardly D. only bring storms of trouble every time they appear!б▒ ---------------------------------------------- [Three Hours Later] б░This broken ship would have gotten us here faster if it was in decent condition,б▒ Shakky complained. б░The shockwaves from that man-ape Garp and Newgate-kun left it barely mobile.б▒ Newgate, who was drinking while leaning on the side, could only sigh. б░Garp may be a wild dog but heбпs strong.б▒ Kaido also appeared while crashing his kanabo club into the ground, б░WORORO! I canбпt wait to be strong enough to fight him!б▒ The others just rolled their eyes at his words, it wasnбпt the first time he uttered it and it wonбпt be the last. Soon all the eyes were diverted to the side of the ship. б░Rawwr!б▒ A school of Sea Kings soon appeared as they surrounded the ship, their mouths salivating. It was almost pitched-black from the depth of their dive and the monsters were barely visible. Shakky looked up and clapped her hands, б░Dinner is here.б▒ бн [Another Hour Later] The darkness of the sea was soon brightly lit, almost as if the sun had risen undersea! б░So this is Fishman Island, truly a wondrous sight,б▒ Damien muttered as he saw it. The island itself is a home for fishmen and merfolk, It serves as an underwater gateway to the New World for those who do not wish to enter through the Calm Belt. The island resides in a giant double-layered bubble floating above the seafloor, seemingly filled with about half water and reef and half air. Ryugu Palace rested in a smaller bubble on top of the main island''s bubble. It was illuminated by the Sunlight Tree Eve that grew down from the Red Line for a whole 10 kilometers! [Fishman Island Image (in Discord)] . The band of pirates was still a ways away from the island but it being the only source of light for endless darkness made it quite conspicuous. Damien walked back to his room to see something. And indeed it was true, he had sensed a change in breathing from the assassin иC she was awake. б░Rise and shine, I know youбпre conscious,б▒ his voice resounded in the room as the cloaked figure trembled. б░Ugh!б▒ a groan escaped from under the black cloak as she failed to even get up. б░Those are seastone shackles, credit to our cook who has quite the stash of goodies.б▒ Damien then sat on the tiny sofa and peered at his attacker. The figure had given up on struggling through the hold and eventually climbed out from the cloak, exposing who was hidden below. Damienбпs eyebrow was raised as he examined the so-called боTerror of Sabaodyбп. She had a dark purple dress that went down to her thighs. Purple arm sleeves that left her shoulders exposed alongside a colour-matching hood that covered much of her violet hair, leaving the bangs to hide her forehead. [Image of the Assassin (in Discord)] She was around Shakkyбпs height. б░Youбпre much younger than I fel- *cough* thought,б▒ Damien said. The girl looked a few years older than himself. She didnбпt reply, just glared at Damien with indignation. б░Donбпt look at me like that,б▒ he shrugged. б░I only broke your sternum, maybe punctured a lung or two.б▒ He then saw her relatively healed appearance, б░If anything, I guess a Logia user can heal such injuries quite easily.б▒ б░бнб▒ б░Well, anywaysбнб▒ Damienбпs eyes then grew serious as a powerful burst of oppression fell upon the girl. Her vexed face soon warped into fear and pain as the waves of pressure fell upon her body, causing her to shrink into the bed. б░I have a few questions for you.б▒ The overwhelming Haki imposed on her slowly receded as the panting girl tried to regain her composure. The girl tried her best to hide her heavy breathing as she spat out, б░Just kill me.б▒ Damien slightly leaned forward with a smile, б░You sure? Seems like you have some mission to accomplish that perhaps requires the money on my head. Are you sure you can die now?б▒ His words invoked a tremble in her body as her face failed to hide the worry. б░You tried to kill me,б▒ he addressed. б░So me sparing you is equal to you owing me a great debt.б▒ Her purple eyes shot up with certain confusion, б░Y-Youбпll let me go?б▒ Damien slowly nodded, б░Your devil fruit has great uses, killing you means a future enemy might get their hands on this power so I rather have it on my side.б▒ б░You have some deal with an Underground Emperor, right?б▒ б░Mhm,б▒ She nodded in honesty. б░Barro asked me for three billion berries for his help for my revenge, your bounty will finish my hunt.б▒ Damien scoffed in return, б░You actually take the word of those rats hiding in the sewers? You want vengeance then you need the necessary strength.б▒ The girl seemed to lower her head in a mix of shame at his words, leaving the room to silence. Meanwhile, a few thoughts sprang up in the pirateбпs mind as he played out a few scenarios in his mind. Eventually, Damien pitched a thought: б░Weбпll probably stay here for a few weeks to repair the ship, until then Iбпll teach you the basics of Haki, the same ability I used to hit you even though you are a Logia.б▒ б░Haki?б▒ she reiterated absently. б░If you can grasp even a thin fragment of Haki in that time then perhaps my investment can be worthwhile.б▒ Damien saw the bright flame in her eyes, perhaps if he hadnбпt lived his previous life, he may have embarked on a similar path. Recklessly chasing vengeance without any thought for preparation, grabbing at anything light of hope. б░What do I call you?б▒ Damien casually said as he got up to leave the room. The girl followed and slowly gave her answer, б░Aurora, my name is Aurora.б▒ *Creak* The door opened as the pirate walked out of the room and the inner sanctum, the bounty hunter following behind with some trepidation. Her eyes widened as she saw the surroundings of the main deck of the ship. The weary vessel was encased with a transparent coating. Though the expected perpetual darkness of being undersea was not there, rather, there were around a thousand pairs of eyes glaring at the ship with ill intent. Their skin colours ranged from blue, green, peach, purple, red, and so on. Fins and tails were present in some though every single one of them had gills. Their weapons were ready as they locked onto the intruding ship. Numbering in the tens of thousands! Bam! Kaidoбпs giant club slammed onto the floor as a wide grin was smeared across his face. б░WORORO! Look like you little fishies want a fight, bring it on!б▒ Shakky raised her beloved pistol, not showing any signs of fear in the face of great threats. The truth was that they were around 10,000 meters below the sea, if the coating were to burst then things could get messy fast. . But a large hand was soon put in Kaidoбпs way as Whitebeard slowly walked ahead. б░We donбпt need to fight.б▒ He then saw a giant merman rushing through the masses of fishmen. A golden trident in his hand as he warily watched the intruders. He was around forty feet tall with a red nose, small eyes, and long thick orange-curly hair. His puffy orange beard covered the majority of his lower face and his entire mouth. (40 Feet = 12.2 Meters) . б░Itбпs you, Newgate!б▒ The future Emperor also seemed welcoming as he nodded, б░Neptune, been a while since Iбпve seen you.б▒ The ginormous merman then gestured to the others, б░Stand down, heбпs a friend-jamon.б▒ Shakky whispered to Damien, б░Thatбпs the боGreat Knightбп Neptune иC the highest-ranking soldier of Ryugu Palace. Newgate-san has some history with him.б▒ Damien nodded at the information. After all, Neptune is the future King of Fishman Island. . Soon the ship began to enter the island as it passed through each bubble. As the coating was removed the ship creaked its final cry and fell apart. Cracks and scars covered the vessel as future travels seemed impossible. Damien breathed in the fresh, coastal air as he marvelled at the beauty of the island. б░Can I ask for your help in fixing the ship, Neptune?б▒ Whitebeard asked as the party landed on open soil. The merman seemed hesitant. б░Thatбпll be hard-jamon,б▒ he admitted with a heavy expression. б░The King is ill and the appearances of humans looking to capture our own have increased a lot. Me letting you in is already the height of our patience!б▒ Damien, who stood nearby, had to agree. боBased on my readings, Fishman Island has been at war with human traffickers and pirates for decades upon decadesбн itбпs no wonder it feels so tense,бп he thought, feeling the distant glares from all directions. Though the fishmen had stood down at Neptuneбпs command, they remained nearby, ready to fight; great aggression emanated from them. . Whitebeard looked at the wrecked ship. Shakky was going to offer a possible solution but something else happened. An emaciated Fishman soon swam over in a great hurry, attracting the eyes of everyone. б░Itбпs you!б▒ he exclaimed. The fishman was pointing at the red-eyed young pirate with stunned eyes. б░I couldnбпt thank you before, you probably didnбпt see me but I was one of the ones you freed from Sabaody!б▒ Neptuneбпs eyes widened as he asked, б░T-The one who killed the Celestial Dragons?б▒ *Gulp* The giant merman took a deep breath and then gestured to the fishman around him: б░Perhaps we can help with repairing your ship after all-jamon.б▒ To Be Continued... Chapter 19: Let it Flow "How''d this become about me?" Damien muttered with some confusion. Shakky elbowed him from the side, "Looks like you saved us from some trouble, Damien-chan." The young pirate in question just cleared his throat and firmly said, "It was all part of my plan." The words evoked a giggle from the woman as the two waited for the giant merman to finish his words. Neptune regained his bearings and gave an option, "Let''s go talk someplace more fitting-jamon." ---------------------------------------------- [Ryugu Palace] "The current King is sick and cannot meet you but I will speak on behalf of our people-jamon," Neptune said as he stood beside the throne. Damien and co had been invited to the palace, a wondrous place with a giant golden dragon hoisted behind it. The huge doors that spanned dozens of meters alongside the coral and undersea flowers created quite the contrast. Rainbow light bathed the Palace with breathtaking majesty. [Image of the Palace (in Discord)] "You should know of our anger to humans-jamon," The merman said with a sigh. "Even though we are under the Government, our home is not protected by them so we have to fight back with everything we have." Newgate sat down on the ground while hearing the words. "And yet you agreed to help," Shakky said as she puffed out a cloud of smoke. Neptune nodded, "Though our people, myself included, hate humans more than ever, many will change their perspective after the news of you killing the World Nobles-jamon." "Hoh Hoh Hoh! The irony leaves me speechless!" The Knight of the Sea then calmed down and addressed a question: "How long will you stay here?" Newgate looked up to the towering Fishman and roughly estimated, "Three weeks should be enough for the repairs and new coating." Neptune just nodded, "Make yourself at home, just be understanding of any stares-jamon." ---------------------------------------------- [A Little While Later] "The repairs will begin tomorrow, some young merman by the name of ''Den'' will oversee it," Shakky said while getting some belongings from the ship. "Your little prisoner is in your room, you''re more of a playboy than I thought, you won''t attack me in my sleep, right?" She teasingly said. Damien rolled his eyes, "I don''t have time for such things." Shakky then looked at Damien and lightly hummed, "Don''t get too lost in your path to power, it will leave you lonely," she said with an air of helplessness. The woman then hopped off the ship and went to her own devices. Damien fell in some thought but eventually shook his head and went back to his room. *Creak* He saw the girl sitting on the ground, lost in thought. "Killing Saints," She muttered to the person who came in. "I didn''t think there''d be such crazy people in this world." Damien just gave a small laugh. "Rahahaha! Sabaody is probably in a full lockdown, the news of the deaths will surely leave them in shambles." The Celestial Dragons'' troubles were music to the pirate''s ears. . Damien then changed the subject to something else. "You were able to dive into and out of my shadow back then," he began. "Tell me more about that." Aurora looked up and hesitated for a second before answering truthfully: "I can enter what I call the ''Night Realm'' with my powers, it''s a separate world, and it allows me to carry out my bounty hunting with great efficiency." Damien nodded at the words, "A perfect power for an assassin." While thinking inside, ''A separate worldбн kinda like the Door-Door fruit or the Mirror World made by the Mirror-Mirror fruit.'' "Take me into it." *Click* The seastone shackles were unlocked, leaving behind a shocked Aurora. "Youбн" Damien shrugged, "Hurry up now." The girl looked up with mixed thoughts but then nodded. Her hand reached out to grab Damien''s arm. *Purrup* Purple energy soon enveloped him as he felt weightlessness. Soon both were pulled down and into his very shadow, leaving behind an empty room. Damien''s senses went haywire as he felt his balance fall and turn upside down and inside out. It only lasted a second till he rose out from his shadow once more, to this time the usual scenery of his room was there, but it was as if he was seeing the world through purple-tinted glasses. The surroundings were coated with violet energy, giving everything a rather unsettling look. "I can''t sense things beyond this world but I can move around without problem," he muttered. Aurora just watched, still a little unsure of her decision to let Damien in. Her eyes soon cleared up and she spoke up, "Yesбн I can move around here and go back to reality by leaving through the shadows." This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Damien saw his room, his bed was casting a shadow that felt like a gateway. He then looked at the girl. "I wasn''t wrong in not killing you," Damien said. "How ''bout it, I will give you the tools to fulfil your vengeance and if you succeed, you will work under me." Damien had certain aspirations to control power beyond the scope of a pirate. An area that existed in the grey zone between the Navy and the Pirates. He needed fitting personnel to oversee this. The choice to gain power at the cost of working for the man whom she had tried to kill had left Aurora a little befuddled. Recalling the ''Haki'' and its evident strength cleared up that fog. ''He has no reason to lie,'' she thought. Damien saw her ambivalent expression and added a little fire, "Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves." The girl was instantly lost in Damien''s profound words, not knowing he had shamelessly stolen it from a wise person from his previous life. A few moments passed and Aurora came to a decision: "I''ll do it!" ---------------------------------------------- [The Following Night] Damien decided to give the assassin girl a main goal to give up her sight and focus on her surroundings solely on her devil fruit power, experimenting if her ability to sense the darkness around her could awaken Observation Haki. He also had a different task of his own. "Three weeks before entering the final sea, my devil fruit mastery is still stuck but perhaps that man can help meбн" He eventually made his way to an abandoned area of Fishman Island. It was far from the main populace and under some coral hills. Damien studied the terrain and found his target. "You wandered all the way here, brat." The young pirate gave a helpless laugh at his senses once again being fooled by the much stronger pirate that was sitting atop the hill with a barrel of alcohol. Damien jumped to the top and stood near the giant man with the white stache. *Gurrup* The man drank the liquid while watching the Sunlight tree Eve. . "What do you think the Marines will do?" the younger pirate casually asked. Whitebeard paused his drinking and gave a casual answer. "Heh, don''t expect much truth, they''ve been extinguishing Rocks'' actions for a while now; a cover-up is natural." Damien nodded at the words. "They don''t have resources for anything more down here, the New World is too chaotic." The man then drank a few more liters of the drink. In the middle of his gulping of alcohol, Newgate took another glance at Damien and narrowed his eyes. "A year ago Rocks sent me to bring Kaido to him, and now you," he said. "But you''re not like that war-driven fool, why come under Rocks'' flag?" Damien looked at the man more than twice his size and answered, "I want strength." Newgate looked away from the youth and went back to drinking. "The only thing you''ll find at the Hachinosu is the worst scum of mankind." Whitebeard''s eyes changed, they grew fiery, "The sea can''t be tamed by a bunch of fools who lack a moral code!" "They''ll kill themselves before grasping even a hint of power!" The cliff began to tremble with slight vibrations at the annoyed pirate. Damien took a breath and asked, "Why do you stay under Rocks then?" "..." A silence broke out as the giant man once again glared at the young pirate beside him. His sharp eyes befell the youth with an expressionless face. *Gurrup* Newgate gave a slight sigh and drank another few mouthfuls of sakиж. "Just repaying a debt," he said. Though his tone shifted to a more yearning one: "I''m also searching for something." Damien naturally asked, "What''s that?" "A family." "..." Whitebeard glanced at the boy who simply nodded. He raised his eyebrow and couldn''t help but ask, "You don''t find that odd?" Damien just smiled with a shrug, "Who am I to judge." Whitebeard lowered his sakиж cup subconsciously, "Gurarara! You''re a funny kid!" . The two then returned to a brief silence as Damien voiced out: "I came here for a favour." "And what''s that?" Damien turned his gaze to the future Emperor, "I''ve been at a threshold with my devil fruitбн" He then touched a coral sticking out of the ground. The sound of pixelation resounded as the coral glowed red for a second and then exploded into tiny pieces, too many to count. Whitebeard seemed interested in the power, seeing it for the first time. "Oh? It''s a dangerous power but fits a bold kid like you." Damien then allowed some of the red mist to sizzle out of his palm as he examined it from close-up. "I ate the Pulverize-Pulverize Fruit and became a Pulverizing human," he explained. "The power is listed as the same destruction-class fruits as yours." Whitebeard completed his sentence: "And you think that I can help you." He then put his jug of sakиж by the side and stood up, casting a giant shadow toward the rocky terrain. Suddenly, the man reeled in his right fist, almost driving it into his opposite shoulder. He then swung it forward. *Crack* The air soon creaked and shattered like glass as the incredible power shook the very ground the two were on. It was an astonishing sight of a single punch quite literally shattering the fabric of space. Following the attack, a powerful wave of expanding air and concentrated destruction shot out and travelled to a nearby hill. BOOM! *Rumble* The hill exploded into a rain of debris with dust. The Tremor-Tremor Fruitбкthe power that could destroy the world. . Whitebeard then grabbed his drink once again and sat down, "You saw it? The difference in how I used my power?" Damien thought it over and arrived at an epiphany. "I see," he slowly said. "You let the full power loose without any attempt to control it, rather than to forcefully direct it." Whitebeard nodded at the words, "When it comes to a destructive and volatile force, trying to control it will only limit its power." "But it can be hard to fully concentrate your power efficiently, especially when it is so devastating." Damien nodded in agreement, his eyes soon wandering to the large glaive resting on the ground. "Is that why you use that weapon? It helps further concentrate your attacks?" The large pirate grinned, "That''s right, maybe you should look for a suitable weapon too." ''A weaponбн'' Damien thought. But he then turned his attention elsewhere. He gazed at the red energy emanating from his palm. They were tiny crystalline shapes that slowly rose out in a frenzy manner. "Rather than controlling it, it''s better to embrace its destructibilityбн" Damien''s mind was spit-firing thoughts as Whitebeard just watched in intrigue. Soon Damien''s body began to gather the red energy from every pore and directed it to his palm. Rather than locking them down into his hand, he instead began to allow it to flow out. *Fwoooo* The emergence of such energy summoned screeches from the air that had recently been shattered and were now being crushed apart. Damien waved his glowing hand as a large stream of crimson energy exploded out and began to form a field surrounding him. The crimson dome soon fell upon the land and began to crush and ravage everything within. *Hiss!* The air violently shrieked as if everything nearby had begun to tremble and shred apart. The field expanded to around ten meters in all directions. Crimson lines shot out from Damien''s body, mimicking magnetic field lines, digging and drilling into everything within its scope. [Fruit Mastery has reached the Intermediate Stage.] Whitebeard chuckled at the sight of Damien''s revelling in his newfound power. He opened his palm and felt the crimson energy drilling into his skin, leaving it numb, ''Another monstrous brat.'' ---------------------------------------------- [Midnight] Damien had left Whitebeard''s resting area feeling energized. His new powers allowed him to expand his influence into the nearby area, crushing everything within a certain area. It even reminded Damien of the level of Awakening of a Paramecia fruit, but naturally, it wasn''t it. ''Sibyl, tell me a little on Awakening a devil fruit,'' he asked in his mind. [It is the final stage of a fruit power, vastly stronger and more supreme than any fruit applications beforehand.] She continued, [Awakening a devil fruit is not easy, if anything, you can use the star count of a power to realize its difficulty.] Damien stopped in his tracks. ''Awakened Paramecia from what I recall in my past life were Doflamingo, Katakuri, Kid, and Law.'' Damien then listed each fruit based on their masteries, referring to the vast array of knowledge he had obtained two years ago and Sibyl''s insights. [String-String Fruit иC 5.5 Stars] [Mochi-Mochi Fruit иC 6 Stars] [Magnet-Magnet Fruit иC 6.5 Stars] [Ope-Ope Fruit иC 7 Stars] Doflamingo''s power was quite powerful in his hands but it seemed to reach a certain threshold and simply could never go beyond. It was rather Doflamigo''s intelligence and knowledge that made him a grave threat. Based on his fruit rating, it would be fairly easy to Awaken in the hands of someone with a high affinity to the power. Katakuri''s fruit was sitting at six stars, this would make it a step harder to Awaken than the String fruit. The same idea was expanded to the Magnet fruit. It was at the same level as Damien''s fruit power, with the ability to wreak havoc of great proportions. Kid had Awakened in his early twentiesбкan impressive feat. "The Ope-Ope Fruit is ranked as a 7-star fruitбн no wonder it was so damn broken!" the pirate exclaimed. Such a fruit was coined as an Ultimate-Class devil fruit by Sibyl. [The difficulty in Awakening such ultimate fruits can vary, they are the ones that can manipulate the Laws of Nature and Reality.] Such a fruit rating should be harder to Awaken, yet Law did it by the age of 26. "Is it the ''Will of D.''?" Damien asked himself. "My fruit power should Awaken naturally in six or so years," he calculated. "Yet God Valley will happen much earlier than thatбн" The young pirate clenched his hand, ambition once again fuelling his spirit, "It''s too slow, I''ll need to step up my game!" To Be Continued... Chapter 20: The New World is Dark and Full of Terrors [Three Weeks Later] BOOM! A grand spectacle broke out as cracks formed in the air while crimson currents surged on the receiving end. A huge shockwave raged on and shattered apart the red barrage of energy as the ground warped in return. First, it was ripped apart, followed by exploding into innumerable pieces. "Damn, that hurts!" A young voice resounded as a body stepped out from a huge cluster of debris formed by a collapsed hill. The young man had black hair with red streaks running down the left side. Sharp, red pupils gazed at the ginormous pirate casually standing a few tens of meters away. "You really don''t like pulling your punches, Newgate-san." "Gurarara," The giant man laughed. "What''s the problem, kid? Your body recovers pretty fast." Even though he said it rather offhandedly, Whitebeard was quite surprised. He had been humouring Damien''s crazed thirst for fast growth by giving him a daily dose of bone-rattling earthquakes. If only he knew that Damien was trying to further increase his anatomy and devil fruit mastery by taking the brunt of a natural disaster. . Dusting off his shoulders, the bold pirate shot forth without much care from the damage from before. *Vvoosh!* The air whistled as Damien appeared right before the towering Whitebeard. "Heh, let''s see you stand up from this one, kid!" *Purrup* A glowing white orb bubbled around the infamous pirate''s left fist. Damien did not waver; wrapping his Haki-clad fist that began to boil with volatile crimson energy. The attacks collided. BOOM! "Ugh!" Damien gritted his teeth as he felt his entire left arm go numb as if thousands of needles were drilling into his very bones. The energy from his hand sprinted forth endless currents of pulverizing energy as they swamped towards the overpowering Whitebeard. Newgate grinned slightly as his fist slowly began to shift ahead, pushing back Damien''s emblazing attack. Boom! Another explosion followed as the young pirate was shot into another faraway hill, effectively drilling right in. "..." A dull silence arrived as the restless air began to calm down in the wake of the recent clash. Newgate looked down at his fist and squinted his eyes in interest. "You''re copying Haki Emission with your powers," he smirked. "It stings, kid!" *Rumble* Soon the huge pile of destroyed earth trembled as a body slowly stood up, clawing its way out. Damien''s arm was bleeding, his forearm broken; a bone visibly protruding out. *Crunch* The young man pushed the bone back into place, eliciting a dull groan. Yet the pained expression was washed away, replaced with a wry smile. "You''re not even using any Haki, my power is really nothing worth mentioning." "Gurarara! Don''t sell yourself short," Whitebeard said, walking toward Damien. "You did well to trim my nails." Damien rolled his eyes. The two pirates had become more natural in their interactions with each other; Damien appreciated the future Emperor''s help in training while Whitebeard was impressed by the rookie pirate''s perseverance. Damien''s routine was: wake up, eat, guide Aurora for a few hours while practicing Observation Haki, eat, train his fruit and Armament Haki with Whitebeard, eat, train in combat with some senior Fishmen who had welcomed him after freeing their people, eat, sleep, and repeat. A schedule that would leave most with broken spirits and shivered timbers, yet to Damien, it was just another day. ''Yet even now I stand little to no chance against the real monsters of this world.'' That is the thought that drove him to continuously claw at every opportunity to get stronger, subconsciously warding away all other shackles. бн [A While Later] Damien had collected himself and left for an area Northeast of Fishman Island. Just yesterday some mermaids had come to give him an invitation from Neptune to come there. ''Sibyl, bring up my stats,'' he said while making his way to the location. [Coming right up.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Einar D. Damien] [Age: 16 years, 4 months, 11 days] [Height: 10'' 4"] (3.15 m) [Status: Tired, Injured] [Strength: Middle Tier Yonko Commander б№] [Devil Fruit: Pulverize-Pulverize Fruit (Intermediate Mastery) б№] [Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars] [Seastone Resistance: 69.7% б№] [Skills: Lightning Recovery, Mighty Vitality, Evolable Anatomy, Voice of All Living Things, Will of D., Rokushiki] [Haki: Observation Haki (Intermediate Mastery), Armament Haki (Intermediate Mastery) б№, Conqueror''s Haki (Initial Mastery) б№] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< "Even after all that beating my Anatomy isn''t ready to evolve," Damien said out loud with some uncertainty. It seemed the gap between strength would only grow, that simply meant he needed to try harder and get beat up some more. He then turned to another string of text. "Conqueror''s Hakiбн" Something one could not train, rather it would grow with one''s own mental status and overall strength. "Sibyl, based on my memories, who would be a rival in strength?" Damien asked. The reply came fast: [At your current strength, you could go equally against the likes of Smoothie or Jozu.] But there was one thing Damien was able to gauge after the three-week timeskip. "Show me Whitebeard''s current profile." >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Edward Newgate] [Age: 32 years, 2 months, 19 days] [Height: 21'' 10"] (6.66 m) [Status: Thriving] [Devil Fruit: Tremor Tremor Fruit (???)] Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. [Fruit Rating: 7 Stars (Ultimate-Class Fruit)] [Haki: Observation Haki (???), Armament Haki (Advanced Mastery), Conqueror''s Haki (???)] [Strength: Within Yonko Stage] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< Without a doubt, the readings were missing in detail. Such imprecise results were credited to Damien''s weak Observation Haki and strength. "Garp''s exchange with Whitebeard was the only reason I could gauge the Armament Haki, I still need a lot of training," Damien sighed as he reached his destination. . He saw a ginormous merman not too far, simply gazing into the distance. "You called me to the Sea Forest, Neptune," Damien said as he landed by the Knight''s side. The Fishman hummed towards the young pirate; "The mermaids have shown you around the island, all but this place." He then turned his eyes to the wasteland surrounded by giant trees. An enormous ship sat on the far horizon иC Noah! "This is the Sea Forest, the final area you have yet to see." Perhaps it was Neptune showing his goodwill to Damien, or maybe it was something else, but naturally, Damien wouldn''t mind since Fishman Island was a special place. "Come with me-jamon." The two went through the rather well-lit area that was littered with destroyed ships and debris, a result of being at the bottom of the sea floor. "Hmm?" Damien squinted his eyes as he felt a foreign voice from afar. Something, someone, was calling to him. He made his way over to the cove, within a depression surrounded by a ring of rocks. At the very center stood a large, blue cube-shaped stone, carved with ancient words and symbols. . "Poneglyphs," Neptune came as well as he said, "It''s the ancient script that has sat here for centuries now-jamon." [Image of the Poneglyph (in Discord)] Damien nodded, not exactly surprised by the stele. His eyes soon drifted to the side where an equally large stone sat. The only difference was that it was deep-red in colour. ''That isбн!'' Damien unconsciously gulped as he saw the Poneglyph. ''One of the Road Poneglyphs!'' The combined locations detailed by all four Road Poneglyphs allow one to locate Laugh Tale, therefore, becoming the King of the Pirates! Damien recalled that this stele was eventually lost a few years after Roger read its contents, quite a suspicious outcome. [Image of the Road Poneglyph (in Discord)] . Damien sighed, he could not read the stone, not yet anyway. He then fixed his eyes back on the Blue Stone. It was the stone that called out to him. The one that pulled him here. "An apologyбн Joyboy," Damien muttered as the whispers echoed in his ears. "Y-You can read it!?" Neptune yelped from the side. Damien slowly shook his head. "This Poneglyph was written by someone consciously, not simply to detail knowledge or lost history, but carved with quite a lot of emotion," Damien explained. {Forgive meбн} A distant yet tired voice that left the young pirate solemn. "I can hear the ancient voice, in whispers, but it''s there." Neptune was breathing heavily. While the giant merman was lost in thought, Damien reached out to the stone. There was something else there, he could feel it. *Fwoo!* An orb of white energy soon shot out from the core of the Poneglyph towards Damien. The young pirate grabbed the ball of energy and analyzed it. It was some sort of glowing orb... Upon inspection, the ball was an odd thing, it was neither cold nor hot. It had no weight. It almost felt like it did not even exist! A description soon surfaced in his mind, bringing clarity. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Memory Shard (1 of 3)] [Collect all three shards to unlock the message left behind by the original System User.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< ''Huh?'' A voice soon erupted in Damien''s mind, it was Sibyl. [Damien, this seems to be a piece of the key to my locked data.] Damien thought over the information he had just gotten. Soon the white energy was absorbed into the red-eyed youth''s hand and disappeared like such. Such a scene left him thinking. ''I guess I''ll find them eventually, I wonder if the original user had ties with Joyboy in some wayбн,'' Damien thought. . Meanwhile, Neptune woke up from his daze and did not comment on the memory shard, as if it was invisible. "Damien-kun, I guess this wraps up the tour-jamon," he muttered, still shaken about the stele''s words. Neptune then reached into his pocket and took out a sheet of paper. It looked comically tiny in his hands but it was only slightly too small in Damien''s. "This came in recently, it''s dated 15 days ago but news takes time to reach down here-jamon." Damien eyed the newspaper and scoffed. "A band of pirates headed by the Sin Incarnate besieged the World Nobles at Sabaody Archipelago. All pirates besides Einar D. Damien were apprehended." Neptune nodded at Damien''s annoyance, "The Government is very keen on keeping things as much in control as they can-jamon." Damien nodded with a slight sigh, "No news on the four dead Dragons, they even erased all mention of Newgate-san or any words on the Rocks Pirates." Though his eyes fell upon a string of words, "The World News Agency." Neptune scratched his glorious orange beard and chimed in a few thoughts of his own: "It is the news agency under full control of the World Government, it''s one of their greatest tools-jamon." ''No wonder the Government had no trouble erasing the Rocks Pirates from history,'' Damien surmised. A disdainful smile soon appeared on Damien''s face. ''The government wants to bastardize history? I can''t let that happen. Rather it''s best to take it into my hands!'' Damien pondered for a second. He inputted the parameters and said: ''Sibyl, ready the task, codename ''Nexus'' with a due date of 1486,'' he ordered. [Got it.] Following that, he inputted a few parameters. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Operation Nexus] [Find World News Agency Main Base иC ?] [Find Replacement President иC ?] [Bring the Replacement Under Control иC ?] [Have the Agency exit the World Government''s Grasp иC ?] [Time Limit иC 1486] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< A wise man once said, "Whoever controls the media, controls the mind." Damien didn''t exactly care much about what the commoners of the world thought of him, rather it was a tool that would greatly serve his purpose in controlling, or at least, somewhat slowing the Government down. In the current era, the World Government could do just about anything and get away with it. Much like how later on Morgans was able to drive the world in certain wavelengths by his reports. Damien wanted such power too. Naturally, allowing the soon-to-come God Valley Incident to drain away in forgetfulness was rather unsightly as well. Beyond that, a fitting President could also do great in sending information. *Plop* A small sheet of paper then fell out from the newspaper and onto the sea floor, interrupting Damien''s train of thought. He looked below and gave a small smile. Naturally, it was a bounty. -----< WANTED >----- < EINAR?D?DAMIEN > < ''Sin Incarnate'' > < ?? 300,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ---------------------------- "The number doubled, most likely the pissed-off Nobles trying to hunt me down for my ''sins''." бн [Nearby] "So, you''re leaving now?" the distant yet soft voice resounded from the cave. It was a large clearing made within one of the large coral hills in the outer parts of Fishman Island. The area where Damien and Aurora were training. "Mhm," he answered. "Your devil fruit goes a little too well with Observation Haki, it''s quite impressive." Damien was talking while glancing at a screen within his mind. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Amethyst Aurora] [Age: 17 years, 1 months, 26 days] [Height: 7'' 4"] [Status: Healthy] [Devil Fruit: Aether-Aether Fruit (Intermediate Mastery)] [Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars] [Haki: Observation Haki (Initial Mastery)] [Strength: Yonko Crew Pirate] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< "To think the stowaway I picked up was a princess," Damien teased. "Now I feel like a main character now." It was a tale Aurora shared with him. A story about a girl who was forced out of her own kingdom, her family killed and betrayed by their very own minister. . Aurora looked at the tall pirate who had vastly broadened her horizons over the past three weeks. "I won''t forget our deal," she said with a resolute tone. "This is an assurance." Damien examined the purple-haired bounty hunter. He then looked down to see her open palm holding a thin piece of plain paper. Yet every moment, the paper would inch toward the girl like a magnet. "Your Vivre Card," Damien smirked. "It''s akin to putting a tracker on yourself for anyone to hunt you down." Yet his words failed to invoke anything more than a determined gaze from the girl. Pocketing the paper, he nodded. "Good luck. Try not to die, otherwise, it''ll cause some troubles for my plans." Damien left the cave, waving backwards to the girl. Aurora looked at the slowly shrinking figure, her gaze inexplicable. Did she sell her soul to the devil for her revenge? She balled her fists, throwing away loose thoughts. Her time with Damien taught her some patience. To bide her time and train in the powers of Haki. For the first time in her life, the path ahead was no longer covered in darkness, rays of hope lightened the way. Such hope could either make or break a desperate person. ---------------------------------------------- [By the Edge of Fishman Island] "Dammit!" Boom! A huge explosion echoed through the coral grounds as a black club hammered down. Blasts of powerful thuds rippled through the terrain as a giant pirate rained down attacks on a smaller one. "Damien, you bastard!" "Why is your bounty higher than mine all of a sudden!" Kaido was throwing a fit of rage as he began to pummel the recently arrived Damien. The latter was dodging all attacks with his smaller and quicker stature. "What''s wrong Kaido, you can''t even land a single hit, no wonder there''s an eighty million gap between our bounties!" Damien fashioned a grin as he shaved through the air, further enraging the beast. "Raimei Hakke!" "Fury Road!" The purple lightning and crimson energy exploded all over the nearby land as waves of shock spread forth. Cracks formed all over the soil beneath as dust and debris soon remained. *Bang!* *Bang!* Two pitch-black bullets fired at the clashing pirates as the air whizzed in their wake. Damien and Kaido''s eyes shone in Observation as the two instantly recoiled by instinct. "That''s enough, the ship was finally fixed and you''re already trying to break it apart!" The annoyed voice came from the unassuming woman with the pistol in her hands. It was naturally Shakky. "Tch!" Kaido couldn''t unload his irritation anywhere so he simply went to the ship and fell asleep. Another towering pirate soon arrived on the scene. "If you want to fight, I''m sure you''ll get that chance soon," Whitebeard casually said. Damien narrowed his eyes, ''The New Worldбн the unconquered sea with endless monsters awaiting, I''m finally there!'' Shakky nodded at her ''companions'' and began the ascending protocol to sail up. "To the New World!" бн [A Few Hours Later] Traversing through the dark sea took a while, though the ship was repaired to sail, its structural integrity was long lost, and its expiry date was coming soon. Damien soon saw the ocean end as the ship emerged from the depths. *Rumble* The storm alongside the constant thunder was awfully conspicuous. The rain poured incessantly, while it was snowing in the far East, and hailing further South. Tempestuous currents carried the ship while the sails creaked in response. The weather was not the main attraction. *Purrup* Whitebeard''s right hand soon pulsed with a blue orb as the air inside was long ravaged. *Click* Shakky''s pistol cocked in a bullet and she let out a cloud of smoke. *Thunk* Kaido slammed his mace on the deck of the ship with a wide grin. *Szzz* Crimson energy sizzled out from Damien''s hand, ready to fight. A loud voice resounded from the chaotic seas: "You bastards are finally out, I was running out of rice crackers waiting for you!" Another voice soon followed. "Garp, this is not the time for your nonsense, these pirates must die here before they can reach Hachinosu!" The conversation took place at the core of the welcoming party. Ten large marine warships, bred for battle. Damien''s sharp eyes zoomed in on the two figures standing on side-by-side ships. Their mighty frames cast a wide net of relief to the thousands of Marines, leaving them in high spirits. It was a force beyond even a Buster Call! . "Ten warships headed by ten Vice Admirals," Shakky blew out some more smoke as she casually said. "All under the command of Vice Admiral Garp and Admiral Basara." Damien smirked in response, his crimson eyes reflecting the upcoming battle, "Quite the welcome to this hellish sea!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 21: The Power of Whitebeard "Bwahahaha! Basara-san, It''s your time to shine!" Garp was as lax as ever. He stood on his dog-headed ship while looking towards the bear-headed one. The man he spoke to, however, was not amused. He stood around ten feet tall (~3 meters) with short black hair. The marine wore brown Navy attire with a white coat draped over his shoulders, a powerful air surrounding him. He was perhaps in his late thirties. The scowl on his face was rather unsettling as he turned his gaze to the surrounded pirate ship. *Thunk* *Thunk* *Thunk* Heavy footsteps echoed through the thick wooden deck of the marine warship. The nearby marines revered the Admiral as he slowly raised his hands as if accepting a prayer. . "Pit of Despair." . "..." A silent yet foreboding moment passed. *Rumble* The entire sea began to quiver, growing from a subtle trembling to a distinct rumbling which was growing in intensity. Even the pirates nearly half a kilometer away felt the shaking as huge volumes of water began to displace. *Splash!* Towering bursts of seawater shot into the sky, eclipsing the Navy warships and unveiling something far more terrifying. Ginormous walls of pure earth, brown in colour, rose out from the ground in a uniform, circular shape. They were 10 meters thick as they extended further and further into the sky. *Rumble* The shaking continued for a few seconds, far outshadowing the disastrous weather. Soon enough, the walls reached their maximum height of 830 meters and entirely encased the battlefield in a circular ring made of thick earth. [830 m = ~half a mile = Burj Khalifa.] "!!!" The sight of the encircling walls nearly 5 kilometers (3.1 mi) from the center alone cast a shadow that would put the fear of death into the souls of most, simultaneously raising Marine morale. Shakky sighed at the sight. "The Mountain-Mountain Fruit; a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit with the ability to erect mountains wherever the user pleases." [Image of Basara the Mountain (in Discord)] . Damien took a deep breath as he witnessed the power. "He can even pull earth from below the ocean?" The woman nodded, "Basara''s control over anything mountainous is deeper than the water here... so he can do as he pleases." The young pirate narrowed his eyes, glancing at the barriers: ''Even though the Admirals outside of Sengoku were forgotten and never mentioned, it would make sense for them to be monsters to be the powerhouses of the Rocks Era.'' . Meanwhile, Whitebeard focussed elsewhere. "Basara playing with his rocks as always but this weather is also a little too depressingбн," he muttered. The man''s eyes were locked onto the hellacious climate that had graced them: snow, sleet, rain, snow, lightning and howling winds. Suddenly Newgate coiled his hand to the side, the familiar earthquake bubble pulsing like a heart. A single swing onto the area above. Boom! The atmosphere around the fist was spreading with fern-like cracks, resembling glass. They continued their advent, stretching and branching off to the point where nearly 100 meters of the sky was left cracked! *Shatter* In a cacophony of crashes, the very air exploded into giant transparent shards, unleashing a powerful blast of white shockwave energy that reached the clouds. *Gulp* The Marines who were high on the Admiral hype were brought back to reality as they saw the astonishing act. *Vvoooo* The entire storm and thunderous welcome were utterly and completely shattered. Bright and warm rays of sunlight soon bathed the entire canyon, gracing its prisoners with better weather compared to the Outer Seas! Such a sight was as incredible as the walls being erected, yet Basara remained motionless. Garp, not so much. "Bwahaha! Get ready, you guys!" he roared to the other Vice Admirals. Though they were of the same rank, it seemed as if they either respected Garp enough or were simply numb to his insolent behaviour. *Whuuu* Whitebeard twirled his weapon, feeling the tense air spread across the pit. "The ship is already on its last life, keep the battle away from it," he warned. Thud! The wooden deck shook as the twenty-plus-foot-tall pirate lunged forward with a single jump. His body arched through the sky as he crossed the sea. *Purrup* Whilst in the air, Newgate wrapped his weapon in the white bubble that pulsated in impatience. "Ha!" the pirate grunted as he swiped the weapon across the sky, directing it onto the Marine formation. A silver tear cut through the atmosphere, giving birth to a shockwave that raged out to the five warships in its way. *Fwooo!* The air screeched from the incoming hell, giving way for the attack to meet its target. BOOM! The entire marine formation shook, though the three warships at the front bore the brunt of the damage. Thick chasms opened up through the ship that was the size of Ancient Giants, forcing the marines on board into a grave panic. The seas underneath grew chaotic and rampaging, summoning giant tidal waves that enveloped the warships. "Ahh!" "Hang on!" "Eugh!" Basara stood tall under the raging winds, annoyed by the turn of events, "Don''t act so pathetically," he told the soldiers screaming at the five sinking warships. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. He then raised his right hand. *Rumble* The seas shook once more as huge, blunt spikes of earth shot from the seafloor and pushed the collapsing ships up and out from the water, saving them from sinking; three crumbling ships were easily salvaged without significant casualties. Yet the true threat, Whitebeard, was still mobile. "Garp, hold him down!" The order went out as a silver figure dashed through the sky and rocketed on ahead like a comet. BOOOM! A huge explosion rang through the sky, originating from a Haki-clad fist meeting a giant glaive. бн "Let''s go too, Kaido!" Two bursts of air boomed as the young duo of pirates dove onto opposite sides. While Whitebeard went down the middle, holding down three Marine Warships and the two unique battleships himself, the other available ships began to move in. *Pop* Damien Moonwalked through the air as he found himself landing on a warship. Thud! The Sin Incarnate''s black boots made contact with the enemy ships, all the while alerting the near-thousand marines on board. A grin etched on his face. "Take down the pirate!" "For justice!" "Fire!" Damien eyed the masses. A sharp red glint passed through his eyes. The rambunctious marines soon paused as dark-red waves of pulsating energy emanated from the young pirate. The overwhelming weight and despair overtook many of the marines as their eyes darkened and rolled back into their sockets. *Thud* *Thunk* *Twuck* Tens, hundreds, and thousands of bodies soon fell to the ground, taking victims from not only the immediate ship but all three other nearby ones. "T-That wasбн Conqueror''s Haki!" The marines on Damien''s side of the battlefield, though thinned out, still had a few thousand standing. *Whizz!* Two shadows shot forth towards Damien. "We must take him down before he reaches the Pirate Island!" Damien saw the coming shadows and raised a hand that released some ominous red particles. . "Utter Ruin." . The crimson energy bubbled into a crimson circle as it exploded forth. A huge current, nearly ten meters in diameter, shredded apart everything in its wake, drilling through a huge chunk of area. "Ahh-" The incoming Rear Admiral Duo was encompassed wholly in the energy. They couldn''t even finish their wails before all that remained was a cloud of blood. *Splatter* The crimson liquid dyed the wooden floor with a fresh paint of red, eerily reflecting the imminent fate of the others. Damien wasted no time and tapped on the ship. . "Shatter." . The crimson energy spread out and began to encase the entire ship. Reaching a good ten meters every passing second, slowly but surely endangering the hundreds of marines on board. A nearby Vice Admiral felt an ominous feeling. "Abandon ship!" *Creak* Boom! A few lucky marines near the edge were able to jump out, however, the others were not as lucky. The deck under them crumbled to dust as they fell from the height into the bottom of the ship. Damien was about to jump to another ship and yet a shadow appeared behind him. . "Iron Body: Slam!" . The opponent''s arm thickened as he slammed his fist onto the unsuspecting Damien. Yet the result wasn''t what he expected. Clang! Damien''s blackened fist clashed with the enemy marine''s fist, sending out a burst of shock. The navy officer saw the smirk on his opponent, hearing a few passing words, "Don''t you know Iron Body locks you in place?" Within a split-second, Damien''s finger wrapped with a current of air drilled into the man''s shoulder, exploding his rotator cuff. "Ugh!" a loud groan rang as the marine yelped in pain. His right arm was no longer functioning from the torn shoulder, sending out copious amounts of blood. The officer forgot his pain as saw the enemy pirate jump onto another warship. *Whizz* He soon reappeared onto another warship utilizing Shave of the Rokushiki, grasping his right shoulder. "Vice Admiral Hux!" The marines saluted. "Be ready, that pirate is aiming at our ships!" Hux warned, tying a cloth over his deltoid. "..." An ominous silence arrived as a dark figure appeared in front of the marine, utilizing a familiar technique. "How did a pirate get a hold of the Rokushiki?!" Hux questioned in surprise as realized Damien had used three of the Six Styles already. *Click* *Cock* *Clank* Not only dozens of rifles and pistols but also cannons locked on the invader. Damien gave a small grin as he began to release his power. Hux saw the pirate''s smirk as his Haki began to flare: "No-!" . "Desolation Zone." . A powerful and crushing power soon exploded from the young pirate like a volcano. It stemmed from his heart that had gathered a large clump of pulverizing energy. It spread out in mere moments, encapsulating everything nearby in a complete circle, stretching out over the majority of the warship. *Vvooo!* The air within the zone began to bubble and churn as the crushing energy rained down like red raindrops, leaving hell behind for anyone in its way. The men, the weapons, and the deck began to crumple and shred from being compressed and crippled. Damien walked on under the carnage, the circular zone moved alongside him. The soldiers closer to the center, in other words, closer to Damien, had long become nothing more than droplets of blood and bits of bone. The bright sunny sky was completely dulled away, replaced with a crimson cloud. "..." The grinding energy soon dissipated, leaving a sole Damien at the very center of the ship. Going from a mix of yellings, groans and grunts to complete silence was truly deafening. *Creak* The sails were long gone, just some simple framework remained as it touched the seawater that dispersed his attack. *Whizz* Damien''s eyes widened as he felt the movement of air behind him, it was the bloodied-up Hux! Bang! A dull boom went off from hundreds of meters away, echoing past the turbulent seas. "Augh!" Damien saw the Vice Admiral''s eyes lose their luster, and a small hole appeared through his head. The marine fell into a pool of blood with a loud thud. "Hmm?" Damien''s eyes drifted to the far side and locked onto the figure of a woman with a pistol, blowing the smoke. Feeling his gaze, the woman gave a wink in return. However, it seemed something had clicked in her mind as she proceeded to mouth out an order: "Clear the path for the ship to sail to the walls." That said, Shakky returned to unloading endless mags of bullets at distant marines. *Bang* *Bang* *Bang* One hand holding the cigar, one hand pulling the trigger. Damien no longer waited and jumped into the sky with his Moonwalk and raised a hand. . "Utter Ruin." . The stream of ravaging red energy once again blazed out and enveloped the ship and its backside where the rudder was located. Not only was the back half left in dust but the entire navigation of the warship was gone, leaving it impossible to be salvaged. бн "Damn pirates!" The voice was that of the Admiral himself. Basara stood at the bow of his ship as he saw the mission begin to fall apart. Garp was busy holding down the powerful Newgate aboard a wrecked warship, sending seismic torrents from the core of their clash. This forced seven Vice Admirals to jump from ship to ship, clearing up the tsunamis and shockwaves to protect their troops. It seemed that a naval battle against a man of quakes was not the best idea. . Whitebeard also saw the battle turn in his favour, yet something was afoot, credit to his alarmed Haki. Boom! The air suddenly exploded as a giant tentacle-like structure made of pure earth shot out from the seafloor toward Whitebeard. The attack began to morph into a hand that spanned a good 200 meters in width (656 ft). In a simple and crude motion, the limb balled up into a fist, crushing Whitebeard in its palm. *Fwwm!* A pristine black colour soon wrapped around the arm, wholly capturing the enemy pirate with dense Haki. *Splash!* More and more tendrils of earth continued being birthed from the seafloor, wrapping and crushing their lone prisoner. Within moments, Whitebeard was entirely covered in a giant mass of earth, resembling a small moon. "..." Pebbles and debris floated down from the structure, leaving a silence behind. The nearby area was eclipsed by the ball, spreading its darkness to the edges of the walls. "T-The Admiral made a move!" Garp landed on a shaken ship, narrowing his eyes on the locked-up pirate. *Shiver* The hair on the Vice Adimiral''s arm stood up in instinct, alerting him to the coming chaos. *Rumble* The short tranquillity came to an end with a rumbling of the giant earth arm-turned-moon. Dull shakes broke out as increasingly larger bits of stone rained down. BOOM! With a single beat, the colossus exploded into a rain of endless bits of earth, revealing the silhouette of the unhurt Whitebeard. *Creak* Basara rose from his ship under an identical stone platform in the shape of a rising arm from under the sea. The Admiral''s own arm and half of his body were covered in thick rocks as he glared at the pirate. "I won''t let you harm my troops any further." Whitebeard returned a grin, "Then protect them!" He then smashed both his hands towards opposite sides as the cracks spread through the atmosphere. Basara''s mountainous defences were against their greatest foe. Perhaps using the earth to stop a man of earthquakes was not overly efficient. A giant 200-meter-tall tsunami rose from up ahead and began to rage toward the main battalion of marine Warships. "Garp!" Basara roared. *Woosh!* The charismatic Vice Admiral shot in chase towards the giant wave, his metallic fist ready to pummel it. бн Boom! Dull explosions carried on near the other sides of the battlefield. Kaido had been on a rampage, destroying a couple of ships only to be stopped by a Vice Admiral. His size was working against him as he had trouble keeping up with the smaller, and more agile master of Rokushiki. Only with the aid of Shakky was he able to take the marine down. "I had him!" Kaido roared out. Yet his roar was left on read, angering him further. Boom! Clang! Bam! Once again, sending the Hundred-Beast into a frenzy to unload hell upon unsuspecting marines. бн The clash of Whitebeard and Basara alongside the roaring seas holding down Garp gave way for the tired ship led by Shakky to reach its destination. "Damien-chan, can you break open a large piece of that mountain?" the woman asked in her usual playful tone. The pirate in question looked at the ring of earth trapping them in, spanning over 800 meters. "Define ''a large piece''." Shakky puffed out some smoke and casually said, "As big as possible." Damien nodded and jumped into the air and towards the mountain. *Tap* His hand touched the earth. A sound of pixelation broke out as the dull-brown wall began to turn red with a chequered pattern, spreading in all directions. Not long after, a giant piece of pure earth was dislodged from the wall. It was around a quarter as tall as the barrier, 10 meters deep and 100 meters across. Shakky smiled at the display, "Perfect~" She then aimed her beloved pistol at the mountain, much to Damien''s confusion. His eyes zoomed in on the weapon as he saw the bullet to be fired change colour. It went from the usual black to a gray hue, wrapped in some form of inconspicuous energy. Bang! The Sin Incarnate traced the bullet''s trajectory as it nailed the separated mountain dead in its center. *Poof* Damien''s jaw almost fell at what followed. "..." "The mountainбн where''d it go?" Shakky winked and charmingly replied, "To Marineford, of course~" To Be Continued... Chapter 22: Forged in Fury Damien saw the giant piece of earth simply poof out of existence and disappear, leaving a giant gap in the wall. Shakky giggled as she saw Damien''s surprised appearance. "The mountainбн where''d it go?" The woman winked in reply, "To Marineford, of course~" Shakky held up her trusty pistol, showing it off to her young friend. "My gun ate the Roulette-Roulette Fruit and can shoot six different types of bullets." She began listing them out, counting with her fingers: "Piercing rounds that can rip through thick steel like butter," "Incendiary rounds that burn upon impact," "Explosive rounds that go boom-boom," "Medicinal rounds that can heal non-fatal injuries," "Storage rounds that can create a little space to store things," "And lastly, warping rounds that can teleport objects to a place I''ve left a marker behind." Damien gave a wry smile, "Let me guess, you can combine them all as you please." "Ara~ You''re giving away my secrets now." Both of the pirates halted in talk as another voice resounded the battlefield. . "Dreaded Devastation!" . A giant cone-shaped column of earth shot forward at speeds faster than a normal human could react to. It shot towards the giant pirate as he smashed his fist to meet the attack. *Crack* A crack broke through the air as the coming earth began to crumble away. "You don''t learn, do you, Basara?" Whitebeard said with an annoyed sigh. The Admiral gritted his teeth in impatience as he saw the results. His eyes were then drawn to the now-opened gap in his mountainous defence as the Rocks ship sailed ahead. A marine warship was about to commence bombardment but instead was pummeled by a flying figure that crashed upon it. "WORORORO! You''re falling apart, Navy!" ... "Looks like you couldn''t protect them." Newgate pointed his naginata towards the Admiral and gave an ultimatum: "You can either send Garp to take them down, but that would leave the other marines to sink from our fight. Or you let them go and we fight another day." Basara''s face twisted with a scowl. Being threatened by a pirate in such a manner brought great shame to his position as an Admiral. Yet it was also his position as an Admiral that calmed him down. He pulled out a transponder snail, expressionlessly sending an order: "All forces, stand down." Whitebeard gave a small grin as he shot forward to the pirate ship, leaving behind a disgruntled Basara. Garp who was extinguishing the tsunamis left, right, and center also got the order. He saw the Rocks'' ship reach beyond the canyon and could only sigh. "A battle at sea against a quake-man is never easy." A nearby Vice Admiral began to instruct the marines, "Look after the wounded, the rest of you, rescue the ones who fell to sea befo-" "No need." Basara raised his hands with an annoyed face. *Rumble* The ground shook incessantly and under the eyes of the shaken marines was hope. A giant platform, equal to the size of the entire canyon, over a handful of kilometers in radius, rose from the depths. The men, the ships, and even the Sea Kings below were uplifted and placed on the hard earth, rescued from sinking into the depths. A single motion to birth a spanning landmass. Garp walked ahead and began directing, "Look after the wounded and collect the martyred, they deserve a funeral!" """"Roger that!"""" The Vice Admiral then ordered a rookie marine, "Go get me my rice crackers." "Y-Yes sir!" It seemed this little skirmish had come to an end. ---------------------------------------------- [A While Later] Damien rested at the edge of the ship. They had sailed beyond the ring of earth, leaving the marines behind. "An Admiral is quite the challenge." Whitebeard was devouring litres of sakиж as he heard the words. "Gurarara! That Basara is like a mad dog but he has enough sense not to gamble too many marines just for us." "Especially considering the state of the New World now," Shakky added. Damien''s ears perked at her words and he asked, "Can you give me some more details on that?" The woman hummed in response and began the info dump. "Well, quite a few big names are roaming the seas. The Government ranks each with their World Threat Index." "It outlines a pirate''s threat level from one to five," She said. "There are quite a few in the highest level, but three of them take the cake." "The Overlords of the Seas," Damien said from his past knowledge on the subject. Shakky nodded, "Mhm, nowadays people are claiming a fourth, being Captain Rocks, but the Rocks Pirates aren''t all that centralized like the Overlords." "The boss is on the Pirate Island of Hachinosu (Fullalead; Beehive) with a pack of rabid dogs, but they aren''t the type to go around conquering lands, rather, they prefer to loot, kill and destroy everything in their path." If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Whitebeard grumbled at her words, not disagreeing with them but not liking the reality either. "The Government''s hands are full with all these bad names and things are getting even more hectic, I wouldn''t be surprised if they decide to take down an Overlord or two to calm the seas a little." "Are we headed to Hachinosu to build the ship then?" Damien asked. Shakky shook her head, "We''re going to Naufragium Island." *Puff* A cloud of smoke swarmed out from her mouth as she continued: "A man reached out to Captain Rocks a few months ago, saying he would fulfil his wish to make a behemoth of a ship if we could gather the proper materials." Damien raised an eye at the news, "Is he credible enough?" Shakky nodded, "Naufragium Island was once called the Haven of Shipwrights." "Was?" A look of pity appeared on the woman''s face as she explained: "It was reduced to rubble in an unknown siege that took place under the cover of night a couple of decades ago, most of the shipwrights either died or fled to Paradise, I hear many were recruited to Water-7." She gave out a small sigh, "One man still remains there, he''s the one who called the Captain. His name is Quentin Hammer." ---------------------------------------------- [Four Days Later] [Fleet Admiral''s Office, Marineford] Seven people were seated upon a wide, round table. Each had a marine uniform, six men and one woman. The room was white with blue accents, each side had an open window aside from the entrance. *Fwoo~* A cool breeze of fresh air entered the room while the marines sat in solemn silence. "Garp, Basara," a deep voice bellowed. "One of you better tell me why there was a damn mountain in my office!" Naturally, the one who spoke was Fleet Admiral Kong. The Admiral in question sat in silence. The other man, however, wasn''t in the same dull mood. "Bwahahaha!" a boisterous laugh broke apart the seriousness. "Kong-san, don''t get so angry, these things happen now and then!" Garp was munching on his favourite rice crackers as he, rather rudely, devoured the snacks amongst such prestigious marines. A vein popped in Kong''s forehead, almost as if it was about to burst. "Garp, show some respect to the Fleet Admiral!" The man voicing his annoyance was Garp''s good friend, Sengoku. "These Rocks Pirates are getting far out of hand." It was a different voice, one calmer and softer than Sengoku''s. It came from a muscular man wearing sharp marine attire. Short purple hair alongside a heroic posture. Vice Admiral Zephyr! [Image of Zephyr (in Discord)] . "What is your input, Tsuru?" The Fleet Admiral looked at the woman to his side, she was a beautiful woman with turquoise hair tied in a ponytail. She held the title of Vice Admiral yet she was known not for skills as a fighter, but her brains as a tactician. [Images of Tsuru (in Discord)] The woman squinted her eyes, "We have tried to hide their emergence... but it''s getting more and more difficult. Many Reverie Attendants have shared their impatience with our handling of the situation." She gave out a slight sigh, "The Overlords have already kept our forces stretched, and now the Rocks have grown stronger with the addition of the two demonic rookies." *Flutter* Tsuru placed two bounty posters on the table. "With the big names already under Rocks'' flag, I''m afraid only the crew''s terrible camaraderie can slow them down. At this rate, they will amass a force that can rival the world itself!" "..." Kong exhaled while tapping his finger on the table. Sengoku then chimed in, "With the intel from CP-1 about the ''Black Death'' gathering materials to build a ship, we can infer their next moves." Zephyr looked to the side of the Grand Line map and zoomed in on a single island. "The island of shipwrights that was left in the dust, that''s their goal," he chimed in. The intel brought a silent man to speak up. "Send me, I''ll go and destroy that island once and for all," Basara declared. Kong looked at the brown-clothed Admiral and shook his head, "I need you and Sengoku on standby, it seems Borealis is making a move." He then glanced at Zephyr and took something out of his pocket. It was a transponder snail, bright-gold in colour. Kong gave it to Zephyr. "You know what to do." The purple-haired Vice Admiral just sank into his seat without a reply, pocketing the device. Tsuru saw the expression and ignored it, "It seems we need to review the bounties of the Rocks, especially that of the demon-rookies duo." ---------------------------------------------- [The New World, The Ruins of Naufragium Island] The constantly-repaired Rocks ships eventually docked onto the Naufragium Island. The four pirates stepped off and glanced at the island. "Reduced to rubble was an accurate description," Damien muttered. The tiny island was quite ruined. Nothing but cracked earth and broken land. The trees were long dead, and the grass receded, leaving behind a barren land. It was quite obvious that a flourishing population once existed here by the sight of the ruined and revenge buildings and homes. The overgrown moss and vines were the only colours left in this place. . ''The nature here is void of colour and life,'' Damien thought as he felt the silence of the Voice of all Living Things. "Looks like the tavern has some life," Whitebeard said, though he was already walking towards it from the start. Kaido joined in as the two went into the pub. Shakky poked Damien in the ribs, "Don''t even think of bailing on me, you''re coming with me to find this Hammer fellow." She dragged the rookie pirate towards the ruined town for the shipmaker in question. бн [A While Later] "This should be it," Shakky announced. The two were standing before a broken-down house with pieces of the walls missing. A small well and ruined fences nearby. "At least the grass here has some life," Damien said. [Image of the House (in Discord)] . The pirate duo walked ahead and towards the door. *Creak* Damien had locked onto the man''s presence for a while now. He was seated on a barrel by the front yard, gazing at the sky. With a size of around 12 feet (3.66 m), a burly figure with muscles. Damien asked: "Are you Quentin Hammer?" The man looked down with a stern expression. "Depends who''s asking." "We''re asking." "Who''s we?" "Depends who''s asking." "I''m asking." "Who are you?" "Depends who''s asking." "We''re asking." "Who''s we?" "Depends who''s aski-" Shakky broke the loop with a single word, "Rocks." The man narrowed his eyes on the pirates, taking a strong puff of his cigar. "You''ve got the right guy." Damien shrugged at Shakky, "He would''ve given in soon either way." The woman rolled her eyes and then glanced at the man. The dark-skinned man had a wild look. Overgrown beard and hair that linked together to give a rather feral look. His forehead was popping with veins from madness. He breathed out clouds of smoke through his nose, revelling in the cigar''s taste. ''He''s missing a few screws.'' [Image of Quentin Hammer (in Discord)] . "You got the stuff?" Shakky eyed the man''s crazed eyes and slowly nodded. *Bang* *Bang* *Bang* Her pistol fired as a small thrice a triangular portal-like construct appeared in the ground. *Plop* Soon, a handful of giant logs of thick wood shot out. Alongside a rain of crimson ore, separated into large blocks and set in neat rows. Hammer slowly walked ahead and eyed the goods. "Adam''s Oak, nice stuffбн" His eyes then locked on the blood-red ore. "This is-!" *Gulp* An unconscious reflex from the shipbuilder resounded as he touched the ore with his blistered and scarred hands. The previous weariness was instantly replaced with delight: "Oh, it''s beautiful!" Shakky saw the man grab the ore as if it could grow legs and run away from him and rolled her eyes. "Ahem," she audibly cleared her throat, drawing the man''s attention. "Can you make do with this? I don''t want to come all the way here on a man''s delusion." Hammer looked at the woman and squinted his eyes. "Hamu-Hamu-Hamu!" he broke out in a laugh. "You''re not wrong to call it my delusion, but that was before the tragedy of this island." Hammer shook his head and elaborated, "You see, I was once a young lad with dreams to make a ship that would conquer the seas!" The man''s crazed eyes soon grow melancholy in nostalgia. "But it fell apart; I couldn''t make the final leap to conquer this chaotic sea. I grew old and tired, so I departed all my knowledge to the new generation, my son who I picked up from the sea!" "We father and son were happyбн" Hammer''s eyes returned to their frenzy state, almost glowing red in anger. "But they came, the Celestial Dragons! They wanted a ship fit for a God!" Boom! Hammer''s fist crashed onto the ground, enough to draw blood. "I rejected them and directed them elsewhere, but they didn''t even hear me out." "Those bubbled-headed scum, they ordered the dogs of Cipher Pol to take my 7-year-kid as a slave and dragged him away!" Fury flashed by Hammer''s face as he spat out, "My punishment was what followed: they set an Island Bounty! The next morning everything was in ruins! My entire life''s work was ripped apart over a single night!" The giant man fell to his knees in a moment of weakness. "My hate for them has built up for decades, I''m old now, my son is probably long dead, and now I only have one purpose: I want to see the World Government burn!" The manic expression mixed with the maddened eyes left Hammer a broken man yet his words carried an air of determination. . Damien heard the soliloquy and felt a hint of pity. Shakky continued to smoke while questioning, "You want to bet that Captain Rocks will fulfil your purpose?" Hammer looked up and nodded. "Yes, if I have to make a deal with the devil then so be it. I will do what he wants, I''ll make him a titan of a ship to conquer these seas and bring hell to the World Nobles!" Damien still had some doubt, "You couldn''t make it then, how can you make it now?" Hammer stood up. His eyes now shining bright in lost hope and maniacal. A pulse of pressure soon rippled out of the broken man in grey-coloured waves. The mad shipwright balled his fists so hard that it began to draw blood. An insane grin spread across his face: "Because now I can put my life on the line for it!" "..." Damien and Shakky both felt the booming presence of the shipbuilder who had fallen from grace. A few crows on the nearby dead trees had fallen to the ground, unconscious. Shakky eventually nodded, "Very well then." To Be Continuedбн Chapter 23: Birth of a Titan [A Week Later] "Pirates catch a marine patrol fleet by surprise; thousands dead." Damien rolled his eyes at the headlines and skimmed through the report. The name of the Rocks Pirates was once again not mentioned, rather it was more focused on the marine genocide headed by the four evil pirates. -----< WANTED >----- < KAIDO > < ''Hundred-Beast'' > < ?? 350,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > -----< WANTED >----- < EINAR?D?DAMIEN > < ''Sin Incarnate'' > < ?? 420,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > -----< WANTED >----- < SHAKUYAKU > < ''Black Death'' > < ?? 700,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > -----< WANTED >----- < EDWARD?NEWGATE > < ''Whitebeard'' > < ?? 1,846,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ---------------------------- "Nearly two billion on Whitebeard, the number is probably lower due to his neutral nature, at least compared to the others in the Rocks Pirates," Damien surmised. "But this news cover-up is a little too blatant, not even mentioning the presence of an Admiral, rather annoying." Damien''s eyes soon shone with a different light, a curious one. {Come to me.} The voice echoed through the calm seas as Damien sat at the edge of the worn-down island. *Squack* *Chirp* *Creet-Creet* One by one, tens, hundreds, thousands of birds and other flying mammals descended, flying around the young pirate in a tornado of multiple colours. Some sat on his shoulders, some on his head, while the others chirped in a musical spectacle. {Spread out through the Grand Line and look for the headquarters of the World News Agency.} *Squack* *Chirp* *Creet-Creet* The birds sang in agreement as they burst out in every direction, some heading further into the New World while many back towards the Red Line. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Operation Nexus] [ Find the World News Agency Main Base - ?] [ Find Replacement President - ?] [ Bring the replacement under control - ?] [ Have the Agency exit the World Government''s Grasp - ?] [Time Limit - 1486] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< The first goal was to find the HQ of the News Agency. As for finding a replacement head for him to control, that may take some time. ''There are some news-focused islands I read about, I''ll have to pay a visit there and see if I can find someone worthy,'' Damien thought. He then gazed up at the sun; it was noon, also the time for when the ship was to be completed. бн Damien saw some familiar faces as he arrived at the old man''s decrepit house. He had used the port by his home to build the ship''s frame and drop it into the shallow water to finish construction. As of now, there was a ginormous ship that eclipsed over the entire area. Dozens of meters tall. It was covered with a dull-brown cloth that for some reason came in such absurd sizes. Perhaps shipwrights had a thing for carrying ship-sized cloths around. The crazy thing was that Hammer had built the entire ship alone, seven days to build his best creation. . "He looks like he hasn''t slept since we handed him the materials," Damien said as he stood side-by-side with the three other pirates. Shakky sighed, "That''s because he hasn''t, what a crazy guy." Hammer''s eyes were bright red and his eyebags had bags. The man''s face was slicked in sweat yet his droopy eyes shone bright. "Hamu-Hamu-Hamu! She''s ready, I''ve done it!" he roared. He then yeeted the entire cloth off with a single motion, revealing the beauty hidden under the veil. Whitebeard stepped up and saw the encased ship, "It''s almost twice as big as a marine battleship." Shakky nodded with some surprise. The ship was more magnificent than she imagined. Damien also heard the comparison and could confirm. A marine battleship is around the size of an Ancient Giant such as Little Oars Jr. That is, around 60 meters tall (~200 feet). This ship was a little under twice as large, at around 100 meters in height (328 feet). [A/N: For the Americans: 100 meters is equivalent to the Statue of Liberty with Kaido standing on top of it.] The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. The mighty vessel had two main masts, with 2-3 sails each. The front of the ship had a W-shaped frame with a giant skull at the helm. A large structure sat at the center-back of the ship, capable of housing thousands of men. The main decoration of the golden-framed ship was the lowest sail at the front: it was black in colour, unlike the other white ones. It read a single word in large font: [ R O C K S ] With a red, flaming skull in place of the ''O.'' [Image of the Ship (in Discord)] . Kaido also raised an eyebrow at the ship created with the grandiose materials. Hammer cleared his throat and began to introduce the vessel. "The ship''s frame is naturally made of the Adam''s Oak, tough and strong enough to hold up a mountain." He continued, "I lined the entire ship with a thin sheet of the Eternal Ore, this should allow any small point of force to be equally distributed to the entire ship, leaving absolutely no weak points. It is solid enough to conquer this turbulent sea!" Hammer''s eyes shone with tears, "The ship is my finest creation!" The man fell to his knees due to both fatigue and joy. "I-I did it, my son, I did itбн" "Does it have a name?" Damien asked the weeping man. Hammer looked up and slowly shook his head. This prompted the pirates to give their thoughts. Shakky: "Mighty Ship-chan." Kaido: "World Killer." Whitebeard: "Shamu." Hammer froze for a second, though he didn''t want to interfere with the naming ceremony, he still felt that his creation deserved a fitting name. Damien sighed at his fellow companions'' naming sense. He tapped his chin with some thought and concluded, "Since it''s a vessel born to be a titan amongst ships, why don''t we go withбн" "The Titanic." The pirates slowly nodded their heads in unison. "The Titanic," Hammer reiterated with a dazed expression. "Yes, that speaks to me! The Titanic is born!" Shakky saw the satisfied Hammer and could only break the joyful moment. "Hammer, you should know what is to come once we set sail this ship." The words caused the shipbuilder to reply with a small chuckle. "Hamu-Hamu-Hamu! I have long accepted my fate from creating this ship, I regret nothing!" He stood up with resolve, "I can die fulfilled." Shakky nodded at his words and walked into the ship to familiarize herself with the steering. Whitebeard and Kaido went to bring the supplies to the ship, leaving Hammer and Damien behind. "Damien-lad, I have a favour to ask of you." The pirate in question looked up at the towering Hammer and saw signs of lost hope. "My son, Quentin Kraft, if you ever meet him in some miracle, can you just tell him that his pops did it? He built a ship that can carry the world!" Damien saw the burning gaze of the shipbuilder. The flame that was suppressed into a lost spark over decades of pain rekindled once again. "You have my word," Damien agreed. The old man gave a short sigh of relief, his body swallowed by fatigue as he fell to his knees once more. The desperate grip on life to die without regret had finally amounted to something. "Don''t worry, I''ll make sure the world knows of your craft." Damien then walked up the ramp and into the ship''s quarters, leaving the lone shipbuilder. Hammer remained seated, watching the virgin Titanic set sail for the first time. ... Many hours passed. The Titanic was long gone; the sun had set and night had arrived. Hammer remained seated by the edge of the island, smoking a cigar. A satisfied and content look on his face. *Vvooo!* An ominous breeze whistled past the weathered shipbuilder. Sending a chill down his spine. A long line of warships on the far horizon. Ten of them. They came like a wave of destruction, extinguishing any hopes of survival. The bright lamps hung from the battalion of battleships lit up the dark seas, creating a disastrous sight. A powerful and indomitable aura surrounding their arrival. Thud! A dark shadow fell behind the seated shipbuilder. A marine. Purple hair, muscular build, powerful. Hammer didn''t even flinch as he softly spoke up, "Zephyr, been a while." The Vice Admiral gave a short sigh and stood behind the man. "Hammer, it seems you''ve made your choice." The shipbuilder gazed at the marine, "You came all the way here to lecture me?" Zephyr shut his eyes. "I was the one in charge of escorting the Celestial Dragons who did this to your island, I shouldn''t have let it happen." Hammer broke out into a laugh. "Hamu-Hamu-Hamu!" "Zephyr, you''re a good guy amongst the top dogs of the Marines. You helped many of our residents out before the bounty hunters arrived, you don''t owe me anything." The marine shook his head slightly with an inexplicable expression and took out a transponder snail. Hammer saw the device and paid it no mind. "Zephyr, can you at least tell if he''s still alive?" The purple-haired marine glanced at the longing expression on the lone shipbuilder and slowly nodded. Hammer just smirked and returned his gaze to the battalion of ships, almost as if welcoming the cold embrace of death. "Was that ship worth it?" Zephyr asked. The old shipbuilder gave out a crazed grin, "That ship will be the spark that will light the fire that will burn the World Government down!" "бн" "Farewell, Hammer." Zephyr soon jumped into the sky and landed at the leading warship. He put the golden snail before himself, its brilliance was quite the contrast to the hell it wrought. Darkness had entirely hidden Zephyr''s face as he gave a single order in a robotic voice, "Commence the Buster Call." ---------------------------------------------- [A Day Later] "The news is out, Naufragium Island was destroyed by pirates and will be removed from any future maps henceforth," Shakky broke the news while bringing out lunch. The pirates were in the main hall of the Titanic. Whitebeard didn''t pay it much mind, after all, Hammer was content with this fate and it would be dishonourable to pity him. Damien leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling. ''A Buster Call, a single order that will decide an island''s fate within moments.'' He then resumed eating the copious amounts of food laid on the table. Shakky also sat down on the rather new and shiny chair. They too, were made of Adam''s Oak. "We will arrive at Hachinosu in three days," she stated. Kaido, who was busy devouring meat like a vacuum, seemed excited, "I wonder if the captain will declare war right away. WORORORO! I can''t wait!" Whitebeard took a mouthful of meat and sakиж, rolling his eyes at the battle-crazy ogre. ---------------------------------------------- [Four Days later] Damien now stood at the front deck of the Titanic. The towering Whitebeard was also present. The man slurped down his sakиж as Damien spoke up: "Tell me more about the crew, Newgate-san." *Gurrup* "That bastard Golden Lion Shiki who''s always flying around like an annoying fly, throwing islands down," the pirate began. "The crazy woman Linlin is always going off about eating while popping out a dozen brats." "The wily, two-faced fox Captain John. Always scrounging for treasure and looting every village and island in his path." "Nothing more than a collection of scum standing under each of them and their ships." He took another heavy sip of his drink. "As for Captain Rocks? Let''s just say he''s a monster amongst monsters." Newgate sighed at the memory of Xebec who came to mind. "Rocks rules through fear and absolute strength, even with the other bad names under his flag, most of which are Conquerors Haki users. The fear he spreads has led practically everyone to call him by his surname, rather than as Xebec." "Gurarara, a crazy guy." Whitebeard soon finished his sakиж and gave out a sigh. "Only breath of fresh air is from leaving that vile island, this is the most enjoyable journey I''ve had in a while." The two then looked at the horizon and saw an island. It had a giant skull-shaped mountain at its core. Also called the ''Pirate Paradise'' of Hachinosu! The name translated to "Beehive" and explained the bee-like nature of the landmass: a single enemy ship and the pirates on the land would rush out like bees to obliterate them. [Image of Hachinosu (in Discord)] "We''re here, get ready, Rocks will probably want to meet you," Whitebeard announced as he walked back onto the ship. ---------------------------------------------- [Hachinosu, New World] The island reeked. A mix of blood, alcohol, sex, trash, and smoke. A few corpses lined up through the streets of the pirate island, some fresh, some old. Small fights and skirmishes broke out here and there as more and more pirates fell. Some lost limbs, some their lives. It was every man for himself. As long as there wasn''t a riot, the top dogs could care less. "What''d you say about my mother?" The burly pirate was smashing the face of another Rocks pirate with a shovel, a disfigured body left behind. He kept pounding the corpse, the blood pooling out and splashing onto the killer''s face. Boom! A fire suddenly blazed on the opposite side of the street. A group of pirates grinned and laughed musically as they tossed flaming bottles of Molotov cocktails. They revelled in the screams that followed. "Move along, brats, it''s just a little flame." This voice belonged to a tall and lanky pirate as he pulled on a chain. It was linked to the necks of six fearful children, yanking them like slaves. Suffice to say, this was a place for the absolute worst of the worst the world could offer. Even as a fellow crewmate, your fate was unknown. A ''friend'' of one day may become your killer. The newer pirates had to sleep with one eye open. It was the den of scum, Hachinosu. бн "Oye, there''s a ship coming~!" a drunk voice bellowed near the terribly managed port. The island was naturally surrounded by dozens of pirate ships, an enemy coming here would be met with a hail of firepower. "Stand down, the ship has our flag!" "Even better, fire away!" The crazy man was soon met with a blade and his head fell to the ground under a fountain of blood. "Let them in." The nearby tens of pirates had a change in expression. Some with fear, some with craze, some with anger, some with excitement. "What a gorgeous ship, is this what the Shakky-sama went to get?" "One of the Division Commanders went too, Whitebeard!" "And the latest news, it seems they also brought back some super-rookie!" "It was that monstrous Kaido a year ago, now it''s someone even worse? Great!" "I wonder what his blood tastes like?" Alas, the newly-born Titanic docked, dropping its anchors to the sea floor. The platform was soon connected by some fodders as the four pirates stepped off. Damien took in the gloomy and horrid atmosphere of the island. A small grin across his face, ''Time to meet the man who struck such fear in the Government that they had to erase him from history!'' To Be Continuedбн Chapter 24: Ambition The crowd began to build up at the docks of Hachinosu. Pirates of various intentions stood and watched with intrigue. However, they did subconsciously clear the way for the newly arrived to walk through. Their boots dug into the soil that had turned red from being bathed in blood. A haze covered much of the island. Many eyes were glued onto the young Damien. Some gazed at him with curiosity. Provocation. Fear. Intimidation. Lust? The walk went quickly, the relaxed Whitebeard seemed to lead Damien towards Skull Rock. Kaido had already disappeared to a pub elsewhere. "I was gone a few months and so many rats have flooded this place," Shakky commented as she felt the distant gazes of malintent. "They won''t last long anyways," Whitebeard offhandedly said. The three walked ahead, making their way through the sea of scum, eventually reaching the very front of the Skull Rock, the place where the Captain resided. "Good luck, Damien-chan," Shakky said while reaching up to pat his shoulder. Whitebeard nodded to him and went off to his own devices. . The Sin Incarnate alone looked up at the mountain-sized structure where the big boss supposedly was to be found. Though the sky was bright and the wind was calm, Damien felt a tense environment built of the woe of the many, all concentrated in the structure before him. However, his attention was captured by a mob of pirates that had gathered. "The fresh meat is here." They were mostly quips by the more battle-hardened veteran pirates. The ones who actually survived since perhaps the dawn of the Rocks Crew, were not an easy feat. A large, burly man of 15 feet (4.57 m) in height walked up to the unmoving Damien. "I heard a new monster rookie was brought in," he said in a condescending tone. "You don''t look all that tough to me." Damien gazed up at the larger, hairy pirate. ''Guess I need to prove myself before thinking of walking into the den of scum,'' Damien thought. He also felt a few other dozen pirates enclosing around him, not too obviously, but rather as if they were predators stalking their prey. A moment of weakness would send all of them at him like wild dogs. The pirate at the forefront seemed to take the moment of silence as a slap in the face, choosing to swing his equally large fist at the recruit. "I got a bounty of 119 million on me, let me see what you got, rookie!" His fist raged on under the combined gazes of hundreds of onlookers. Damien remained unmoved as the fist crashed upon his head. *Crack* The sound of a broken bone was expected, just not from the one it originated from. The pirate who had attacked had a flash of pain swamped through his face. "Augh, my arm!" he cried out from the aching pain. The tall pirate glanced at his forearm bone that had torn through and out of his elbow and was sticking out, all the while his knuckle had severely deformed. *Drip* *Drop* The blood dribbled onto the dirt floor as the man fell to his knees in trepidation. *Woosh!* Damien''s hand quickly shot forth and grabbed the injured man by his broken arm. "I won''t go down so eas-" The vice-like grip of the ''rookie'' sent pulsating pain down the man''s body, shutting him up and granting Damien the stage he needed to finish the act. With a quick show of force, he snapped the arm and drove the protruding elbow into the towering pirate''s throat, lodging it through the carotid artery. *Gurgle* Damien stared the man down as he fell into the cold grasp of death; suffocating on his own blood to arrive at his end. "..." the tension nearby skyrocketed, followed by silence. Damien cast a glance nearby and saw the eyes of the onlookers. Some were fearful, many respectful, but quite a few others were grinning like crazed fiends. *Step* *Step* *Step* The monster rookie paid no mind as he walked forward and into the gates of Skull Rock for his date with death. As expected, there were no more obstacles in his path. However, some distant gazes did lock onto his actions, many were eagerly waiting for what condition Damien was going to exit in. бн *Pitter Patter* Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! The staircase leading to the very top of the structure was of a spiral kind. Droplets of black water and blood dripped occasionally, adding an eerie echo throughout the way up. The stench of various odours seemed to be trapped in the rotten wood and mossy stones. бн [Five Minutes Later] Damien was soon faced with a cracked signpost that hung above the wooden doors under the dull light that fell through a cracked window. It read three words written in dried blood by a lost soul: "God ends here." The young pirate turned his attention away from the olden sign and onto the doors. There wasn''t anything special about them, rather it was the eerie feeling that escaped from under the gap beneath them. Damien took a deep breath and walked in. *Creak* Darkness. One couldn''t even make out the dimensions of the room as the edges were all swamped in cold darkness. A heavy atmosphere of depression and despair was all that remained. A sliver of light from yet another cracked and aged window allowed Damien to make out a chair in the far back of the chamber. [Image (in Discord)] A man seated upon it, a barrel of aromatic sakиж in hand. "..." The person wasn''t that massive and seemed to be a little bit taller than Damien himself. He was slumped over his throne-like seat, watching the rookie pirate before him in deep intrigue. Damien felt the gaze, the fury-laden eyes shining through the blanket of darkness. The seat soon creaked due to age as the man slowly leaned forward, his head coming within view. He donned a dark coat draped over his shoulders. The man had darkish hair in an unruly mass, with locks sticking out unevenly behind his head, in every direction. A wild, scarred appearance with crazed eyes. A feral grin plastered to his face. [Images (in Discord)] "!!!" Damien took a masked breath as he felt the man''s aura. His Observation was flaring like an alarm, alerting him of a grievous threat. "Xahahaha!" It was a wild and manic laugh. One greatly amplified by the dark cavernous feel of the entire room. The hoarse voice came once again, "You know of me, brat?" Damien heard the interest in the tone of the man and replied with a firm voice, "Rocks D. Xebec, the man who wants to be the ''King of the World''." The words evoked another manic laugh from Rocks, "Xahahaha!" His wide grin stretched further as he gulped down a few more liters of his sakиж. . "Your ears seem very sharp, kid," he slowly stated. "You can hear it, can''t you?" The words caused Damien''s eyes to slightly widen, though he was just as quick to calm himself down. The Sin Incarnate was about to ask a question but it seemed as if Rocks had long predicted it. "You can hear their voicesбн," Xebec muttered. However, the pirate''s voice soon turned venomous as he spat out, "бнI can hear their screams!" Boom! Xebec''s eyes burst out with an overpowering momentum as it filled the edges of the rooms. The pressure seemed to reach far beyond Skull Rock as the skies above Hachinosu darkened into an abrupt storm. A thick, black, bubble encapsulating the entire Pirate Paradise. Rain fell as the endless torrent of Haki pressed upon the island itself. Cracks spread through the room as Damien felt the weight of the world pressing on his shoulders. He had felt Conqueror''s Haki before, even from Whitebeard. But this was different. Rocks'' Haki was not simply imposing one''s dominance over the other, but quite literally attacking their mind and sanity, tearing it to shreds. *Rumble* Black lightning crackled through the dark skies as the rain fell. The pirates below began to panic as many of them collapsed in moments, only leaving a few veterans standing. Shakky, who was in her zone, looked up at the tempestuous weather with worry. She knew what was to come, simply hoping things played out well for the bold young pirate. *Crack* Damien, who bore the brunt of the Haki, felt his knees creak and tremble under the bone-rattling weight. He once again heard the man''s hoarse voice, "Now what will you do? You may be a D., and even hear the voice of the world, but you need more than that to hold up in front of me, boy." The words echoed in Damien''s mind as thoughts began to fall apart. A simple, unyielding spirit began to build up in his mind. His vision began to darken, his body overcome with the great and surmounting pressure. ''Can''t fall now, I''ve just begun!'' The desperation that had been built up from the moment of Damien''s first step in the path to power, from the time of his mother''s death to the time he first set onto the sea. It began to fight back against Rocks'' unforgiving might. The unyielding spirit rushed out. BOOM! Black lightning began to rain down as it tore apart the very room they clashed in. Rocks'' black Haki was slowly forced back, to a degree, by Damien''s very own spirit. The dark red bubble spanned out in an unyielding fashion. "Haaah, huuuh..." Deep and bated breaths echoed through the broken chamber as Damien stabilized himself, his crimson eyes locking onto Rocks lacking any fear. "Xahahaha!" The look of intrigue further spread through the menacing pirate''s eyes as he said, "Yes, those sharp eyes are what you need!" Damien soon felt the man''s voice grow dark and deep, no longer playful. "Remember this, brat," he said. "In the darkness of this era to come, only ambition can guide you!" The Haki struggle concluded as the rays of sunlight once again returned to the Paradise Island of Hachinosu. . The words reverberated in the young pirate''s mind, ''Ambitionбн'' Xebec grinned, "You''re unlike Kaido, unlike any of the rest, I like you, kid. Try not to die too soon." The words were a clear: "You can leave now." Damien exhaled a heavy breath as he walked out from Hell''s Gate. No one knew exactly what was in the Sin Incarnate''s mind, but he certainly had a sharper outlook on the world than earlier. Rocks returned to his drink, a quick thought escaping his lips, "Einar D. Ares, the man lost in time, let me see how far your brat can goбн" ---------------------------------------------- [Marineford] "Is it done?" A marine stood before the Fleet Admiral''s seat and nodded, "Naufragium Island has sunk." Kong nodded at the report from the Rear Admiral. "How''s Zephyr?" The Rear Admiral seemed a little hesitant, "He hasn''t said anything against the Buster Call." The Fleet Admiral replied with another nod as if expecting the result. "Send him orders to report to Paradise for now." The marine accepted the order and scurried off. . Kong turned his attention to the woman in his office, seated by the side. It was Vice Admiral Tsuru. "Kong-san, Asahi''s top sources just got the news that the monster rookie has reached Hachinosu and passed Rocks'' test." The head of the Marines could only give an annoyed sigh. "Another problem to add to the mountain of problems." Tsuru took a sip of her tea and commented, "Even Cipher Pol has great trouble in driving in spies to any meaningful positions of the Rocks Pirates, ''Black Death'' Shakky is quite good at weeding them out." Kong just waved his hand, "As long as we know their general position, all is well." He then switched the subject, "Any news on the other top guns of the Rocks?" Tsuru nodded and gave a concise reply: "The Golden Lion''s location is unknown while the Evil Spirit is waging a war on some dessert Kingdom in the New World. Captain John had recently robbed a Heavenly Tribute Ship." Kong massaged his temples in response to the news. "These pirates really can''t give me a second to rest..." Another sigh escaped the Fleet Admiral''s lips. "Have our troops ready for war, I feel as if a storm is brewingбн" ---------------------------------------------- ''How warm,'' Damien thought as he felt the sun on his skin. The inside of Skull Rock was truly something beyond one''s imagination. The awakened pirate peered outside and saw the hundreds of unconscious pirates; nothing unexpected. Seeing Damien walk out without a scratch was enough to drive fear and respect into the gazes of these scum. The dark-haired pirate paid them no mind. He felt something new. He felt reborn. Evolved. His mind was clearer than it had ever been before. The exchange with Rocks had opened a new door in his mind, his spirit felt more free than ever. And the notification in his mind confirmed his thought. [Conqueror''s Haki mastery has reached the Intermediate Stage.] A thin smile spread across Damien''s face as he walked on ahead through the island of scum, breathing in its miserable air. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 25: A Storm to Come [Four Months Later] Even over the previous months, the state of Hachinosu remained chaotic. New pirates arrived almost daily and a significant number died. The seas near the island were littered with corpses, if anything, it did well to keep the Sea King population well-fed. Naturally, in turn, the Sea Kings did well to keep Hachinosu just as well-fed. A graceful and healthy symbiosis. As for how the pirates lived, it was mainly through respect and power. Damien was able to obtain a more distant and uncrowned area as his residence, not that he was overly fond of living in such a place. It was a three-story house made with old and rickety wood. From a distance, it was gloomy and decrepit; lacking life and spirit. [Residence Image (in Discord)] . Damien was currently leaning on the railing, overseeing the yard below. He had grown a bit taller, he was around ten and a half feet (3.2 m). A sky-blue bird seated comfortably on his wrist, relaying information in tweets and chirps. "So though the Headquarters of the World News Agency is well hidden, there''s been a lot of mention of it at Nижa Island," Damien muttered. Nижa Island, aka the ''News Capital of the Grand Line.'' It was where aspiring journalists were born and bred. "It''s a good lead; tail anyone soul who even mentions the Agency," he ordered the bird. Damien sent the bird away, spreading his words to all the latter''s feathery friends. *Whizz* Soon a black shadow appeared in Damien''s outside yard, directly below his balcony. "Shakky-sama has asked for you immediately." Supposedly Shakky had some trained personnel that were used for one of two things: taking out spies or calling on others to attend Rocks'' musings. "Let''s go, then." ---------------------------------------------- [Skull Rock, Hachinosu] "Shakky-nee, Newgate-san, you''re both here," Damien greeted. An annoyed Kaido also sat at the side. The two had both been in a handful of battles in the past few months. None of which the future Emperor could emerge victorious. And yet this had fuelled his desire to attain strength. Damien was surprised by the pirate''s growth, it was on par with shounen-protagonist levels! *Puff* Shakky sat on a high chair in the cold and dark room. A few rats scurried on by while the pirates remained in wait, a stench of death and misery surrounding them. "..." Though there was no real sound, Damien could have sworn that he heard whispers of lost souls echoing in his ears. *Creak* The beaten doors gave out a groan as they were roughly pushed open. A wild and savage man walked in as if he owned the place, embedded with the foul smell of death and the eyes of a predator. Rocks scanned the room with his sharp eyes, a small grin appearing on his scarred face. "Xahaha!" he cackled. "Shakuyaku, read the news you told me about." These words drew the attention of the rather tiny-looking woman as she placed a newspaper in front of herself. She cleared her throat and began to speak. "An Overlord of the Sea has declared an auction in two weeks, and invited the greatest powers of the New World to his turf." She continued, "Alongside the treasures is one of the Twelve Supreme Grade Blades иC Molten Blade'' Mokushiroku." The words caused a ripple of emotion to show on the captain''s face. It was beyond excitement, simply greed; a pirate''s greed. It was not a simple ''I want it,'' more like, ''it''s already mine.'' . The grin stretched on Rocks'' face as he let out a dull laugh. "I''ve been meaning to take a nice weapon, and now it comes with the head of an Overlord, Xahahaha!" "Which Overlord is it?" Whitebeard suddenly asked. "Esso Borealis, the user of the Logia-type fruit: the Wind-Wind fruit." The words invoked a tight grip on the table by Whitebeard. To the point which cracks began to form. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. A rare look of anger flashed on the giant pirate''s face. He then gazed at his captain, "Rocks, I have a bone to pick with Borealis, I will cut off his head!" Rocks looked over at the man. A look of mischievous curiosity passed through his eyes as he answered, "Xahaha, Newgate, it''s rare to see you like this. You can do whatever you want as long as I get that sword." Whitebeard gave a slow nod as he calmed down into his seat. . Shakky then spoke up, "The auction will be at his home site of Mora Island, thirty days from now." "Borealis has a small crew of forty personnel, and an extended fleet of around ten thousand," she informed. "Being a user of such a powerful fruit has allowed him to hold his own as an Overlord of the Sea." "Naturally, he is also Awakened." Rocks didn''t seem to care about the power level and Whitebeard was still lost in his thoughts. Kaido was giddy over the war idea as his body was quivering in glee. Rocks eventually gave a simple order, "Round up the men, we''ll set sail in a couple of days." With that said, he went up and walked out. Shakky sighed, knowing all the logistics would fall on her. Damien and Kaido stepped out to their own devices. Newgate was also going to leave, though he turned his attention to the black-haired woman. "Shakky, last I recall your deal with Rocks was five years of service, it should be up now." The woman glanced up and gave a small smile, "Hmmбн I was going to wash my hands from piracy, but I found a reason to stay around a few more years." Newgate raised an eyebrow in return. Shakky chuckled, "I just want to see how far he can go~" ---------------------------------------------- [Yozora Island, Paradise] A young boy, around two years of age, was seen. He sat at the edge of the open railing that overlooked the dark lands below. He had jet-black hair and piercing yellow eyes. Dracule Mihawk, the future Greatest Swordsman of the Seas, was currently reading a piece of paper that flew down a while ago. "Supreme Grade Sword иC Mokushirokuбн" he recited in a soft voice. He then turned his attention to the hedge maze below. Mihawk eyed the silver sword still engraved within the black pedestal at the core of the maze. *Hummmm* The passing winds were constantly cut as they produced a sharp and melodious sound. "Yoru, I''ll let the world witness your strength one day too!" He then clenched his little hands with an unwavering gaze. Mihawk looked far off to the seas, his eyes piercing through the eternal forest, recalling a bold figure from his memories. ---------------------------------------------- [An Island of Great Forests in the New World] A large man sat at the center of a forest. He was wearing rather distinct armour all over his body as the mellow moonlight reflected off the shiny silver metal. The overall design of his full-body armour was silver with golden stripes across his waist and the shield affixed to his right arm. He was currently sharpening his equally large axe as his eyes traced the daily newspaper. "Hmm? Supreme Grade Sword is it?" "My axe has cut down even Great Grade Swords before. I wonder how tough these superior swords areбн" His deep voice sounded out through his armour and carried on through the deadly forest. Though the only thing nearby were thousands upon thousands of bodies of large monsters, basking in their blood. ---------------------------------------------- [At an Island of Snow in the New World] A large and well-built man stood at the bow of a ship. The ship wasn''t overly large but looked quite durable. The sails were red. The frame had gold plating. The jolly roger was proudly printed upon the foresail. "Captain!" a pirate reported. "Look at this, that Borealis is auctioning off a Supreme Sword!" The man whom the pirate was calling had a curved black moustache, a fierce grin, and intense eyes as he gazed at the informant with a surprised face. "Wahahaha!" "That Borealis is selling off one of his treasures?" Another sharp man nearby commented, "Such a precious blade, it sounds like it''ll attract quite a few big names." The captain grinned in return, "It''s been a while since we went on such an adventure, men, set sail!" ---------------------------------------------- [Two Days Later] [Hachinosu] Damien stood beside Shakky on the Titanic, chatting. "If any of those wastes of flesh try to tear apart the ship then I''ll have to send them to feed the Sea Kings," Damien annoyingly said. It was the time when the pirates were due to board the mighty ship. Although the Titanic can hold an enormous amount of force, weight and pressure, it can be disassembled with enough tools. Sabotage wasn''t exactly a rare occurrence in this part of the seas. . "Ufufufu, don''t worry, Damien-chan," Shakky replied. "I will be the first one to shoot some lead into their cranium if they try something like that." Damien nodded, then thought of something else. "Should we expect some of the other Rocks Pirates'' top dogs to join in the war?" Shakky shrugged, "Perhaps, those guys aren''t exactly the best at reporting their statuses. As long as Captain Rocks doesn''t personally call on them, they''re free to do as they please." She then briefed Damien on their confirmed forces, "We have three divisions of five thousand men ready to charge, leaving an equivalent amount to guard Hachinosu. They will be tasked to hold the Borealis Fleet down while you big boys will charge at their main base." She continued, "Borealis has four top dogs that he calls his, ''Cardinal Directions.'' Each with a high bounty and a bad rep to prove it." "Though the Captain said he won''t participate, I wouldn''t put it above him to not break his casual words, if things are too slow or too interesting, he will surely hop in." She glanced at the apprentice pirate and warned, "Not everything will go as expected, be prepared for anything." Damien understood the idea. Though Rocks wanted a sword to play with, he was also a sadistic and bloodthirsty man. Things he found interesting would lead to quite a lot of death and destruction. бн [A While Later] "Shakky-sama," a female attendant reported respectfully, "the pirates are on board their designated ships." "We''ve located around 650 spies." Shakky hummed mischievously, "Oh, nice work, Amber. Let them stay, I was looking for a group of fodders to test the waters of Mora Island." *Bang* She then shot her pistol into the sky, a green flare tracing the bullet. It was an order to all nearby ships to set sail! It was time to begin the purge that would wash away the pirates of the New World! бн The journey was naturally not a matter of hours. More Island was around a week of travel which required a lot of food. Naturally, the pirates had to provide for themselves, with Shakky only cooking for the top guns on board. Damien was currently on the main deck of the Titanic with a pirate larger than life. "Newgate-san," he said. "That Borealis, what connection does he have with you?" Whitebeard glared at Damien, "You''re really blunt, you know that?" He then looked to the horizon of the passing sea and began to speak. "Both Borealis and I hail from the same island: Sphinx Island." Just the thought of their connection made the man visibly angry. "He breathed the same air as us." "He drank the same dirty water as us." "He ate the same rotten food as us." "But he left it behind without a second thought!" The giant pirate''s grasp on his weapon began to tighten as audible crunches resounded. "The Government abandoned us and left us to the pirate''s discretion." The furious Whitebeard went on, "We came together as a people to provide for everyone. Many died so the younger ones could live. Borealis lived off of their lives, but the moment he got his hands on that fruit, he never looked back." The towering pirate then glanced at Damien beside him, "Don''t you think such a man without any moral code should be put down by me?" . Damien felt the waves of fury emanate from Whitebeard. Though he thought it was ironic, "You know, most pirates would disagree with those words, Newgate-san." Such a casual comment dispelled the man''s rage and he broke out into a laugh. "Gurarara! I guess it comes down to what we all treasure in our hearts. I have already set my sights on Borealis," he declared. "Not even Xebec can get in my way of killing him!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 26: Mora Island (I) [Two Weeks Later] [Mora Island, The New World] The merchant-themed island has a very welcoming and pleasant atmosphere. A dense pine forest surrounded the residential areas with a large mountain range etched across the horizon. [Image of Mora Island (in Discord)] The forest stretched through around 80% of the island, forcing only the South End to be habited. A large city built with stone buildings and houses. The ground was stable and well-kept as thousands of merchants ran about. Five different docks were available for the people to enter. Thousands and people, countless pirates, members of the Underworld, and undercover marines were present. The Annual Mora Island Auction sponsored by the Borealis Pirates was about to commence. The main attraction was the grand finale of the Auction, one of the 12 Supreme Grade Swords! Many days had passed since the news of the auctioning of the Molten Blade Mokushiroku. The auction was to commence momentarily. ---------------------------------------------- [Dock Prime] A giant gray-coloured ship pulled into the dock. It had a thick dull frame with blue masts that held together with the blue sails. The foremast had one word printed upon it: [ B O R E A L I S ] The ship stopped as the pirates walked off after dropping the anchors. Fifty or so men slowly flooded out as they cleared the way for the big dogs. Soon, four men of equal height walked down the ramp. Each peaking at 15 feet (4.57 m). And each had a single letter printed on their chest. N. E. W. S. The Four Cardinal Directions of the Borealis Pirates! The odd thing was that they were all identicalбкquadruplets! The only thing that separated them was the letters on their chests and facial hair. Yet even their massive and imposing stature had to open the way for another man to walk through. A look of utter respect was plastered to the four men''s faces. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* Loud clangs sounded out as an older man stepped off. He had tanned skin and an extremely muscular body; veins popped all over as the sheer strength hidden within was prevalent. Sporting gray hair and a large gray beard, although he looked pretty old, no one dared to glance at him with the wrong gaze. He was one of the Three Overlords of the Sea! ''Winds of Revolution'' Esso Borealis! [Image of Esso Borealis (in Discord)] . "Bobobobo, looks like the Auction is going well, North," the Overlord said in a deep voice. "Yes, Borealis-sama," The man with the ''N'' character replied. "It will begin in 20 hours from now. Many have already arrived." Borealis nodded in satisfaction. "Good. This will rack in a lot of berries. Make sure to keep your eyes out for any who make trouble!" he declared. """"Roger!"""" The four infamous pirates all shouted as they moved towards the auction house. ---------------------------------------------- [The Next Noon] "WE NOW BEGIN THE ANNUAL BOREALIS AUCTION!" a booming voice went off. It was at the core of the Auction House, filled to the brim with all kinds of people of various shapes and sizes. The wealthy and noble persons were huddled in the front of the declining room, while the more elusive figures were at the back. "The first item: A rare relic from the lost island of Alchemi dated 150 years ago!" "Starting price, 100 million berries!" "100 million!" "103 million!" "169 million!" ... "The second item: Bath water from the Mermaid Princess from three centuries ago!" "Starting price, 50 million berries!" "55 million!" "61 million!" "99 million!" бн The auction continued for another three hours. "The 69th item: Ten large Adam''s Oak Wood slabs. Enough to create a galleon!" "Starting price: 700 Million Berries!" бн The clock ticked by as the final piece arrived. Two men walked up and stood at the side, guarding the stage: East and West. Both commanders stood tall, ready to fight off any who got in the way. "AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST! WE PRESENT THE GRAND FINALE!" South walked on the stage holding a long black box. There was a table at the center where he placed the treasure. *Click* The locks were opened as the box was unlocked. The audience, nearly five hundred people, all drew in as the pirate pulled out what was within. It was a katana-like blade. The hilt was simple, a red oval that sat before the blade. The grip, however, was quite eye-catching. It was mainly black with red diamonds lining it. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Beyond that, the blade was sheathed with a black scabbard yet it seemed to pulsate in heat every so often as if it was housing a living thing. South looked at the audience and warned, "Beware, this sword is a cursed Inferno blade." He then focused on the blade and took a deep breath before putting his right hand on the grip and his left on the sheath. Shing! The scabbard smoothly slid off as the sword was unleashed. *Vvoo!* A deep cry of blood and heat burst out of the blade, clawing its way to grace all those who were present. The weapon seethed in fury as the air around it began to steam and bubble. Loud gasps went off in the audience as they took in the majesty of the Supreme Sword. The blade was very wild-looking yet it only enhanced its beauty. The blade itself was dark by nature, filled with innumerable cracks all over it as a molten red glow pulsed through the metal. A red aura surrounded the sword as South desperately attempted to wield it. [Image of Mokushiroku (in Discord)] "Ugh!" the Cardinal Direction let out a groan, unable to hold back the weapon. *Swish* The sheath was slid back on as the blade calmed down, impatient to be released once more. Though this itself drew in a wondrous response from the crowd. "What a deadly blade!" "I felt like I was cut in half while sitting all the way over here!" "I almost pissed myself!" Though these fodders were not the target audience of the host. Rather, it was for the more reclusive and mysterious people near the edges of the room who were direly invested in such a weapon. Though suddenly, *BOOM!* A loud bang rang through the auction house as the giant doors were blasted open, bringing in an air of carnage. ---------------------------------------------- [An Hour Ago] Mora Island had a lot of uninhabited lands. But that didn''t mean it wasn''t well-surveilled. Tall outposts and guard towers were spread across the shores with constant monitoring of any movement. "What the hell is that?" A duo watching one side of the island was met by an eerie sight. "That Jolly Rogerбн" Naturally, the coming of a gigantic ship like the Titanic should not go unseen. And yet no reports were made of its arrival until it reached the heart of Borealis'' territory. "W-Why wasn''t this reported!?" "That''s the Rocks'' Flag!" The man grasped the transponder snail in his hand to report. *Krr* *Szz* A static noise came from the snail as it fell unconscious, something was interfering with its signals. "What the hell!" "T-They''re jamming our snails somehow!" бн The atmosphere in the Titanic was entirely opposite. The pirates were like rabid dogs, salivating at the sight of the prosperous Mora Island. Something of everyone''s interest was present at the Overlord''s main base. Whether it was gold, food, booze, women, or even men, the desire to conquer these types of wealth was deeply ingrained in these pirates. "Hugogogo! So much treasure! It''s all min-" *Splatter* The man soon fell into a puddle of blood. He had been stabbed through the heart by his good brother-in-arms. "One less competitor," the killer muttered emotionlessly, wiping the bloody weapon over the corpse of his dear friend. This scene was quite prevalent upon the coming ships. Turning your back on any of their fellow companions would mean certain death; the lack of camaraderie was nothing new. . Shakky saw the chaos and felt nothing. She then gazed at a petite woman by her side. "Your Jammer-Jammer Fruit is as useful as ever, Amber." The Rocks Pirates had long been slaughtering every island in their wake to Mora Island. Yet Borealis didn''t even know that a huge part of his empire was left in shambles. The blood spilt only amplified the pirates nearby. However, the bombastic atmosphere within the den of the greed of scum soon halted. "..." A deafening silence set in as the main doors from the Captain''s Quarters opened up. The feral figure of Rocks waltzed out. A ferocious grin stretched across his maw. With a menacing laugh, he breathed in the fear that fell upon the Titanic, savouring its every drop with his infernal existence. "Xahahaha! Newgate, you''ve been a sharp sword in my hands for a long time now, I''ll give you a chance for your little vengeance." "I will unleash my dogs to chew up this island very soon," he said in a hoarse voice. "You better hurryбн" Whitebeard gazed back at his captain, slowly nodding. He then grabbed his beloved weapon and jumped off the ship. Bang! A strong shock wave rippled through the earth below from the sheer mass of Whitebeard. Rocks then gave out another order, "You two brats go as well, show your worth as apprentices upon my ship." The duo made no argument, opting to leap off the ship and onto the island, following the indomitable Whitebeard. The departure of the trio evoked a heavy cheer from the pirates; they could smell the blood to come. Many had already attacked the outposts nearby to waste, killing all the lookouts. The desire to jump and ravage the Overlord''s island was strong. But one look at the relaxed Rocks who now stood at the helm of the ship stopped them all in their tracks. Rather, they waited for the order and the prosperous Mora Island would be no more. ---------------------------------------------- [Present Time] BOOM! The dust went into a flurry under the ruined doors to the auction hall. The auction attendants could only shrink in their seats and gaze at the intruders. The original joyful atmosphere turned gloomy under the enraged eyes of the Cardinal Directions present. "Who the hell do you think you areбн!" South grumbled with rage. East and West both shot up from their post, not giving the intruders even a second to rest. One took out a scimitar while the other had a two-handed long sword. The dust at the entrance had begun to clear, showing the silhouettes of three figures of varying heights. The largest of the three responded first. *Purrup* An ominous bubbling sound erupted as the mobile pirate reeled in one fist to his side. "You''re in the way, move." The words resounded in the attacking duo as they felt a feeling of dread. The large pirate''s fist soon smashed upon the fabric of space as heart-numbing cracks spread out in all directions! A huge explosion alongside a powerful shock wave erupted onto the pirates. "Ugh!" "Aughh!" Both East and West took on the brunt of an incalculable earthquake as their bodies exploded into pieces of flesh, dyeing the expensive wallpaper with a fresh coat of red. The audience was in disarray, their minds locking them in place in hopes of surviving by not drawing any attention to themselves. The sight of two notorious pirates being ravaged was quite the spectacle. . South also wanted to jump in. However, he was met by a black club and a flaming fist. "Raimei Hakke!" "Fury Road!" The Haki-clad attacks drilled into the core of the pirate, blood spewing out from his gullet as he was shot into the far walls of the auction house. Boom! The deep rumble woke some people up from their bewilderment. "W-What''s going on?" "Three of the Four Cardinal Directions were taken out just like that?" "Those guys are from the Rocks Pirates!" "Rocks!? That crazy group of rabid dogs?" Whitebeard kept walking forward, looking for his target, and that wish was granted. *Fwooo* A powerful wind awakened in the halls as the ruins and debris were swept up by the abrupt tornado. The smell of smoke and dust was swamped away by the howling gust, conveying the anger of its master. Thud! A large man soon appeared, forming his body from the gusts of winds. His large and bulky frame puts fear into the minds of the spectators. "Newgateбн" The deep voice was mixed with great fury and anger. Borealis'' eyes were red from the turn of events, his precious auction had been ruined in his own territory. Whitebeard smirked dangerously while twirling his weapon. "You turned your back on your roots," he said. "They helped you up to your feet and you stabbed them in the back." Borealis scoffed with a dull voice, "Only the strong live in these seas, I cast away my weaknesses, starting with those bunch of losers. They should be proud to die knowing they had something to do with my path to power." . "Howling Winds!" . The older pirate''s arms popped with muscles as torrents of gust gathered around them. The wind cried as it was brought together into the man''s grasp and became one with him. A small tornado wrapped around Borealis'' right arm and twisted the attack forward. It was a stream of chaotic winds, enough to cause mass destruction! *Shatter* An equally destructive force exploded from the opposite side as the air cracked in Whitebeard''s wake. The broken atmosphere exploded into a powerful shock wave that met the coming tornado. It was a clash of natural disasters! бн Safe to say that the auction hall would not hold. The fodders by the side were either ripped apart from the winds and shock or buried in the rubble. A man near the far back was slightly different in the way he reacted to the clash. Instead of fear and panic, he had a wide grin, glancing with an interested gaze and looking upon the pirates present. He was accompanied by a golden-haired man with glasses. "Wahahaha!" the pirate loudly laughed. "The New World is filled with tough guys." His companion just nodded, ready for a sudden battle. But his leader had already moved, leaving the blond man in the wind. "He''s up to no good againбн" бн Damien and Kaido now stood by the center. Many fodder pirates who had rushed to help their Overlord were now left dead. Their fists were dripping with fresh blood. "!!!" Both pairs of eyes were subconsciously pulled to the side. It was from their Observation, alerting them that a great threat had arrived. The dust had yet to settle and only a silhouette was visible. "Yo, little beasts!" The gleeful voice continued, "I''ve heard about the monster rookies on that crazy guy''s ship." "WORORO!" the Hundred-Beast thundered out. "Damien, you feel that guy''s strength? I want to fight him!" Another man soon appeared with a flicker, his golden hair reflected some loose rays of light. "Ah, young pirate, you should know you''re too far from this level," he said while pointing his sword. But he was stopped with a hand placed on his shoulder: "Wait, Rayleigh! Let me try them out!" The bold pirate didn''t wait for a reply as he shot ahead, his hand unsheathing his saber. Kaido grinned, a similar expression also on Damien''s face. Both immediately responded with their attacks to greet the incoming enemy with equal spirit. "Raimei Hakke!" "Fury Road!" "Divine Departure!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 27: Mora Island (II) *Crackle* Kaido''s club thundered with purple lighting as he recklessly shot ahead, not considering any defensive maneuvers. Damien mobilized his devil fruit to spring forth a stream of pulverizing energy, strong and turbulent enough to ignite the air around his attack. "Raimei Hakke!" "Fury Road!" "Divine Departure!" Their attacker simply reeled his arm back and swung his sword in a simple yet powerful diagonal arc. A black slash of sword energy followed and toward the younger duo. The attack was as simple as it could get, yet in its simplicity lay dense Haki and indomitable might that tore through the two incoming pirates. *Grrrr!* The magnificent strike tore and shredded apart all obstacles; Kaido''s club was pushed back as cracks ran through its body. Damien''s left fist was cut open, leaving his hand bones visible. Both their attacks dissolved within moments as their bodies were flung back and carried away to the distance. BOOM! An already creaky wall shattered apart from the rookies who were sent flying, the lone sword slash digging its way into their bodies. Boom! Boom! Boom! They kept bursting through wall after wall, ramming in and out of dozens of separate buildings before finally coming to a stop at the far South of the island. бн Back at the auction hall. The man with a thick mustache stood grinning, his saber was now sheathed. "Roger," the man beside him complained. "You need to learn how to keep your hand sometimes." The boisterous pirate just waved him off. "Wahaha! Those two little monsters won''t take that much damage from that, I just wanted to test out the new fish in the sea." He then gazed towards his far left, his Observation zooming to a single area and sensed great destruction and damage. Earthquakes and tornadoes were being thrown about with care, leaving thousands dead by the side. "Edward Newgate," Rayleigh muttered. "The man who ate the Tremor-Tremor Fruit." "Who do you think will win?" Roger grinned at the question. "Borealis'' reign will end." He then changed his sight to something else. "Oh? Looks like someone dropped the treasured swordбн" [Image of Gol D. Roger (in Discord)] [Image of Silvers Rayleigh (in Discord)] ---------------------------------------------- [Further Out from the Auction Hall] Mora Island was currently in a jam. The constant shaking and turbulent winds had already taken the roofs from the citizens'' homes. The people were looking for underground shelter to survive the tribulations, begging for the gods to grant mercy. Going from a sunny and pleasant day to a hellish armageddon brought them to their weakest point. "W-What''s that?" a tired civilian uttered. He was in a larger group running away from the fight and towards the outskirts of the main city. The man pointed at a huge dust cloud that began to appear from the far forest. The people near him also saw it. "Maybe some runaway animals kicking up dust while fleeing?" "Noбн look! It''s getting closerбн" *Gulp* A terrible thought soon came forth in their minds. And their foreboding thoughts were soon confirmed. They saw men. Hundreds, thousands even. They rushed ahead through the forest, even climbing and stampeding on one another. Weapons and guns were unleashed as they continued their run. Each one of them had a manic expression on their face, their eyes were missing somethingбкhumanity! "R-Run!!!" The sight of the predators approaching kicked an instinct to flee from the people; they ran with all their might but soon were forced to stop. In one direction was the coming tide of bloodthirsty pirates, and in the opposite direction was the battle of natural disasters! Deep fear and despair swamped the lucky survivors, leaving them at the mercy of the Rocks Pirates'' siege. A tragic fate; the story of a weak man''s life. ---------------------------------------------- [Near the Southern Docks] *Ptui* A wad of blood splattered onto the ground. It came from the red-eyed young pirate who was in the process of observing his injuries. Damien glanced at his left arm. The gap between his middle and ring finger was cut through to his wrist, opening his palm in half. Blood flooded out, though the rate of hemorrhaging slowed down fast. Moments later the bleeding stopped, leaving the ripped hand seeming a little alien-like. Most would be terrified as they''d seen it, and yet the following scene is even scarier! Damien''s torn-open hand visibly began to regrow flesh, muscles and tendons as it began to stitch itself back together. The broken bones regrew and remodeled themselves. The dried blood fell to the ground like clay as new and potent blood replaced it. The nerves reattached themselves as the unbelievable sight left a perfectly new hand behind. *Crack* The young pirate stretched his sore body as the impact from the future Pirate King was beyond his expectations. The dense Haki left behind a pulsating pain throughout his body. "Ugh..." Kaido also got up from the side, holding his head. Damien was a little surprised. "Oye, Kaido, did your skin grow thicker?" Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. The giant ogre stood up, his mouth dripping with blood. The right arm was purple and broken, and the treasured club had shattered. "WORORORO!" "You''re not the only one who had grown at Fishman Island, I trained outside their little bubble, it helped make my skin a little tougher!" he proudly proclaimed. Damien blinked. ''This guy used the water pressure of being around 10,000 meters below sea level to thicken his defense?'' Damien shook his head, Kaido was not something you could understand with simple logic. . Kaido soon laughed. "That Roger guy was strong, he isбн" He fixed his arm back into position with a low grunt before finishing his sentence, "...my third-ever loss!" The two sprang up from their injuries which were now healed enough to get back into the fight. "!!!" However, both their Observation senses flared in their mind, diverting their attention to the distant sea. The expected tides from the clash of disasters were nowhere to be seen, rather in its place was something far more frightening. Damien saw dozens of warships sailing toward the island, spanning the horizon with their esoteric might. "Looks like we have company." ---------------------------------------------- [At the Ruins of the Auction Hall] "It''s a nice sword, a little too flashy for my taste though," Roger muttered as he picked up the molten blade. The sword was pulsating with strong heat, almost as if it was offended by the man''s words. "Wahaha! A moody one, this is." Rayleigh sighed at the man''s demeanour, such a treasured blade being toyed around with. The two were standing in a sea of rubble and a thick cloud of dust. A lake of blood had spawned from the collateral damage, showcasing the grave nature of piracy. What was once a majestic auction house had been reduced to dust and debris. Suddenlyбн *Shing!* It was a movement within a fraction of a second; Rayleigh''s saber was unsheathed, shining with thick, black Haki. The eyes of both swordsmen flashed red in Observation, both seemingly looking beyond the current time! And their readiness was valid as a gloomy stench filled the area. The breath of a wild beast descended onto the nearby ruined lands as a black figure dropped from above with a thud. *Rumble* The atmosphere grew despairing, even the grass and trees outside began to wither and die. Roger took a deep breath as he slowly uttered, "Rocks D. Xebec." He then smirked, "Wahahaha! I didn''t think you''d come here personally!" Rayleigh did not share the same interest, his eyes were sharp, ready to attack immediately. Rocks reflected the future Pirate King''s smile. "Xahahahaбн I knew I sensed a powerful figure nearby, looks like today will be more fun than I thought." Roger threw Mokushiroku away and took out his own blade. Yet Rocks just laughed in a heavy voice at the sight of the two swordsmen. Roger narrowed his eyes and gave a quick order, "Rayleigh, there''s someplace else you need to be, go!" The bespeckled man paused for a moment, sighed and took his leave. "Xahahahaha!" Rocks let out an insane laugh as he impatiently shot ahead, his fist dripping with black miasma. Roger responded with a powerful slash, jumping into the abyss of death with open arms. BOOOOM! ---------------------------------------------- [Elsewhere] ''5, 12, 23, 29, 35бн'' "Forty marine ships approaching," Damien counted. "Looks like the Navy isn''t letting this chance go." Not just 40 normal ships, but even 10 Warships that carried a thousand troops each. Kaido cracked his knuckles and announced, "Sengoku the Buddha, Garp the Fist!" In the face of those who led the Marine assault, he laughed. Fortunately for the duo, they weren''t alone as not long after, the ground shook. Three figures landed beside them, drawing their attention away from the incoming armada with their sharp flair. . A dignified man with golden hair, glasses and a goatee. Another man with long black hair and sported sunglasses. He held twin axes in both hands. A 9-foot tall (2.74 m) man wholly encased in silver armour with a shield affixed to his right arm and a silver axe held in his left hand. "You''re here too?" Damien questioned the arrivals. "Hehe, don''t worry, young man," Rayleigh chuckled. "Roger is running wild so I can''t let these marines interrupt my captain, now can I?" "Hehe, Rayleigh, last time Garp got a nice punch in, I guess it''s time we pay him back, no?" the other man said. Damien recognized him as well: ''Scopper Gaban! Another one of Roger''s big guns.'' . The young pirate then curiously looked at the third man who had arrived. "My axe awaits to cut down strong foes. I came to see the might of the sword and was not disappointed," the man said. "I wish to duel the man who can properly wield such a blade." He answered in a smooth voice with no emotions. "You can call meбн Silver Axe." [Image of Silver Axe (in Discord)] "WORORORO! Let us fight!" Kaido roared as he smashed his club into the ground. ---------------------------------------------- [On the Marine Ship] Sengoku had a grim look on his face as he saw the chaos before him. He could easily feel the shockwaves ripple out, the power levels were quite high. "This situation is far worse than we expected. I can perceive at least Four top pirates in battle," he said with a serious tone. "Bwahaha!" Garp laughed from the side, slapping his thigh. "Don''t worry Sengoku, I''ll protect you from the scary pirates!" A throbbing vein was made evident on the Admiral''s forehead as he gnashed his teeth. "Damn you, Garp!" he roared out. "Don''t you see how serious this is? We have brought enough forces for an Overlord but this is far worse than that!" The Vice Admiral looked back at the island and shrugged, "Well, I guess you have a point." He then jammed a finger up his nose and picked on it while waiting for the battle to begin and inspecting the distant enemies. "Hmm, Rayleigh... Gaban... that shine? Silver Axe too?" he raised an eyebrow. "And those two crazy brats from Xebec''s crew! No wonder the seas are so messed up, Bwahaha!" Sengoku, instead, was annoyed. "He''s the one who played me for a fool, even taking the lives of four Celestial Dragonsбн" the Admiral cursed. "The world''s a better place without them," Garp muttered under his breath, scoffing at the slain ''Gods''. "I heard that, Garp! You better not be caught saying such things with Cipher Pol around or they''ll hunt you down!" However, the threat was entirely ignored by the flamboyant Vice Admiral. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* Garp walked to the side, paying no attention to Sengoku, and rolled up his sleeves. A few marines had already prepped the deck with Garp''s favourite weapon as he had a line of cannonballs ready within hand''s reach. They were placed on conveyor belts that kept supplying a lengthy line of cannonballs. Garp picked up a ball in each hand and flashed a grin. . "Genkotsuбн Meteor Swarm!" . *Fwoo!* *Vvoosh!* *Swish!* His arms moved at absurd speeds as he quickly grabbed the balls one by one and launched them without delay. Thousands of cannonballs were thrown like a baseball pitch as they rocketed toward the pirates beyond! The speed itself caused the water below to explode as it followed their momentum. *Fwoo* *Shrrrr* *Shree* Thousands of the thick projectiles were whizzed on forth, filling the clear region with black flashes. Shing! Rayleigh unsheathed his saber and slashed the air a few times, causing arcs of sword energy to fire out and cut apart hundreds of balls in the process. Gaban used his twin axes and used an X-shaped attack, releasing powerful slashes that destroyed the incoming fire. Silver Axe raised his weapon over his shoulder and slashed down. The simple movement caused a white-coloured column of energy to blast out, partially splitting the sea below. Damien raised his left hand and shot out a pulse of Pulverizing Energy, instantly crushing the cannonballs apart to dust. Kaido just stood there as the balls exploded all over his body, leaving behind a few white marks, revelling in the pain of war. . Boom! Bang! Boom! The forty marine ships also began to fire countless other projectiles. Forcing the five pirates to defend from the shore. Chains of explosions lined up Mora Island''s edge, bringing a sight that belonged in a fantasy setting. Yet the five pirates held up their end even under the thick cloud of sand and dust. As of now, the marine advance was only 100 or so meters from the docks and had halted as they used distance over the seas to their advantage. бн [Marine Ship] "Keep firing!" "We have 10 Warships! Even these pirates cannot hold against the might of a Buster Call!" "Vice Admiral Garp and Admiral Sengoku are with us!" "FIRE!" They kept lighting the cannons as they shot hundreds of balls out without delay. "What the hell is that?" a marine whispered. "Holy shit!" another exclaimed. "That ship is a bit too big, no?" . The sight was quite intimidating. Such a massive ship that towered over even their grand Warships. An enemy vessel around a hundred meters in height was now approaching with great speed from behind the marines. It was twice as tall as their warships but the length was way longer than anything they had seen before. Not just the size was frightening to watch, but also the aura of the ship. It had been bathed with the greed and lust of the worst of the worst. The stench had drilled itself into the very wood that held it up. On the other hand, another ship was seen sailing from the left side of the marine armada. It wasn''t that large but seemed quite sturdy, the red sails were quite eye-catching. Both of these ships had words printed upon their foresails: [ R O C K S ] [ GOL ? D ? ROGER ] [Image of the Oro Jackson (in Discord)] Boom! Bang! Boom! Hundreds of cannonballs spitfire from the two ships rained down upon the 40 marine vessels. "Damn it! Switch the target to those ships and reverse their flank!" Sengoku ordered. Forty marine ships vs one Titanic and one Oro Jackson. Unfortunately for the Marines, the enemy was firing from opposite directions, making it quite difficult to hold on; the crossfire was devastating. бн The battle was at a standstill, the other Vice Admirals were able to keep most attacks under control. The Oro Jackson and the Titanic were not even scratched and had tanked the many attacks, their hulls were simply too sturdy! Beyond that, the Titanic had deployed numerous small sailboats that carried dozens of pirates. It was a suicide mission but under the notion of ''first come first serve,'' they opted to go first. Most of these men were crazy and cared little for their lives, gambling on taking down some shaken marines was quite enjoyable for them. And yet a discerning eye could spot at least 2-3 shivering pirates on each of these boats. They were the spies Shakky had found, serving a good purpose as fodders! "Cheh, there is no need to hold back anymore! Sengoku yelled. "Sink them!" And thus a naval battle ensued, blanketing the once-glorious Mora Island in its fog of war. [Image of the Battlefield (in Discord)] To Be Continuedбн Chapter 28: Mora Island (III) "Garp, how long will you sit around for?" Sengoku questioned as he saw the crossfire nail dozens of ships. The solid Warships could hold against such assault but the smaller ships were in grave danger. "Isn''t it cooler for the hero to be a little late?" Garp asked. Sengoku began to visibly fume, much to Garp''s delight. "Hehe, it''s time!" Garp stood at the bow, took off his marine coat and jumped in the air toward the pirate ship. He utilized his mastery over Moonwalk to soar through the skies, rushing to the Oro Jackson. Yet his advent was interrupted momentarily. *FWOOOO* The air was cut as a vertical slash rushed through the atmosphere. Sharp whistles went off from the sheer precision of the attack. Garp paused in the sky, turned around and smashed his fist into the attack. *Bam!* The energy dissipated from the punch, but not before garnering Garp''s attention. The Vice Admiral heard a relaxed voice: "You know I can''t let you do that, Garp. Why don''t we settle accounts elsewhere?" It was the blond swordsman whose saber rested in his hand. "Rayleigh, been a while," Garp chuckled. The Vice Captain of the Roger Pirates whispered to his side, "Gaban, protect the Oro Jackson, I''ll hold Garp down for as long as I can." Gaban soon departed, leaving Rayleigh and Garp at a standstill. The two stared at one another, solemn smiles on both their faces. In an instant following that, both men disappeared and reappeared on the island coast. BOOM! A metallic-black fist collided with a sharp, black sword. The ground cracked as the dance of blades and fists ensued. бн Sengoku shook his head in frustration. Unlike Garp, he was much less free-spirited in his fights. He saw his marines being overwhelmed, even the Vice Admirals could not keep up with the constant fire from the opposite sides. "Both ships are made from treasure wood, the Rocks'' is even more endurable, what a troublesome group." Naturally, being an Admiral, just a rag-tag combination of Pirates would not force him to fear. If anything, he could easily counterattack. Unfortunately, the battleship he was on would not hold his power, and collapse from his sheer weight, thus he had to use other means to fight. "If Rocks and Roger are dueling, it''s best for either ship to fall or flee, that way the other can be taken outбн" *Vvoosh!* He jumped off his ship and toward the Oro Jackson, attempting to take them out all alone. Sengoku knew that the Rocks Pirates weren''t always on the same wavelength either; for every ten cannonballs they shot, at least one Rocks pirate would be either backstabbed or thrown into the marine fire. *Pop* The air popped as the Admiral blasted forward with great momentum, climbing the sky. Howeverбн *Boom!* A black club soon graced his vision, alongside the shadow of a giant pirate. Sengoku was over nine feet tall, and even then, the club rushing to try and blow his face off was twice as large. And yet the attack was effortlessly stopped by Sengoku''s blackened palm. . "Oh damn," Kaido, who had leaped from the island and into the sky, blinked and had lost his momentum, falling onto a Marine ship with a hearty wail. *Whururu* Sengoku had no time to think as a silver axe spun in the air, drawing shiny arcs as it shot toward the Admiral''s chest, aiming for the heart. At the same time, another young pirate appeared, floating in the air 10 meters behind him. A crimson torrent of shredding energy soon rushed toward the marine''s back. . "Utter Ruin." . Sengoku narrowed his eyes. His black fist rushed out and grabbed the axe, halting its motion, the excess energy easily dispelled from the Admiral''s mighty Haki. *Fwwm* Within a second, Sengoku coated the enemy''s weapon with his Armament Haki, turned around, and threw the silver axe at breathtaking speeds. *Skreee* The red whirl of energy was cut in half as the axe spun its way through it. The difference in Haki mastery was apparent as Damien''s attack was sliced apart. Within moments, the axe found itself inches from the Sin Incarnate''s chest. Clang! A dull gong went off as the Haki-clad weapon drilled into the young man''s chest, cutting through his clothes. However, things didn''t proceed as the script demanded. Sengoku''s eyes widened at the sight of Damien grabbing the weapon and yanking it out from his upper chest. *Drip* *Drop* A few droplets of blood fell into the sea far below, but that was it. "What tough skin," Sengoku sighed. "With such talent, why fall into the cesspit of the Rocks Pirates?" Damien smirked, "Who knows, maybe it''s in my blood." Sengoku snorted in return. "You caused me a lot of trouble with what you pulled at Sabaody," Sengoku grumbled. "You know how foolish it is to pull my attention like this?" This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. His question earned a shrug from the bold pirate, "I know I''m no match for you, but I''m not alone." Sengoku glanced at Silver Axe who still stood by the shore. Kaido had hammered his frustration from the earlier failure of the marines on the ship he had crash-landed on, roaring and growling from below. "Very well, I''ll deal with the ships after locking all three of you in chains." *Fwoo* The air howled once more as the Admiral flashed from the sky and onto the shore of Mora Island. His intent to fight on land was clear. . *Thud!* Three shadows arrived around Sengoku, forming a triangle around him. Silver Axe, Kaido, and Damien. Their thick boots dug into the grass below, sinking the atmosphere with tension and a palpable sense of wreckage. "WORORO! An Admiral, great!" Kaido roared out. He had been delivered a fresh Kanabo club from the Titanic''s warehouse, it wasn''t the first time by the looks of it. "..." Sengoku felt the frenzied atmosphere around him but it didn''t faze him whatsoever. Damien exhaled a heavy breath and looked at Kaido and Silver Axe before uttering, "Let''s go to hell together." The words sounded as the battle commenced. Within a second, all three pirates sent out powerful attacks. Silver Axe twirled his weapon around, gathering energy, and rushing ahead. Kaido raised his club. *Crackle* Purple lightning thundered and swarmed the weapon in a violet spectacle. He leaped off the ground, his new club ramming upon the Admiral. Damien rushed in as well, his arm was exploding with Pulverizing energy to the point where it caught ablaze. And just like that, a combined attack from all sides fell and graced the sole enemy. Yet Sengoku just stood there, peering at the coming attacks. The explosive atmosphere created by the triple attack seemed to reach its climax. The axe, club and fist were all but centimeters from crashing into the Admiral until they weren''t. *Vvooo* An ominous breeze whistled through the coastline as the cloudy air that had been filled with dust and debris instantly became a blinding gold. The light shot out from the marine as it began to manifest as powerful shockwaves, drumming out at a steady rate. Silver Axe, Kaido, and Damien''s attacks were all swallowed and dissolved away by the shockwaves rippling out from Sengoku. Beyond that, their bodies were picked up off their feet and into the air, throwing them far away. Boom! Boom! Boom! Each of the three pirates was lodged into the earth under the force, drilling down with great momentum. Sengoku now stood, from nine feet before, to around a towering 20 feet stature (~6 meters), matching Kaido in size. The shockwaves had left the nearby terrain leveled and broken, pushed aside and wrecked by the drumming shockwaves of the transformation. The fabled marine''s entire body was glowing gold, reflecting light everywhere. His chest was open, a marine cloak dawned over his shoulder that too, magically, grew in size. A majestic figure of a deity! бн Soon, movements went off in the recently-made holes. Damien clawed his way out from the depression, gazing at the Admiral. "Human-Human Fruit иC Mythical Model: Buddha," he muttered under his breath. [Image of Sengoku the Buddha (in Discord)] Kaido and Silver Axe had also gotten up, locking onto the marine who resembled a fictional figure. "You would be wise to surrender," Sengoku declared. "..." The pirates remained silent, giving their answer. Sengoku snorted, his hand reeling in as if to attack. . "Impact Wave!" . His hand then slammed into the air right above the three pirates, a huge golden halo reaching and surrounding them all. The bubble glowed bright gold and exploded into a cluster of powerful shockwaves, each building off one another to reach catastrophic levels. [Image of the Attack (in Discord)] The attack rattled the pirates to their very bones. The shockwaves especially are a great counter against those with tougher skin like Kaido and Damien, destroying their bodies from within. *Fwoo* The trio retreated, blood leaking from their lips and noses. ''Those shockwaves hurt just as much as Whitebeard''s earthquakes!'' Damien exclaimed in his heart, stabilizing his motion. . "Raimei Hakke!" . The thunderous attack slammed onto the bulk of Sengoku, who simply responded with a simple punch, throwing Kaido dozens of steps away. Silver Axe twirled his axe around his body, almost as if he was dancing. He began slashing the air: one, six, ten, twenty, nearly two dozen air-cleaving arcs shot out at high speeds. Boom! Bam! Bang! They rained down on the Admiral without mercy. Sengoku''s arm bent up over his chest, eating the attacks with his god-like defence. However, it did give Silver Axe a moment to rush ahead, one he took by slashing at Sengoku''s neck with his weapon. . "Silver Arc!" . A streak of bright silver fell from the sky as the words echoed out. In response, Sengoku reached out and grabbed the axe mid-air, single-handedly holding the pirate up in the sky. The Buddha''s eyes glanced elsewhere as he saw Damien raising his hand toward him. . "Utter Ruin!" . The attack took but a few moments to shoot out, leaving a blazing trail to the sky. "Hmm?" Sengoku thought the attack was going to hit his chest, but his Observation saw something else. The torrent of energy went above and onto the Admiral''s arm. The destructive nature of the attack threw the limb to the side in recoil, letting Silver Axe loose. The armoured pirate took this second opportunity, grabbing his axe and slashing at Sengoku''s neck once more. *Clang!* It was the sound of metal hitting metal. Silver Axe''s eyes hidden in his armour widened. His fabled axe which had cut apart numerous treasured blades was stopped by the enemy''s skin; credited to the incredible durability of Mythical Zoans. . "Impact Wave!" . Silver Axe was in midair, unable to move as the glowing halo surrounded him once more. BOOM! The explosion went off in the sky, dawning the surrounding area with golden brilliance. Sengoku grimaced at the sight, "Cheh!" He saw Damien appear at the last moment and retreat with Silver Axe. "Your mastery over the Rokushiki is both impressive and annoying!" The Sin Incarnate had now reached a decent distance from the man, putting Silver Axe to the side. He immediately took advantage of the range and raised both his arms. . "Abyssal Ruin!" . The combined flow of two currents of pulverizing energy superimposed on one another, obliterating the nearby terrain into dust and debris. The crimson vortex was raging toward the Admiral, scarring the earth in its wake. Sengoku didn''t react much, he just slammed his golden fist into the attack, using his shockwaves to dispel it. Boom! The air shrieked under the collision between pulverizing energy and shockwave as the former began to fall apart. The golden Buddha saw the red energy fizzle away but was surprised by the shadow hidden under its destructive veil. Out of nowhere, Damien had tracked through the earlier stream of energy, using it as a curtain to get close to the Admiral. Sengoku saw the bold pirate ball up his left hand into a fist. The familiar crimson energy once again blazed around and accumulated. "Too slow!" Sengoku, with his combat record, could naturally come out of a pickle even when caught off-guard. However, something else fell upon him. *Krrr!* He felt the air around him crackle and pop, and the ground under him shattered. A red field grew around him, crushing onto his mass; a situation where the larger you were, the more hellish force you felt. Damien''s "Desolation Zone." It wasn''t much, but it caused the Admiral to stagger for a short second. Enough to allow Damien to ram his punch into the man''s gut. . "Fury Road!" . The burning punch was fuelled by countless streams of pulverizing energy and driven into Sengoku''s stomach area. The golden body took on a red hue as the attack went further in. Damien, however, felt great resistance. ''The thick defence of a Mythical Zoan? It''s ridiculously tough, but this attack is a little more special than thatбн'' Damien''s arm spiraled around with rings of crushing energy that spun at great speeds. The energy soon sprang on ahead and into the very body of Sengoku. The Admiral felt the energy drill into his lower chest, the impact running through his massive body. "Emission Haki? No, ugh!" It knocked some air out of Sengoku and forced him to take a few steps back. . "Crashing Thunder!" "Silver Funeral!" . A giant Kaido soon fell from the heavens, his club swarming with crackling thunder and brute strength. Silver Axe unloaded his attack too, slashing at Sengoku''s open back. Boom! *Rumble* The attacks combined into a spectacular explosion alongside a giant pit, pushing Sengoku deep into the earth and eradicating a huge chunk of grassy land with it. . The pirates jumped back as the nearby area began to collapse in on itself. The pit only grew larger and larger and was blanketed with dust and dirt. "That ought to have done something, no?" Damien said. Silver Axe clanked his axe on the ground, peering at the depression, "I wouldn''t raise my hopes too much." Kaido was annoyed, "That damn Admiral, it felt like hitting a block of iron!" *Rumble* Soon, a shaking of the earth bellowed out. A golden shadow jumped out from underneath, reaching great heights. "You have a dangerous power, young pirate," Sengoku uttered. The dust had settled, showcasing an almost untouched Sengoku. The only real wound the Buddha had taken was a messed-up afro and a smidge of blood on his chest. . Damien clicked his tongue, "I guess you were right, Silver Axe, the gap in strength is a bit much." Sengoku also heard the words, a look of irritation passing through his gaze. "You should be satisfied with this much," he said. "Unfortunately for you three, your Haki is too weak!" The mythical deity slowly walked ahead, his sheer weight sending resounding booms to drum the lands. He locked onto the three with a strong glare. "I take it you still want to fight? Even after all that for a drop of blood?" Damien, alongside the other two, just went back into their battle positions, surrounding the Admiral once more. "We can do this all day!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 29: Mora Island (IV) [Capital City of Borealis Peaks, Mora Island] It was levelled; the city once hailed for its prosperity and brightness was now nothing but dust and debris. Pirates flooded through, wreaking havoc. Women and daughters were robbed from the arms of their dead husbands and fathers. Gold and valuables were swept clean as if a storm had come through. The stench of smoke and blood filled the streets, bastardizing its vibrancy into something out of a horror story. Yet the gloomy atmosphere was far more prevalent in a small part of the island. [Ruined City Image (in Discord)] . "Xahaha! Roger, why don''t you come under my flag, with a sword as sharp as you on my side, I can surely sit on the Throne of the World!" The feral Xebec grinned with insanity, clawing his hands as if inviting his enemy, "Say it: the price for your allegiance." Roger returned a smirk while placing his saber atop his shoulder. "I don''t want to rule anything, Rocks! Let alone helping you!" The words invoked disdain in Rocks'' eyes. He saw great potential in Roger, but not great ambition. *Fwoo* The air screeched as Xebec launched forth, his bare hand reaching for Roger''s throat. The mustachioed pirate had a flash of red in his eyes as he foresaw what would come and hurriedly dodged. Rocks'' hand ended up touching the earth below, crashing with a loud thud. *Creak* *Crunch* Seconds later, the ground began to wither and break away. The solid rock cracked and turned black. The nearby trees shrivelled and lost all life, wilting immediately. Roger grinned with a sharp look, "That''s a dangerous powerбн The Death-Death Fruit." Rocks ignored the words and opted to reach out once more. . "Touch of Death." . Roger responded with a mighty strike of his saber. ---------------------------------------------- [Far North of the City] A simple fist with a white bubble raged on as it crashed upon a large horizontal tornado. BOOOM! It was a fight between natural disasters! One could only imagine the hell to the island these two had caused. "Borealis, the souls of the dead Sphinx Island people can''t rest with you still breathing!" Whitebeard''s voice echoed through the demolished island as the duel momentarily calmed down. "Bobobo! Newgate, you fool! Even at this level you still care for such weaklings! If they cannot walk by themselves then they deserve to be crushed and thrown away!" Borealis thundered out. Whitebeard gritted his teeth in anger as his power levels rose off the charts. The white bubble now around his right fist grew thicker and denser, a green tint radiated off as the surrounding air was obliterated. As for Borealis, he directed his right palm out to the sea nearby, as if calling for its aid. *Purrup* The sea bubbled as the level of water rose and rose and a powerful gust of wind swirled it around. A huge amount of water whirled around from the wind created by the Overlord. He was using his powers to pick up seawater and circling it around his body, forming a giant typhoon! Whitebeard snorted and rushed out, his white fist cracking the air apart in his wake. Borealis concentrated the natural disaster around his fist, meeting his opponent''s attack. . "Hurricane Hakai!" . Both men shouted out as the two natural disasters clashed into an epic collision, razing all else nearby and shaking the island to its very roots! ---------------------------------------------- [Near the Docks] The chaos at Mora Island didn''t slow the pirates even one bit, if anything, it gave them a reason to try harder. "Kill ''em all!" The gleeful pirates couldn''t help but roar out as they jumped out of their small sailboat and boarded a marine warship. The entire vessel was surrounded by tens of such sailboats, dozens of pirates scaling from all sides. *Bang* Boom! *Bang* *Bang* The Marines tried to take them out, but for every pirate they shot down, two more would take their place. They came like a plague, no matter how you tried to stop them, they would find a way through. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. The marines took on the brunt of the savage Rocks Pirates, hit with the fear of death from the rabid fiends that came in the form of the Grim Reaper. Beyond the Navy formation, the Titanic continued its volley of cannonballs, while the Oro Jackson followed suit. Quite a few Vice Admirals were clashing against the top dogs of the Roger Pirates, led by Scopper Gaban. Yet things weren''t as prosperous for the pirates as they seemed. "Shakky-sama," a petite woman said. "The Marines are adapting to the tactics, it won''t be long before they can push us away with our dwindling numbers." The woman on the deck of the mighty Titanic didn''t seem fazed. *Fooo* A cloud of smoke puffed out from her mouth. *Bang* A quick bullet shot out of her pistol, taking out a Rear Admiral some hundred meters away with a piercing incendiary round. "Don''t worry, I got news of some backup arriving, we just need to hold on till thenбн" Shakky then turned her eyes to the far shores. A hint of worry was apparent. ''Hold on a while longer, Damien-chanбн'' бн "We can do this all day!" Sengoku expected the response; the defiance of pirates has always been an aggravating subject. Instead, he simply raised his hand and pointed at the three pirates. . "Impact Wave!" . The golden shockwave exploded out toward the pirate trio. Its momentum seemed unstoppable. "Silver Crash!" "Raimei Hakke!" "Abyssal Ruin!" A joint attack filled with silver, purple and crimson energy clashed with the incoming shockwave, seeking to dispel it with great zeal. Boom! It was as if a bomb had gone off, the ground under the collision was no more as ripples of force echoed through the region. The air currents raged out in all directions, picking up a lot of dust and debris. The shockwave, however, broke through the joint attack. """Ugh!""" The pirates bathed in the bone-shaking attack that reverberated within their bodies, forcing loud grunts from their bloodied lips. The shockwaves of the Buddha Fruit were the perfect counter to those with either armour or thick skin, seeking to obliterate from the inside out. . Sengoku gazed at the broken pirates without a hint of pity. "Let''s see if you can remain standing after this one." He raised his hand once more. Damien woke up from his lost state from the pain alongside the others. Their bodies demanded rest, but naturally, it was not an option. ''This move will probably be much more painfulбн'' Damien surmised with his anime knowledge upon hearing Sengoku roar. He cracked his neck, hoping his head would still be attached to it after this fight was over. He peered at Kaido. The fearsome pirate was bloodied up. His entire body was purple, with a few open wounds and obvious broken bones. Yet under that suffering was a manic grin. "WORORORO! This is what I''ve been looking for!" The words came alongside a boom of Conqueror''s Haki; Kaido was getting stronger with every hit he took! . *Clatter* A few shards of armour fell from the silent knight, but the sharp glint in his eyes was unwavering. *Fwwm* His silver weapon was pure black, swirling with power. "After this, I''ll make a chance to open an attack, it won''t be long, maybe a few seconds, but you''ll know when you see it," Damien proposed. Kaido didn''t respond, however, Silver Axe did: "Provided we survive this round, no?" Damien shrugged, "Only a fool considers their death within their plans." The words left the armoured pirate silent, though that silence didn''t last long. . "Big Buddha Impact!" . A loud explosion went off just from the attack being brought into reality. The golden bubble of energy and vibration rushed on ahead, twice as big as the previous ones. The sky took upon a golden colour in its wake, spanning dozens of meters. Its pure size dwarfed even Kaido, shuttling at the three with unseen momentum. Kaido acted first, his arm popped with veins as he wrapped his club with powerful Haki and thunder. "Surging Thunder!" Silver Axe began to slash his weapon down dozens upon dozens of times. "Silver Rain!" Damien exhaled a deep breath mixed with droplets of blood. His heart began to pump a copious amount of blood as his body once again released a huge field of destruction. The black and red lines arched from the Sin Incarnate''s body, falling on the earth resembling magnetic field lines. Both the pressure and temperature of the zone skyrocketed. The pirate then used the higher mastery of his powers, weaving the energy at his discretion. . "Desolation Zone: Infernal Ruin!" . A single current of ultimate destruction burst out, swimming with pulverizing energy. BOOOM! The attacks collided into a grand spectacle. A spectrum of light blinded the nearby area, even visible to the naval battle taking place nearby. It sent out enough energy and wind to lift hills and shatter them into tiny pieces. The tornadoes that were summoned from the clash rained down these very pieces, even reaching the core of the island! *Rumble* A huge crater spread out in all directions, spanning hundreds of meters, and covering the entire shore with dust and dirt particulates. бн Moments passed. Sengoku gazed into the dust cloud, his bespeckled face unsure of the outcome. Though his Observation was quite powerful, it was not to the point of seeing the future. "Hmm!?" Sengoku''s eyes widened in surprise as he saw his entire body covered in a black shadow. He saw the dust cloud shatter as a giant moving structure was now meters from his body. It was trees! Sengoku''s large body was swamped away by the sea of trees as they began to grind into his golden body. "What the hell is this!?" he roared out. The Admiral''s giant body was swept away from the emergence of nature, taking him by surprise. A circular shockwave soon burst out from the marine as he combated the trees, reducing them to bits and pieces. He had but a split-second to spare as he felt another attack coming. Electricity sparked through the air as a shadow of equal height appeared from behind. It was Kaido, his eyes were whitened out, almost as if his body was moving on its own. A deep growl bellowed out from the Beast as he slammed his cracked club onto the Buddha. . "Divine Thunder!" . BAM! The sound of a metallic gong broke out under the rush of thunder from the young pirate, his creaking kanabo club ramming into the Admiral. Sengoku felt the attack grind into his back, evoking a grunt. Yet another attack came at him in the form of a silver shadow that fell from the skies. A cracked razor-sharp axe cutting down at Sengoku''s golden dome and past his afro. . "Silver Cathedral!" . The arc of silver energy crashed on the Admiral''s skull, threatening to shatter it thoroughly. Sengoku grunted from the two-way assault, feeling the ache echo through his massive frame. "!!!" Suddenly he felt his body crawl with weight. His golden stature felt the familiar crushing powers descend upon him. The memory of Damien''s desolation zone came to Sengoku''s mind. At the devil''s thought, the red-eyed pirate appeared directly in front of him. Damien saw the Admiral, even with the constant crashing powers of Kaido and Silver, he was standing still tall. But he also saw a small hint of what technique the marine was using in defense; it was almost as if he was unable to move! *Fwoo* Sengoku felt the crushing weight disappear, no, rather the entire zone was all pulled into the Sin Incarnate''s left hand. The pirate''s body began to glow red, his hand was almost like a volcano bursting with lava! The volatile energy began to shape itself much like a glove, encasing the palm with a blanket of bubbling crimson arcs. Damien took a deep breath from his waning stamina and proceeded to slam the incursion forward. . "Deathly Rupture!" . The palm was awfully similar to Sengoku''s attacks as it crashed into the Admiral''s stomach. The crimson torrents of energy rushed into the massive body emulating shockwaves. It was unlike his previous attack that drilled into the opponent, rather, this one bounced and echoed through the victim, with one goal: to rupture all vessels, muscles, tendons, and flesh! "Ugh!" Sengoku felt the joint attacks ripple through his body. A grim glint passed by his eyes, shining through his thick glasses. Boom! An explosion burst out from the attacks, swallowing the Admiral entirely. Regardless of the outcome, this was the pirate trio''s final stand, putting everything on the line to hold back the might of an Admiral! To Be Continuedбн Chapter 30: Mora Island (V) [East of the Ports] "Bwahaha! You''ll need to cut faster than that, Rayleigh!" a man yelled out. His red fists were currently matching in speed with a black sword over the destroyed field. They moved faster than the eye could track. Rayleigh made no mind to Garp''s mocking words, just replying with a powerful attack. . "The Starry Night!" . Garp grinned at the attacks as a red current flooded down his right arm and wrapped around it. . "Fist of Pain!" . The space-bending punch directly slammed upon the two blade attacks as powerful shockwaves were sent out. BOOOM! The already devastated lands were further destroyed while the attacks continued to create large waves in the ocean nearby, even impacting the naval battle nearby. *Fwooo!* The air howled as the two men halted in their attacks. Both cancelling the other out. "Hehehe," Garp chuckled, his shirt was cut apart and his knuckles were bruised. Rayleigh sighed as he saw his own bloodied arm and shaking sword as he gazed at the man beside him. They were about to continue, however, their duel was interrupted. "Puru," "Puru," "Puru." Garp took out his snail, caring little for Rayleigh''s objection to pausing their fight and answered the call. [A/N: Before you ask how these snails don''t seem to be destroyed by the fight, think of them as Doflamingo''s glasses or Luffy''s sandals.] "Katcha~!" The snail woke up as a voice spoke out in a great hurry: "Garp-san, it''s bad! R-Really bad!" "Calm down, there''s no good or bad news; it''s just news," Garp replied while picking his nose. Yet his words didn''t calm the informant down at all, if anything, it left him more panicked. "T-The Golden Lion Fleet is here!" Garp''s smile shook a little as he responded, "Shiki? That is bad news, Bwahahaha!" His joking voice suddenly became solemn, "Call the Fleet Admiral, this is slipping out of our control now." "R-Roger!" The boisterous marine then turned his attention to his foe. "Garp looks like we will have to continue our fight at a later date," Rayleigh said, sheathing his blade. Garp simply ''huffed'' as he jumped to the nearby battlefield where the trees themselves seemed to have flooded out. He had felt the shaking from afar alongside the explosion that went off. It was where his homey Sengoku was located. "Oye! Sengoku! Where''re you at, Sengoku!" He was calling the name out as if he was searching for a lost child. It wasn''t that he couldn''t sense him, rather, he didn''t want to put the effort into spanning his Haki. бн Eventually, he reached the center of the giant crater. Or at least, the center of one of the few giant craters. *Munch* *Munch* Garp was currently dining on a rice cracker bag that he seemed to have summoned out of thin air. Walking through the ravaged and broken lands, he eventually saw quite a sight, one surprising enough to make him drop his snack. "S-Sengoku, what happened, pffff!" Garp had to stifle a laugh as he saw the state of his colleague. He didn''t care for Sengoku''s fuming response, rather his eyes were glued to the Admiral''s hair and body. The once mighty afro had been reduced to a minefield with random rips and tears alongside random botches and cuts all over. His proud marine attire had been left to shreds, leaving his chest bare. Garp''s eyes turned sharp as he saw the broken ribs. Eventually, he returned his gaze to the man''s hair. "Sengoku, my friend, I don''t think the bird''s nest hairstyle is for you," Garp said in a serious tone. One would think he was giving friendly advice. Sengoku glanced at the Vice Admiral with heavy eyes, "They were tougher than expectedбн" The tall marine gestured at the ruined earth where three bodies lay. Damien, Kaido, and Silver Axe were all unconscious. Sprawled within a small area. Garp wasn''t surprised by the outcome but there was something else that piqued his curiosity. "Those trees?" Sengoku sighed while spitting a wad of blood. He subconsciously touched his upper chest, feeling the dull pain from his broken ribs. "Sin Incarnate Damien seems to have a power far more dangerous than we imagined." Garp slowly nodded. "Why did you come here? Did you deal with Rayleigh?" The words evoked a memory from the other marine. "Oh yeah, I forgot, that flying turkey Shiki is here with his little pack of puppies." Sengoku froze, "You took this long to tell me!? We need to go back to the fleet!" Garp hummed, "Right, rightбн What about these three?" The words were enough to wake Sengoku from his haste. "... Their potential, especially the two monster rookies, is absurdly high," he said slowly. "They''ll become huge threats if they are allowed to grow up..." The air around the Admiral grew harsh and tense, further amplified by the cold breeze that happened to pass by. "..." *Thwack!* Garp walked over and slapped his friend''s shoulder, eliciting a painful groan. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. "Sengoku, when did Basara-san''s philosophy drain into your head? These kids are around the age of my own brat, don''t worry, I''ll personally capture them both if they get out of hand." Sengoku narrowed his eyes at his friend Garp and sighed. He then gazed at Damien, muttering, "Give up this lifestyle today, otherwise only a cold cell in Impel Down awaits you." Perhaps it was a feeling but Sengoku just knew the young pirate could hear his words. "Let''s go, Garp." ---------------------------------------------- [At the Same Time as Damien''s Collapse] Rocks and Roger were now standing face to face, the area nearby had already been reduced to dust with nothing but rubble left. "Rogerбн You are also of the D. Family!" "I will rule this world and destroy those Dragons! Join me, Roger!" Rocks yelled out with a crazy smile. The jolly swordsman simply grinned and then shook his head. "Sorry, but I have no interest in such a dream!" Roger laughed. Xebec squinted his eyes as he had a menacing smirk plastered to his face. "So you have chosen death?" The words left Gol D. Roger solemn, he could hold down the evil pirate, but defeating him as of now was beyond his capabilities. Roger never cared for how others saw him, he was once just a weak kid who had an impossible dream, many tried to talk him out of it, yet he just laughed them off. His dream was his own and that''s all that matters. Thud! The nearby ground shook as a man with golden-blond hair landed. He was Rayleigh, Roger''s First Mate. "We need to leave. The Golden Lion Fleet is here alongside their leader, if we stay any longer, the other Overlords might make a move too," he warned. Both Rocks and Roger''s eyebrows went up. "Shiki is here too? Wahaha, you''re right, Rocks, I''m sure we''ll cross paths soon," Roger said. Rocks didn''t respond. He instead walked elsewhere, as if looking for something. бн Now only Roger and Rayleigh remained. "Rogerбн, that man, with his ambition, the seas will be very chaotic soon," Rayleigh said with a solemn tone. His captain just grinned in response, "You''re right, partner! But that is a problem for the future, we''ll deal with it then. let''s go and have a banquet with the others!" бн [Nearby] Rocks had made his way to the ruins of Mora Island. A giant human with glorious blond hair sat on top of a broken pillar that had collapsed with a gourd of sakиж in hand. His right fist was bleeding and his chest had many wounds and injuries driven into it. On the side across from him was a corpse, a rather large and muscular man lying on the ground without a wisp of life. He was one of the Three Overlords of the Seas, Esso Borealis. . "Xahaha! Looks like you did what you came to do, Newgate," the insane man said. Whitebeard glanced at his captain and nodded. "What now?" "Let''s go find the kids, Shakuyaku already brought the Titanic," Xebec said. "I got what I came forбн" He then cast his gaze to the far right of the broken-down building as he narrowed his eyes upon a certain item lying on the ground. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* Xebec walked over and picked up the itemбн it was a weapon. One of the 12 Supreme Swords иC Mokushiroku! "What a powerful blade...," he cackled. Xebec traced his hands on the guard as he clenched it and pulled out the blade. Shing! The wind howled in pain as the surrounding air shook in the sword''s wake. "XAHAHAHA! Very good!" Xebec''s left arm that held the blade was now popping with red veins as if the sword fought to control its wielder. "Don''t act up, you''re just a little piece of metal," Xebec snorted as his grip deepened. "Just bow down to me." BOOOM! A powerful pulse of black Conqueror''s Haki burst out of the man, wholly concentrated upon the sword in his hand, sending cracks into the earth below. *Vvoooo!* Twenty seconds passed as the chaotic aura calmed down, evoking a grin on the man. "Very good... Now, let''s leave, Newgate." With that said, the man sheathed the blade and clicked it onto his waist. ---------------------------------------------- [Aboard the Titanic] "Welcome back, Captain," Shakky said. The evil pirate hummed in response as he strolled onto the Titanic. He glared at the horizon, seeing the marine fleet far away. Some dozen ships chasing close behind, the Golden Lion Fleet! Rocks then saw the three corpse-like specimens lying on the main deck. "Those two lived after taking on Sengoku, not bad." Naturally, the identity of Silver Axe was seen and thrown to the back of his mind. "Shakuyaku, set sail back to Hachinosu. Make sure to recruit more fodder, I need more pawns for what''s to come." Shakky nodded while puffing on her cigar. ---------------------------------------------- [Seven Hours Later] A new day had come. The bright sun shone into Damien''s waking eyes. "Looks like I''m still aliveбн" He was feeling his body''s condition. It wasn''t bad, just some blunt trauma enough to kill a few dozen people. Most of his broken bones have been mended but left him sore. It was mainly Sengoku''s shockwaves that broke down his body to pieces from within. "Should be all healed up by tonight," he said. Damien then tried to remember what happened at the very end of last night. ... It was when Sengoku unleashed his "Big Buddha Impact." The three had countered it with every ounce of strength they could muster, powering through the pain to deliver their last stand. At that instance, Damien had heard some voices at the very last second before the Admiral fired his move. It was a whisper from the trees. Mora Island was 80% forest. The nature nearby had sensed his dilemma and gathered together to surprise-attack the opponent. Damien still wasn''t confident in taking Sengoku with just thatбн . "Looks like your plan worked," a calm voice resounded, bringing the Sin Incarnate out of the flashback. Damien looked to the side and found the once-broken Silver Axe with new gear. "You counted on us to force Sengoku to use ''Iron Body'' thus immobilizing himself, giving us the chance to land all those blows, colour me impressed." Damien returned a helpless smile. "Even with all that, we all fell to a single attack right there and then." Silver Axe didn''t seem surprised. "Breaking an Admiral''s ribs is already an accomplishment not many can claim to have accomplished." The armoured man sighed, giving away a piece of information: "Sengoku seemed to have exercised an advanced form of Conqueror''s Haki, as expected from an Admiral." Damien hummed, though not ecstatically, "Infusion, is it? It really dissolves your conscience away..." . "It looks like you joined the Rocks Pirates, Silver Axe." The armoured man nodded. "I want to see how far a man with the ability to conquer such a blade can go." The pirate soon went elsewhere, leaving Damien to ponder. He needed a shower, but there was something else on his mind. Damien felt a calling. It was his body, telling him that it was ready to evolve! It has been a long time since he felt this, and it brought a smile to his face. "All that beating from Sengoku was worth it!" Alas, the celebration had to wait as Damien felt something afoot. His left hand was aching. Damien glanced at it and saw a mess. Almost as if a dog had mauled it. The bones weren''t just broken but shattered to pieces. His body was doing its best to bring them all back together but it would take a while. "Damn Sengoku, just wait till I drop a nuke in your face!" Damien used his free hand to crack his limbs together, the pain was excruciating. ''Sibyl, bring up Sengoku''s stats." [You still remember me? Very well.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Sengoku] [Age: 37 years, 6 months, 20 days] [Height: 9'' 1"] (2.78 m) [Status: Slightly Injured] [Devil Fruit: Human-Human Fruit: Mythical Model Buddha (???)] [Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars] [Haki: Mastery of Observation Haki, Armament Haki (???), Conqueror''s Haki (???)] [Strength: Within Yonko Stage] (A/N: "Mastery of ___" meaning reaching and stopping right before the Advanced Mastery stage. Otherwise, it''s a stat that can still evolve.) >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< "So I wasn''t wrong on his Observation, though it''s considered mastered, it''s not in the levels of Future Sight, but just Observation in general," Damien concluded. Advanced Observation would be such a level. Damien had sharpened quite a lot of his strength over the past day. "Show me my stats now." [Coming right up.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Einar D. Damien] [Age: 16 years, 9 months, 14 days] [Height: 10'' 6"] (3.2 m) [Status: Injured; Hungry] [Devil Fruit: Pulverize-Pulverize Fruit (Intermediate Mastery)] [Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars] [Seastone Resistance: 82.4% б№] [Skills: Lightning Recovery (+), Mighty Vitality (+), Evolable Anatomy, Voice of All Living Things, Will of D., Rokushiki] [Haki: Observation Haki (Nigh-Advanced Mastery) б№, Armament Haki (Intermediate Mastery), Conqueror''s Haki (Intermediate Mastery) б№] [Strength: Top Tier Yonko Commander б№] [NOTE: The strength level to attain Skill: {Underwater Breathing} has been reached!] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< His Observation had practically reached Sengoku''s level. However, in Damien''s case, he could take it a step further. His strength had accumulated enough to reach the Top Tier Yonko Commander. Such a level was home to the likes of the future Donquixote Doflamingo! Though in the grand scheme of things, it wasn''t worth mentioning. And it seems it came with another surprise. "Sibyl, that last note thereбн" [Yes, you have reached the strength to get the first of two skills left behind by the original System user.] Damien leaked a smile. "How do I get it?" [You can claim it now, though I suggest waiting until you upgrade your recovery and vitality. Both of these should be done once your body is in its healthiest state.] Damien nodded, it seemed he had to wait a few days to fully take in his feats, a wait worth waiting for. . "Hmm?" His mind then went elsewhere. He naturally noticed the empty upper part of the ship. All the fodder pirates were either in their quarters below or in the nearby ships. It seems a VIP was onboard as Damien could sense a powerful presence. Damien then kicked a giant ogre asleep on the other side of the deck. Kaido grumbled awake, slowly standing up. "Oh? Is it morning already?" "It seems they''re all seated in the main hall," Damien said, walking in. "Let''s say hello to the Golden Lion." To Be Continuedбн Chapter 31: The Aftermath [At an Island in the Paradise Sea] "638 till napбн" "637 till napбн" "636 till napбн" There was a lone boy at the top of a cliff on an uninhabited island. The boy had puffy black hair, simple yet dirty clothes, and an annoyed expression as he continued his workout. He was currently doing pushups with a giant boulder resting upon his back, he was surely an interesting individual. One who counted down for every rep rather than the other way around. "619 till napбн" "618 till napбн" "617 till napбн" He continued the monotonous exercise until he heard the noise of a bird. *Squack!* A seagull landed on the tree, it had a newspaper held in its claws. "Hmm? A report," he yawned. "Well let''s see what we gotбн" *Rumble* The kid jumped up as the rock slammed on the ground with a bang. "Now then~" he sat on a nearby log and started to read. "бн" "A ra ra!" "Big Bro Damien and his crew have done something crazy again!" he smiled and read on. "Rocks Pirates, Roger Pirates and Borealis Pirateбн" "Mora Island Annual Auction; Supreme Grade Swordбн" "The Navy confronts all three pirate crewsбн" Kuzan''s eyes traced over the images of the ruined lands. "Whitebeard killed the Overlord, ''Winds of Revolution'' Esso Borealis!" Kuzan''s eyes widened as he saw this. The image of Borealis'' corpse was then shown, left in broken pieces after being hit by a chain of catastrophic earthquakes. "Naval battle raged over the seas while Garp the Fist and Sengoku the Buddha clashed with notorious pirates!" The boy continued to read with great relish, enjoying the stream of drama to his rather boring lifestyle. Soon, a smirk emerges on his childish face. The picture showed Admiral Sengoku using his fruit power while facing three foes. One was a man with silver armour while the other two were young. One was ginormous with an equally large club, and the other had dark hair with red streaks, sporting a sizzling red energy on the palm of his hands. "Hehe, Big Bro Damien fought an Admiral, how cool!" the boy exclaimed, clenching his fists. бн The news mentioned a few major events. The Clash between the Overlord-Level figures. Damien, Kaido, and Silver Axe vs Sengoku. Rayleigh vs Garp. Golden Lion Shiki''s arrival as Roger Pirates and the Navy''s brave retreat in hopes of distracting the pirates away from the innocent civilians at Mora Island. New bounty posters. Naturally, the main message was the brave acts of the marines who, without care for themself, went in to save the people of Mora Island from the evil Rocks crew. "Hehe, well I should get back to my pushups... I was at, Ah! My memory is so weak!" he feigned discomfort, massaging his temples. "Right, 46 left!" He chuckled mischievously. "RAWR!" A Sea King rose from the sea under the cliff and met the boy''s eyes. "Alright, alright! It was 173бн" Another growl went off, pushing the kid out of his fantasies. ---------------------------------------------- [Applenine Island, New World] A giant apple sat at the center with snow covering the top. The entire island was layered with fresh snow as the cold wind flowed through the cities, carrying bone-chilling gusts. [Image of Applenine Island (in Discord)] The news had already spread over the seas, many eyes were drawn into the mess, after all, one of the Three Overlords had fallen! A towering woman with a hat and a pink bikini sat with food placed before her. Her eyes darted to the side of the table as she read from the latest newspaper. "Rocks and Shiki are meeting up? Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma!" She was quite a voluptuous woman with a desirable figure yet the huge amount of food stuffed in her mouth made one look away in discomfort. "I suppose it''s time for me to head backбн *Munch* It''s been two years already. But there is a place I want to visit before returning to Hachinosu," she muttered. "All of you, get ready to sail!" "Yes, Mama!" many voices of varying ages responded as they jumped up from what they were doing. [A/N: Charlotte Moscato (the one she killed at the start of WC Arc) was 41 at death. He will be born 1 year from now. In other words, she already has 24 children as of now.] ---------------------------------------------- [Superbia, The New World] Within the New World was a rather peculiar island. It was a medium-sized island. Large ports on all sides; tens of ships swayed in the gentle current at each dock. The island had three rings, each divided up by skyscraping walls. The outer ring was for imports and exports. The inner ring is where the main population was, sporting a city that had around 300,000 citizens. Farther into this island''s center was the core ring that housed a giant golden castle. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. This was the Island of Superbia, the main residence of an Overlord of the Seas! бн [The Throne Room] A pirate ran into the chamber, huffing and puffing. "L-Lord Sol!" He was looking up at the giant throne mounted upon a large staircase. "Hmm?" a deep voice questioned, lacking interest. "Lord Sol, it''s the Overlord Borealis... He''s dead!" the pirate said in a hurry, disbelief glued to his face. "..." "Ho? Interesting," the Overlord was amused. The man sat atop his golden throne, wearing luxurious crimson clothes embroidered with rare jewels and expensive gems. He stood around nine feet in height (2.74 m) and had long white hair running down to his chest. Unlike Borealis, he was rather young-looking, not a day older than 35. However, his face was scarred and grey; his visage seemed to be lacking the shine that his throne room emanated with. "Who was it?" he asked. "Ah! I-It was ''Whitebeard'' Edward Newgate who killed him!" the pirate informed. "Is that so? Sohohoho!" Then a silence fell upon the hall. "..." "U-Um... Lord Sol, Whitebeard is under the man called Rocks D. Xebecбн" he gulped. "They say that his strength is even greater than Garp the Fist!" "W-We should be caref-" "You ask me to be careful?" Sol questioned in a sharp tone. "His strength may go beyond that of Garp, but at the end of the day, they will all fall before my might!" The Overlord, Pryde D. Sol, gazed down at the pirate with a hint of displeasure. "Isn''t that right?" "O-Of course!" ---------------------------------------------- [Encephala Island] Another location in the New World. A string of 12 islands surrounded one larger one in the center. At the center of the large island was a huge factory. Tens of thousands of citizens were walking with blank expressions, they showed no exhaustion, no emotion, no life. They simply went on and did what was told by the huge speakers mounted on the watchtowers. Some carried large pieces of metal, some tended to animals, and some fished. Even the guards held the same demeanour. It was quite a horrifying sight, there was no sound, no wasted movement, just pure synchronization. бн Within a magnificent tower was a man leaning on his right hand while smiling. He was the other Overlord of the Sea, Thaddeus Enigma! The man was well-dressed for his line of work, he carried a powerful presence. However, his regal appearance was off-set due to the large burn marks on his face. He sat before a simple table. A unique chessboard lay before him. Instead of the black and white pieces, there were four types: Green, orange, gold and blue. The Overlord stared at the board as he elegantly said, "Borealis is... dead. How refreshing." Enigma smiled, picking up the blue king piece and removing it from the board. "It seems like a new piece has entered the game." The curiosity in his voice was palpable, echoing through the confines of the luxurious chamber. Enigma beamed a thin smile, and whispered, "I suppose it''s my turn to make a move." ---------------------------------------------- [The Titanic, The New World] "Jihahahaha! So you''re the new kid breaking the news lately!" Damien now stood before the round table in the executive hall aboard the Titanic. He gazed at the man inspecting him with eyes filled with interest and hidden malice. The pirate had long wavy golden hair and odd-shaped eyebrows. With two long, loose strands of hair running along with his sideburns. A cigar was in the left side of his mouth as he drank sakиж from the other end. "Golden Lion Shiki," Damien called out the man''s name. "You know me?" The words evoked a laugh from the pirate. His golden eyes peered at the young pirate and offered, "I saw what you did to that golden gorilla Sengoku, why don''t you come under my division?" Damien shook his head. "I''ll pass." Kaido cared little for their chat and intervened, "Shiki, fight me!" "Kaido, you crazy brat, you want your ass handed to you again?" "WORORO! I''ve improved a lot in the past months!" [Image of Shiki (in Discord)] *Creak* The doors flew open as a soft voice broke out, "Ara~ Looks like you both are up and moving, come and have some food." Shakky began to bring out some delicacies from the kitchen, allowing the two young apprentice pirates to dine in peace. The woman sat in an empty seat and began to summarize: "Borealis is now dead, the vacuum of power will alert quite a lot of bad eggs. We still need a few months to restock on pirates as well." Shiki waved his hands, "The pirates we want are a dime a dozen, under Captain Rocks'' power, they will flood in. Especially with the new bounties up." Kaido and Damien''s eyebrows were raised, though they didn''t quit devouring their food. *Furl* Shakky slowly placed a half-dozen wanted posters in ascending order: -----< WANTED >----- < KAIDO > < ''Hundred-Beast'' > < ?? 711,110,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > -----< WANTED >----- < SHAKUYAKU > < ''Black Death'' > < ?? 800,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > -----< WANTED >----- < SILVER?AXE > < ''Blinding Light'' > < ?? 834,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > -----< WANTED >----- < EINAR?D?DAMIEN > < ''Sin Incarnate'' > < ?? 860,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > -----< WANTED >----- < EDWARD?NEWGATE > < ''Whitebeard'' > < ?? 2,446,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > -----< WANTED >----- < SHIKI > < ''Golden Lion'' > < ?? 2,520,990,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > -----< WANTED >----- < ROCKS?D?XEBEC > < ''The Abyssal Sin'' > < ?? 4,070,500,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ----------------------- The Rocks Pirates were not the only ones she presented, three other posters were brought out too. -----< WANTED >----- < SCOPPER?GABAN > < ''Twin Axe'' > < ?? 970,550,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > -----< WANTED >----- < SILVERS?RAYLEIGH > < ''Dark King'' > < ?? 1,808,600,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > -----< WANTED >----- < GOL?D?ROGER > < ''Mad King'' > < ?? 2,564,800,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ----------------------- It was quite the haul. The numbers alone could combine larger than a strong nation could produce in a year. Far beyond the level of the Heavenly Tribute to the Celestial Dragons. Damien couldn''t help but smirk at his numbers. He was chewing on a giant piece of leg bone as he peered at the ogre by his side. Damien elbowed his rival-in-rank as if to ensure he saw the numbers. *Grrr* It was an animalistic growl; primal. Kaido was fuming at his bounty in comparison to Damien, why was he one step behind? "Jihahaha! Not a mention of the Navy being chased by my fleet, what a bunch of losers!" Shakky puffed out a cloud of smoke. "It''s only natural, they focused on saving face by surmounting Borealis'' Empire who was already dead by the time we left Mora Island," she answered. *Creak* The conversation had to immediately halt as another figure waltzed into the hall. Crazy hair and manic eyesбн It was Rocks D. Xebec! "Looks like you two woke upбн I heard what you did against Sengoku, it''s worthy of being under my flag," he declared. Meanwhile, Damien eyed the sword at his captain''s waist. "Look like you got what you went there for." The words evoked a grin on the man, though it wasn''t that of joy, but rather of malice. "I also heard of a rather odd and unnatural movement of the forest at Mora Islandбн It seems you have quite a lot of secrets..." The grin widened to the stretches of the man''s face. "..." A cold wind blew through the meeting room, whistling with an ominous tone. However, Xebec didn''t give time for Damien to react. "I don''t care how sharp my knives are, as long as they remember whose hands they belong to." Rocks went on ahead and plopped onto the seat at the head of the table. "As a graceful captain, I should reward my subordinates when they do well, no?" He then turned his eyes to Shakky as if to gesture for her to speak. The woman nodded. "Damien-chan, do you remember me mentioning the divisions of our crew?" She asked. The pirate in question returned a nod. "As per the draft, the captain wants nine total divisions with a powerful leader in each." She then threw a piece of paper at the young pirate. It had a chart drawn out. First Division Commander иC Edward Newgate. Second Division Commander иC Shiki. Third Division Commander иC Charlotte Linlin. Fourth Division Commander иC [VACANT]. Fifth Division Commander иC [VACANT]. Sixth Division Commander иC [VACANT]. Seventh Division Commander иC [VACANT]. Eighth Division Commander иC Captain John. Ninth Division Commander иC Shakuyaku. Damien looked through the names of the leaders and had to take a deep breath. A crew led by the likes of Big Mom, Whitebeard, and Shiki was already enough to conquer the New World. For all three of them to be under the same Captain was a force that could surely grasp the World Government by the throat. . "Though my division is more focused on internal affairs, all the others are combat-focused," Shakky explained. "Captain Rocks has set the sixth, seventh and eighth division to hold most of the fodders." She then dropped the bomb: "He thinks you and Silver Axe that was brought in are a good fit to hold the title of division commanders." "..." Damien blinked, darting his eyes to the captain drowning himself in some sakиж that he brought out from thin air. "I''m more of a lone wolf..." Rocks seemed uninterested in his words. "It doesn''t matter what you think, brat and I don''t care if you hold a small count of pirates under you." He took another deep inhalation of alcohol. "Those pathetic Overlords are always throwing around their divisions and battalions, Xahaha! If it helps draw in more dogs under my flag, then I''ll have nine of them!" The man then walked away without a care in the world, tossing his empty gourd to shatter on the treasured floor. . Damien let out a helpless sigh while Shiki grinned with an evil smirk. "You bear the name of ''D.'', like our captain, I look forward to seeing what level you reach!" the Golden Lion spat out before flying away. Shakky shrugged at the situation, leaving Damien with a single comment. "Captain Rocks sent a hundred or so fresh meat recruits to your abode at Hachinosu, you can choose which to bring under your Division, have fun!" This left Damien and Kaido in the hall. "WORORO! You beat me to becoming a Division Commander, Damien, I won''t lose to you next time!" Damien returned a mocking smile. "Oh? I wonder how many hundreds of millions of berries will our bounties differ by thenбн" "Hah!? Then I''ll just pummel you now!" "Try it, you overgrown ogre!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 32: Trials of Leadership [Five Days Later] The Titanic had returned to Hachinosu. Damien had come to his little area on the island and was met with an unsettling sight. Around half a thousand pirates were sitting around. Some hung from the structures like monkeys, and some lay around like loiterers. Hell, a few were already dead. "She said a hundred or so," Damien muttered. He let out a sigh and inspected them. Most of them were picked up fresh from the wave of pirates after Mora Island. The bad name of the Rocks was a beacon for these guys. However, practically all of them were useless. The disappointment and boredom on Damien''s face were obvious as he was not trying to hide it, naturally, rubbing some egos the wrong way. "Oye, Oye, you may have done some big things by scratching an Admiral and gaining the Big Boss'' favour, but we aren''t all here to curry yours!" Another voice joined in, "Based on the crew rulesбн anyone who kills a Division Commander can replace themбн" These words alone brought around twenty or so sights to grave changes; Damien didn''t need Haki to smell the greed in the air. The newly crowned Commander just smiled in return and gestured to the main loudmouth in the group: "You want my spot?" The pirate thought it was his golden chance and walked right in front of Damien''s face. "That''s right." Damien was around ten and a half feet tall, eclipsing the 8-footer before him. "Your face looks awfully similar to your other friend making so much noise." The other man squared up as well, "He''s my brother, we''re close like that." "So why don''t you give us the Commander role and we''ll make sure you''re the second in charge." Damien felt the gazes around him. It seemed everyone had woken up, their complete attention on him as he wanted. Damien reached out with a palm. *Tap* He gave the brave pirate a pat on the shoulder, a rather friendly venture. The man smirked, thinking it was Damien''s way of giving him the torch. "..." Yet his face soon warped. His hand reached for his head while his entire psyche began to shake. "W-What''s going onбн?" Damien took a step back as if he was moving out of the way. The pirate''s eyes reddened as his entire body ballooned up as if to blow up. "What''s up, big bro?" *Pop* Like a grape, the pirate simply exploded into a gooey mess, unleashing a red mist everywhere. "B-Big bro!!" Damien hummed and patted the shoulder of the dead pirate''s brother, "Your brother made a mess of my lawn. Why don''t you clean this up, I''m not a fan of seeing such brutality in front of my balcony." "бн" The bright and honest young Damien walked ahead, leaving the quivering folk alone. "I''ll tell you what, I''m not interested in your numbers, unlike Shiki, I prefer quality over quantity," the Sin Incarnate loudly announced. He then looked around as if supporting his point, "There''s around five hundred of you here, only one of you can make it in my Division." A pirate by the side felt confused, "You want us to select one?" Damien just returned a half-smile, "You can ''select'' one however you want, just know the quota is set." The young Commander then walked onto his balcony to enjoy the view of the coming carnage. "..." An ominous silence as hundreds of pairs of eyes glanced at one another; the atmosphere grew tense, very much so. A bloody feeling bubbled in the pirates'' hearts, sending shivers down the backs of many. Some walked away, trying their luck in the other Divisions. Eventually leaving behind three hundred or so men. Some wanted to either bet on Damien''s talent or take his spot via a challenge. And soon, a free-for-all all began. бн Damien brought out some refreshments, drinking a fresh glass of lemonade to aid him in the evening sun. Meanwhile, the air had already grown rosy with the excess blood. Loud clangs and bombs went off below, echoing through the streets of Hachinosu. A river of red flowed out under the noon sun. "Die!" "The spot is mine!" "Yotototo! I''ll take you all down!" бн The Sin Incarnate sat for around ten minutes. The battle royale had eliminated all the weaker ones who rushed in, leaving behind a hundred or so tough eggs. Yet the new Division Commander wasn''t impressed. Not until he saw a sharp light reflect the afternoon sun. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Damien''s eyes darted to the side as he saw a shadowy figure shoot out from the side, whizzing through the crowd. He had a sharp sword in hand, cleaving pirates left, right and center. *Shing* *Slash* *Splatter* Every cut left limbs in the air or blood on the floor. The red seeped into the earth below. "Ahh!" "My arm!" "My balls!" "Aughh!" Damien nodded at the quick attacks, narrowing his eyes: each kill was efficient, cold, and fast; no excess movements and the usage of some decent enough Haki was present. The pirate numbers dwindled into single digits soon enough. "W-Wait, I quit the match, y-you can let me go now!" "Yeah, we won''t stand in your way!" The assailant didn''t blink. Two heads flew into the sky and their lifeless bodies fell into a puddle of blood. *Shing* The blade cut the air as the man wiped the blood into one of his victim''s robes. *Click* The sword was sheathed, leaving the sole survivor at attention before the Sin Incarnate. Damien put down his drink with a soft tap. *Clap* *Clap* *Clap* He inspected the sole pirate while giving him hearty applause. The man seemed to be in his early twenties, standing a little under nine feet tall (2.74 m). He had dark skin and an athletic stature hidden under a black vest. He also had tribal tattoos all over his body, especially his arms. All the while sporting a scar that ran along the left side of his neck and across his face. The long black hair in tandem with the long sideburns gave him a wolf-like appearance which was further underlined by his sharp eyes. . "You''re different from the other scum that finds their way to this hellish island," Damien said while cupping his chin. "What''s your name?" The pirate looked straight into Damien''s eyes and answered. "Zenora Indra." Hearing the firm tone of voice earned a nod from Damien. *Fwoo* It was a quick movement of air. Indra took a deep breath as he saw Damien already standing in front of him; faster than he could track. The notorious pirate was a foot and a half taller, eclipsing the swordsman. "Welcome to the Fourth Division of the Rocks Pirates, Zenora Indra," Damien declared. "You seem to have a story. I look forward to hearing it one day." Indra returned a deep nod, conveying his thoughts with concise movements. . Damien then felt a powerful existence coming, directing his attention to the giant figure of a certain pirate. "Newgate-san, what brings you to my humble little corner?" Naturally, anyone considered ''giant'' by Damien was indeed quite larger than life. "Gurarara, I thought I smelled a lot of blood, looks like you got some cleaning to do." Whitebeard walked around relaxedly, his weapon always at hand on this island. Damien shrugged, "Don''t worry, I''m sure I can ''encourage'' some pirates to clean it up." The words earned a chuckle from Whitebeard who found himself inspecting Indra. "Hmm, I heard Rocks gave you a Division, looks like you found a rough gem." Damien nodded in agreement. "Well you''re a guest here and my mother raised me to treat my guests with hospitality, you want tea or sakиж?" he asked. Naturally, Damien knew the answer as he threw some premium alcohol at the man. Whitebeard sat on a broken piece of concrete. *Gurrup* Moments passed as Newgate exhaled a refreshed sigh. "This stuff is pretty good." Damien also sat nearby, sipping his drink. Indra was effectively a guard, opting for silence by the side. "So, Newgate-san, I take it Sphinx Island is doing well?" The large pirate firmly nodded, "I send a decent sum of gold there every month, the hardest part is finding someone trustworthy enough to deliver it." Damien wasn''t surprised. "With Borealis now dead, I take it the Captain wants the other Overlords?" "That''s right, he''s gonna wait a while to restock on some fodders," Whitebeard informed his younger colleague. "If anything, he''ll probably send you for some big mission soon; be ready." The words raised an eyebrow for sure. Although the majority of the pirates were partaking in a banquet with music, laughter and sex, the two pirates just drank in silence, enjoying the warm sun of a peaceful day. ---------------------------------------------- [Later] Damien had forced some pirates to clean up his yard, paying a fair wage of 10 berries per year of manual labour. Indra had been sent to the dueling square of Hachinosu to practice his skills for the day. Mostly the Haki that needed sharpening. "Now then, it''s about time to take in my goodies," Damien muttered as he sat alone in his yard. "First, to evolveбн" The pirate began to control his breathing, calming his heart rate down to around ten beats per minute. The blood flowing through his veins began to bubble and churn, getting thicker and more potent. The muscle linings tightened and grew stronger. Cracks echoed out from the young pirate''s body as they creaked into a stronger material. Damien gave out a deep breath as his body reached a new level, a catharsis of relief. [{Lightning Recovery} has evolved into {Titanic Recovery}] [{Mighty Vitality} has evolved into {Titanic Vitality}] A wave of heat passed through the young man''s body and his eyes sharpened with his newfound power. [{Titanic Recovery} иC 3 times the speed of {Lightening Recovery}] [{Titanic Vitality} иC 3 times the durability of {Mighty Vitality}] Damien couldn''t help but smile at the feeling of practically being reborn. By instinct, he felt that even if he cut off his own arm, as long as he held it near the stump, it would be able to reconnect! "..." Yet he was soon assaulted by the familiar feeling of something missing. "What the hell?" Damien muttered, inspecting his body and subconsciously placing a palm over his heart. He now felt an opening in his entire structure. It felt as if he could fill his very skeleton with energy. [Damien, it seems your body unlocked a new anatomy to achieve something called ''Black Bones'',] Sibyl explained. [{Black Bones} иC Allows for the acceptance of Armament Haki to further harden one''s bones to the point of turning black.] Damien blinked. It sounded awfully like a Black Blade used by the likes of the future Mihawk or the past Ryuma. "Seeping Haki into my skeletal system will take quite a long time and probably won''t be a single-stage thingбн" he surmised. And the details on the anatomy supported his thoughts. Bones had four main layers: Periosteum иC The soft outer covering over the bone''s surface. Cortical Bone иC The hard and thick layer. Cancellous Bone иC The inner spongy layer. Bone Marrow иC The very core of the bone where all blood cells are made. These divided Damien''s new anatomy into four main stages: Black Bones (I) through (IV). "I guess the best way to seep the Haki in would be to get beaten up a lot, or perhaps jump off a few Sky Islands." The pirate scratched his chin in thought, pondering on the possibilities. "Either way, it won''t be a quick process but each level should drastically improve my overall structural integrity." "Evolution out of the way, there''s one last thing on the menu," he muttered. Damien then took another deep breath, calming his excited heart. "Sibyl, assimilate the Underwater Breathing." [Alright, the new ability will fuse into your DNA now.] Damien closed his eyes, not sure what to expect. "..." Thirty seconds passed. "Anytime nowбн" [It''s already done.] Damien paused. "Really? I don''t feel anything?" Sibyl explained immediately, [It''s part of your being now, completely natural. Just try to imagine being underwater and breathing freely.] Damien did so. He felt his mind submerge under the dangerous waters of the ocean, the kryptonite of all devil fruit users. And then they emerged! Thin gills opened up around his throat. Slits of skin separating, opening gaps within. Damien opened his eyes, walking toward a mirror: "Quite the peculiar sight." He had officially taken in the {Underwater Breathing} skill and was now halfway to reaching the point of being immune to the Curse of the Sea! Returning his psyche to land, his gills closing automatically, disappearing away. It was now a natural sense. Damien stood up, stretching his body, feeling excess strength coursing through his veins leading to a familiar desire. *Grumble* "I''m hungry." ---------------------------------------------- [Later that Day] *Burp* Damien finished a hearty meal at the main eatery. Hundreds of pirates were here and another one had arrived in front of him. "What is it, Amber?" The petite shadow lowered her head. "The Captain and Shakky-sama are awaiting your presence," she said in a sharp voice. Damien narrowed his eyes in thought. "Alright." The Sin Incarnate left for Skull Rock right away while muttering to himself, "No rest for the wickedбн" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 33: No Rest for the Wicked [Skull Rock] "Shakky-nee, you''re here as well," Damien greeted. The short-haired woman nodded in reply. It was a rather cheerful greeting compared to the sickly grim nature of the Captain''s Quarters housed in the giant mountain that was Skull Rock. The two pirates were already used to the stench of death and despair; Rocks was also present, boringly gulping alcohol in the dimly lit room. . "Damien-chan, I''m here to fill you in on the main target of the Captain," she said. "That is, the remaining top pirates. All of these have one thing in common: they can be found in the Government''s World Threat Index." She took a quick puff of her cigar and continued, "These are mainly Pryde D. Sol the ''Sin of Pride'', Thaddeus ''Medulla'' Enigma, ''Fallen Angel'' Herja, ''Mad King'' Gol D. Roger." She paused for a second, "Though there are two others on that list they aren''t a major threat to the Captain as they prefer to venture the seas alone." Damien wrote the names down in his mind for future reference. Rocks still looked boredбкan indication for Shakky to resume her explanation. And she did: "Naturally, they all need to die." These words brought a smile to Xebec''s face. "From these two, you''ve met Roger, the man who''s already sailed much of the New World on his rather small crewбкan impressive feat," she said. "The other two of the highest importance are the Overlords." The woman then further elaborated. "Overlord: Thaddeus ''Medulla'' Enigma." "Eater of the Mind-Mind Fruit, a Paramecia-type ability that allows Enigma to control others'' minds entirely. He can also use mental-type attacks that can erode your sanity. There is no defense from this attack besides having an indomitable mind found in Supreme Kings." She went on to say, "He is also known as the ''Pirate Professor''." "Using his astute mental faculties to master and comprehend the science of our world. His research is a priceless commodity in the Underworld, even the World Government wants to get their hands on it!" She continued, "The biggest threat from this man is that he can control all his subordinates. As in there is no betrayal, no infiltration, no spying. Due to this, he can stay true to his name: an Enigma!" Shakky then switched to the tog dog of the New World. "Overlord: Pryde D. Sol." The woman narrowed her eyes as if recalling a hazy figure. "He ate an incredible fruitбн a Paramecia which goes strikingly well with his arrogant personality as the ''Sin of Pride''." The woman sighed, helplessly shrugging, "He rarely makes a move himself, allowing him to remain in a shroud of mystery, all I know is that with his ability, he can greatly superimpose his strength to reach absurd levels." Rocks'' face warped into one that was of slight interest, "Hmm, that fruit is indeed a little interesting; he can be left for last." The Captain''s words left Damien quite curious. Shakky saw the look and smiled, "Many missions will be sent out to the higher-ups of our crew, each given a pirate group to take down." These were an alarm to Damien, enough to make him both question his strength and also feel a tremor of excitement to duel stronger foes. ''Though I probably won''t be given a great threat, right? Maybe one of the weaker onesбн'' Damien''s thought process was interrupted by the grizzly voice of Rocks. "Xahaha! I can see through your little thoughts, brat. You''re right, your target won''t be that impressive, just go and take down that Enigma guy." "..." The young pirate paused to think, he knew that though Rocks seemed to put on an air of recklessness, he was highly intelligent. Rocks answered his thoughts as if reading his mind. "Hah, that brain guy is the weakest of them all, overly reliant on his Devil Fruit and letting his Haki dwindle; useless trash," he spat out in disgust. Shakky nodded by the side. "Enigma''s fruit has allowed him to gather a fully brainwashed army of around 50,000 soldiers across hundreds of ships, within his territory of the Mind Sea," she said. Damien took in the info and aired his thoughts, "In other wordsбн Enigma''s greatest strength is also his greatest weakness." Shakky beamed a smile while Rocks broke out in a crazed laugh. "Xahahaha! That''s right; just kill him first and all his little toys will fall apart." Alas, Damien was left with a few thoughts and decided to convey them. "I''ll do it, but I need some time to train." Rocks gazed at the young pirate before him. Damien''s sharp eyes showed him everything he needed to know and it all boiled down to a reply of a manic laugh. "Xahahaha! Looks like that fire inside of you still burns brightбн very well, you have half a year to depart to sea," he said in his usual hoarse voice. "Take Kaido and your new division mate as well, it''s best they don''t fall behind." The captain''s tone quickly grew bored, waving his subordinates away. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Damien and Shakky took the cue and began their long walk down the long spiraling staircase. . "Shakky-nee, I need a favour," Damien asked. "Whatever you need, Damien-chan. Well, maybe not the naughty-naughty~" she charmingly whispered. Damien was already immune to her teasing and paid it no mind. "My Observation Hakiбн I feel like I''m very close to seeing something far beyond my senses." Shakky hummed by the side as if telling him to go on. "From what I can see, your strongest suit lies in Observation, I hope you can help me reach that next step." Shakky smiled at the youthful pirate, "Oh, just that? No problemo~ I don''t have much to do here anyway, plus I do have some ideas that can help you with that. Though it won''t be painlessбн" Damien nodded thankfully. He didn''t like asking for handouts, if Shakky needed help in the future, he would surely aid her. бн "This is less complicated training than I thought," Damien muttered as he stood in the forest surrounded by tall trees. He was blindfolded. His ears were clogged with cotton. His nose was stuffed the same. His skin was doused with some special sap that numbed his nerves. Even his taste was lost from the numbing sensations. All his senses were forcefully shut down! Damien stood in the center of a clearing, surrounded by lush forest. He even stopped exercising his Voice of All Living Things. It felt suffocating to be deprived of all your senses, enough to make even the most resolute go mad! *Bang* It wasn''t a sound he could hear, rather he could feel. A bullet came rushing down the side and towards his lower chest. It was an easy dodge as they skidded past his body. *Bang* *Bang* *Bang* Dozens of bullets soon shot out from all directions, and the difficulty greatly increased. Damien''s eyebrows furrowed as he felt the changes in the air around him with his Haki. ''They aren''t all traveling at the same speed?'' he thought. His rather tall body moved in quick steps, swishing through the air. Damien moved incredibly fast, his body disappearing and reappearing in many different locations. Yet the bullets still hit him in many places, displaying their magical nature. ''It stingsбн'' Damien groaned as he grabbed his bleeding arm. ''Piercing round?'' he thought to himself. Another alert went off in his head and he felt heat coming. Boom! Damien jumped up last second as the tree behind him exploded into innumerable pieces, leaving a mess behind. Another flame quickly tingled his senses, not giving him a moment of rest. Damien danced through the forest as a fire began to build up in his wake. Tens of minutes passed as Damien jumped from tree to tree, fully spanning his Observation to see as much as possible. The layout of the forest was already ''visible'' in his mind. Yet the bullets that shot toward him only got faster. Whether they were explosive, piercing, or incendiary rounds, they all came. Some even mixed in as a single bullet! . ''I got the hang of itиC'' Damien''s thought process was abruptly halted as he felt a small window open behind him. Boom! An explosion rattled his back as a magically appearing bullet made its debut. Damien couldn''t even think as ten more such portals opened up around him. Boom! *Bang!* Kaboom! Explosions chained through the forest as the young pirate was overwhelmed with the hot projectiles. ''Too much chaosбн I can''t see anything!'' Damien''s Observation couldn''t keep up with the portals that opened up only a few odd inches from his body. Beyond that, the cover of fire and heat made it impossible to even grab a footing. . "Ufufu~ We''re only just getting started," Shakky muttered from a small hill, overlooking the spectacle below. One hand grasping a cigar, the other, a pistol. The weapon was spit-firing rounds into the air, the bullets ranged from a variety of colours, though every one of them was covered in a purple bubble. As the bullets left the gun, they were encircled with a purple portal, warping them from the hill and right onto Damien''s core. It was quite the training. ---------------------------------------------- [The Following Day] Damien woke up after an eight-hour snooze. *Crack* His joints cracked from the movements, a satisfying wake-up stretch. The young pirate threw on his usual attire and peered out his balcony. A dull smell of blood remained from the earlier debacle with him becoming a Division Commander. "Fourth Division Commander," he muttered. "Not much of a divisionбн" Damien let out a chuckle at the thought of the numbers at his disposal. Recalling the current overlay of the Rocks Pirates. Whitebeard''s D-1 had 600 troops. Shiki''s D-2 had 5400 troops. Charlotte Linlin''s D-3 had 4700 troops. Damien''s D-4 had 2 personnel. Silver Axe''s D-5 had 2000 troops. D-6 had 4300 troops. D-7 had 5000 troops. Captain John''s D-8 has 5000 troops. Shakky''s D-9 had 50 personnel. . Silver Axe had already assumed full control over his Division, much to Rocks'' satisfaction. Even the non-commander-led divisions, the sixth and seventh, had a huge number of fresh meat sent in. Rocks didn''t have any outstanding pirates there as of now. Rather he threw some recruits into a single group, hoping a powerful pirate would appear, if not, then they could die for all he cared. Kaido remained a plausible choice but required more training. Speaking of hierarchy, there was one in terms of the entire crew as well. It wasn''t created by any one person but rather circulated by the pirates of Hachinosu themselves. ROCKS PIRATES GRAND FLEET: 1) The Supreme Leader of the Rocks Pirates иC Rocks D. Xebec. 2) The Three Titans иC Whitebeard, Shiki, Charlotte Linlin. 3) The Four Tragedies иC Captain John, Shakuyaku, Damien, Silver Axe. 4) The Ruins иC Kaido, Shiki''s Commanders. 5) The Fiends иC Elite Infantry. 6) The Forsaken иC Mid-Level Foot-soldiers. 7) The Condemned иC Low-Level Foot-soldiers. OTHER: i) The Ravens иC Shakky''s Informant Network. ii) The Rogues иC Shakky''s Surveillance Force (Overlook the pirates in the crew, finding traitors or other nuisances). . The hierarchy was put together for a defined structure. And mostly because it was the basis used to provide homes at Hachinosu. The Condemned lived at the shore while the Fiends only lived at the very edge of the main pirate city. Mainly so that if the Navy or an opposing pirate fleet comes, these pirates would become literal cannon fodders. The amusing thing was Kaido''s position. Damien had a good laugh every morning just thinking about the brooding giant who was determined to keep destroying things till he too became a Tragedy. . "Yo, Indra," Damien casually greeted. "Looks like you''re here bright and early." The man in question was standing down below, his dark eyes peering at his now-Commander. He didn''t reply, just nodded in return. The Sin Incarnate felt quite comfortable having a pirate near him at Hachinosu who wasn''t constantly howling and fighting. However, there was a topic he wanted to visit. "Show me your weapon." Indra unsheathed his blade without hesitation and handed it to Damien, who had appeared only a few meters in front of him. The commanding pirate glanced at the blade. "Hmm, it''s well-honed but awfully fragileбн" Just by exercising a little strength on the blade, it was creaking. *Stab* Damien stuck the blade into the red soil beneath him, much to Indra''s confusion. He then reached into his regal coat and pulled out another sheathed blade. It was a mischievous blade, dark and stormy at first glance. The sword was held in Damien''s hands gaining Indra''s attention. "I won this weapon off of a loser in West Blue years ago," Damien enlightened him. Shing! The blade sliced the air as it was unleashed from its cover. "One of the 21 Great Grade Swords: Kyинran." The morning sun reflected off the blade, seemingly letting out a soft hum from its purple design. [Kyинran Image (in Discord)] Indra was captivated by the weapon in his commander''s hands, a certain part of him wanting to reach out. Damien didn''t put on airs, casually throwing it away. "Take it," he said. "I don''t need my only subordinate to walk around with such a brittle weapon." Indra''s hand tightly held the weapon and scabbard, feeling his new sword. The swordsman lowered his head, "I won''t let you down." Damien''s eyes scanned the pirate with new interest. He saw it. A gleam of ambition passed through Indra''s eyes as he held the new treasured blade. It was a thirst for strength and power. That''s what Damien needed. A sharp sword at his disposal. бн Time began to run on without stopping. Damien continued his training day-in-and-day-out under the continuous hail of teleporting bullets. Slowly but surely, beginning to ''see'' where they would appear next. It would begin as a small window, expanding further and further. And like that, months went on by. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 34: Mission Impossible [Half a Year Later] [At a Well-Developed Island, Paradise Sea] Tall buildings with glass windows and concrete structures; a wealthy land. Flying a banner that signified a Kingdom under the World Government! Not just that, there was a Marine Branch stationed on the island as well, showcasing its significance to the seas. A young woman wearing a purple cloak and hood could be seen hidden in the shadows of a building. She was currently going around, checking the conditions of the land; scouting the entire island under the veil of the shadows. Her fruit power was indeed perfect for her job. "I am finally back home," she muttered with a soft sigh. Looking up into the endless night, taken away by its serene beauty. The girl reached out with her hands as if trying to grasp, "There''s so much freedom in the skies. I hope I can soar through them someday." Her eyes drifted further, reaching the bright rock far, far away. "Now that I recall, he said there are even pirates on the moon," she muttered, her thoughts flying around. Waking up from her reverie, she gazed at the island she once called home. "Everything is soбн different." Her tone was that of reluctance with an air of nostalgia. The people were living in decent conditions, but not living happily. They lacked the vibrance that would be otherwise present in such a bustling Kingdom; the colourful city was seemingly gray. "To think those smiles and laughs I heard while growing up could become so void and silent," The anger carved deep in the words was apparent. Her people had their happiness stolen. She could not fix that. She lost her ''princess'' attitude a long time ago. The only thing left was desperation for vengeance. Hunting down pirates to pay for the aid of someone worse to aid in her revenge was the original goal. Yet along the way, she met someone who gave her another option. Rather than resigning from her hopes by blindingly trusting an Underworld Emperor, she instead was shown tools and tactics to complete her objectives. Beyond the aid given to her, she also felt something elseбкthe comfort of having a companion. Though she knew the pirate who helped her had his reasons, it was a lost sensation which was blanketed under a sheet of gloom and darkness. A small smile stretched on her visage recalling her tough training on the island at the bottom of the ocean. The Sin Incarnate had become an anchor in her mind. One that could either keep her afloat or one that could pull her into the endless abyss. ---------------------------------------------- [Pirate Paradise of Hachinosu, The New World] Shing! A sharp hum went off as a dark sword slashed through the air. Clang! However, it met an immovable object; one tough enough to let out the sound of a gong, as if a thick metal was hitting a far sturdier and denser one. Yet the odd thing was that the obstruction was no metalбн rather, an arm! "A sharp blade won''t make up for a dull attack like that, Indra." Damien''s casual words and appearance were quite the contrast to that of Indra, who was breathing heavily and covered in sweat. *Bang* *Clang* *Dumm* The sword went on an onslaught of attacks while beads of sweat fell over the soil below. Damien continued to use his forearm as a shield, meeting every slash with his open skin. Minutes went on. бн Indra retreated a few steps. "Your skin is tougher than any metal I''ve come across, Commander," he said with some disappointment. Yet this dismay was overtaken with surprise. The thought of Damien taking all his hits with just his skin, in addition to not even an ounce of Armament Haki! ''Whatever is below the skin is tougher than diamonds!'' Indra exclaimed. . Damien was quite satisfied. It was the result of his newly attained {Black Bones (II)}. Having seeped his Haki into the outer two layers of every bone in his body over the past six months was quite an accomplishment. Unfortunately, the duration for further upgrades required more and more. The harder the skin, the harder the attacks and training need to be to help the Haki seep in further. . Indra''s eyes sharpened as he regained his breathing. *Fwwizz* A quick screech of the air and he was now tens of meters in the sky, popping through the air. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. His dark demeanour contrasted with the coming attack as torrents of air began to wrap around his body. The wind superimposed upon one another as they began to form the shape of a giant peacock in the air, spreading its glorious wings. . "One Sword Style: Beautiful Death!" . The surrounding region was overtaken by the colourful dawn of the attack as it charged upon its opponent. [Image of the Attack (in Discord)] Damien leaked a small smile as he felt the cuts of the attack. They were scrapping and shredding away at his body before the attack even got near him; a combination of chaotic and concentrated winds. The attack took seconds to befall the younger pirate, who simply raised out a single arm in return. *Purrup* Crimson energy began to swarm over the palm, gathering into a swirling, almost gaseous state. *Szzz* The air sizzled as the red particles shot out in a wide net-like formation. The pulverizing energy immediately transformed into a large barrier. . "Devoured Space." . The energy had compacted and set in place and began to devour and eat up the free space in front of it, much like a hungry beast. *Skkkkr* *Kururu* The air beyond was turned into a pure void, free of any disturbances. Indra''s attack hit the shield and unlike its spectacular appearance, it made no sound. Rather, all the sound waves were eaten up and left a deafening silence! Damien''s defense easily outplayed the attack as it began to fizzle away, devoured into nothing. [Devoured Space Image (in Discord)] Indra seemed to expect this result as he abandoned the move and reappeared behind Damien''s towering figure. "Ugh!" Yet before he could even take advantage of the position, his body was shot away from a sweeping kick, drilling into a faraway tree. Boom! The pirate went through three tough trees before finally coming to a stop. *Cough* *Cough* The dark-skinned man let out some dull coughs mixed with some blood. ''He countered my hit before I could even think it throughбн As always, he has an incredible Observation Haki.'' Damien walked up to his fallen comrade, offering a hand. "Let''s call it a day," he said while pulling Indra to his feet. The two stood face to face. The Sin Incarnate had grown quite a lot under the extraordinary diet of highly nutritious Sea King feasts daily. An inch shy of 11 feet in height (3.3 meters)! Damien glanced at his sole subordinate''s pensive look. "Rest up, it''s almost time to take down the Overlord." бн [Later] Damien was in the main eatery of the island, with empty seats within a small radius of him. It had become a tradition for the pirates to give space to the ''Sin Incarnate'' as his previous actions of liquifying some newer recruits some months back. Damien appreciated the silence; giving him time to peacefully eat his meal. "бн" "WORORO! I''m ready, Damien, let''s sail!" It didn''t take much to know which loudmouth the words were coming from. Damien sighed, his quiet meal disrupted: "What do you think you''re doing, Kaido?" The ginormous pirate was overly giddy, ready to go on an adventure. Though his adventure was filled with blood and desire for the slaughter of stronger foes. "You think we can just sail on in with a single little boat into the territory of an Overlord?" Kaido pondered, or so it seemed. "Hmmбн Enigma has a few more brain-controlled slaves than my club can keep up with, I say we fly in and behead him before any of his armies can react!" Damien paused. Kaido''s words had degrees of feasibility, even aligning with what the red-eyed pirate already had in mind. "Maybe so, but you keep looking at an Overlord as if he was some lamb to be slaughtered," Damien said, rolling his eyes. "Beyond that, it is no easy task to outmaneuver a man known to be the most intelligent among the seas. If anything, the simpler the plan, the higher its chance of success." Kaido scratched his head. "Whateverбн" Damien paid no mind to the Hundred-Beast. He cleaned up his table, unlike practically all pirates on this island, he was taught etiquette by his mother. In doing so, it gave him a moment to reach a plausible option: "But there is someone who can help us with the flying partбн" бн [A Little While Later] "Let me get this straight, you want me to fly you brats up and into the very center of that bastard Enigma''s merry little castle?" The man talking was naturally the notorious Golden Lion Shiki! Damien and Kaido stood side by side, though widely different in height. Shiki leaned in a little, looking at the two young pirates with some interest. "You take me as some kind of public transport?" he questioned with a thunderous voice, sending golden strands of Haki out. Kaido raised his hand, appearing to say something rather obtrusive. "Well if you want, we can tip you Enigma''s gold, "Damien interrupted, almost as if he saw a foul result coming. Shiki hummed at the words, narrowing his eyes. "It''s not a bad thought, running a Division as large as mine can be a costly thingбн" His eyes then gleamed a dangerous gold. "Alright kid, you got yourself a deal." Damien smirked at the words, unsurprised by them, and promised, "Don''t worry, I always keep my word." Shiki just grunted in response while spitting out, "We leave tomorrow morning." He then flew away, leaving behind a golden streak. . Kaido seemed displeased: "Oye, Damien, don''t go around making compromises for what you want, it''s not what a pirate does!" "I''ll use force when I''m strong enough to take more than a single hit from him," Damien glared at the hulking fellow beside him. "You should do the same or one day your thick skin won''t hold up." The words had merit. Damien had seen the strength of the Golden Lion in the past few months. The Float-Float Fruit was an absurdly powerful Devil Fruit that gave its user the ability to telekinetically move any non-living thing that they had once come in contact with. A single attack by the man could render most dead; trying to hold off dozens of falling landmasses from the sky and most could only imagine what Shiki could do when he was pissed. Add in a masterful two-sword style combat specialist and it''s quite the disaster; his bounty was even higher than Whitebeard''s! "..." Kaido knew this too, but his war-born desire to use his fists rather than his words always took over his thoughts, forcing him to walk away without a reply. . Damien began to ready himself for the coming mission: an Overlord, though considered the weakest of the three, would naturally be no pushover. "The greater the difficulty, the greater the rewards, anime taught me that much," Damien muttered under his breath. His eyes were currently matching in colour of the setting sun, unconsciously unleashing some Haki in the thought of the imminent clash. Some nearby pirates shuddered as their backs turned cold and ran to the sides, avoiding the walking monster. ---------------------------------------------- [Marineford] While the Sin Incarnate was wrapping up his training and preparing to leave for his new mission, a storm was currently blowing around the main Marine base of operations. Thousands of marines were running around as countless cannons and weapons were loaded on huge battleships. They were under a new order to expand their naval fleet to combat the growing chaos that ensued in the New World. However, another problem had emerged, much to the Five Elders'' displeasure. бн [Fleet Admiral''s Office] Currently, there are five marines seated. The Fleet Admiral sat at his desk. The seats in front of him were taken by three people. Admiral Basara and Admiral Sengoku sat with serious expressions, their arms crossed across their chests. There was also the third Admiral who was seated by the side with a steaming cup of tea. A soft breeze swarmed in and filled the room with a fresh scent. . They were talking about how to move forward with the orders of the Five Elders. Garp was also there, but he was in his own world, munching on his endless supply of rice crackers. *Bang!* At that time, the doors blew open as a Vice Admiral ran in with a very solemn expression. "F-Fleet Admiral!" he yelled in salute. "What is it?" Kong asked. "U-Umбн I come bearing the words from the Marine Criminal Intelligence Service!" His words drew the attention of the five monsters seated in the office. The Vice Admiral gulped as he finished his report, though his voice only grew heavier upon every word. "Director Hakuchин''s top informants have confirmed that the ''Evil Spirit'' Charlotte Linlin has set up a meeting with the Overlord Thaddeus Enigma in three days!" "..." "What!?" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 35: Courting Death [The Next Morning] Damien had finished his 5 am workout and left for the main docks. He had met up with the big bad wolf, Rocks, the previous night, alerting him of the imminent departure. Though Damien didn''t expect any farewells, he did get a single ''warning'' from his captain: "Don''t die or I''ll kill you myself." . Indra followed a few steps behind, endlessly displaying his reserved personality who only spoke when needed. Kyoran was strapped to his waist, ready to taste blood. Damien had seen his attacks get sharper and deadlier over the days, an impressive achievement. ''Perhaps it''s time to consider getting my own weaponбн'' he thought. His attacks were easy to unleash but it would be helpful to have a weapon to direct and concentrate them better. . Damien put the thought away as he reached his destination. "Yo, Kaido," he greeted. "Ready for the seaway to hell?" Kaido settled his club on his shoulders. "WORORO! About time." The three now stood before a medium-sized ship, nothing out of the ordinary. All but one striking feature: a very soft and see-through bubble surrounded the ship, giving it a glossy exteriorбкit was coated! Thud! A shadow soon fell not too far from them. "Jihahaha! Looks like you brats are ready." Shiki walked up to the ship. *Fwwm* His right palm tapped the edge of the vessel''s coating as invisible energy covered it all up. "I''ve attached my powers to the ship, it''ll fly at your command," he said. Shiki then demonstrated by flicking his finger up. *Creak* The ship rose without resistance, water flooding everywhere. The rusty metal that platted the bottom of the hull became visible; some coral and moss had grown below. Shiki wasn''t lifting the ship, but rather simply lifting the bubble that encased the ship. The Golden Lion then glanced at Damien with shining eyes that flashed with schemes. Looking at the young pirate as if to dare him to get on. Damien gave an audible scoff and jumped on board. As his body, alongside Indra and Kaido, landed on deck, the entire ship lowered down by the weight, though soon returned to its initial position. Shiki''s voice soon bellowed in their ears: "I''ll send the ship in Encephala Island''s direction. When you reach above the castle, all you need to do is pop the bubble and you''ll fall straight down." Shiki then gestured in a flicking motion of his index finger, hurling the coated ship into the sky at disastrous speeds. The winds howled from the sonic boom that the vessel left behind, quickly disappearing into a blur. *Vvooo!* "Damn Golden Lion, he really had no poise of a Great Pirate," Damien muttered, restabilizing his balance. Naturally, he had flipped the swordsman off before blasting off into the skies. Kaido enjoyed the ride: "WORORO! Who cares, this way we can get there a little faster." Indra peered out the ship''s coating, studying the white sea of clouds they were in. The temperature had already dropped to near-negatives, but it wasn''t even noticeable to the likes of Damien and Kaido. Indra, however, felt the chill, and couldn''t help but comment, "Even at this speed, it''ll take at least two days to get to our destination." Damien nodded, "Hmm, rest up if you need to, I''m going to train." He then glared at the ogre beside him. "Kaido, try not to move around too much, your weight can mess up our journey." The words evoked a snort from the Beast. He simply plopped onto the ground and pulled out a jug of alcohol from thin air. Meanwhile, Indra went into the small room on the ship to his own devices, leaving Damien to take the back deck as his relaxing spot. And there was something he''d been meaning to do. . "I''ve been feeling a coming boost in my natural senses," he thought out loud. "It seems upgrading my Observation recently has led to a possible upgrade." His words were reflected in the notification that followed: [Your {Voice of All Living Things} can now be upgraded.] You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Damien smiled a little, spanning his hearing into the skies. He heard the voices of the high-flying birds and seagulls, alongside the roars of the Sea Kings deep below. Even the life on a small island they just flew over moments ago. The Sin Incarnate closed his eyes. The natural sense began to widen, spanning further and sharper than ever before. The voices went dull as the world quieted down into a brief silence. "!!!" And then, there was a boom in his ears as his eardrums banged with voices. "Ugh," Damien groaned at the arrival of the mash pot of voices. They were loud, very loud! The sense was overloaded, furthered by the next ding in his mind. [Your {Voice of All Living Things} has upgraded into {Voice of All Things}.] "There it isбн" Damien breathed out a dull breath as the voices calmed down. He could hear some other things now too. Whether it was the wood under his feet or even the dew of the clouds, the stones under the sea or the voices of the sea. Damien could listen to all voices, both the living and the non-living henceforth! An ability possessed by only a handful of folks. A power nearly ten times rarer than that of Conqueror''s Haki! . "All words, whether written or spoken, come with the natural intent to communicate. By hearing this intent, I can decipher any language, written or spoken!" he concluded. Naturally, the true power of such an ability was to unravel the hidden truths of the world that came in the form of giant stelesбкPoneglyphs! ---------------------------------------------- [Meanwhile at Encephala Island] Encephala Island has 12 docks surrounding it. There was no need to have patrols as every citizen was under control and supervision by Enigma''s fruit; their thoughts were not allowed to go beyond breathing and walking. The main caste at the center stood proud while a ruckus formed at one of the docks. бн [Dock 7] A huge ship was approaching. Around 300 civilians looked over and walked to it, they were perfectly synchronized in their movements as they stood at the edge of the platform. Their dull eyes all squinted together, as if each vision was shared and combined to focus on every ounce of detail they could salvage. The coming vessel had a sunflower-shaped figurehead with a face, and the body of the ship was like frosted ice cream, white with folds. The main building on the ship was shaped like a cake with candles mounted upon it. The sails were ginormous and had words printed upon them. [ B I G ? M O M] бн [Onboard the Ship] "Mama! We''ve arrived!" the voice of a young boy rang out through the ship. *Creak* The doors to the main buildings on the ship opened as a few people walked out. They came in varying sizes. Some 8 feet, some 9, some 15, and so forth and so on. "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma! Very good! Let''s go, my lovely children!" Sporting sharp curves and a voluptuous figure, she was a true beauty at this time. Standing at around a towering 29 feet in height (8.8 m), coined as a Titan of the Rocks Pirates, she was Charlotte Linlin! The gigantic woman had brought along her 24 children, even the infants. Her ability allowed her to reinforce the souls of her lovable children, amongst other things. With this, she could ensure that Enigma was unable to use them against her. Thud! A quick bang resounded as a certain person landed. It was a man in his early thirties. One of the very few members of the Enigma pirates who wasn''t under their leader''s control. Thaddeus Enigma had a chess system. One King (himself). One Queen. Two Bishops, two Rooks and two Knights. Alongside the eight Pawns. Other than these ten were the 50,000 pirates and citizens who did as they were told, no matter how absurd it was. And that only included the forces of Encephala Island and not the islands nearby. . The one who arrived was a Bishop of Enigma иC Norrox. A 16-foot tall man (4.88 m) with bushy eyebrows, sharp clothing and long violet hair. "Charlotte Linlin-sama," he saluted in a dull tone. "Lord Enigma has sent me to fetch you. Please follow me to the Encephalon Hotel." Such a welcome brought a disdainful smile to the woman: "Oh? Enigma won''t even come out to meet me?" Norrox was pressured by her gaze but replied with confidence. "Ahem, please forgive our poor reception but Lord Enigma is currently busy in his Chamber of Schemes," he replied. The words drew a wide smile on the ginormous woman. "Ho? I hear he likes to plot his moves in a room within that castle of his. Is he making a big move again?" "Yes, Lord Enigma said he will be out in two days, please enjoy our available luxuries till then," Norrox informed. "I''m sure the younger ones would have a pleasant time here." "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma! You hear that, Katakuri. I''m sure they have nice desserts here." A seven-year-old boy with magenta hair and scarred mouth looked up and nodded, "Yes, Mama, the younger ones would enjoy their time here." [Image of Young Katakuri (in Discord)] With that said, the Big Mom pirates had arrived and were now awaiting the reemergence of ''Medulla'' in two days. бн Linlin''s enormous figure made its way to the center of the island, admiring the efficacy of Engima''s regime along the way. Regardless of the inhumane aspect of it, the brainless ones were truly a brilliant asset to any pirate kingdom. "So that''s the Citadel?" Linlin muttered as she saw the distant behemoth of a structure. It was a grand castle enclosed by a very mesmerizing sphere. Many colours washed over the sphere as a blinding light was emitting off the top of the citadel. The sphere was given the name, ''The Sphere of Brilliance!'' Against the beliefs of most, it was not a wall. Furthermore, it did not have any properties of solid matter. Rather, it was like a hologram that spanned all over the giant castle. [Image of Grand Encephala Citadel (in Discord)] . The Citadel overshadowed the rest of the island, a landmark so to speak. "The Awakened Mind-Mind fruit allows Enigma to project this field of his, fully aware of any minute change in atmosphere as it happens, quite the power," Linlin said in a grinning voice. Norrox heard these words. "Yes, it is truly a magnificent creation," he said, though his tone was far more respectful now. Almost as if he knew the man would be able to hear their words as they had stepped through the field. He then directed Linlin to a smaller building. "You can stay here, Lord Enigma will see you within two days." Linlin just gave a quick nod, her eyes drawn to the other building next door: ''Build-a-Cake Workshop!'' ---------------------------------------------- [Two Days Later, in the Skies] Encephala Island was surrounded by smaller islands with the Citadel at the North end, all located in the Mind Sea. The surrounding landmasses, Amygdala Island, Parietal Island, Hypothalamus Island, Stem Island, Occipital Island, Cerebellum Island, and Hippocampus Island each had over 10,000 pirates stationed upon them. Naturally, accompanied by thousands of ships. . Sailing a galleon-sized ship through would surely be seen from afar and bring the wrath of 70,000 pirates upon any assailant; akin to courting death. Hence, the alternative that was decided by Damien was simply to fall into the very heart of the island and slay the Overlord before the tens of thousands of swarms could arrive. Some may consider such a plan to be reckless, even to the point of courting death. . Damien stood at the bow of the ship. Indra to his right and the giant Kaido behind him. His eyes peered through the clouds and onto the faraway chain of islands. "Once the Overlord is taken down, all the mindless ones should regain their sanity and allow for a swift escape before any other parties come." A solemn light flashed by the pirate''s face as thought out loud, "It shouldn''t be too difficult, right?" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 36: Encephala Island (I) [The Chamber of Schemes] A man sat with his legs crossed and his eyes shut. He was one with his mind, having been in this position for two entire months now. Only to just now open his eyes. "Hmm, the time has come, let us meet the Evil Spirit, shall we?" he thought out loud and got up to stretch his muscles. The door opened, demanding a deep bow from a beautiful woman who stood outside. It was one of Enigma''s pieces: Queen of the Chessboard. She had long blonde hair, sporting a golden shoulder guard and a saber at her hip. [Image of the Queen (in Discord)] "Lord Enigma!" she greeted her captain. бн [The Chamber of Gathering] It was a large room with simple purple carpeting and a seating area at the center. A giant window spanning across the room gave a complete view of the island, peering through the Sphere of Brilliance and thousands of meters beyond. Luxurious sofas made with the finest of silk and a jewel-embedded table in the middle, sitting atop an extinct bear''s fur made into a carpet. The couches were large enough to seat a woman as gigantic as Big Mom, covering a good fraction of the head space. She was currently munching away on the deserts laid forth, splattering the ground with the sweets from her frantic chewing. Katakuri, Daifuku, Oven, and Perespero, her children, were there as well. All of them were at most ten years old, varying by a couple of years in age. Perespero, the eldest of the Big Mom children, wore a long red and yellow hat with bright clothing. He was from the Long Tongue Tribe which meant that his tongue was always hanging out of his mouth. Oven wore similar clothes, though his fire-shaped hairstyle made him stand out. Whereas Daifuku''s gray buzzcut made him look awfully inconspicuous. Katakuri, the magenta-haired brother, was inhaling donuts that filled his mouth to the brim, stretching at his cheeks. [Kids'' Image (in Discord)] "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma! These sweets are amazing!" Linlin celebrated in joy. *Creak* The doors then opened and the Overlord Thaddeus Enigma walked in. He wore a black suit, with a black tie and a gray undershirt. Enigma also donned a black coat draped over his shoulders to amplify his elegance. He carried two glasses in his gloved hand. The man was quite refined and noble-looking with neatly medium-length blond hair. He would be considered quite handsome if not for the marks left on his face; a mix of burn marks and battle scars. "Charlotte Linlin. To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked in an amused voice, taking a seat before the gluttonous woman. "You have quite the style for an Overlord, Enigma," she commented while devouring a 12-layered cake in one bite. "All that brain activity must make you tired, here have some cake!" "Huhuhu! Linlin, you''re not wrong, it is a bit on my psyche," the man joked. "It would be ideal to have the Data-Data Fruit user on my side." The hungry woman raised an eyebrow. "Oya? That fruit can see the essence of everything in numbers and patterns; opening a window to the very soul of the world. I guess it would help in controlling your toys more easily." Linlin''s eyes gleamed with avarice at the mention of such an ability. ''Imagine the feasts I could find, the secrets I could uncover... A world of endless delights, all within my grasp,'' she thought. Enigma nodded, "Unfortunately all traces of that ability went dry over seven centuries ago, it is a pity." The two powerhouses quieted down, silently studying one another''s thoughts. "..." "Huhuhuhu, Linlin, you came all the way out here to meet the humble me; I wonder what you desire?" the Overlord bluntly asked. "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma! It''s simple, Enigma!" the woman cackled. "I want you to create something for meбн" "Oh? And what would that be?" Linlin heard his curious tone and couldn''t help but break a smile. "I have a dream to bring together every single species under my flag." "But after having so many children and even more on the way, Enigma, I realized something. No matter how many children I have, I can never enjoy a lovely meal with any of them at eye level!" Her words began to grow grim in frustration. "The Giants at Elbaf are too reserved and my children are too small! A meal with my family at one table, enjoying one another''s company, eye-to-eye. That is what I want!" "But for that, I need to make them bigger to match my size," she continued. "I need the help of someone who can create a method to turn humans into giants!" . The Overlord narrowed his eyes in thought, leaving a silence to build up. After a moment, he summarized the woman''s words: "A ''Gigantification Serum'', you say? Huhuhuhu, you have quite the imagination, Linlin." Enigma leaned on his gloved hand, looking at the woman with a hint of curiosity. "What you desire is currently impossible though. To modify one''s height, one must modify the genome which links to the pituitary gland. To create a process to gigantify a human requires samples of those who have reached such a height," The Overlord concisely replied. Finishing his theory, he said, "If you want such a result, you would need the blood of giants." . "That is not difficult at all," Linlin smiled while envisioning a dinner table with all her children and friends dining upon, all at eye level while feasting away on the finest of dishes. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Enigma ignored her excitement and elaborated, "You would need pure giant blood. As in the one that runs in the royal family, Linlin. For this, you must attack the country of Elbaf and clash with the King of Giants. He is not an easy enemy." He crossed his hands, "But that aside, I do not see how this would benefit me." . Big Mom narrowed her eyes, leaking a hint of malice. "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma! Of course, it would not be free. Everything comes at a price, Enigma. And I am willing to pay for it!" "I''m sure with your Mind-Mind Fruit and great intelligence, it won''t be too lengthy of a project!" "!!!" Enigma was about to respond till he felt something. His eyes widened, forcing him to his feet. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* He walked over to the large window that overlooked the island and zoomed in on the ''Sphere of Brilliance.'' A smile appeared on his face as he looked with intrigue. His eyes were locked onto the rickety ship that had fallen past his mind sphere, landing at the heart of his kingdom. "Plunging into my territory so dauntlessly, I wonder if this is their bravery or stupidly." ---------------------------------------------- [A Few Moments Ago] "Ohhhбн I see it! We''re right about the castle!" Kaido alerted. Damien glanced at the ogre with some frustration. "Not every dark spot in vision is a castle Kaidoбн plus, that was a bird!" Kaido walked around as if he wasn''t listening, his desire for war taking over. Meanwhile, Damien was spamming his Haki, looking for his target. "Any second nowбн" His words were followed by a tapping sound as he touched the floorboards. "Now!" Damien''s hand pulsed with crimson energy, swallowing the ship and bubble. *Pop* The blasting wind that was once shielded by the bubble swarmed into the ship as it began to freefall. *Vvooo!* The chaotic currents that swamped the pirates were mind-boggling. Damien felt his cheeks warp from the air, his eyes threatening to fall out. He had sky-dived before in his previous life, but that was with goggles on. Without them, it felt as if your eyes were dry as a desert! [A/N: I went skydiving from 14,000 feet (~4.3 km) once, quite the experience. I recommend doing it at least once in your life.] . The distance from the clouds shortened fast to around 45 seconds until it reached sea level. The island became more and more visible. Damien''s eyes had adjusted to any chaotic currents and could clearly see every minute detail; the vibrant shield made by Enigma''s powers was ever-bright. The three pirates braced for impact. Damien shifted himself, straightening his body, trying to land feet-first. Kaido could not care less, his massive frame just embraced the fall. Indra was not as daring as the other two. *Shing* His dark weapon shined in the warm sun, slicing the turbulent gusts of wind and slashing down with a diagonal cut. The graceful slash generated its own current as it aimed to obliterate all acceleration. Alas, they soon hit the land. Boom! The built-up momentum crashed onto Encephala Island and sent out loud rumblings. The ground cracked and shivered from the three pirates. *Rumble* Indra gracefully landed on his feet, gathering his thoughts on the raid. Damien''s leg hit the ground first, springing into a crouch position and absorbing all the impact. His knees buckled and let out some cracks, but held strong. He looked to the side and saw the giant crater. "That idiot belly flopped." Sighing, he walked to let out some stiffness in his legs and surveyed the surroundings. Encephala Island was rather dull. The lack of inhabitants with free will had left the vibrant land void of both colour and spirit. Though forests and ponds outlined the island, they seemed to blend into the surroundings. The animal life was silent, even the greenery failed to respond to the Sin Incarnate''s voice. ''It''s all fakeбн this entire island is man-made,'' Damien thought to himself. "Ugh, my head hurtsбн" A low growl broke out as Kaido''s giant hand slammed out from the hole, the other massaging his dome. Damien chose not to waste any thought on his supposed companion, instead, focusing on his target. "We''re around three kilometers from the Citadel, let''s get moving." Next, Indra chimed in his worry, "Even by clearing so many islands, we still have at least a few thousand Mindless Ones in-bound." "WORORO! A good warmup!" Kaido took out his club that magically appeared in his hands and rested it on his shoulder. The three needed no words to begin a charge. The rugged terrain under the warm sun was simply a bonus for the hell that was to be wrought. The three continued their run forward without delay. The welcoming party was close. *Fwooo!* Damien zoomed in on the coming horde, speeding at them. Three thousand Mindless Ones, rushing out like a chaotic tide from the seas. They climbed upon and over each other, stampeding on the unlucky ones who lost their balance. Their eyes were dull, their bodies moving mechanically. The grassy earth was left in tatters as the weight of so many zombie-like people left it trampled and crushed. It was a 3 vs 3000 situation. [Mindless Ones Image (in Discord)] "One-Sword Style: River of Reckoning!" "Surging Thunder!" "Utter Ruin!" The combined attack of all three sent out an extremely large and intense shock of energy and destruction, overwhelming all the coming enemies. They were picked up like rag dolls into a current while their bodies were ripped to shreds. Boom! The attack swarmed on and eventually met a large hill where the splotches of red were quite harrowing. Damien and co continued their charge towards the Citadel, slightly solemn. "Looks like the fifty thousand are spread out over the island, but still leaves around twenty thousand in just the citadel alone." His words were supported by the 5,000 incoming Mindless Ones. It took a few minutes before the invading pirates were surrounded. Thud! Eight synchronized booms went off as an equal number of men landed at the front of the horde. They were Enigma''s eight Pawns! "Intruders, surrender yourselves!" Yet their voices were quickly muted while another, more intimidating voice took over. This one came from the giant mind sphere encasing the citadel. "Young pirates, you don''t think you can be victorious in my greatest stronghold?" Damien had not heard the voice before but it obviously belonged to the Overlord. "I have an army beyond your imagination." Damien looked up toward the tower with a smile. "We have a Kaido." " WORORO!" "Raimei Hakke!" The thunderous club slammed onto the eight Pawns, obliterating all of them together. He then began to rampage throughout the horde, their attacks not even enough to cut his skin. Kaido''s face was perpetually smirking, reveling in the red mist each of the mindless ones left behind. Indra also joined in the mayhem, slicing and dicing with powerful aoe attacks. Damien remained, however. He was spamming his Haki beyond the island. He felt them. They were coming. Seventy thousand strong upon hundreds of ships from the outer string of islands. Add that to the other nearly 40,000 on this very island and it was a bit much. "We need to set it upбн" he muttered. ''It would be nice if Conqueror''s Haki worked on them, but their lack of consciousness makes it impossible for it to workбн'' Damien sighed to himself. However, there are always alternatives. His thoughts were followed by a crimson boom of energy. . "Desolation Zone." . Damien''s entire body flooded with crimson energy as it fell upon the thousands nearby. The entire nearby region, encapsulating thousands of mindless ones, was dawned with the red energy. It crashed upon each of their bodies and began to crush and shatter their skin and into their bones. *Pop* *Splatter* *Pop* Red blotches went off like fireworks as thousands of bodies exploded like grapes. *Pop* *Splatter* *Pop* If it was a video game, Damien would surely have hit a few thousand combos. Kaido turned around and saw the chain of bodies explode from the befallen pressure and grimaced. "They''re really weak, damn Enigma, can''t he get tougher puppets?" Damien ignored his words and took the lead to shoot toward the Citadel once more. бн It took around two minutes to reach the base of the Citadel; the intruders now stood at the entrance to the Overlord''s home. As before, there were quite a few fodders in the way. "You did well to make it here, but now you die!" The ones in front of them this time were Enigma''s Two Knights and Two Rooks. Each held onto either a sword or a mace. They lead a horde of ten thousand mindless ones! The two duos combined their movements into a unison raid. . "Zugzwang!" . The four weapons came together as a burst of energy was sent out. The current picked up heat and power as it rushed toward the three pirates. Damien took a few steps forward, reaching out with his hand. . "Devoured Space." . A wide rectangular-shaped crimson barrier appeared before him. The air and space beyond the barrier were crushed and destroyed, leaving a blanket of void behind. The attack slammed onto the shield and gave out not even a single decibel of noise. The crushing energy laced in the barrier did its duty to devour the coming attacks into nothingness. Damien then made a shoving gesture with his raised hand: . "Assail." . The barrier used for defense suddenly shot out at great speeds, switching to the offense! A trail of broken air was left behind as cracks spread across the earth below. The four top pieces were taken off guard as their entire bodies were hit by the rushing barrier that paused for but a second until only a fresh trail of red remained. Meanwhile, Indra shot into the horde with not a second wasted, his sword in his hand. . "One-Sword Style: Dance of the Dead." . The blade swished and slashed through the air. The sheer speed of the attacks created quite the spectacle as the blade went from one neck to another. A trail of vibrant red arcked alongside every slash, sweeping through the masses. Kaido lifted his kanabo club high as it crackled with purple lightning. . "Divine Thunder!" . He swung his club around his body as a circular wave of thunderous air shot out in all directions, picking up and annihilating all the Mindless Ones caught in the fray. Damien joined in as well, though controlling his attacks to save as much energy in the fight with the Overlord who awaits. Within moments, the once-flooded plaza was nothing more than bloodied grass and broken corpses. "To the final room!" To Be Continued... Chapter 37: Encephala Island (II) [Chamber of Gathering] "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma!" Charlotte Linlin dwarfed the Overlord as she gazed at the mayhem below. "That brat Kaido, he''s just as crazy as alwaysбн" She then zoomed in on the young pirate leading the charge, "So that''s the new monstrous rookie everyone''s talking about." Enigma stood still, his face void of expressions, watching with loose interest. The Queen, on the other side, slowly walked up to her King. "Lord Enigma, should we see to it?" The Overlord shook his head. His stern face switched to a more interesting one. "Huhuhu," he laughed. "Let them come to us, I want to see the faces of these brazen youths myself." бн [Below] Damien and the party had already broken into the Citadel. They were now standing in front of a half dozen solid steel doors, thick as a warship''s hull. Kaido didn''t even pause and continued to run. Bam! He shoulder-charged into the iron gate, his bulky frame rammed straight through! He didn''t stop and reached the second gateбн then the thirdбн Bam! Boom! *Shatter* It took a half minute before each door was left with an ogre-shaped hole, permitting Damien and Indra to easily walk through. "These top pirates have a thing for stairs," Damien muttered. The spiral staircase leading to the top was unnecessarily long, much like the one at Skull Rock. Damien tightened his calf muscles and leaped into the air. His foot, oddly enough, stepped down into thin air, as if attempting to take a stepбн *Pop* The air let out a hollow pop as Damien began to take steps further and further up. Kaido saw Damien utilize Moonwalk and jumped up as well. Though he could not use Rokushiki, instead, he just went from one side of the staircase to another, leaping to and from, destroying everything in the process. Indra slashed down his sword every so often, giving himself a boost of air to essentially fly up. And just like that, they came to the final door leading to the true enemy. Thud! The door was ripped off its hinges by Kaido''s massive hands, allowing Damien to see the enemies within. He first saw the Overlord, his face matching that of his bounty poster. Surrounding him was his Queen and both Bishops, yet there was another striking person inside. ''Charlotte Linlin is here too?'' he thought with a solemn look. Big Mom? More like Thick Mom! Or so a horny teenager might say. Kaido was also caught off guard as he gawked. "Linlin!?" Damien glanced at the giant beside him, recalling Kaido and Big Mom''s love-hate relationship. The woman in question just grinned by the side, giving way for the real man of the room to speak. "Huhuhuhu, how impressive you are. Not even the Marines made it this far. You have my gratitude for bringing me such excitement," Enigma said as he raised his wine glass with a smile. Such words earned a smirk from the lead pirate. "Rahaha! I hope you enjoyed your final drink, Enigma." The words were an alert to the forces of both sides. Indra tightened the grip on his sword, Kaido, his club. Enigma''s top pieces also readied their weapons, awaiting their King''s response. "How fierce you are, Sin Incarnate," the Overlord complimented. "I would rather not sully my treasured Citadel but it seems like I will not have such a choice." *Crack* The wine glass in his hands shattered into tens of pieces at the Overlord''s words. Enigma glared at the pirates and expressionlessly uttered, "I want them alive." At the drop of the last word was the united launch of the three top pieces. The two Bishops zoomed in ahead, their swords inches from cutting Damien''s head off. Damien glanced at the coming duo and softly uttered, "Indra." Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Clang! As if a call to action, a sharp white slash flew from the side and onto the Bishops, forcing them to retreat a few steps. Indra walked in front of them, his purple blade gleaming dangerously. Boom! On the side was another explosion. A thick, black club rocketed at the rather lithe figure of the Queen. Kaido rammed his mighty weapon in a combination of tens of attacks, yet none met their mark, much to his chagrin. "Where are you aiming, beast?" Kaido just gave out a hearty laugh, his weapon crackling with arcs of purple lightning. бн "And here I thought you were going to come at me together," Enigma said with a tinge of curiosity in his tone. The contrast was strong. rookie pirate vs veteran pirate. The taller Damien fearlessly peered locked onto the Overlord, his eyes burning with a strong fire. Not so much for glory, but rather to test himself from the months of training; finally to go one-on-one with his first true enemy. Enigma scoffed at the ambitious gaze of the impertinent pirate before him. His eyes soon squinted alongside a deep exhale. "!!!" Damien''s eyes widened and flashed with a quick, red gleam. His body moved subconsciously as if readying for a certain problem. Boom! A quick ripple echoed through the confines of the chamber as the air screamed around the young pirate. Damien, in return, exercised his Conqueror''s Haki to the maximum, not to intimidate, but rather in defense. His actions yielded fruit as he soon felt a different form of weight fall upon him, followed by Enigma''s lax voice. . "Might of Atlas." . The attack came in the form of an orange pulse and onto Damien. "Ugh!" he felt a sharp pain in his mind. His brain was pulsating, expanding and scratching the skull. Damien''s hands grasped the top of his head, his teeth gritted. ''Such weightбн!'' Yet he stood tall, his Haki doing everything it could to diffuse the attack and regain clarity of his own mind. . The previous flare of Observation Haki didn''t escape either Enigma or Big Mom''s eyes. "It seems you saw a dark future to explode such an unyielding spirit," the Overlord commented. Damien calmed his beating brain, deeply exhaling. "I was told only Supreme Kings can fight against you, I see why that is now." Enigma just gave a small chuckle, "It seems the Black Death of the Rocks Pirates has quite the chain of information." Damien wasted no time and reached out. . "Utter Ruin." . A powerful stream of raging red energy soon burst out from the palm of his hand. Spinning in a wide radius, dwarfing the Overlord. Enigma leaned in, his eyes gazing at the attack. . "Lost Words: Barrier." . An odd sight occurred. The air in front of the coming attack began to glow orange. They turned into wisps of energy, coming together to draw up ancient symbols and letters, bundling up into a shield-like structure. Bam! The crimson torrent of pulverizing energy crashed on the barrier. A powerful shockwave emanated from the collision, eventually causing Damien''s attack to fall apart. Enigma then tapped his forehead with his index and middle finger and swiped across the air. . "Lost Words: Onslaught." . A similar case of the air warping into ancient symbols recurred as, instead of defending, they shot out like cannonballs. Damien saw the attack coming; his eyes once again pulsed red. *Fwoo!* The air shuddered as the young pirate whizzed through the air. Boom! Before a symbol could land at his position, he was already gone. It was rather uncanny. Damien flickered through the air maintaining a stoic face. Though his heart was shaken, ''I can''t block any of his attacks with my defense, they would go right through and attack my mind!'' The only alternative was to dodge, much to Enigma''s chagrin. . "Fury of Atlas." . A heavier, more overwhelming coercion fell upon the young pirate, this time beyond his ability to see in time. "Damn!" he cursed. Damien''s eyes scrunched up from the pain, a pain his durable body made no difference to have. The stinging feeling of having your brain pushing on the nerves of the spinal cord. After all, the brain had no pain receptors, but the array of nerves linking to his spine was a location of great stimulation. *Pop* A few blood vessels within the young pirate''s head couldn''t help but pop like a water pipe, creating visible red blotches to appear under Damien''s skin. The Haki poured out in surges, but it didn''t amount to a strong enough defense. "Your Will is strong, but not enough," Enigma mocked, still standing without any damage. Naturally, he wouldn''t wait around while Damien was locked down and immobile. . "Lost Words: Onslaught." . The familiar orange marks reappeared before the Overlord as he shot out like a cannon. Bang! The symbols went right through Damien''s skin and were absorbed into his nerves. The nerves were sharply stimulated and buzzed with electricity as they overloaded the young pirate''s sanity. Damien couldn''t help but fall to a knee, his hands grasping his pulsating head. бн [Nearby] Clang! A single, dark-coloured blade met a thick axe, letting out a roar. The swordsman simultaneously jumped in the air while keeping pressure on the axe-bearer. He jumped just in time to dodge an enemy that had slashed down at where Indra was, missing entirely. The dark-skinned pirate swung his foot in an arc, crashing it onto the attacker. Bam! The kick sent the man a dozen meters back, all the while holding off the axe-user. Indra wasted no time, utilizing the axe-using Bishop''s massive weight to parry him into the direction of his colleague. The two Bishops crashed into one another, leaving an opening for Indra to exploit. With a single leap, the swordsman appeared in the air, his blade swimming with Armament Haki. . "One Sword Style: Evil Befall!" . A powerful slash fell upon Enigma''s Bishops. The slash quickly transformed into the figure of a large bird spanning its wings that dwarfed the two. Boom! A wide ravine spanned out through the top of the tower, reflecting itself on the sides too. *Pop!* The tip of the tower was cut apart from the base and separated into the sky. The warm sun fell upon the Chamber as the skies opened up. . One Sword Style: Beautiful Death." . A second attack, this time in the glorious form of a peacock, rushed out into the cloud of dust, slamming into the general area where the Bishops were. Indra was merciless, he did not believe in giving his opponents even a second to recover; he would much rather overwhelm them with incessant bombardment. And it worked. Two shadows fell to the earth below, their bodies cut apart. "The quality of his subordinates is quite subpar," Indra muttered. He then glanced to the side and saw a more menacing figure: a giant woman with four of her kids at her side. Shing! Kyoran was quickly wrapped in Haki once more, reflecting the same sharpness as seen in Indra''s eyes. "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma! Don''t be so jittery, I won''t join in." She then examined the swordsman with his blade sharply drawn in her direction. "You''re under that crazy rookie? He has a good eye for talent." Indra, instead of replying, was forced to turn his attention elsewhere. His eyes locked on the tens of thousands of Mindless Ones rushing into the tower. They came as a wave of chaos, raging through the staircase. Kaido''s ascent had left the stairs in ruin so the Mindless Ones chose the next best option: climbing on one another to scale the cleaved tower. ''It won''t be long before they arrive,'' Indra calculated. He gave one final glance at Big Mom and sprang to action. The woman glared intensely at his departing figure, somewhat surprised. ''Was he seriously going to fight me if I wanted to join in too? How can someone have such fierce loyalty?'' She thought. Linlin cackled to herself at the turn of events. A curious tone rang out next to her, "Mama, shouldn''t we help the rookie since he''s under the same crew?" Linlin looked at her prized son Katakuri and then gazed at the fights with a playful smile. "Watch closely Katakuri," she instructed. "That Damien''s eyes can see far more than you think." "Maybe you can learn a thing or twoбн" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 38: Encephala Island (III) б░Stay still, annoying woman!б▒ Boom! *Crash* Kaidoбпs giant club swung continuously, sometimes slamming into the air and sending out torrents of air, while other times driving into the ground, sending powerful tremors to echo out. Yet none of them connected. The Queen danced through the attacks, dodging with ease, leaving a chain of craters behind that threatened to shatter the Citadel apart. . б░Glory of the Queen!б▒ . A purple light surrounded her body, though quickly disappearing. It was odd. The next second, it seemed that her speed increased! . б░Curse of the Queen!б▒ . This time it was Kaido whose body shined in light, though this time it was a dull red. The rampaging ogre visibly slowed down, much to his frustration. *Whizz* The Queen flickered in front of the hulking figure, her weapon stabbing at his abdomen. . б░Charge of the Queen!б▒ . The blade glowed orange as it pierced the giantбпs stomach, drilling in. б░Ugh!б▒ Kaido let out a heavy groan as his body was sent flying into the thick iron walls. *Crash* A powerful seismic boom went off as the twenty-plus-foot tall pirateбпs large frame was carved into a wall that was quickly littered with cracks. A soft voice followed his fall: б░I ate the Attribute-Attribute Fruit, making me an Attributing Human,б▒ the Queen said with disdain. б░I can give and take away qualities from myself and others; you stand no chance.б▒ бн [Nearby] боThe weight really got ten times heavier,бп Damien muttered in his mind. His knees felt heavy by the overpowering sensation within his nervous system; his body telling him to shut down. He then slowly looked up, matching the gaze of the disdainful Overlord. A certain repulsive feeling built up in his mind, despising the condescending eyes of Enigma. The frustration soon turned to fury, something within Damienбпs mind bursting out. A powerful shockwave of Haki exploded out from the young pirate, reflecting brightly in his eyes. *Creak* His knees shook, though slowly gaining strength to stand. Enigmaбпs smile twitched at the turn of events. . б░Lost Words: Onslaught.б▒ . The spitfire of orange symbols resumed, shooting in great numbers and speed toward the struggling pirate. They took barely a second to reach their target. But it was enough time for Damien to regain movement. . б░Devourer Space!б▒ . A wide, rectangular-shaped barrier materialized out from the young manбпs palm. The red energy was hungry and began to eat up the open space before it, leaving a void behind. The archaic symbols crashed onto the barrier. But they were not enough to pierce the ward, slowly fizzling away. Enigma was about to unleash another attack, but it all fell within Damienбпs scope. . б░Assail.б▒ . The large barrier shook for a split second before rushing forward like a hungry beast. A trail of broken air followed in its wake. *Vvoosh!* The wind howled momentarily before disappearing as the sound waves themselves were obliterated. Enigma saw the coming attack and shuffled to the side. His large frame barely dodged the barrier that had gone through the wall and disappeared into the horizon, not before leaving a hollow trail through endless clouds. б░Wha-!б▒ Yet when Enigma regained his bearings, he saw a shadow appear a meter in front of him. The attackerбпs eyes shined red in Observation as if reading his every move. Damien, who had appeared, reached out with his hand. A small red conical structure formed beyond the open palm. . б░Deathly Fracture!б▒ . The red cone flipped on itself, allowing the tip to point outwards as it spun at great speeds. With a standard stab, Damien crashed into the abdomen of the Overlord, drilling into the enemy. *Bzzzzz* It was the sound of drilling! The attack spun fast enough to emanate loud and ear-piercing sounds that sent rattles through the chamber. Enigmaбпs mouth dropped with blood as he took the brunt of the attack. б░Ugh!б▒ he roared out as he felt the crimson energy grind into his lower ribs, threatening to reach his heart. *Wooosh* The 10-foot tall (3.01m) man was soon sent flying back into the nearby thick walls. The impact of the collision was strong enough to shake the very chamber. It was more than the room handle. *Crack* The repeated assault befallen the tower was too much as it began to cave in on itself, collapsing from the stress. Boom! The beams and pillars cracked and broke apart, raining debris and destruction down. The citadel fell apart like a deck of cards, sending a huge cloud of dust into the nearby land and overtaking the bright skies. Thud! Damien landed on his feet from a hundred meter or so fall. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. He quickly examined his surroundings, sensing an enraged threat. б░Abominable young pirates!б▒ Enigma''s angered roars resounded at the crash site, his eyes glowing in fury. Damien scrutinized the man. His core was sunken in, a clear hole present. Yet Enigma could still move around without much difficulty. Damien had used a move similar to one used in Sengoku, боDeathly Rupture.бп However it didnбпt focus on shockwave damage, but rather a drilling attack called боDeathly Fractureбп. боOne Piece physiques never made sense,бп Damien muttered as he saw Enigma walking toward him. б░You''ve exceeded my expectations thoroughly,б▒ the Overlord muttered with a hint of shock evident in his eyes. б░Letбпs see how long you can keep this upбнб▒ Enigma then reached out his hands to his side, his eyes glaring at Damien. . б░Mind Lock.б▒ . A deafening silence broke out. It didnбпt seem to have an effect. Damien blinked, trying to see what was coming, but that was the problemбн боMy Observationбн is gone!?бп The Sin Incarnate felt a void in his mind; after years of usage, a powerful sense had simply disappeared, Enigma had locked away his Observation Haki! б░Now, letбпs resume!б▒ Enigma shot forward without pause, his bloodied frame skidding through the air. The Overlord threw a tough punch dazzling with Armament Haki, slamming it onto the stunned pirateбпs chest. BAM! The impact sent tremors through the young pirateбпs body, shooting it across the ruined ground. Damien was shot back a few dozen meters, his head ringing. *Whizz* Enigma appeared again in front of him, this time delivering a kick to his liver. б░Ugh!б▒ The air was knocked straight out of Damienбпs lungs as the punch dug into his lower body. б░Whatбпs wrong, boy? Canбпt keep up?б▒ Enigma began a barrage of attacks. Bam! Boom! *Crash!* The Haki-clad fists rained on Damienбпs figure, leaving bruises behind. He couldnбпt react as his mind would ring for every hit he took. Enigma was sending mental shocks through his body per hit, making it impossible to concentrate. Bam! It was like unloading an endless flurry of deep hits at a punching bag. A few dozen seconds of the one-sided attack had Damien flying into a nearby hill, his body leaving a gaping hole behind. A thick cloud of dust leaked out from the crater, displaying its cavernous depth. б░...б▒ Enigma stood tall in the silent aftermath, a satisfied smirk attached to his face. However, that smirk soon froze. The Overlord gawked at the slowly emerging silhouette in the dust. The figure became clearer as the dust settled, taking on the frame of a towering man. *Crack* Enigma heard the audible cracks from the joints as if loosening some built-up stress. Damien spat out a thick wad of blood that was stuck in his lungs. His red eyes scanned the frozen Overlord, a grin now stretching across his face instead. б░It took me a little while to adjust against having my senses robbed, but I feel better now.б▒ *Fwooo* The young pirateбпs body flickered as he nigh-instantaneously appeared a meter in front of the Overlord. BAM! A solid punch drove into the abdomen of the pirate. Glistening Haki covered the fist as it dug up and into Enigmaбпs core and evoked a groan: б░Ugh!б▒ Damien began to impart his own hell onto his opponent. Powerful and controlled shots raining upon the Overlord. Every time Enigma tried to counterattack with a hook, he received a punch to the shoulder. An uppercut was dodged with a strong hit to the liver. Bam! *Bang!* Boom! The attacks fell while ringing the nearby area with gong-like booms, rattling the earth below. Enigma took the brunt of the attack for but a minute, and yet his face was covered in bruises. . б░Mindless Zone!б▒ . With great difficulty, he sent out an expanding domain of energy that would corrode a personбпs very mind. Yet Damien was a step faster. Naturally, he lost his Observation Haki, but his instincts formed over the past few years made it evident that a crisis was imminent. *Whizz!* He appeared ten meters away, outside the affected area. The only thing that remained was Enigmaбпs heavy breathing and angry heaves. His furious eyes locked onto Damien. б░You! How can you move after that mental traumaбн itбпs unscientific!б▒ The Sin Incarnate shrugged at the words, all the while regaining his stamina. б░You know, Enigma. A man of science and understanding like you will never be able to comprehend one specific concept.б▒ The words evoked the manбпs curiosity. Such a magical thing may mean great things. б░And whatбпs that?б▒ Damien smiled, б░Anime logic!б▒ б░...б▒ Enigma was lost for words, unable to respond to his adversaryбпs confounding words. The few moments of interchange were more than enough for Damien to stabilize his prior hiccup. He was about to charge ahead, yet his entire world seemed to changeбн б░I know not the nonsense you speak of, but now, Iбпll see how you do in a duel beyond your annoying durable body!б▒ The Overlord swung his right arm, releasing a burst of orange energy. . б░Laying the Board!б▒ . Damien felt a blinding light and then his mind shifted to a completely different realm. He woke up and his surroundings now became ethereal. Orange sky and floor for as far as the eye could see. No smell or sound, it was suspiciously serene. He tried moving around but he couldnбпt. боMy body isnбпt here, rather just my mind?бп Damien thought. . б░Huhuhu, this is the Mindscape,б▒ Enigmaбпs voice boomed through the infinite orange. б░Iбпve linked your psyche to this world; any damage you take here is reflected in reality!б▒ б░If your mind dies, then all that will remain is the husk of your body, donбпt worry, Iбпll be sure to use it as a powerful tool.б▒ The Overlord soon appeared in his entirety, spawning in front of the young pirate. Enigmaбпs once elegant clothing had been left with rips and tears, blood dripping out from them. The stylish hairdo had been left a mess akin to a birdбпs nest. Yet under all that abuse was a comfortable smile. б░This is your Awakened ability?б▒ Damien questioned. His opponent stretched out both arms as if taking in the spotlight. б░Thatбпs right, the ultimate power. No one has lived after this attack, hence your Black Death Shakuyaku has no intel on this.б▒ Damien remained silent, allowing Enigma to continue his villainous speech. Mostly because he would probably end up revealing the way out just by talking. . Enigma, on the other hand, took the silence as a victory. б░Huhuhu! Donбпt worry, I wonбпt just fry your mind, itбпs a little boring that way.б▒ He then began to wave his hands like an artist creating a masterpiece. Damien watched as the area between the two began to take form. First, a blank board appeared. Soon enough, it was painted with a black and white checkered pattern. *Tuk* *Tuk* *Tuk* Pieces soon fell from the sky and decorated the ends of both boards with ten on each side. A chessboard! Damien then saw some tiny floating letters throughout the board, A1, E7, H3, and so on. They detailed each box to be able to move to. [Mindscape Image (in Discord)] б░I prefer to feast on the desperation of those brought here. Seeing them fall apart, piece by piece. Such an invigorating feeling!б▒ Enigma manically said, his eyes flashing with ill intent. б░The game shall go on indefinitely, but mere minutes in reality, so donбпt try to stall, young pirate. Letбпs begin, I will grant you the first move!б▒ Damien, who had been listening to the villainous speech for nearly ten minutes, could finally see a way out. боHeбпs awfully confident, though I guess having the Mind-Mind Fruit gives one quite the IQ edge in such games,бп Damien thought. He then inwardly smiled. боSibyl, howбпs your chess skills?бп [I am the Picasso of anything to do with probability and possibility.] бн [Outside] б░Cheh!б▒ Kaido gritted his teeth as he was rained down by quick and powerful spear attacks by the Queen. . б░Royal Thrust!б▒ . The Queenбпs spear lit white as she raised it over her head and rushed forth. The blinding spear rocketed towards the ogreбпs abdomen and impaled him. BOOM! Kaido was forced back twenty meters as the ground nearby was crushed. б░WORORORO! I havenбпt bled in a while,б▒ he mused as he saw a drop of blood come out of his mouth. б░It was fun while it lasted!б▒ Kaido smirked as his club sparked in thunder. The entire ground below shuddered in pain as the ogre raged forth with his club in both hands. . б░Divine Thunder!б▒ . The air currents around the club were bending as streaks of energy were released by the sheer momentum of the attack. Thunder echoed as his attack neared its destination. . б░Majesty of the Queen!б▒ . The woman twirled her spear in a circle as it generated a force and met the attack head-on. Boom! A mind-numbing explosion resounded as the enormous club clashed with the white spear, the earth cracked and was obliterated. The shockwaves exploded, sending the world into chaos. б░H-How?! How can you have so much strength even after my fruit powers!?б▒ Kaido beamed a mad grin, showcasing a set of bloody teeth, б░Youбпre just too weak!б▒ Boom! The Hundred-Beastбпs laugh was all that was heard as the entire nearby area was left broken and ravaged. The Queen was sent flying into the unknown depths, her fate coming to an end. бн [Five Minutes Later] б░How could this happen?! I lost? This is impossible, improbable, illogical!б▒ Enigma roared out as he saw his situation, only the king and the queen piece left while the former was held under checkmate. Unfortunately, even the smartest human was no match against a System AI built on probability and logical reasoning. б░Iбпve heard some people even call you the Chessmaster,б▒ Damienбпs voice boomed in the Mindscape. б░Personally, I was never that good at the game.б▒ б░But the one thing I do know about chess is that thereбпs nothing more dangerous than a pawn that thinks itбпs a queen.б▒ The Sin Incarnateбпs voice echoed in the Overlordбпs mind. It took but a minute as the orange world began to crack; rifts and tears spreading across the uniformly-coloured skies. *Shatter* The mindscape shattered like broken glass, almost as if Whitebeard himself had appeared. A blinding light once again took over. Moments passed and Damien snapped back to reality, his body once again his. He looked around and he was once again in the sea of ruins left from the collapsed Citadel. Dusty smell, bloody grass, giant broken pillars and structures littered around. Thud! A loud bang as a large shadow appears beside the young pirate. б░WORORORO! Looks like I finished before you,б▒ Kaido laughed as he saw the broken Overlord. б░My opponent was of higher quality, Kaido, their bounties widely differed, just like you and I.б▒ The words brought an infuriating truth to light, much to Kaidoбпs chagrin. б░MA-Ma-Mam-Ma! You lost to a bunch of brats, Enigma!б▒ Big Mom cackled from the side. б░Lost? I lost? Heresy! It is not over yet!б▒ б░Sin Incarnate,б▒ he spat out. б░You think Iбпm a pawn thinking of myself to be a Queen? Huhuhu! Let me show you why Iбпm the King of the New World!б▒ The Overlordбпs eyes had become red with anger as he locked once again onto the tired Damien. A powerful burst of energy shot out of the manбпs forehead as he showed his final card. . б░Lost Impulse!б▒ . Once again the surrounding world disappeared from Damienбпs eyes. Thought this time with a lost gray light. *Fwooo!* The world then began flooding with colour that came in the form of gusts of wind. Almost as if he was stuck on the canvas of a masterful painter. The cacophony of colours and designs began making sense, materializing into a familiar world. A forest, a small cabin, a warm bedбн And a person then appeared; a woman. She had long white hair and lilac-coloured eyes, a beautiful face and a warm smile. б░My lovely little Damien,б▒ She said. The voice Damien could never forget. The sole reason why Damien began his inhumane training and took the first step toward the path to power. The woman extended both arms out and smiled the same way she did in Damienбпs childhood. б░Come and give your mother a hug.б▒ To Be Continuedбн Chapter 39: Encephala Island (IV) The ambience and surroundings felt very homely. The smell of the wood under the warm sun, the sound of whistling wind and even the distant sounds of children playing in the distance. The sensation of returning home; every nostalgic memory came together to overwhelm Damienбпs senses. б░Come and give your mother a hug.б▒ The words caused Damien to tremble. The warmth was uncannily real. Such an influx of familiarity was overwhelming, forcing Damien to take a few steps toward the waiting woman. Deep in his mind was a dull buzzing sensation. He felt bits of his sanity start to decay from every step he took. The more he reached out, the more his mind corroded. . He now stood a meter away from his motherбпs embrace, his eyes staring at the womanбпs face, hair and clothing. б░You feel so real,б▒ Damien muttered. б░What a silly thing to say,б▒ Nadia smiled. б░And youбпve grown up so much.б▒ The words sent a chill down the boyбпs neck as he subconsciously gulped. The longing feeling hidden deep in his heart was about to burst out. Damien heaved a low sigh, closing his shaky eyes. б░...б▒ Nadia tilted her head in slight confusion, unsure of what her treasured son was doing. Suddenly, Damienбпs eyes shot open, locking onto the woman lacking the previous tremors. His hand slowly reached out toward her. The hand went out and felt the warmth off Nadiaбпs face. б░But the more real you seem, the more I know that this is not reality.б▒ Under her warm yet slightly confused eyes, the hand reached further and grabbed her throat. The words came with a sharp increase in strength on the hold of Nadiaбпs throat, locking on like an iron vice. Damienбпs fingers dug into her trachea, suffocating the woman. He couldnбпt help but remain locked onto the blank eyes of the woman as she was lifted off her feet. Nadia was held a meter off the ground, staring at her son with a sorrowful and pained look. A broken wheeze echoed out from her mouth from the oxygen deprivation. The crushing grip left her writhing to the point where her eyes grew bloodshot. б░Pleaseбн die for me.б▒ The young mother helplessly shook in her own sonбпs grip as her life slowly drained away. Tears fell from her eyes, a look of betrayal evident. б░...б▒ A few silent moments that felt to last an eternity. Damien gnashed his teeth to the point that blood began leaking down his lips. He ignored the buzzing in his mind and increased the strength of his grip. His mind shivered in anger as he watched the final ounces of life withdraw from Nadiaбпs eyes; her breathing came to a stop and the beating heart halted, all under Damienбпs broken gaze. б░бнб▒ Two minutes passed. Nadiaбпs corpse remained lifted in Damienбпs hand. Her empty eyes stared at her son. Damienбпs eyes were lost. A steel spirit emerged from deep within, bursting out with seething rage that began to melt away the wooden home. бн [Outside the Mindscape] б░Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma! Perhaps Rocksбп gamble wonбпt play out after all,б▒ Linlin cackled from the side. Her enormous frame, both vertically and horizontally, dwarfed all others nearby. Kaido, who barely rivalled her scale, had a different opinion: б░WORORO! Though I want to do nothing more than pummel Damien,б▒ he said with a grin. б░He isnбпt the kind of guy to lose to someone like Enigma!б▒ The words were followed by a deafening explosion. Boom! An ear-rattling sound exploded from the full body of the Sin Incarnate. Waves of dense Haki in the form of Conquerorбпs burst out, forming a wide sphere of absolute dominion. The air shrieked while the ground began to tremble. The warm sunбпs ambience dulled away as the dark red zone of Haki left behind a broken atmosphere. Oven, Perospero, Daifuku and Katakuri also fell victim to the surging Haki. б░Ugh!б▒ their hands were glued to their temples in a desperate attempt to remain sane. Their yells and groans were masked by the display of the furious aura emanating from Damien. б░WORORO! My skin feels tingly, looks like Enigma really pissed him off!б▒ Charlotte Linlin grimaced at the sight of her lovely children being overwhelmed, quickly spanning her own Haki to shield them. Though it didnбпt hide the surprised look on her face. б░Such rage,б▒ she murmured. The woman then peered at the shaken Overlord and questioned, б░Just what did you show him?б▒ The surprise was ubiquitousбкmirrored on Enigmaбпs face. б░How could this happen!? That ability materializes its victimбпs deepest desires, something they would overturn the world to grasp!б▒ Though his cloudy thoughts soon cleared up, б░бнThe only way to break out of such a reality is to lose that which you hold dearest! But how can someone so easily cut off their deepest desire!?б▒ Damien slowly opened his eyes. б░Thatбпs the difference between you and the true monsters of this world,б▒ came a bland voice of the young pirate. б░They can cast away their greatest weaknesses to become stronger, while you, an Overlord of the Seas, remain hidden in your little cave with hundreds of thousands of toys to accompany you to your craze for control.б▒ Damien began to take steps forward, each summoning craters as they approached Enigma. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. б░Originally, I was only here as Captain Rocksбп executionerбнб▒ His hands balled into fists; the anger evident in his boiling eyes. б░Itбпs been a while since Iбпve wanted to kill someone this bad!б▒ Damienбпs angry words soon came into reality as his body began to swell. The towering body of the pirate surged and burst with crimson energy; Damienбпs fury was unleashed with the uncontrolled force of his Devil Fruit. Every pore in his body was leaking Pulverizing energy at copious volumes to the point where it created a black and red coat of energy around him. It flickered and crackled every so often, showcasing the volatile nature of the form, alongside its untamed spirit. The face warped into a skull, showcasing bony teeth and wide open eye sockets that glowed red. The threatening words reached the ears of Enigma. б░Kill me?б▒ The manбпs eyes grew angry as a powerful burst of orange Haki exploded out. BOOM! The clash of two Conquerorбпs Haki users only worsened the islandбпs condition, unleashing torrents of whirling winds in its wake. Indra, who was still fighting off an army of Mindless Ones who were seeking to disrupt the main clash, was left frozen. Thud! Bang! Bam! The thousands of zombie-like enemies began dropping like flies, collapsing to the ground under the concentration of Haki. Enigmaбпs control of their mental faculties had been entirely overwhelmed by the Haki clash! . б░You are but an outlier! One that shall be expelled by me!б▒ Enigma roared. At that moment, Damien shot forth, the air along his body groaned in agony as the surrounding ground was crushed to bits. *Purrup* Enigma released his Mind powers as it generated a thick and stable orange barrier infused with his Haki. *Fwwm!* The red glow around Damienбпs hand darkened from Armament Haki. BAM! A dark-red punch collided with endless force upon the orange barrier made by the Overlord. *Creak* Sounds of glass being crunched resonated as the punch pushed forth, creating cracks in the barrier, though not enough for it to be destroyed. *Rumble* Black lightning sparks were also thundering in the air as the clash of Supreme Kings ensued. . б░Your mind is powerful but that doesnбпt mean your strength has grown as well; your limits will always shackle you down!б▒ Enigma spat out. *Purrup* Damienбпs eyes grew more stable, his body releasing more and more pulverizing energy to fuel the charge, disregarding the Overlordбпs words. *Crack* The shield creaked once more. *Shatter* The orange shards of mind energy gave way and clattered onto the ground. Enigma was thrown back a few dozen meters, slowly coming to a stop. He soon sent out his favourite attack in opposition: . б░Fury of Atlas!б▒ . The heavy pressure soon befell Damien in an attempt to obliterate his mind but it didnбпt work! Damien just swatted it off, his mind had already taken so much stress that it no longer cared; the pirate was simply fuelled by his rage, though a strong power, it could only last so long. The dark red humanoid opened his maw, uttering a few words. б░Tell me Enigma, as a man of computation and deep schemes, have you ever calculated your own demise?б▒ The words were a green light for both men to release further bursts of Haki, exploding the islands once again with the brutal collision of opposing forces. Enigma breathed out an annoyed huff. To see a young pirate first use him to sharpen his Haki, then to beat him in his own game, and then to go beyond his calculations, had ignited a certain denial within him. . б░Lost Words: Descent of Athena!б▒ . Upon the declaration of the technique, a huge silhouette of a Greek Goddess dawned from the cloudy skies. She wore golden armour, a gorgon shield affixed on one arm while wielding a spear in the other. There was also an owl resting upon the womanбпs shoulder. The goddess spanned 50 meters in height, dwarfing the rest of the nearby region. A golden flame-like aura coated around her as it lit the dim battlefield with its holy grace. The Goddess of Wisdom had descended. Damien, who was nothing but a figure made of volatile red energy, brought both hands together as a final stretch of his powers. *Grrrrr!* His body once again exploded with red energy that scratched at the atmosphere, releasing shrieks from the air. The energy grew larger and larger. It was so incredibly dense that it started to morph into the shape of a giant creature. It had large, dark-red wings that spanned over 45 meters in wingspan and height. Blackish-red body with sharp scales pointing out of the back, and a glowing yet frightening red underbelly. б░Rawr!б▒ the creature let out a grievous roar as if declaring its presence. The sound waves sent out were mixed with Pulverizing energy, shattering all hills nearby to pieces. . б░Advent of Chaos!б▒ . The dreadful dragon roared as Damien called its name, every second it existed was another second that the island was subjected to its sheer pulverizing effect, causing the very roots of the landmass to quiver. Damien bolted forth, the dragon followed him as it flapped its mighty wings and clashed against the spear of the Goddess of Wisdom! BOOM! Endless energy torrents whirled all over the land as the colours of red and gold collided. The clouds above were blown apart, clearing the depressing weather. *Rumble* Sparks of black lightning rained down as the Clash of Kings went on. Giant tides were spawned at the coast of Encephala Island, spanning dozens of meters in height. бн It took a good three minutes for the rumbling to end. Big Mom and Kaido both looked at the outcome with deep curiosity. The womanбпs children, aside from the kneeling Katakuri, had been knocked out. Alas, the dust began to settle. б░...б▒ A deafening silence pervaded as the two Rocks Pirate members perceived the result. They saw Damienбпs bloodied body still standing, heaving with heavy breaths. His back was trembling from the greatly stimulated nerves along his spinal cord that sent frequent buzzes through his ringing mind. Though Damienбпs eyes looked droopy, almost about to faint, he gazed resolutely at the other side of the broken island. The result was satisfactory. Enigmaбпs body was a few hundred meters away. His arms and legs were twisted and broken apart. His neck had exploded while the mushy face seemed to have gone through a lawn mower. Linlin broke out with a smile, б░To think a feared Overlord of the Sea would fall here, what a sight!б▒ . боI feel hollow,бп Damien thought while trying to move his broken body. In his anger, Damienбпs Devil Fruit burst out with great zeal, though leaving him empty of stamina. The nerves had also been fried from Enigmaбпs attack. An incessant ringing blared in his ears, but it wasnбпt enough to make him fall. Yet even under the haze of stabbing pain was deep satisfaction in the state the Sin Incarnate had left the Overlordбкcrushed and crippled. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* He took a few steps forward, stretching his stiff body. *Grumble* His hands darted to his stomach, б░Iбпm hungry.б▒ Just a duel lasting two hours left Damien drained. боThe future Aokiji and Akainu fought for ten days? Just how the hell does that even work?бп While Damien could continue getting stronger, it seemed that the energy to fight for days on end would develop as his body matured and not simply as his strength increased. In other words, it was a glaring weakness. *Fwoo!* The pirate swung his arm, storing a treasure in his inventory, though at that very moment came a cackling laugh. б░Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma!б▒ To Be Continuedбн Chapter 40: Mission Complete [2000 words] ---------------------------------------------- б░Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma!б▒ Damien turned his gaze to the towering woman who walked up to him. Her rather voluptuous body was left on display, a single bikini trying its utmost hardest to hold strong. б░Looks like Captain Rocks found another monster,б▒ she said with a smile. б░Haki tends to bloom in grave situations.б▒ Her eyes then locked onto Damien, б░Your Haki Bloom is quite scary.б▒ The words came with a hint of threat. Her eyes were deep, almost as if playing a few scenarios in her head to decide Damienбпs fate. б░...б▒ The eyes soon relaxed as another grin appeared on her face. б░Oye, brat, how old are you?б▒ Damien felt a little conflicted by her change of expression but answered nonetheless, б░Seventeen.б▒ Linlin gave a creepy smile: б░Next year then!б▒ Damien felt an ominous wind blow. б░бнtill what?б▒ Her smile deepened even more, almost looking manic. б░One year till I come to collect your seed!б▒ Damien nearly fell to the ground from the honest answer that resounded in his head. Linlinбпs children seemed to have no response to their mother partaking in such thoughts as if theyбпd grown used to it. Damien gritted his teeth and boldly told her off: б░Donбпt even think about it, you overgrown harlot! Iбпm not one of your toys that helps you pop out your brats!б▒ Linlin had already given birth to twenty-four kids as of now. If anything, Damien would opt for her uterus to be displayed in a human anatomy museum. But he had no intention of joining the party. . The young manбпs words brought a big smile to the towering womanбпs face. б░Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma! The stronger you are, the more potent your seed is,б▒ she explained. б░Just try to grow taller or I will have to extract it manually.б▒ Damien was left speechless. The woman still did not stop talking: б░I see you as a little brother like Kaido, so behave and Iбпll show you the wonders of this world!б▒ Linlin declared. The ogre by the side couldnбпt help but grimace. б░Linlin, donбпt go deciding things on your own, Iбпll kill you!б▒ he roared, slamming his club on the ground. The words evoked a laugh from the woman. б░Now, now, Kaido. We donбпt have time to play here, the Navy will be taking over the island very soon.б▒ Damien finally found something he could agree on with the gigantic woman. He spanned his Haki and met a satisfying image. б░Looks like all the Mindless Ones have fallen unconscious, even the ones that were headed here by sea from the other islands.б▒ Linlin shrugged, б░Of course, his death removes the Devil Fruit effects on any that were controlled by him.б▒ She then flared at Damien, б░Speaking of Enigma, whereбпs his body?б▒ Kaido too looked around, unable to find the Overlordбпs corpse. Damien acted oblivious, б░Who knows, he probably fell into the ravines.б▒ Naturally, Damien knew exactly what had happened to the body. Before the two had come over, he also had the chance to bring up the fallen Overlordбпs stats. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Thaddeus Enigma] [Age: 48 years, 3 months, 11 days] [Height: 10'' 1"] (3.07 m) [Status: Deceased] [Devil Fruit: Mind-Mind Fruit (Awakened)] [Fruit Rating: 7 Stars (Ultimate-Class Fruit)] [Time till Fruit Departure: 2 minutes, 12 seconds] [Haki: Mastery of Observation Haki, Armament Haki and Conquerorбпs Haki] [Strength: Bottom Tier Yonko] (A/N; боMastery ofбп means having reached and stopped right before Advanced Mastery of said Haki Type. Refer to the Haki Index for more info.) >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The fruit departure was alarming. Damien hadnбпt thought of recovering the fruit, but with such a timer, he wanted to try somethingбн to store the body in his inventory! It was a test of the inventory being able to store non-living things. The inventory is outside time, allowing Damien to preserve the corpse. Though he was unsure if he could remove the fruit, it was a worthwhile thing to test out. He had done all of this before Big Momбпs appearance a few moments ago. . The two other pirates lost interest in the body and shifted focus by a loud grumble. Damien rubbed his abdomen, feeling quite empty. б░Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma! Exploding in Haki will leave you hungry.б▒ б░Plus, you have no ship,б▒ She then beamed a smirk. б░How about this, I take you both back to Hachinosu and give you food, in return, you give my precious son some tips on that Haki of yours.б▒ Damienбпs eyes fell on the boy she was pointing at. Seven in age; short magenta-coloured hair; sharp teeth that resembled spikes; outfitted in a biker-themed leather attire. He stood at a towering 12'' 2" in height (3.71 m), eclipsing even Damien. Future Master of Observation HakiбкCharlotte Katakuri. . Damien examined the boy. He had respect for the character in the anime, but as of now, he was just a little squirt. б░Let me see your resolve.б▒ Damienбпs words were followed by a strong boom that resounded on the broken island. The sky was darkened by the spreading Haki that reached out to envelop everything in its path. The Supreme Will fell upon the tall boy, weighing him down to the point where his eyes almost burst out. б░Ugh!б▒ Katakuri groaned as his knees shook and his bones creaked. The boyбпs eyes wavered but remained locked on Damien, almost like a preyбпs final act of intimidation. Katakuriбпs struggle evoked a smile from Linlin as she watched in intrigue. боI need strength to protect my brothers and sisters!бп The desperate cry came with a familiar explosion. Blue waves of Conquerorбпs Haki crackled out of Katakuriбпs head, responding to his cries and clashing in opposition to Damienбпs Haki with a resounding boom. Suddenly, the wailing halted as Damien took back in his suppression. All that remained was a panting Katakuri, his tired body creating quite the contrast with the conviction in his eyes. . Damien smiled and thought over something. Katakuri was deeply loyal to his mother and poaching him was unlikely to succeed. However, he may be a worthy card in the future. б░Very well then, Iбпll give you some tips; how much you get out of them is up to you.б▒ бн [A Little While Later] *Munch* *Munch* *Grumble* *Swish* *Munchy* *Munch* An odd occurrence took place within the cake-like ship of Big Mom. A mountain-sized pile of food began to flatten and got smaller every second. Giant parts of the mountain were eaten up and devoured by a red-eyed young pirate. Damien had been here for just a few minutes and he had already inhaled enough for fifty adults. And he wasnбпt slowing down. бн б░Is your fearless little subordinate not here yet? Where did he run off to?б▒ Linlin asked. She too, had her pile of food. Damien looked up, not pausing his feast, and alluded to the imminent future: б░Speak of the devil.б▒ Linlin paused. She looked away from her pile of food and saw Damienбпs eyes that momentarily glowed red. Her doubts were answered by the words of her son, Daifuku: б░Mama, that Indra guy is on the ship with a lot of stuff in hand.б▒ Linlin waved in reply, returning to her meal. *Creak* The floorboards grunted as the dark-haired pirate walked in. *Cruck* *Clatter* He had five giant sacks in his hands. The sound of the gold jiggling was evident. However, a couple of sacks were lighter and softer in texture; containing treasures beyond gold. б░Itбпs nice having subordinates, they can do all the hard work while I relax,б▒ Damien said as he examined the goods. Linlin also excused herself from the food. б░Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma!б▒ She cackled. б░You brought so many goodies on an enemy ship, you donбпt think Iбпll loot you, kid?б▒ Damien gazed at the giant womanбпs frame. He shrugged while uttering in a rather relaxed tone: б░You can try it.б▒ Damienбпs feet simultaneously churned with some pulverizing energy. A naked threat to sink the ship at his discretion. б░...б▒ The woman pirate returned a laugh, б░Donбпt get so worked up, Damien! I donбпt want your gold, but I wonбпt mind trading you for some of Enigmaбпs other treasures.б▒ The Sin Incarnate hummed at her words and waved at Indra to open up the sacks. *Clatter* The goodies fell on the wooden board, their weights resounding with a dull thunk. The berries were the first to be seen. The shine and vibrant gold brought about its own glory from some of Big Momбпs children. Damien and Linlin, instead, looked at the other treasure: Devil fruits! The protagonist of the day quickly went through his mental database to match each fruit to its name and power. PARAMECIA: Puff-Puff Fruit иC Allows the user to summon a genie from their body by rubbing their abdomen, making them a Lamp Human. Burst-Burst Fruit иC Allows the user to create explosions from the pores of their skin, making them a Bursting Human. . ZOAN: Rhino-Rhino Fruit иC Model Black: Rhinoceros иC Allows the user to transform into a black rhinoceros and its human hybrid at will. Bug-Bug Fruit иC Model: Parastratiosphecomyia Stratiosphecomyioides иC Allows the user to transform into a Parastratiosphecomyia stratiosphecomyioides and its human hybrid at will. Dragon-Dragon Fruit иC Ancient Model: Ankylosaurus иC Allows the user to transform into an Ankylosaurus and its human hybrid at will. бн Damien patted his stomach which had already shrunk down from his slightly higher-than-average metabolism. Linlin smiled at Damien, б░How much for the Ancient Zoan Fruit?б▒ Such words showcased the womanбпs knowledge, the same Yonko who would one day be known for her powerful chain of information. . Damien almost let out a laugh, б░Donбпt even think about it, if anything, Iбпll let you take any fruit outside of the Ancient one.б▒ Big Mom sighed in defeat, fully expecting that answer. б░Alright, Iбпll buy all of those.б▒ She gestured to Daifuku to grab some berries from inside the captainбпs quarters and settle them down. A solid quarter of a billion berries. . Linlin then grabbed one of the fruits that was shaped like a lamp and tossed it to one of her children. б░Daifuku, take this, your shoulders remind me of a carnival tent, this fruit will go well with it.б▒ The boy was a little lost by her words but ate the fruit regardless. б░Phwah!б▒ He fell to his knees from the disgusting taste but finished the fruit eventually. . Damien cared little for the genie fruit. The act of rubbing oneбпs lower body to summon a male genie was unsightly to him. He pocketed the Ankylosaurus Fruit and said to a nearby chess soldier made from Linlinбпs Soul Powers, б░Help me pack up the gold.б▒ He then walked out of the cabin with Indra by his side. The two casually went on further to reach a silent deck of the ship, void of eyes and ears. б░So, where is the real treasure you didnбпt bring up?б▒ Indra nodded and reached into his pocket. He took out a short bundle of paper and handed it to his captain. б░The one thing that even the World Government would be greedy for,б▒ he explained. б░Enigmaбпs research notes.б▒ Damien nodded, taking hold of the bundle of paper. Thaddeus Enigma was known for his smarts and keen intellect. His Devil Fruit granted him great intelligence that enabled him to stand centuries ahead of other researchers. The man was also very organized, detailing his main research topics into four sections. 1. A Deep Dive into Seastone. 2. A Study on Sea Kings. 3. Geography: the Grand Line and the entire Log Pose Route from Reverse Mountain to Lodestar Island. And the final collection of notes put a smile on Damienбпs face. After all, it was regarding the nature of fruits. б░Seems like Enigmaбпs Mind-Mind Fruit was true to its Ultimate Nature, something like this is revolutionaryбнб▒ The young pirate was glued to the final note, one truly priceless treasure that could lead to endless bloodshed. The title read: б░Devil Fruit Extraction Theory.б▒ To Be Continuedбн Chapter 41: The Tipping Point "Devil Fruit Extraction Theory." Such a topic was considered taboo, but naturally, an Overlord didn''t care. Therefore, Damien could only accept all of Enigma''s hard work and make it his own to explore. "Enigma, I wonder if you ever thought your research would fall into my hands." Damien was about to turn the page but felt someone''s presence approaching. A few seconds later, he glanced to the side and saw a rather small and rotund man. He had a beak-like nose, big lips, and black sideburns. The co-founder of the Big Mom Pirates: Streusen. [A/N: Streusen Image (in Discord)] The man dressed like a musketeer glanced at Damien and cleared his throat. "Kukukuku, young pirate, dessert has been served, Linlin awaits your presence." "I''ll be right there," Damien replied. бн [Few Days Later] A news graced the seas via the World News Agency. A shocking event that resulted in the fall of an Overlord under the hands of some monster rookies. The upset of order came less than a year after the fall of Borealis, now bringing the New World down to a single ruler, a sole Overlord. Alas, the Government had ''no choice'' but to increase the reward for the raiders, which was sent out with the news: -----< WANTED >----- < ZENORA?INDRA > < ''Evil Omen'' > < ?? 366,600,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ---------------------------- Shown to be Damien''s one and only subordinate. A resolute swordsman of deep loyalty. The news warned the people to stray from the pirate, as his appearance could be considered the ''Evil Omen'' to the arrival of the Sin Incarnate. The caption to the bounty even gave a straightforward, though odd detail: "Zenora Indra''s bodily markings are particularly similar to those of the Warborn." It was not much, but enough to make the critical readers curious. -----< WANTED >----- < KAIDO > < ''Hundred-Beast'' > < ?? 861,110,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ---------------------------- There wasn''t much to add to the monstrous Kaido. His name has been prevalent since his apprenticeship with the Rocks Pirates. A weapon of destruction, ever-growing in strength and power. -----< WANTED >----- < EINAR?D?DAMIEN > < ''Sin Incarnate'' > < ?? 1,487,600,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ---------------------------- The words in the paper depicted the masterful attack at the command of the newest addition to the Rocks Pirate FleetбкEinar D. Damien. The rather detailed caption went on to highlight the ''evil'' of Damien, who let out uncontrolled destruction upon the mindless ones. The ones who had no choice but to be puppeteered by Enigma. The Sin Incarnate came true to his epithet, uncaringly obliterating the pitiful civilians-turned-pirates, killing tens of thousands of them without batting an eye. Fortunately, after their departure, the nearby marines swiftly arrived, saved the surviving people and brought them to safety at G-1. Such a meritorious act of bravery; truly heroic! ---------------------------------------------- [Fleet Admiral''s Office, Marineford] A loud sigh resounded from the grand office. Kong sat in his seat, a newly finished desk before him. It was evident that he had a knack for destroying desks in his anger, forcing his attendants to keep a large stock of replacements. "These brats," he muttered, massaging his temples. "They can''t let me relax for even a single moment." Kong''s eyes were sleepy, bags hanging from them. "Puru," "Puru," "Puru." The transponder snail that was by his side suddenly rang. Kong squinted his eyes; a call right after the upset of order would naturally be bad. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. "Katcha~!" The snail took on the human appearance of a man with golden hair and a beard style like a mane alongside a battle-scarred appearance, resembling that of a lion! "Kong, it''s me." The words alone left a frown on the marine. "Xerxes, what do you want?" "The Five Elders have deemed the constant disruption from the Rocks Pirates to be a great threat to the authority of the World Government," the snail replied. "You have yet to deliver any positive news." Kong''s eyes sharpened to the point of becoming that of a wild beast. The fury leaked out of his mouth along his words, "The intel from Cipher Pol is far from useful, perhaps if you did your work properly then the Rocks Pirates would not have grown to such levels!" The anger of the Fleet Admiral did not seem to impress the man on the line. "Do not get impatient with me, Kong. Don''t forget, both you and I are equal in rank and authority." Kong let out a growl, calming himself down. "..." A pause took place until the snail once again spoke up. "You wanted more news on the recent rookie making waves? We found traces of the bounty hunter he came in contact with near the core of Paradise." The voice continued, "Though it''s nothing concrete, It may grant you the chance to weed out the Sin Incarnate." "Katcha~!" without waiting for a reply, the snail hung up and went to sleep. . Kong let out a soft sigh, taking in the final ounce of information. His gaze shifted to the bounty posters at his desk, particularly, the highest of the three in reward. He then reached out to the transponder snail one more, this time dialling a number. The call soon connected: "This is Admiral Sengoku." "Sengoku, report your status." The snail replied posthaste, "We''ve reached Encephala Island as planned. I brought Tsuru with me as asked." Kong nodded, satisfied. "Is her power working on them?" A strong response came from the snail: "Yes. Tsuru''s Wash-Wash fruit has the power to wash away the evil in one''s soul." "She has been ''washing'' the tens of thousands of Mindless Ones who were left unconscious. By the looks of it, we should be able to recruit a good few ten thousand or so of them." Kong gave a rare smile. "Good. With the rise of the Rocks Pirates, we can take as much help as possible." "On top of that, it seems that Sol, the final Overlord, is scheming something big. I''ll have Basara control the situation for now." However, the atmosphere turned a little odd as Sengoku''s voice grew unsure. "There is something else, Kong-san. We confirmed the death of Enigma and the destruction of his crew, but we cannot locate his corpse nor recover any of his treasure, especially his research notes." Kong pondered for a moment. An annoyed look took over. "Those notes are priceless; turn the island upside down if you have to!" ---------------------------------------------- [Big Mom''s Ship] "Stop relying on your physical senses so much." It was Damien. He whizzed through the air and landed a solid smack onto the dome of a younger yet taller boy. Bam! A red bump grew on the magenta-coloured hair, causing the boy to reel in pain. "Observation Haki is a sense of its own, beyond your eyes and ears. Even a blind man can become all-seeing with high enough mastery," Damien instructed. "You want to see more? First, you must know what it''s like being unable to see; unable to sense." He wrapped up Katakuri''s face with a cloth and resumed the training. бн Damien was a little bored. If anything, Katakuri became a rather fun vessel for him to unload years'' worth of deathly training onto. It was nice to see others go through the hell he went through. Though the Katakuri''s drive was quite impressive. ''Every time he wants to quit, he finds some anchor to bring his mind back to the task and push through,'' Damien thought. In the middle of his thought process, the Sin Incarnate slashed a branch at the boy, smacking his shoulders and back every so often from unpredictable angles. Damien went through with the familiar motion, though this time the distinct thwack sound did not erupt. He glanced down and saw Katakuri twisting his body sideways, fully dodging the branch. "Oh? You''re beginning to see something, don''t lose it now!" With that, he upped the ante and increased his speed and power per slash. *Thwack!* бн [A While Later] "Furl the sails!" The chess soldiers scrambled over the main deck, all busy in their tasks. Some hoisted up the sails, some readied the anchor, while the others secured up the goods. Damien calmly gazed at the horizon and the slowly appearing island. The familiar skull-shaped mountain. "Home sweet homeбн" The nearby pirates had their thoughts. "Damien-sama seems glad to return to such a blood-ridden island. As expected of a Division Commander." Many nodded at the words, gazing at Damien with a bright light of piracy. Though his next words left them stumped. "бнoh how I wish to sink this filthy island to the bottom of the sea." Damien sighed, walking to the very front, leaving behind a frozen group of pirates. бн "It stinks even more, looks like the news of Enigma''s death catalyzed the pirate recruitment," Damien commented as he walked down the ship ramp to step on the bloodied soil of Hachinosu. He had disappeared from the ship before Linlin could ''encourage'' him further to donate his seed to her cause. "Hmm?" The Sin Incarnate squinted his eyes as he felt the gaze of tens of thousands of vermin. A month ago there was greed and aggression aimed at him, but now there was respect. Though naturally with some hidden aggression rooted in killing Damien and taking his colossal bounty. The pirates cleared the way through the bustling streets as Damien walked on toward Skull Rock. On the way there, he felt a different gaze upon him, attracting Damien''s eyes. He looked to the island''s far end and saw a giant man ready to set sail on a large ship. It was Whitebeard. The towering man gave the younger pirate a grin to congratulate his return, then returned to his journey out to sea. . "One of you, tell me what happened while I was gone," Damien strung along a recruit. The man stuttered at the grasp of Damien, his eyes shaking in fright. "D-Damien-sama, I''ll catch you up to it now!" the man said. "While you were gone, Captain Rocks sent out Captain John and Silver Axe to attack nearby islands and recover goods." "And Whitebeard?" The man nodded vehemently while answering, "Uhm, he was sent to rob the Heavenly Tribute of a New World Kingdom!" Damien threw the pirate to the side like a sack of potatoes, pondering. ''Looks like Rocks is letting his ambition out now with two Overlords dead. Seems like the entire New World will soon be under his cold, dead hands.'' Other than that, Damien felt the pirates were oddly scared of himбн When did he become some boogie monster? What Damien didn''t know was that he had officially been placed on the List of Avoidance. Said list detailed a few people of grave danger that recruits were advised against annoying. Specifically, they were: 1. Kaido when he''s drunk. 2. Damien when he''s walking expressionlessly. 3. Big Mom when she''s hungry. 4. Shiki when he shares his thoughts about taking over the New World. 5. Whitebeard when he talks about family. 6. Rocks. бн [Skull Rock] "Xahaha! Looks like you didn''t let me down, little monster." Damien gazed up to see the menacing captain, shrouded in the cloak of darkness under the decrepit room. The stench of death assaulted the young pirate''s nose as his captain''s words echoed in his ears. Damien gave out a low sigh as he replied, "You were right, his overreliance on his Devil Fruit was his downfall." Rocks just gave out a deep hum at the words. "I''ve sent a lot of pirates out to start ravaging the New World, it''s about time I usher in a new eraбн" "An era that belongs in my hands!" Damien felt the powerful waves of Conqueror''s Haki blast onto his body, all the while the broken room creaked in its wake. "The final Overlord, Sol, bears the name of D., I hope he can put up a better fight," Rocks grumbled. He seemed bored. "Divisions One through Three, Five, and Eight will focus on stealing as much loot as possible, it''s time to prepare for the final battle with the few enemies that remain," Rocks said. "Tell me, brat, what will you do?" Damien looked straight at his humble captain and noticed the curious gaze. Perhaps taking down the Overlord left him with some time to kill? It took Damien a few seconds to decisively come down to a plan. "I want to take a little vacation around the seas," the Sin Incarnate said. "There are a few things I''ve been meaning to doбн" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 42: A Vacation of Sorts "I want to take a little vacation around the seas," Damien said. "There''s a few things I''ve been meaning to do." "бн" Rocks glared in response; he studied every subtle movement of the young pirate before him. "Do as you like, you''ve got two years." Damien hummed at the response and took his leave from the gloomy room without looking back. бн "It''s done, Commander," Indra, who had appeared beside Damien, said. The two walked from the center of the island toward Damien''s little corner. "Oh? How''d that bastard Shiki take it?" "As you asked, I gave him a third of the loot from Enigma, around a billion berries," Indra reported. "But, he also knew of our transaction with Big Mom and was dissatisfied by not getting his claws on a piece of that." Damien scoffed. "Linlin''s money was never part of the deal, if he wants more gold, he might as well have to pry it off my dead body." Indra nodded, "I told him as much." "бн" Damien looked at the swordsman with surprise. "You said that to his face? And he let you leave alive?" Indra blinked, seemingly confused at the question, "He didn''t stop me." "Rahahaha, you''re almost as crazy as me!" бн [A Little While Later] Damien was now back in his ''home''. It was visibly more broken down; the foundation had cracks from possible fights and duels of some powerful pirates. After all, Hachinosu was a den of filth, but expensive filth. It could also be considered a bounty hunter''s dream, at least before it became their grave. Damien kicked back and relaxed on a leather couch, breathing in the stench of the island. He took out a jug of sakиж from his inventory and gulped it down. "Hmm, it''s not bad every once and a while but I don''t see myself drinking alcohol daily," Damien murmured. While seated, the Sin Incarnate heard a sharp cry: "Squawk!" His eyes traced over the room and onto the open windowбкa sky-blue bird appeared. "Come." The bird flew over and sat on Damien''s forearm, rubbing its small head at his shoulder. The young pirate scratched his feathered friend''s dome while extending his Voice of All Things to hear the message. The chirpy voice echoed in his ears, though it sounded like a normal chirp to anyone else. Damien slowly nodded, and a satisfied smile graced his visage. "So the World News Agency headquarters is at an island called Fooljack Peaks in the Grand Line," Damien summarized, cupping his chin in thought. It had been around eight months since he had released a plethora of birds to scan the world for the headquarters. And it seems they found it. Supposedly one of the dignitaries of Nижa Island, the News Capital of the World, had leaked some clues to the nearby birds. Something about a new ship of reporters being sent to the HQ under Cipher Pol''s supervision, thus revealing the location inadvertently. A ding went off in Damien''s mind at the same time. [Operation Nexus has been updated.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Operation Nexus] [ Find the World News Agency Main Base - ??] [ Find Replacement President - ?] [ Bring the replacement under control - ?] [ Have the Agency exit the World Government''s Grasp - ?] [Time Limit - 1486] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< "Time is trickling by fast, it''s already nearing halfway through 1483. Looks like the replacement president should be located soon," Damien said to himself. It was, if anything, another task to accomplish over the next two years to come. . Damien sent the bird back out and brought some things out from his inventory. "Devil Fruit Extraction Theoryбн" The Sin Incarnate read over the contents and brought them down to a few single points. "So Enigma came up with three separate ideas." Method 1: Fruit Resurgence. Main Idea: It was known that the Devil Fruit would reappear in the same type of fruit that it was before consumption. Therefore, if a fruit user were to die, and if the same type of fruit was placed near their corpse, said fruit should take on the ability itself; effectively respawning the Devil Fruit. Dilemmas: There were millions of different fruits over the seas. Even an apple comes in the form of many variants and it could prove to be difficult to find the exact type of fruit to respawn the power. . "The first method has merit but it may end up gambling on a useful Devil Fruit," Damien muttered to himself. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. He recalled a scene back in the anime where a fruit was successfully respawned by Caesar Clown. However, it also alluded to the fact that Caesar was aware of which fruit the ability belonged to, hence preparing it beforehand. [A/N: Iбпve read a boatload of fanfics where the MC would use this method. Impel Down opts to house huge threats to ensure powerful Devil Fruits donбпt enter circulation, why wouldnбпt they bring 10,000 fruits, pile them in front of said prisoners and kill away? Or are we expected to believe no one tried this method in 800 years until Caesar came along? It canбпt be that simple.] Damien then read the next method. Method 2: Fruit Syphoning. Main Idea: By imposing another Devil Fruit with a syphoning nature, it may be possible to extract the power. Such fruits include the Dark-Dark Fruit, Deprive-Deprive Fruit, Forest-Forest Fruit, Absorb-Absorb Fruit and Copy-Copy Fruit. If the power is used to transfer the fruit from a user into another fruit, it may even allow for the Devil Fruit to entirely re-emerge as an uneaten power. Beyond this, a fruit like the Ope-Ope Fruit may be used to switch one into the body of another, effectively taking their powers. Dilemmas: Such fruits are rare and may require a great deal of training to reach the state of fruit extraction. . "The second one can certainly be employed. After all, Blackbeard seemed to have used some technique to extract Whitebeard''s powers." Damien hummed to himself, going over the list of fruits. He then checked out the third method before considering expanding on the previous two. Method 3: Host Devouring. Main Idea: As a Devil Fruit is simply a vessel to house the ability, it can be inferred that once a person becomes an ability-user, they now become the vessel. Thus by entirely consuming a Devil Fruit user, one can obtain their ability. Dilemmas: The fruit-user to be eaten must be alive during the devouring. Eating in a single bite may prove to be more successful but this requires the strongest of wills. "бн" Damien''s face warped into disgust. However that expression was soon changed into a wry smile as the pirate murmured, "Enigma deserves credit for this theory." "Charlotte Linlin ate the previous Soul-Soul Fruit user to get the abilityбн but it''s a little out of my ballpark." Damien eliminated said method immediately, eating humans, especially live ones, is where he drew a big fat line. . "Looks like Enigma found the second method to be the most plausible, he even kept tabs on each of the Devil Fruits with absorption properties." Damien''s eyes ran down the next page that was printed in a chart template, matching fruits with their locations: Dark-Dark Fruit иC Location unknown. Deprive-Deprive Fruit иC The user was found in the North Blue, the leader of a fleet of Pirates, Shiryин Dorobин. Forest-Forest Fruit иC Location unknown; 42% chance of being in the New World; 31% chance of being in Paradise; 26% chance of being in the World Government''s grasp; 1% chance of being in the outer seas. Absorb-Absorb Fruit иC User found in the Cipher Pol ''Aigis'' Zero: Codename "Leech". Ope-Ope Fruit иC The user was known to travel from sea to sea, acting as a divine doctor to heal untreatable maladies; location otherwise unknown. Copy-Copy Fruit иC The user was found in Pryde D. Sol''s crew: Jello, the Sin of Envy. [A/N: Do not confuse Shiryин Dorobин with Shiryu of the Rain.] . Damien went on to put the notes aside, leaning back into his chain of thoughts. "Blackbeard''s power surely has some way of extracting powers," he inferred. "Law was able to use his powers to switch the bodies of people with the minds of others, truly granting them the former''s abilities." He finally came to an answer, "Perhaps the answer may also lie in one of the remaining powersбн" The Sin Incarnate narrowed his eyes in thought while playing around with a tiny, golden token in his hands, debating his choices. ---------------------------------------------- [A Few Days Later] "Ara~!" "You want to leave me behind in this dull island all alone, Damien-chan," Shakky''s pouty voice graced the younger pirate. Damien rolled his eyes at the weeping eyes of the female pirate. "I''m sure you have things covered, Shakky-nee." . They two sat in the meeting hall of the island with Skull Rock and their conversation was interrupted by a loud voice from the giant doorway. "Newgate-san, you''re back," Damien greeted. Whitebeard gave a low hum as he plopped onto the seat across from the two, his towering frame shaking the very table. Shakky got up to get some refreshments. "Rocks is driving me like a horse, honestly, aiming at the Heavenly Tribute so openly," Newgate grumbled. Shakky placed a large barrel far beyond her size on the table, which amusingly enough, fit perfectly in Whitebeard''s grasp. "The captain has set his sights on the entire New World, and he''s an object of great fear for the World Government because of one main thing," Shakky said. "Captain Rocks does not care for any taboos and does whatever he wants. Aided by a group of pirates that don''t fear death and you have a pirate crew that can truly challenge the status quo." Damien finished his drink while nodding in agreement. Whitebeard just drank silently. He seemed to concur but was plagued by irritation from his recent tasks. . "Anyways, Damien. I heard you''re running off to train, Gurarara! I''ve never seen someone so hungry for power," Newgate laughed. Damien shrugged, "Like you said, times are about to change; I want to get ahead of the curve." Shakky puffed out a cloud of smoke, gracefully returning to her seat. "Captain Rocks is also going on a little trip, kid. He has a place to explore in mind." "It''s called Death Valley, found in the Weeping Waters of the Dead. Once thought to be a myth like the Florian Triangle and the Azkaban Sea." "They say the spirits of the dead gather on the island of Death Valley and wallow in everlasting despair; how poetic for our Captain," She said with a smile. "It''s also one of the Trinity of Valleys:" "Known for its abundant natural resources: Isle of Deities иC God Valley," "Where the spirits of the damned gather: Isle of Spirits иC Death Valley," "A hell prevalent with all types of natural disasters: Isle of Disasters иC Extinction Valley." Damien soaked in the news. One of the valleys especially booming in his mind. He couldn''t help but take a deep breath; things were starting to get messy. . Shakky then cast her gaze on her self-proclaimed younger brother. "What about you, where do you plan to go?" Whitebeard too looked curious, awaiting the answer. Damien slowly placed the empty cup onto the table, letting out a soft thump. He matched the pirates'' gazes and answered. "When I fought Enigma, I realized that I only beat the Overlord because of my luck in evolving my Haki at the perfect time," he slowly said. "I have good talent in Observation and Conqueror''s Haki, but my Armament Haki is far behind." "Heck, even before Enigma, there was Sengoku. I tried to fake internal destruction with my powers but it can only go so far." An ambitious light gleamed in Damien''s eyes, reflecting the bright colours that matched the setting sun. "Amongst some other errands, my main destination is the Land of SamuraiбкWano!" "..." Shakky and Whitebeard both leaned into their seats as if absorbing the words they heard. The woman took a deep breath of smoke in and slowly uttered, "Wano is a dangerous place. Home to the Sword God and the powerful force of the Samurai. It''s a natural fortress that doesn''t take kindly to guests." Whitebeard also chimed in, "Though it''s dangerous, Wano also houses the best artisans in the world. Perhaps the weapon you want can also be found there." Damien nodded, "Alongside Emission Haki, that is also a goal; forge a suitable weapon to work in tandem with my powers." Shakky puffed out a smoky cloud and asked, "Since you''ve decided, just make sure you catch some of the Koi near the waterfalls, they can pull you up to Wano." Damien seemed surprised; he caught the smug glance of Shakky who was ever-proud of her intel skills. "I''ll keep that in mind." ---------------------------------------------- [Later that Day] The Sin Incarnate came eye-to-eye with his sole subordinate. "Indra, it''s almost time for me to sail," he said. "You know what to do, right?" The swordsman gave a simple nod. He echoed Damien''s orders in a calm voice: "Find other like-minded people to join under the Division as fodders. Don''t worry Commander, I''ll surely find some." Damien hummed at his confidence. He felt quite trustful of this sharp sword. Perhaps it was an anime thing to have a loyal right-hand man. "Very good," he said with a smile. "I look forward to seeing how strong you''ve gotten by the time I return, Indra." The room fell quiet once more. Perhaps it was Damien''s continuous growth, charisma, or the ability to trump the greatest of challenges, he had already won the loyalty of Indra. The swordsman could sense the ominous wind that had fallen all over the New World. The death of two Overlords created a vacuum of power and there was no doubt about it, the next few years would determine the eras to come! To Be Continuedбн Chapter 43: Experiments Damien had officially left Hachinosu and taken a ''break'' from the Rocks Pirates. He "borrowed" a rather pristine ship from some super rookies who thought they could attack Hachinosu. It had all but two seats and was operated by a motor, removing any need for sails and was the size of a dinghy. The Sin Incarnate skimmed through the seas and toward his destination, all the while going over some things in his head. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Einar D. Damien] [Age: 17 years, 3 months, 6 days] [Height: 11'' 1"] (3.37 m) [Status: Thriving] [Devil Fruit: Pulverize-Pulverize Fruit (Nigh-Advanced Mastery) б№] [Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars] [Seastone Resistance: 95.8% б№] [Notable Characteristics: Black Bones (II)] [Skills: Titanic Recovery, Titanic Vitality, Evolable Anatomy, Voice of All Things, Will of D., Rokushiki, Underwater Breathing] [Haki: Observation Haki (Advanced Mastery) б№, Armament Haki (Intermediate Mastery), Conqueror''s Haki (Intermediate Mastery)] [Strength: Pseudo-Yonko б№] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< "I''m less than a year from eighteen years old," Damien murmured. "By my previous life''s standards, nearly an adult." His eyes gazed at the distant horizon under the rather oddly pleasant weather of the sea. The bright sun bathed the young pirate with warmth as his hair flowed wildly. "Though most would think it''s way too early to get hung up on aging, it''s not a bad idea to address it." "One Piece characters seem to take a significant hit to their stamina when it comes to age. Rayleigh was struggling with Kizaru and Whitebeard falling apart from his age and sickness, I sure as hell don''t need such chains pulling me down." Damien narrowed his eyes, cupping his chin in thought. There were things to control/manipulate lifespan and age. 1. Perpetual Youth Surgery of the Ope-Ope Fruit. 2. Pure Gold of Alchemi Island. 3. Hobby-Hobby Fruit. 4. Age-Age Fruit. 5. Other Devil Fruits that can manipulate age. "But none of these are within my grasp," he muttered. Damien wanted something not just for himself, but also to sustain any of his eventual pirate crew. "Aging is directly connected to cells and mitosisбн there is a technique that allows for control over bodily functions." A few figures came into the pirate''s mind as he recalled the name of the technique, "Semei Kikan." "Cipher Pol used it to control their hair and even digestion. Sibyl, any thoughts on it?" Damien asked. The feminine voice replied soon after, [Though it has merit, the technique is essentially capped at the macro level. To control your very cells with it would be implausible. Unlessбн] "Unless I can find a way to apply the technique microscopically." Damien balled up his fist as it began to shake with crimson energy. "My Pulverize-Pulverize Fruit can crush things to a fine degree but maybe, just maybe I can train it to apply it at the microscopic level." [There is quite the distance between where you are and cellular-level dismantling,] Sibyl interrupted. Damien nodded, his eyes tracing the horizon. "Awakening my fruit will answer those questionsбн for now I need to get my hands on Life Return." [A/N: Semei Kikan translates to "Life Return" and will be addressed as such henceforth.] бн [Three Day Later] Damien''s current goal was to go from the New World to the North Blue. He chose against going the long way, back to the Grand Line and up Reverse Mountain. Instead, he used the shortcutбкThe Calm Belt! The Calm Belts acted as walls that ran perpendicular to the Red Line, along the Grand Line. The Belts were not physical obstructions and yet they go unused by practically anyone. Why? Sea Kings! The Calm Belts, for whatever reason, had no wind which made it impossible to sail naturally. Beyond that, they are also the lairs of the Sea Kings, making ships travel akin to a death wish. . "You can cross directly into the North Blue from the New World via the Calm Belt, which makes it a lot easier for me." Damien sighed, "Traveling by boat is slow; One Piece never highlighted how boring these journeys could be." Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. However, his eyes suddenly sparkled. """Rawwr!""" Three giant shadows erupted out from the calm sea, growling their magnificent teeth at the intruder to their lair. Damien eyed the colourful beasts, though instead of fear, he showed gratitude. "Finally, a better ride." His eyes soon burst out with indomitable spirit as the waves of Haki descended upon the beasts. *Vvoo!* The pulsating pressure rippled through the seas as tides went off in their wake. The Sea Kings'' eyes shook with great fright and their bodies hunched forward as if asking for mercy. "Pull my ship and I''ll let you go, eventually." The Voice of All Things easily conveyed his words to the sea monsters. The three beasts frantically nodded their heads, acting like children who had just been scolded. Damien leaned back into a chair and enjoyed the fresh breeze as he went further into the Calm Belt, nearing his destination. ---------------------------------------------- [The Ruins of Encephala Island] Sengoku, an Admiral of the Navy Headquarters. He stood tall and proud. The marine coat danced in the passing wind. The Admiral was receiving a report to which he couldn''t help but repeat out loud: "What''s that? The Sin Incarnate left the Rocks Crew for an extended period of time?" "Yes, Admiral. One of the spies of CP-1 got the news at Hachinosu," a voice replied. Sengoku squinted his eyes in thought. "Did the spy give any further intel?" The reply this time wasn''t all that positive. "About thatбн the spy went MIA moments after giving the report." Sengoku frowned, then released a sigh. "The Black Death is as impressive as ever," he murmured. "Did we get any reports on which way he headed?" "Negative, Admiral. Both G-1, G-5 and G-9 are on high alert, but as of now the Sin Incarnate''s whereabouts remain unknown." Sengoku nodded, "Alright, keep up the good work." "Katcha~!" Another voice broke the momentary silence, this time a woman. "Sengoku, we''re clear to leave." The Admiral glanced at the woman, nodding. "Tsuru-chan looks like we harvested quite a lot of troops this time around." He beckoned Tsuru to the sides. Tens of warships stood ready as if to go to war. Tens of thousands of troops ran in and out of the ships, carrying supplies, gear and uniforms. Guns went off near the far edge of the island as if running a shooting drill. Ten Vice Admirals roamed the entire island, instructing countless other soldiers. A concentration of noise and rummaging filled the island, ringing up the fallen Overlord''s kingdom with great spirit. . "Twenty thousand recruits, at least a third of them have the physical capabilities to be put in the New World," Sengoku gave an estimate. However, his enthusiasm wasn''t matched by the woman. "Easy for you to say, you know how much it took out of me to wash their minds?" She took a seat on a broken column of concrete, sighing. "You''ve done great work, Tsuru-chan, go take some time off." Sengoku rubbed his head with an embarrassed laugh. The woman shook her head, "No way, the Rocks Pirates are just getting started. Whitebeard took a Heavenly Tribute. Captain John robbed a Kingdom and killed their royalty. Shiki killed three Vice Admirals." "Beyond that, Pryde D. Sol seems to be plotting for something in a few years. Everything is getting more and more chaotic." Sengoku rubbed his temples, feeling his hair gray out much like his superior''s, "Alright then. Let''s go back to Marineford." ---------------------------------------------- [A Few Days Later] [Wailles Island, North Blue] Wailles was a unique island. It used to be a flourishing, forested area with joyful residents. They were originally doing great, they paid the Heavenly Tribute, they attended the Reverie, and they even had a marine branch stationed here. But that all changed when the Fire Nation Pirates attacked. A man named Zuko Zazz, the user of the Ignite-Ignite Fruit and captain of the Fire Nation Pirates came. The man covertly attacked and took over the kingdom, saying that he was a bastard son of the previous ruler, giving him a claim to the throne. His arrival expelled all the joy and happiness away. The World Government did not send any support as the Heavenly Tribute was still being paid in full by the usurper and all their internal conflicts were outside of their jurisdiction. . That happened 19 years ago and now the Wailles Kingdom has utterly collapsed. The Tribute was lost and officially abandoned by the World Government, leaving behind an island ripe for piracy. For nearly two decades, the main population was gone and now the island was ruled by the Scum of the North Blue. Nowadays, a new pirate crew has laid claim to the once prosperous island иC Shiryин Dorobин, aka Dorobин the Ravager. The mighty pirate who had so charismatically overtaken the land now remained dormant here. He, alongside his fleet of five thousand like-minded scum, has dominated the nearby seaways for a few years now. The Ravager Pirates charge a heavy fine for any merchants passing by while also being deeply connected to the Underworld of this Sea. These diabolical actions have given Dorobин a frightening bounty of 17 million berries! бн [Wailles Bay] "Dorobин-sama, more and more pirates have come under our flag, it won''t be long before we completely take the North Blue for ourselves!" a wild-looking pirate roared out. He was talking rather politely, contradictory to his wild appearance, to the 7-foot tall man seated before him. They were in the main watchtower that overlooked the Bay of Wailles Island, near the South End. "Dorororo! I don''t know why but the pirates are getting more and more impatient, leaving to sea far more than in previous years. It really is a blessing for my ambition!" Dorobин was decently tall with spiky green hair and brown skin. . He then stood up from his seat and walked to the edge of the tower, the bay right in front of him. Dorobин eyed the gorgeous lineup of over forty pirate ships! Each flying his flag. Thousands of pirates flurried through the dense area, a true pirate den. But soon the wide smile turned upside down; Dorobин frowned as he saw an unknown ship in the far, far South, barely within eye distance. "Who the hell is that, he''s not flying my banner!" The fodder nearby rushed up to confirm: "D-Dorobин-sama, I''ve never seen that boat, but it looks expensive!" Dorobин hummed, he was thinking over some possible scenarios. "Send a scout ship, if they can''t pay the tax then kill all those onboard and steal all the goods," he casually ordered. "Roger!" бн [Far South of the Bay] The lone boat skimmed through the seas. It zoomed through beyond its capabilities. It was rather special as it had no sails! "Let''s board it!" A pirate ship soon arrived and intercepted the coming boat. They swung over from their ship and landed on the deck of the rather tiny boat, barely fitting two scouts. "Wakie-Wakie, you better take out some money or we''ll take it ourselves!" one of them laughingly said. They looked around carefully, and eventually one of them went to the small cabin to see inside. Meanwhile, the second pirate''s gaze fell to the side. "What the hellбн?" He ambled to the edge of the boat and saw three thick ropes tied to the front. His hands traced one of them and impulsively tugged at it. *Krrr* The pirate turned his head in confusion. He continued to tug without any rhythm, completely oblivious to what exactly he was bothering. It took only two seconds for his curious eyes to turn into that of one fearing death itself. "N-No wayбн" He audibly gasped as he saw two eyes staring straight into his soul from the sea below. "R-Run! The ship''s being pulled by Sea Ki-!" A beastly mouth shot out from the sea and enveloped the pirate. The giant maw had tens of teeth fitted over five different rows, each sharp as a sword. *Crunch* The sounds of bones breaking resounded as the beast practically inhaled the poor pirate in two bites. Thud! The second pirate soon fell dead by the doors into the cabin, his eyes and ears flooded with his brain matter that seemed to have exploded in his cranium. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* A young pirate sauntered out from the cabin, stretching his rather towering figure. Damien gave out a dull yawn, walking around the messy floorboards. "No matter which sea you go to, all these pirates don''t know how to knock politely." The red-eyed pirate reached the edge of the boat as he scanned the faraway island. Boom! An explosion went off in the background as one of the Sea Kings obliterated the scout ship with a single attack. It took a significant amount of time for the pirates at the docks to scramble as a sharp alarm blared and echoed hard in Damien''s ears. The annoying sound woke everyone on the island up, each running to the docks as the intruder closed in. Damien smiled as he felt the tense atmosphere build up on the island. "Quite a lot of fodder; there''s a new move I''ve been meaning to try and now I''ve got some testing dummies..." To Be Continuedбн Chapter 44: The Devils Orchard [Wailles Bay] *Braugh!* *Braugh!* *Braugh!* The shrill alarms roared as the pirates came out with their weapons ready. A sea of nearly five thousand pirates, many of them with a bad name. Their combined bounty would surely reach at least 20 million berries! "Get ready, some boat pulled by Sea Kings took down one of our scouting ships, get to your shit together and surround the intruder!" Dozens of ships broke out from their stationary position, creating a wide arc that slowly spanned around the tiny enemy vessel. Though the pirates weren''t too sure of the enemy, they had seen the massive Sea Kings surface momentarily and took out the scout ship without effort. It was enough to wake them up! . "Dorobин-sama, you''ve come as well!?" a fodder exclaimed. The captain didn''t answer, just staring at the tiny boat. "Listen up, men," the green-haired man addressed the crowd. "Looks like some punk thinks he can attack our people and get away with it. This is our greatest step to conquering the sea, and eventually, the entire Grand Line!" "Ouugh!" the pirates roared out, ready to war. бн [The Other Side of the Battlefield] Damien raised an eyebrow. "It took them a moment but they figured it out," he commented. He now stood at the bow of the boat that was now surrounded by tens of ships. Such a sight for a lone person at the edge of a pirate island was truly fear-inducing to most. However, to Damien, it was a good place to test out a few ideas. A deep whiff of the salty sea air later: "Now thenбн" Damien locked onto the horde of enemies and focussed on concentrating his power, driving it to a new use. *Purrup* *Szzzz* A sizzling sound erupted from the young pirate''s eyes. His already red pupils blazed deep red, even the whites of his eyes were overtaken with the red energy. The erratic energy began to spark into the air, letting out some dull zaps. A thick, red mist also formed around the pair of eyes. The heat was evident as it bubbled the air in steam. The energy took around three seconds of anime time to build up and was now ready to rush forth. . "Omega Beams." . At the drop of his words, two blazing red beams of dense energy blasted out of his eyes, leaving behind a trail of exploding air and water as they rushed forth. *Vzzzzmm* They traveled at absurd speeds, covering the little distance between the two sides within seconds. "What is that red stu-" The man was trying to finish his sentence yet the red beams had already reached him. "Augh!" His mouth gave out some incomprehensible words as his lips quivered. The man''s eyes went dull as the beams tore through his heart. Sounds of pixelation went off as the two holes left behind set out a ripple of red design. His body began to fall apart from within, soon turning into tiny pieces. The beams were unforgiving. They didn''t simply go straight; they bounced and ricocheted from awkward and impossible angles and irregular patterns. The blazing red streaks left in the air were a frightening omen to the pirates nearby. They saw the twin menacing red zips of energy rush through the pirate masses, making their way through each ship. "H-He''s an ability user!" a man yelled out. *Vzzzzmm* The beams kept whizzing forth, bending, turning, and elevating in all sorts of bizarre angles. "AHHH!" "RUN!" "Ugh!" "Ouch." Endless cries of men erupted the seas as tens of thousands of inch-sized cubes rained down everywhere. 150бн370бн590бн1040бн2050. The death toll went up like the economic inflation of Damien''s past life. In a span of barely one minute, nearly half of the pirate fleet had been obliterated! "J-Jump into the sea!" *Vzzzzmm* The two beams suddenly turned straight around and zoomed at the pirate. His descent into the water came at a bare fraction of a second before the beams got to him. "..." A silence pervaded as the two red beams halted an inch from the water. It took a man with an average IQ to piece things together as he loudly declared, "Ability-users can''t affect the sea; everyone dive down now!" The man jumped straight down after his proclamation. Though his relieved eyes soon fell to despair. "Rawwr!" A giant, nearly fifty-meter-wide mouth rushed out from the blue below, inhaling the pirate in a single gulp. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The beast dove back into the sea and disappeared. *Vzzzzmm* The pirates had no time to think as the temporarily paused beams shot back out without delay, resuming the massacre. One pirate at the far back could only slump onto the ground. His eyes teared up as the pupils went dull from the inevitable end. Alas, so was the price of piracy. бн Another two minutes passed, and the once boisterous sea was now filled with a deep silence. Pieces of flesh decorated the seaways, loose blood dyeing the water red. The small boat soon sailed ahead to the bay, ready to dock. Thud! Damien''s large stature dwarfed the fallen pirates. He relaxedly walked towards the watchtower overlooking the bay, his boots sinking into the grassy soil. A shaken Dorobин stood not too far away from the shore, frozen in his shoes; his eyes were wide open, his jaw practically touching the floor. He turned his gaze to the sole enemy pirate, a mix of fear and anger. "All my menбн My powerбн My prestigeбн You ruined everything!" he roared out. The man''s face grew savage as he shot forward with a thunderous roar. His hand reached out and grabbed Damien by the arm but his height difference made it look rather comical. Dorobин gave a wild laugh as his hands shone with gray light and boasted a white fern-like pattern, contrasting with the darkness around it. . "Sensory Deprivation!" . Damien watched patiently as white energy pulsated from his fingers and travelled outwards, almost as if sapping something out of his body. The young pirate hummed while the older one froze. Oddly enough, Damien didn''t feel anything. "Oh right, you can''t affect me with the sheer difference in Haki," Damien said as lightly nodded. He then exercised his body to forgo the Haki that stopped the attack, lowering his natural guard and leaving him vulnerable. "..." Dorobин went through a chain of emotions and was having trouble expressing himself. Eventually, he went back to using his powers. The arm once again began to deprive Damien, pulling out strands of energy. Dorobин''s eyes opened wide in relief as he felt his powers working once more. Damien, however, felt a familiar sensation. Suddenly, he had lost his sense of touch, much like the fight with Enigma. The human body naturally felt warmth, or the lack of it; the touch of air, the gradual wind, and so on; being deprived of that was truly quite a harrowing thought. "It''s not bad, but I need to see moreбн" Dorobин froze once again as he saw Damien effortlessly move about after his greatest attack. ''Sibyl, fruit details.'' [Coming upбн] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Deprive-Deprive Fruit (Ubau Ubau no Mi)] [Paramecia Fruit] [Fruit Rating: 6 Stars] [Allows the user to deprive anything they touch of certain characteristics, making them a Depriving Human.] [Expanded: As mastery increases, the extent of deprivation grows towards more undefined qualities.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< Damien hummed at the details. He then shifted his gaze back to the man paralyzed by fear. "Dorobин, was it? I want you to use your powers to deprive this corpse," Damien commanded. With a wave of his hand, a near-ten-foot-tall body fell onto the ground. The captain of the Ravager Pirates could only take a few steps back, his mind has gone through too many tragedies at once. Yet now the fresh corpse of a mighty Overlord of the Seas had been placed before him! Not that he knew who it was. . "Hurry up, there isn''t that much time." Dorobин robotically moved, his mind entering a self-saving mechanism. He touched the fresh body. The skin grayed out once more, branching with patterns. "W-What do I deprive him of?" A dry reply came from Damien: "His fruit ability." Dorobин''s eyes widened to the point of falling out and gulped at the thought that never entered his mind. *Huff* A soft hum went off as the white pulsating light glowed brighter than before, pulsing up from his hand and up his arm. It took ten seconds before the crazy sight occurred. Dorobин''s hand naturally moved out from Enigma''s chest, clawing at something. It was soon visibleбкA peach-coloured fruit sporting many fleshy folds and soft to the touch, resembling a brain. Just one look at its organic beauty and it was surely a Devil Fruit! [Image of the fruit (in Discord)] . Dorobин felt his world turn upside down. He had such a power this whole time? ''Why didn''t I try this sooner!?'' he screamed to himself with a broken expression. Such an ability could surely get him endless fortune and power and yet he never realized it himself; momentary delight turned into despair as he felt the cold gaze of Damien from behind. *Gulp* Damien didn''t pay much attention to the prancing fool of a pirate, rather his thoughts were linked to the fruit. "The Dark-Dark Fruit is probably the best option for extracting other powers but if Enigma, with his vast sea of puppets, couldn''t locate it in his long reign and it took Blackbeard decades to get his hands on it, then what chance do I have?" A decisive glint passed through the Sin Incarnate''s eyes as he grabbed Dorobин from the back of the neck and picked him up like a toddler. The island''s ruler desperately waved his hands in the air. "Don''t worry, I''ll make good use of this power wasted on you." Dorobин felt an ominous breeze pass by, sending shivers down his back. He flailed in the air, deeply wishing to escape the vice-like grip on his neck, all to no avail. . Meanwhile, the Sin Incarnate took out a golden token in his empty hand, not minding Dorobин''s incessant movements. The token was rather special. Damien glanced at the golden coin-like item and crushed it within the palm of his hands, an act that burst out into a golden spectacle. The shiny mist swirled around the infamous pirate''s arm as it shot out to grab Dorobин''s heart. "W-What''re you doing!?" Damien didn''t reply as he continued to exercise the item. "W-Wait, it hurtsбн augh!" The pirate began convulsing like a fish out of the sea, his arms and legs flying in all directions. Damien watched as the golden light flooded into the man''s very core and moments later, rushed back out. The brilliant light returned to Sin Incarnate''s body and filled him with a new sensation. Thud! Dorobин''s body fell to the ground with a thud, huffing and puffing in residual pain as blood dribbled from his orifices. "It workedбн" Damien deeply sighed while a ding went off in his mind. [One {Fruit Ability Transfer Token} has been used. The token has materialized into the following auxiliary ability: ] [{Deprivation} иC Grants the auxiliary ability to deprive living or nonliving things of certain characteristics.] . He then walked forward and stood before the gasping Dorobин. The man crawled back in instinctual fright, his mind entirely overwhelmed. "Sensory Deprivation, was it?" Dorobин''s breathing stopped as he saw the familiar gray skin appear, though this time on Damien. He watched the white pulsating light as his world seemed to fall apart. [Image of the Arm (in Discord)] "..." The ability was in effect immediately, leaving behind a shaken Dorobин. The seven-foot-tall pirate shot up from the ground, his mouth wide open in deep fear. He waved his arms as if trying to fly. He walked in circles as if trying to regain direction. He even scratched and stabbed at his side as if trying to feel anything. He opened his mouth to scream but he had lost his ability to hear. He could not even taste the blood that had flooded his mouth moments ago. Damien deprived the man of all five of his senses and even the ability to talk and scream. Such a result brought an epiphany to the young pirate''s mind. The transfer tokens allowed him to take a fruit ability and translate it into a power but they had a heavy restrictionбкthey could only be used to gain an auxiliary ability and would fail for any offensive transfer. "It seems robbing one of all their senses doesn''t meet the bar of physical harm," he concluded. Damien balled his hands into a fist, thinking of one final test. In the background was a Dorobин who had gone mad. He couldn''t touch, hear, see, smell, or taste; his body felt like a void, unable to interact with reality itself. The once-feared pirate soon tripped over a tree root and fell on an unsheathed sword, putting him out of his misery. . Meanwhile, the Sin Incarnate picked up the orange fruit that was inconspicuously lying on the ground from its previous extraction. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Mind-Mind Fruit (Nин Nин no Mi)] [Paramecia Fruit] [Fruit Rating: 7 Stars (Ultimate-Class Fruit)] [Allows the user to gain supremacy of the mind, making them a Mindful Human.] [Expanded: The user may unleash mental attacks, overwhelm one''s mental facilities, and materialize mental energy into attacks that omit physical defenses. Considered an Ultimate-Class Devil Fruit that gives domain over any living creatures'' minds.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< "Hey, hey, that''s a little overpowered right there," Damien commented as he stored the fruit''s previous user back into his Inventory. He then jumped back to his Sea Skimmer boat, cursing under his breath. "I would translate the power with another token but some annoying things stop me from doing so..." [Don''t blame me, Damien. It simply is not possible to translate an Ultimate-Class fruit with those Tokens; all items need some form of restrictions otherwise the Laws of Physics would be for decoration.] Damien clicked his tongue, no longer holding onto the issue. "Rawwwr!" The Sea Kings roared out as they finished their open buffet. Gracefully saluting the young pirate. They tugged on their ropes and pulled the boat ahead as per a new command: "Take me to the Grand Line back through the Calm Belt." The Sin Incarnate leaned back in his seat as he felt the cold wind pick up in intensity from the increasing speed. "Now I won''t miss out on potentially powerful Devil Fruits slipping out of my handsбн" he murmured, clenching his fists at the thought of the vast array of abilities across the Grand Line. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 45: Caged Bird [A Week Later] A sleek ship that had made it to shore gave out a subtle clank as it hit the port posts. Damien jumped off the vessel, waved his hands and stored it in his inventory, all while mid-air. Thud! The pirate landed on the thick wood, sending a dull ripple through the sea below. He looked around, examining his surroundings; the island he reached was sparsely populated, but there were quite a few people at the docks. And yet none of them factored in the actions of the Sin Incarnate. Rather, it was as if he was not even there. Damien was currently exercising his Observation Haki to conceal his presence; a simple trick that would work on those with weaker senses. His towering size was well above any others nearby, yet they did not even notice him. . Damien ambled around the area, breathing in the atmosphere. The endless chatter of these curious people was unrivalled, even drawing out the noise of the birds and ship horns. The smell of paper was everywhere to the point where it felt that it had sunken into the stone roads. Soon enough, Damien got his hands on a map. The title read: "Nижa Island иC The News Capital of the Grand Line." ''Let''s see if I can find a nice replacement President here,'' Damien thought as he admired the peaceful atmosphere. . Nижa was an island in the Paradise Sea, closer to the Reverse Mountain but in it nonetheless. It was home to the majority of aspiring reporters from all over the world, granting it the title of the News Capital. The people were very ambitious in their field. Their dedication to spreading news was as resolute as the citizens of Ohara were in studying history. The island was well-developed; stone homes, big houses, solid roads, tens of thousands of citizens and tall towers. [Nижa Island Image (in Discord)] бн [Few Hours Later] Damien had already known the history of the island beforehand. After all, he had spent a good amount of time in his younger years absorbing knowledge of the world. Naturally, the News-Capital made the bill. While at Nижa, the notorious pirate spent the past few hours delving into the rumours and noises that were passed by the residents. There was one striking gossip that Damien found interesting. Something about a bird-man chasing after the News World Agency to withdraw from the Government. Though his young age had only resulted in him being seen as a joke. Yet the young boy did not give up; he rewrote every news article that was released and tried spreading it, though naturally, it did not account for anything. "A strong drive is the key to a good reporter, but he should also be smart enough to bend the news when needed," Damien commented. "Let''s see what we have." бн [Edge of the Island] At the corner of Nижa was a broken-down building covered in cracked stone, overgrown moss and rusty metal. *Creak* The oldened door groaned at the passing wind, threatening to fall off its hinges at any moment. Simple furniture, dirt, dust, and very messy. Notes, pages, posters, magazines, bounties; all types of paper flew around, some stacked on the side, some lay on the table, some wrinkled from age-old liquid spills. *Rustle* *Scratch* It was the sound of a person jotting down a flurry of words in uneven and out-of-pace writing. The figure darted from side to side, as if working on multiple things at once. The smell of ink flooded the dark room, barely lit by a tiny window that allowed a thin ray of light in. What the figure did not notice was that there was a towering young man who had just entered the house. He examined the surroundings, forced to endure the stench of the room. "You really should invest in some ventilation, little bird," the relaxed voice resounded. "..." A deafening silence broke out as the small figure froze in fright. Damien, who had just spoken, gazed at the young bird-boy before him. It was a young humanoid albatross, around with the disposition of a pre-teen. His body was covered in white feathers, and he had a large tail and wings that resembled human arms. Small eyes and a wide beak but the human-bird hybrid stood around seven and a half feet (2.29 m) in height. "Huh?! W-Who are you!" the boy squawked as some feathers fell out of his arms. He took a defensive pose, curling his wings into fists. "J-Just so you know, I know how to rustle!" he threatened. "Rahahaha!" Damien couldn''t help but chuckle at his antics. "Don''t worry, I didn''t come here to fight you, Morgans." The words didn''t seem to work as the boy remained ready to fight. "Youбн you know my name?" Damien nodded, he then moved a few steps to the side to allow his frame to be visible from the proper angle concerning the sole source of lightбкthe window. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Morgans blinked, then suddenly pointed his finger as if he recognized a celebrity. "Y-You, you are the Sin Incarnate, Einar D. Damien!" he squealed out with a mix of fear and excitement. "Looks like you know my name too then," Damien commented, sitting on a dusty couch. "Know you? Kwahahaha! Of course! Your crew is big news! Your feats are big news! Your powers are big news!" he squawked in an exhilarated voice. "YOU are big news!" Damien smirked in amusement and joked, "And here I thought you were afraid of me." Yet such words fell on deaf ears. "Kwahaha! How can a true reporter be afraid of the pirates!? Say, can I interview you?" The boy did not even wait for an answer as he swiped a piece of paper and pen, ready to jot down whatever. An inquisitive glance fell onto Damien as the bird-boy began his interview. "First question, how come you can utilize seemingly two devil fruit powers? It was reported that you could command an entire forest of trees in your fight against Admiral Sengoku?" "Which island do you hail from?" "What are your ambitions?" "Do you plan to leave the Rocks Pirates to form your own crew one day?" "What is your favourite type of woman?" "What does the name of D. mean?" "Wha-" Damien waved his hands frantically to bring the boy out of his news mode: "Why don''t we start with why I''m visiting the broken-down house of an aspiring news reporter?" "..." The words were enough to wake the young reporter. He scratched his beak with his feathery hands as if agreeing to thought. "Hmm, who cares about that? Let''s get back to the questions!" Damien almost facepalmed. He did not allow the boy to continue, rather he gave out his reason to come here regardless. "I came here looking for someone young, yet bold. Cunning, yet careful. Honest, yet knowing when to bend." Damien''s voice soon dipped low as he continued, "But most of all, I''m looking for someone willing to do whatever he can to spread the truth, regardless of the consequences." The words were like music to Morgans'' ears. He blinked in thought, finally quieting down. Damien went on to strike while the iron was hot, "Tell me, don''t you think the current state of the World News Agency is a pathetic existence?" "They spread whatever nonsense they want, ruled by sycophants who would sacrifice their families to satisfy the whims of the World Government?" Morgans subconsciously nodded, almost desperately. It was as if he had finally heard someone agree with his thoughts; the young age added to the disparaging remarks of all his peers and fellow Nижa residents had left him internally weak. ''It''s everything I ever wanted! This vile reality of doctored news is suffocating! Maybe the chance to subvert that is hereбн!?'' He eyed Damien with a sharp light as if a fire had been litбкfiery ambition. . "You actually want to open the World News Agency! But it''s nearly impossible!" the albatross hurriedly replied, trying not to get too excited. Damien smirked in return. He narrowed his eyes at the young reporter and spoke in a confident voice: "They can try all they want. I assure you, I can make it happen. But first I need someone to slowly rise to the level of taking care of the entire future news chain of the world!" Damien balled his hand into a fist as if to cement his point: "If left as is, I don''t doubt that the Rocks Pirates will be erased from history within a decade!" Such a thought was enough to shake the young teenager to his core. Morgans flapped his feathery arms, riling up a storm. "Bury the Rocks Pirates!? How terrible! That is an obstruction of knowledge! Those damn scum!" . Damien saw the resolute eyes of the humanoid bird, satisfied with his disposition. "You have what it takes, Morgans. Will you do it?" The albatross quickly nodded, his beak comically slashing the air. "The Agency is run by the Four Directors. As it was formed in the Reverie many decades ago, it must at least seem to be a legal establishment," Damien explained. "Which means as long as three of the Directors ask to withdraw from the Government, it must be processed." Though the young and impatient Morgans could not help himself from interrupting. "They won''t allow that! I''m sure that the headquarters are guarded by Cipher Pol and will kill any traitorous directions before anything can happen!" The Sin Incarnate nodded in agreement. "Yes, which is why it must happen spontaneously and when they least expect itбн You can leave convincing the Directors to me. I just need you to wholly focus on rising through the ranks," Damien told the bird-boy. "Once you''re well known enough, the Directors will ''voluntarily'' agree to elect you as their President." "..." Morgans absorbed all the news. He flapped his wings to make sure he was still awake. Such words being uttered by anyone would be met with ridicule, yet for some reason, Damien''s eloquence and confidence left the aspiring reporter shaken. "Okay!" he exclaimed with a wide smirk. "You''ve made news as the pirate who can overturn any problem so I will take your word for it!" "It won''t be long till the name of DJ of Words: Morgans, runs off every paper!" бн [A Little While Later] A satisfied Damien walked out from the broken-down building. "To think I would find the future President of the World Economic Journal in this dingy little corner of Nижa. Looks like my visit was worthwhile," he said with a smile. A ding went off in Damien''s mind at the same time. [Operation Nexus has been updated.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Operation Nexus] [ Find the World News Agency Main Base - ??] [ Find Replacement President - ??] [ Bring the replacement under control - ??] [ Have the Agency exit the World Government''s Grasp - ?] [Time Limit - 1486] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< "And just like that, I''m one task away." However, the final checkbox was not an easy one. If anything, it required him to go scout the headquarters as soon as possible. Which happened to be his next destination. . Damien eventually reached the docks once more and summoned his vessel out. He then lodged his finger and thumb in his mouth and blew out a sharp whistle. *Splash* The sea shuddered as two giant Sea Kings emerged from below, declaring their presence. Their enormous frame sent a wide shadow onto the docks. "W-Why are there Sea Kings here!?" "C-Call the Marines!" "Run for your lives!" Damien jumped onto his boat and immediately left for the Calm Belt. He used the quiet route to get to the next destination, a trip that spanned over a week. ---------------------------------------------- [Eight Days Later] Damien''s boat soon arrived at a small island covered with at least 95% mountainous regions! Beyond that, the mountains were wholly covered in a thick blanket of snow to the point where the island was entirely white. The peaks reached high above and into the skies, some even going to the clouds. Such a sight left Damien admiring the small Island of Fooljack Peaksбкthe home of the World News Agency Headquarters. [Island Image (in Discord)] "Now then," Damien muttered as he spanned his Haki. The masterful release of Observation covered a gigantic region with the ability to scan through the thick snow and ice. The pirate ran his vision through every nook and cranny of the island looking for any tread marks through the snow, after all, the workers at the HQ needed supplies sent to them somehow. It took only ten minutes of canvassing the island to find a hidden trail used to hoist up caravans of supplies. It was well hidden with some material that looked like snow, but not enough to fool Damien. *Pop!* Damien utilized Moonwalk of the Rokushiki to pop the air under his foot, essentially walking into the sky. Eventually, he reached the inconspicuous mountain peak that was swarmed with bone-chilling cold. Yet to Damien''s thick skin, it was nothing more than a cool breeze. *Crunch* The pirate''s heavy boots sunk into the sheet of white as he looked around, finding two structures hidden under the snow. One was a bunker that would appear to go far deep into the mountain, while the other was a black box made with thick steel. A giant snail stood at the top of the ceiling, scanning every region nearby. It was also next to a large jammer that blocked transponder snail signals. ''Quite the intricate defenses,'' Damien thought before whizzing through the snow. *Fwoo!* It was a sharp whistle that was born from the pirate moving in a blur and easily escaping the surveillance. *Creak* The icy door let out a dull noise as the snow was displaced, granting him a view of the inside. As Damien entered the facility, he once again hid his presence with a curtain of Observation Haki. The young pirate then walked on through the well-lit area, traversing the facility. The entire tower-like structure went tens of floors down; a spiral staircase running throughout. Hundreds of workers. Assistants, reporters, and intelligence agents were present, yet unable to sense the imposter nearby. Damien eventually found himself outside the Directorial Lounge. A meeting between the four directors was currently taking place. ''He who controls the news controls the massesбн'' Damien thought, taking a step into the secretive chamber that decided what the seas would see and hear. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 46: Surging Currents [Directorial Lounge] Four men sat around a large, square table, one on each side. Each seemed to be around fifty to sixty years of age. Chad Bizивrrиж, Newman Bradley, Vase Ah Linиж, Markus GojiбкThe Four Directors of the World News Agency. б░It seems an update to the World Threat Index is necessary,б▒ Bizивrrиж began. Goji added a few details of his own: б░The Level One Threats are those that demand the absolute and undivided attention of the World Government and all of its assets.б▒ б░As of now, two of these threats have been eliminated, being Thaddeus Enigma and Esso Borealis,б▒ Bradley summarized. Linиж then concluded the main event: б░The Valkyrie Pirates, Prideful Pirates, Roger Pirates and Rocks Pirates are the current top threats, with their respective captains each taking a spot at Level One.б▒ б░But the latter two have the likes of Silvers Rayleigh, Whitebeard, Shiki, and Charlotte Linlin who have also moved up in threat to this level. Bringing the total of Level One Threat Index to 10!б▒ Yet there was more to the equation as Goji chimed in further, б░Other threats of Level Two are not far behind.б▒ *Thwack* He then slammed a bundle of news onto the desk. The bold headline read out: б░The North Blue Massacreбкthe Sin Incarnate Strikes Again!б▒ Bizивrrиж sighed, б░Weбпve been given the task of erasing the names of the Rocks Pirates but lately theyбпve begun to break every taboo in the book!б▒ б░Celestial Dragons, Heavenly Tribute, World Government; theyбпve messed with them far too much! Itбпs not easy to manipulate such fresh news, let alone with CP-10 breathing down our necks!б▒ Bradley heaved a similar sigh. б░Letбпs begin by smudging older events while minimizing the new ones. They can only be forgotten slowly.б▒ Though at the drop of that sentence, came the creak of the door. The Directors simultaneously shifted their gaze to the intruder, Goji unable to help himself to an outcry: б░Who the hell do you think you are, whatбпs your Reporter ID!?б▒ The others also seemed to want to vent their frustrations on the person, though their questions came to an abrupt halt. б░!!!б▒ Heavy breathing began to huff out from the four as they saw the face of the intruder. The young man walked over and rolled a chair to the head of the table, pushing two of the Directors to the side. Thud! The towering eleven-foot-tall pirate seated himself as if he owned the place. б░Well, havenбпt you ever heard of the saying, боSpeak of the devil and he shall appear?бпб▒ A smirk stretched across the intruderбпs face as he said, б░Well, Iбпm here now.б▒ Four audible gulps went off at the same time. The Directors couldnбпt help but sink into their seats. They wanted to flee, but their survival instincts said otherwise. б░Gentleman, donбпt worry, this wonбпt hurt a bit.б▒ Damien gave them a smirk and then everything went black; all four fell unconscious under the overwhelming Haki that befell them. *Gurrug* White froth bubbled out of their mouths in the wake of Damienбпs will. He then stood up and walked behind Markus Goji, placing Gojiбпs hand on his shoulder. б░I donбпt doubt you had some form of obligation to spread the truth over the world in your younger years. The World Government has numbed your conscience with greed. Letбоs fix thatбнб▒ His words were followed by the skin of his right hand turning gray with a white branching pattern on it. . б░Purify.б▒ . The white light began to pulsate as if removing something from Goji. The light soon turned wicked black as if cleansing something. The corruption slowly trickled out from the Directorбпs body until the light once again went back to white. б░Next.б▒ бн Damien applied the same technique to each of the Directors and left the briefing room. б░It may take a little while for the full effects to take place, but too sudden a change will alarm everyone.б▒ A smile left on his face as the final piece for Operation Nexus was set in place. ---------------------------------------------- [Six Days Later] While Damien was en route elsewhere, something interesting was taking place at the Rocks Pirates stronghold. б░Ufufufu, he is making the Marines run around in circles,б▒ Shakky commented. She had a newspaper in hand. The Navy had recently been going in circles trying to find Damien. Yet whenever they found a trace of his location and sailed there, he was long gone! б░Massacring a pirate island in North Blue? And being crazy enough to use the Calm Belt as his personal seaway?б▒ Shakky questioned with some surprise. б░Gurarara! Sounds like something that crazy kid would do,б▒ the towering Newgate said. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. However, their thoughts were disrupted by another big-name pirateбпs arrival. б░Jihahaha, Newgate, any news on Captain Rocks?б▒ It was the Golden Lion Shiki! Whitebeard eyed the infamous pirate and gave a casual response: б░Captain Rocks went to Death Valley. He probably wonбпt return for a while.б▒ He then interested himself in a barrel of fine wine, gulping it down. Shiki, on the other side of the room, beamed a smirk filled with schemes and plots. б░...б▒ Whitebeard chugged a liter of the alcohol and couldnбпt help but ask, б░What are you scheming now, Golden Lion?б▒ The words evoked a booming laugh from the man in question. б░Say, Newgate, why donбпt you come with Linlin and me, weбпre going to clean up the waters.б▒ The words were of no use to the giant man. б░Donбпt annoy me, Golden Lion. I want no part in your little plots.б▒ The response wasnбпt out of the ordinary, Shiki also seemed as if he expected it. б░Jihahaha, your loss then!б▒ Shakky puffed out a cloud of smoke, and asked, б░Are you going to finish your assignment too?б▒ Shiki hummed with an excited smile. б░Captain Rocks wants other Level One threats removedбн our target is the Valkyrie Pirates!б▒ He then jumped into a golden stream and disappeared. ---------------------------------------------- [The Next Day] [Mortem Island, Grand Line] A young boy with simple clothes and scruffy black hair was currently doing some push-ups, though with a giant boulder resting on his small back. б░561бнб▒ б░562бнб▒ б░563бнб▒ б░964бнб▒ б░Rawwr!б▒ at the latest rep came an island-shaking roar. A giant Sea King who, comically enough, was resting at the edge of the cliff the boy was at. The beast roared out as if he recognized the disingenuous attitude. The resounding growl left the boy with an annoyed look, as he audibly clicked his tongue to show his displeasure. б░Fine, fine, 654бнб▒ б░Rawwr!б▒ б░бнб▒ The young lad continued his training with drive, all the while enjoying the cliff-side breeze. The island was unlike others, it sported a wide array of conditions: snow in the north which was home to giant snow-capped mountains, thunderstorms in the northeast, a desert in the west, and a barren wasteland with snowy hills in the east. The cliff was the main safe area that both had a decent climate and overlooked the calm seas beyond, earning the favour of the lone human inhabitant. [Mortem Island Image (in Discord)] [A/N: Considering the cliff to be near the south end of the image.] бн Around an hour later, the boy finally threw the boulder to the side. *Rumble* The cliff shook and trembled as if in its last life, and the creaking spread throughout and into the deeper parts of the inhabited island. б░There, a thousand reps of a one-ton rock,б▒ he grumbled. б░Now I can napбнб▒ However, his thoughts changed at the sight of a distant boat. б░Whatбпs that?б▒ he muttered, narrowing his tired eyes to the distance. The vessel approached closer and it was more visible. б░S-Sea Kings pulling a boat?б▒ At this point, the guardian Sea King also became aware. He rushed out and displayed his giant body out of the sea as if to announce his territory to ward away the coming trouble. However, the coming party did not waver, rather responding with a casual voice, б░Calm down now.б▒ б░бнб▒ б░That voice!?б▒ Even the Sea King let out a curious roar which translated to the same words spoken by the boy. . Meanwhile, Damien docked at the edge of the island, storing his Sea Skimmer. A quick look and a leap later, he landed a hundred meters away, at the top of the cliff. His figure was hidden by the glare from the sun directly behind him. The boy who had just finished his workout could not help but marvel at the sight like a fan as he heard the calm voice once more: б░Yo, Kuzan. You look lively.б▒ The boy was the rough little rugrat Damien found at Sabaody Archipelago around a year ago. He had grown up quite a bit. Kuzan looked quite excited, outside of his usual lazy demeanour. Damien walked ahead while completely ruining the sloth-like boy''s messy hair with a strong head ruffle. б░Hey, hey, stop that!б▒ Damien chuckled at his antics. He walked on ahead and glanced at the Sea King, {You did well, I guess your kids can live happily ever after knowing I wonбпt dine on their father.} The beast gave an audible gulp as he bowed his head. {Youбпre free to go.} The Sea King nodded, gave a final look at Kuzan, and dipped to the deep blue below with a voluminous splash. . Damien then began walking through the island, Kuzan tagging behind. Going further into Mortem Island beyond the cliff was a mix of heaven and hell. A wide crescent-shaped forest existed first, filled with flora and fauna, home to thousands of different plants and trees. Beyond the haven was a place flooded with endless beasts and monsters. *Rustle* The two pushed past a tree which had leaves the size of a small ship, all the while continuing a chat. б░Say, Big Bro, do you have any idea how many people are talking about you?б▒ he asked. Kuzan didnбпt wait for an answer: б░The news that came said that they were ready to dispatch a Buster Call just to take you down, but couldnбпt find you. Hehe, thatбпs pretty cool!б▒ Damien smirked at the boy and did not give much of an answer, opting to continue moving. б░...б▒ Kuzan felt something afoot, б░A ra ra~ The beasts got a little shy since you came here, why didnбпt I get this lucky?б▒ He then glanced at Damien from the corner of his eye and thought, боThey arenбпt shyбн theyбпre afraid of him. These guys have been harassing me for a whole year and become so docile now, howбпs that fair!?бп Damien felt the boy was lost in thought and gave him a quick whack upside the head. *Bonk!* The young child crouched down, holding his ringing head with difficulty, б░Ugh, what was that for!?б▒ б░Just seeing how much youбпve grown; looks like your head has gotten a little tougher.б▒ Damienбпs casual response made him more annoyed. While the child was sulking, the pirate pulled up a set of statistics in his mind. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Kuzan] [Age: 7 years, 8 months, 28 days] [Height: 7'' 6"] (2.29 m) [Status: Healthy enough] [Devil Fruit: None] [Strength: Paradise Pirate (level 3)] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< A few moments later, they reached a nice spot. б░What the heck, Iбпve been on this trashy island for a year and I didnбпt know such a nice spot existed? I spent so many hours sleeping in a place with shifting climates when such a spot was right here!б▒ Damien could not help but laugh. Perhaps Kuzan thought Damien had visited this island before, naturally, that was not true. Rather, it was the very nature present that purposefully cleared the way to guide Damien to the most hospitable place on the island. Thud! Damienбпs towering frame sat on the broken log, enjoying the breeze. The area he was in currently was unlike the chaotic parts of Mortem Island: nice trees that provided a nice shade and a cover against any unpleasant winds. A nice and clear view of the island, free of dangers. Kuzan grumbled out some of his frustrations while sitting opposite his pirate friend. . His frown turned upside down as he recalled something: б░You know, Big Bro. A year ago you said, and I quote, боIf you meet your expectations, Iбпd give you a priceless prize that even the Celestial Dragons would be envious of,бп end quote.б▒ Damien stared at the boyбпs cheeky expression. б░It seems I need to increase your education times a little, youбпre quoting skills are lacking,б▒ Damien said. б░However, I did promise a suitable reward.б▒ The first part of the statement completely turned the world upside down for Kuzan, but he found solace in the latter few words. The excited and enthusiastic appearance was obvious, matching Kuzanбпs age. б░Oh? You seem to have convinced yourself that youбпve met my expectations?б▒ Damien asked with a tone mixed with playfulness and curiosity. Kuzan shot up from his seat and waved his hands frantically. б░Of course! Iбпve been under great stress for so long! I nearly died four thousand, six hundred and twenty-two times! I counted!б▒ Though he did not stop there, his voice reached sky-high in decibels, б░Iбпve been reading those books you sent through those weirdly cute birds, Iбпve trained seven hours a day, and slept a measly, inconsiderate and underwhelming eight hours a day!б▒ The incessant exclamations made by the boy were overpowering. Damien had to plug in one year to mitigate the yelling voice. It was as if Kuzan took out a yearбпs worth of frustration in a few sentences. боIt really isnбпt as bad as he makes it sound,бп Damien thought to himself, convincing anyone reading this chapter. . б░Okay, okay. I get the idea,б▒ he said while raising his hands in surrender, б░you do deserve a reward.б▒ Damien then put his hand into his coat pocket, dramatically slowing down. His actions earned Kuzanбпs undivided attention as his eyes followed every small move with a budding sense of excitement. б░...б▒ The suspenseful pause ended after what seemed to be an eternity as the notorious pirate pulled out a fantastical item. Kuzanбпs eyes widened as he pointed out his finger, б░A Devil Fruit!?б▒ Damien gave him a small grin, holding the treasured fruit in front of the curious young lad. б░Itбпs something I found lying aroundбн The Logia-Type: Ice-Ice Fruit.б▒ To Be Continuedбн Chapter 47: A Situation "The Logia-Type: Ice-Ice Fruit." Kuzan froze at the sight of the blue fruit. He raised both hands and smudged at his eyes as if trying to wake himself up. He even slapped himself. Ever so slowly, he opened his eyes once more. The fruit was still resting in Damien''s hands! "Well, if you don''t want it, I can give it to someone else." The words woke the boy up from his reverie: "I''ll take it!" He swiped at the fruit so incredibly fast that it set off a blast of wind. Kazan glared at the fruit and then locked onto Damien, narrowing his eyes. "You''re sure?" he slowly asked with a hint of maturity. Damien returned a nod. "Logia are a priceless treasure; y-you have five seconds to ask for it back before I keep it for good!" The pirate remained unresponsive, leaving a silence to build up. "бн" Kuzan glanced back at the treasured fruit. He admired the light blue-coloured flakes protruding out from it. A purple stem with the appearance of a handle. [Image of the Fruit (in Discord)] He eyed Damien once more, and then back to the fruit. Kuzan slowly but surely took a mouthful. *Munch* "бн" A second passed. "Disgusting!" The boy gagged, as if ready to barf it all up. His face scrunched up in disgust as the nausea hit his very mind. Damien stifled a laugh from the side and instead offered some advice of his own, "Kuzan, to ensure you get the ability, eat the entire fruit and leave not even a crumb behind!" The innocent boy looked at the Sin Incarnate and slowly nodded, placing his trust in the older youth. With great pain, he swallowed the remaining pieces, much to his chagrin. It took a few moments but he finally finished it. *Huuu* Kuzan then took a deep breath. The influx of the basic properties of his newfound power flooded his mind, distracting him from the bitter aftertaste. . Damien watched from the side, examining the boy''s movements. Like a child given a new toy, Kuzan wanted to try it out. Such emotion was easily picked up by the sole spectator. *Vvoo!* At the corner of his vision, he saw Damien chuck a pebble at his forehead. It was going fast enough to break the sound barrier! Kuzan habitually raised his hands to protect his head, but then, it happenedбн *Shatter* His arms exploded into countless pieces of ice, his forehead following suit. Bits of crystals and ice shards rained onto the grassy floor, reflecting the sunlight with an array of colours. The pebble continued its advent and slamming onto a century-old tree. Boom! The thick bark imploded, felling the tree with little effort. Kuzan ignored the blatant deforestation, opting to study the oddness of his body. Though from afar, he seemed like a living corpse! His entire right arm had been removed and his head had a gaping hole through it. "My body feels light up top, but it doesn''t hurt at allбн is this a Logia fruit?" At the same time, the broken shards moved about. *Krrrr* The ice shards creaked back into shape, slowly reforming the missing arms and forehead. "This power is really amazingбн" Such was the passive invincibility of the Logia Fruit types. . Damien nodded in satisfaction, and directed the boy, "Go play around the island; get used to the power." Kuzan nodded and ran to the most dangerous part of the island with an excited grin. However, before he could disappear into the sea of trees, Kuzan turned around and locked eyes with his pirate friend. Even with such a priceless treasure, a power with the ability to essentially void away the one weakness of Devil Fruits, Damien did not seem to waver before giving it away. Kuzan balled his fists in conviction, his breath was uncontrollably cold, freezing the air into a white cloud. "I won''t let you downбн" he firmly said before going off to do his testing. . Damien naturally heard Kuzan''s words and could not help but give a dry laugh. Unlike Garp, the Sin Incarnate had little inclination toward training enemies. "An investment is a rather blunt way of saying it," he muttered. Kuzan was a future Admiral of the Navy Headquarters. Damien had freed him from Sabaody, the same day Garp was meant to arrive and save the day. "Fiery Justice was his first motto when he joined the Marines," the pirate muttered, recalling some information from his past life. "It even converted a lazy boy who liked laying around into a man with great zeal and energy." "But the Ohara Incident left his heart torn and fate shattered; adopting Lazy Justice, returning to his previous, sloth-like self until canon times." In Damien''s mind, Kuzan had a strong inclination towards good and peace but the light he saw the Navy in turned dark and decrepit, eventually leading to his resignation. . In theory, Damien could easily deprive the young Kuzan of any budding thoughts of disloyalty but such an option was quickly dissolved away. Forcing loyalty was akin to admitting that he lacked the charisma and strength to earn it from his companions. "My Conqueror''s Haki is a little picky, Rahahaha!" he laughed. The pirate then shook his head, clearing his mind as he muttered to himself, "Well, there''s no point in thinking too much, let''s see how the future proceeds." *Tweet* Tweet* The deep thoughts were quickly waved aside as Damien heard the sharp chirp from the side. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. *Swish* A bird shot down from the sky and landed on his shoulder. Damien gave a smile at the sight of the feathered creature, raising both hands, one to pet the bird and the other to accept the "offering" graciously. It was another Devil Fruit! "Looks like I was right, Mortem Island had been effectively untouched for centuries now, it''s only natural a Devil Fruit has spawned here." He glanced at the fruit and examined its appearance. His memory and past studies granted the name immediately. "Paramecia-Type: Narco-Narco Fruit," Damien concluded. "Allows the user to imbue narcotic elements onto anything, making them a Narcotic Human." He pocketed the fruit into his Inventory and went to see what the little rug-rat was up to. бн "Ice Time!" The chilling words came with a shuddering wind that was cold enough to freeze a person alive! A giant gorilla roared out in great pain as his equally large arm was turned into thick ice, freezing it to the very bone! "A ra ra~ You''ve been trying to kill me for a year now, what''s the matter, afraid of a little chill?" Kuzan grinned like a mischievous brat as he stood in the jungle region of the Island. The two were surrounded by trees that seemed to scrape the skies! The gorilla crying out in pain was nearly forty feet tall yet he was dwarfed by the colossal trees that littered the region. Thick dark-green vines ran down the hundreds of meters of trees, creating homes for a multitude of animals. The grass was wild, filled with many poisonous shrubs and prickly bushes. "Raawr!" The gorilla bellowed out, slamming his other arm onto the tiny figure of the child. Upon impact was not the expected sound of broken bones, but rather, the shattering of ice! Countless shards of ice floated in the air as the gorilla removed his arm from the crater. The beast watched in fear as the tiny light-blue crystals slowly reformed the chilly figure of Kuzan. His body was partially frozen and emitted a strong frost, the white vapour exhaled at a periodic state. *Woosh!* Kuzan jumped into the sky, his figure flickering above, leaving a trailing of frozen air. He landed at the top of the beast, both his hands placed on its dome. Before the gorilla could roar out in fear, his mind was already frozen. . "Ice Time!" . A coat of bright blue ice had spread across the head of the beast, freezing it solid. Every second it would travel further down its body, digging deeper into the very skeletal system of the gorilla. *Vvoo!* Kuzan jumped off the freezing animal and threw a fist. *Shatter* Like glass, the entire skull shattered into innumerable shards of ice, clattering the ground! The gorilla''s body went limp as the now-headless state sent a geyser of blood shooting into the sky, raining onto the tall trees. The corpse fell with a loud thud, sending volumes of dust through the jungle. Kuzan also landed on the ground, grinning a satisfied smile, and then came the painбн *Bonk!* Like a gong, his mind rang loudly as his eyes threatened to pop out of his sockets. He fell to the ground, rolling in pain, almost as if he was set on fire. Damien ignored the pained child and glanced at the broken gorilla; blood still dribbled out from the headless beast, spreading through the soil. "The vegetation nearby is crying out for you to stop pummeling it with this overgrown monkey," Damien scolded the boy Kuzan was still on the ground, gathering his breath, unable to respond. "..." "I-I''m made of iceбн why can you hit me?" he slowly asked with an indignant expression. The attacker just shrugged, raising a single fist. *Fwwm!* "Listen clearly, kid. No matter the Devil Fruit, Haki is always supreme!" Kuzan seemed to have forgotten his pain, now staring at the jet-black coating of metal on Damien''s arm. He gulped, his previous confidence in the invincible body was gone, rather replaced with yearning! "That''s cool! Teach it to me too!" Damien scoffed at the boy''s words. "You''re not even eight years old and want to learn Haki? Who do you think you are, me?" "бн" Kuzan was speechless and could not help but cross his arms in annoyance. However, his head was soon assaulted with a strong grasp as Damien once again ruffled Kuzan''s hair to oblivion. "Stop doing that!" Damien hummed and responded with a smile. It was fun to mess with kids, especially when they could not do anything about it. Alas, returning a grin to the young lad. "Well, either way. One thing you should know is that your training will now have to double." Kuzan almost fell on the floor. "W-Whatбн why!?" he roared out. Damien shrugged, "What, you think this power excuses you from your physical training? If anything, I will need to bring in more training to match the fruit advancement too," Damien casually said. "Come now, let''s go eat." He grabbed Kuzan by the back of his neck and held him up like a suitcase. The boy was too broken to respond, plagued with the thought of losing sleep to train! Almost as bad as sacrificing sleep to study! бн [A While Later] *Munch* *Chomp* *Gurr* Two young men sat across one another, a simple fire in between. The sun had set and the day was coming to an end with night slowly taking its place. Damien inhaled a few tons of meat within minutes. Kuzan was trying to catch up; after eating a devil fruit, he felt hungrier than ever! Quiet minutes passed as they two ate through an entire giant Sea King! *Munch* *Munch* The grilled meat seasoned with exotic peppers and herbs found on the island was surely a delicacy! "Big Bro, *Munch*, you know, the newspaper that came a month ago, *Munch*, showed you using that super-cool form where you were covered black and red, *Munch*, what the heck was that?" The pirate in question devoured a full leg of meat before answering. "Oh, that. Enigma kinda pissed me off and things got out of hand," he answered. Kuzan was not satisfied with that answer. "All the cool people have different forms of fighting. Every time the enemy is strong enough, they switch to a stronger form and do the impossible; this could be yours!" he exclaimed, pumping his fists. Damien glanced at the boy with a weird look. He saw Kuzan''s eyes sparkling, almost as if he were his number one fan. "Did you get all that from those Germa comics I sent you," Damien said as he took another huge bite, "Well, I do need to work on that form so I guess you''re not wrong." Kuzan gave a child-like smile, "I really wanna see it!" Damien smirked at the child''s innocence. "Alright, alright, now finish your food. You want to get tall and strong like me? Eat, eat, and eat some more!" бн [The Following Morning] Damien had woken up at five in the morning. With his current vitality, he only needed four hours of sleep. Plus, going without sleep for some days was not a problem. He let Kuzan snore away, instead, using the peaceful time to think things through. "Different forms, eh? Sounds like an anime thing. It''s only right for me to conform to it," he joked to himself. Damien had naturally thought about it before. At first, it was an uncontrolled release of his power. Though it left him with only so much time to use it. "Perhaps if I can use my Haki to fully mould it into a more efficient shape then it could be useful!" The pirate cupped his chin, thinking of the things he needed to train in the next little bit. 1. The fruit released form. 2. Black Bones. 3. Overall Haki. Then his mind went to something else. *Fwiip* A sharp Shing went off as a sword appeared in Damien''s hand. It was a Famed Blade of the 50 Skillful Grade. The Sin Incarnate cared little for the blade, nor its name. The arriving dawn shone by the sharp edge of the sword, slicing through the morning breeze. *Fwwm!* He wrapped the blade with his Haki and channeled a stream of pulverizing Haki. *Purrup* The pulverizing energy bubbled like magma, slowly covering the entire blade with its ominous light. Damien slashed the weapon in the direction of a grove as a bright, black slash of energy shot out in its wake. *Swish!* The slash cleaved through tens of trees, leaving a finely sliced valley that sent dozens of trees to the sky. However, the impressive sight did not satisfy Damien. "Swords this, swords thatбн I don''t see why everyone wants a sword," he muttered, narrowing his eyes at the blade. *Crack* The residual Pulverizing Haki had worn out the durability of the Skillful Grade Sword, leaving it effectively useless. . Damien shook his head and came to a new thought. "Well, swords aren''t my thing anyways. I need something more unique to work well with my powers." He threw the sword away into the sky, uncaring of its destination. *Squack!* Unfortunately, it hit a seagull that fell into the deep blue sea. "бн" "Anyways," Damien offhandedly said. "Great Grade Blades are the minimum quality to hold up my power but a Supreme Grade would be idealбн" He balled his fists in a deep desire to grow. The feeling of weight born by the inevitable God Valley Incident truly sent him into overdrive. . "Where''s the intruder? Let me fight him!" The notorious pirate looked to the side and saw a sleepy Kuzan frantically walk out. He had one eye covered with his eye mask, his nightsuit still on. He waddled around, looking for a fight. Damien sighed, "Kuzan, there''s no enemy." The boy looking to fight froze. He glanced at Damien, then looked at the cleaved-up section of the forest. "Huh? Why''d you cut apart half of a forest then?" he crossed his hands with some irritation. "Yesterday you said the vegetation was screaming in my heroic battle with the mountain gorilla, and yet you cut apart so much of it like this." Damien shrugged, "This is different. They didn''t scream when I cut them. If anything, they were happy to be cut apart by me." "That''s ridiculous!" Kuzan exclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger. бн [A Little While Later] The two eventually made it to the breakfast table, aka a stump of a giant Sea King that was recently cut after offering itself as a meal. "Now, let''s eat some more." Kuzan nodded as he saw the delicious meat barbecued to perfection. "Looks delici-" *Fwooo!* *Rumble* Yet at that moment came an island-shaking boom. Powerful winds blew about as the trees cried out. The birds and animals were thrown into a loop, panicking at the sudden spectacle. Damien''s eyes sharpened at the sky as he saw a giant stream of green energy forming, much like a river. *Purrup* *Creak* Red mist gathered at the palm of the pirate''s hand while Kuzan''s body turned strikingly cold, releasing chilling winds. . The two went to the spot near the heart of the anomaly, an open patch of grass surrounded by trees covered in snow. Damien stood in front of Kuzan, simply watching to see what happened. Under their examining eyes was a beacon of green light that befell the island. The blinding light caused Kuzan, alongside the other animals present, to flinch. [Spectacle Image (in Discord)] A burst of air went off as the green light fell onto the clearing in front of Damien, spreading out in all directions. Everything fell under Damien''s sharp Observation; a silhouette of a person standing at the core of the blast. Damien squinted his eyes, zooming into the mysterious figure. "A woman?" The sight became clearer and clearer as the appearance was fully visible. "Um, it''s a pleasure to meet you," a soft voice resounded in the eerily silent woods. "My name is Amatsuki Toki," she said, locking her green eyes with Damien. "Can you tell me what year it is?" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 48: The Anomaly "Can you tell me what year it is?" The woman, or more accurately, girl, who had introduced herself as Amatsuki Toki was exceptionally calm for her unusual entry. She saw Damien and Kuzan''s battle stances and did not seem to feel anything afoot, choosing to greet the two warmly. With long light green hair and a young beautiful face. The girl wore a pink kimono with crescent moons imprinted, leaving her thighs open. A blue cloth wrapped over her abdomen and a flower ornament with a chain of pearls on the right side of her hair. She even had a sword tied on her left waist, covered with a red scabbard. [Amatsuki Toki Image (in Discord)] . Damien squinted his eyes, unsure what to comment; such a situation was unprecedented. Unfortunately, Kuzan was not as critical as he pointed at Toki, "Look, Big Bro Damien, a nee-chan with big bazongas fell from the sky!" *Bonk!* Damien no longer paid any mind to the boy rolling on the ground. He turned his gaze back to the curious "guest" and could not help but think, ''Is this a coincidence or something more?'' *Grumble* Toki lightly coughed in embarrassment and asked, "Um, can I trouble you for some food?" бн [A While Later] The company of three sat around the giant stump in the peaceful part of Mortem Island once more, feasting on a plethora of food. Kuzan looked gallant as he chewed his high-protein breakfast down. Perhaps the appearance of a stranger after a year of lonesomeness had left him a little insecure, especially with an older girl present. Meanwhile, Damien ate his fill, enough for fifty people and Toki maintained a seemingly traditional and elegant eating style, probably taught from a young age. . "So, Toki," Damien said. "It seems the both of us weren''t expecting this meeting." The girl looked up after finishing a bite. "Yes," she nodded. "I chose to go many more years ahead, but for some reason, I was pulled hereбн I don''t know whyбн" Damien hummed. He knew of her fruit: The Time-Time Fruit. It supposedly allowed its user or anyone they choose to jump into the future at a predetermined amount of time. ''Any thoughts, Sibyl?'' The reply came quickly: [Time is one of those abstract things that is hard to work with, let alone interfere with.] Damien turned to the girl and questioned, "This time jump, was it different from the ones you''ve done before?" Toki tapped her cheek with her finger while looking up. Her eyes shined as she answered, "Well, I did feel something odd from a treasure I received over 750 years ago." *Pwooo* Kuzan spat out his mouthful of food and gawked at Toki. ''S-Seven hundred and fifty years!? S-She''s a living fossil!!!'' Damien raised an eyebrow at the information and gestured to her to elaborate. Toki nodded and placed her spoon down. She wiped her hands and reached into her kimono to take something out. Upon first glance, it was a small white cube. About five cubic centimeters in size. *Fuuuu* Yet for whatever reason, the dull cube became mobile as it pulsated with energy, releasing light. Toki became alarmed: "That''s weird, it never glowed like this beforeбн" Unlike her, Damien felt something awfully familiar. *Woosh!* A quick blast of wind went off as the tesseract shot toward Damien''s body. As it travelled, its body shattered apart to reveal a tiny glowing orb within. It all happened within a fraction of a second: the cube shed its shell into an energy ball that dissolved into Damien''s chest and a notification opened in his eyes. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Memory Shard (2 of 3)] [Collect all three shards to unlock the message left behind by the original System User.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< "D-Damien-san, I don''t know why it did that!" Toki scrambled with some fright. The pirate shook his head, "Don''t worry. That thing was probably what pulled you off your time jump to me." "Tell me the history behind it." Toki calmed down as her mind began running with thoughts of the distant past. "It happened over 700 years ago today when I stumbled on an injured man during an escape from my pursuers." Her mood suddenly grew somber at the thought of her escape. "I was very young then, but I still remember what he said: ''If you do me a favour, I will save you from your fate''." Toki returned a thin smile, "I agreed right away." "The man then gave a green fruit alongside that cube and a note. He said that all I need to do is survive, and when the time comes everything will work outбн" This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Damien cupped his chin, thinking over the newfound information. "Show me the note." Toki nodded and brought out a folded piece of paper. Surprisingly enough, it was in pristine condition, as if untouched. Upon first glance, it was blank, lacking any ink. However, to Damien, it was not what he saw that was important, rather it was what he heard. {I no longer have enough time...} {If you hear these words, all hope is not lost. Collect the remaining shards; I await you then, my Champion!} Damien calmed his Voice of All Things, the words leaving a frown on his face. ''This sounds a lot like some Chosen One plot,'' Damien thought to himself. He had no intention of being some kind of saviour determined by some ancient figure, but he was also curious about the Original System User, the same man whose System Damien supposedly inherited. It left him ambivalent. Toki saw the displeasure and could not help but ask, "Is something wrong?" "Well, this was meant for me," he responded. "Thanks for delivering it." She shook her head, "I just repaid the favour from centuries back." . At that point, another, less mature, voice interrupted the two: "Ahem, can anyone tell me what''s going on?" Kuzan popped out from the side and waved his hands to direct their attention to them. Damien side-eyed the ice boy and casually responded "Kuzan, why don''t you begin your training for the day." However, the words were tossed aside by the boy: "And leave you here to chat with this beautiful nee-chan, no way!" Toki could not help but giggle at his words and remarked, "Oh, what a sweet child." Kuzan''s smile became smugger as if showing off to Damien. Though the latter had already gotten to the next subject, "Toki, have you decided where you will go now?" The girl hesitated and slowly shook her head. "I, I have always dreamed of returning to my home island! I was born into a respected family but my parents had to flee there for whatever reason," her voice once again grew sad. "I''ve always wanted to see where my parents and family were from." "Considering your clothing, it must be Wano!" Kuzan exclaimed, flexing his knowledge skills. Toki''s eyes brightened as she smiled and nodded, "Yes! I have always wanted to see my home! I hope it''s as magical as my mother told me it was!" "Big Bro, aren''t you going to Wano to train, why don''t you take her with you," Kuzan whispered from the side. Naturally, it didn''t escape the girl''s hearing: "Really!?" However, she realized her actions were a little abrupt and coughed lightly. "Well, if it wouldn''t be too much of a drag, I hope you can let me come alongбн" Damien eyed the girl who was barely eighteen years old. Her requesting tone was entirely offset by the glowing green eyes that were staring at him with great anticipation. The pirate ran through a few thoughts; Wano was a closed-off country that did not do well with outsiders. Damien weighed the pros and cons and gave an answer, "Alright, you can tag along. But we don''t leave till at least another few months." She bowed her head in gratitude, "Thank you! I promise not to be a burden." бн [Sometime Later] Kuzan had gone to train and Toki decided to rest after her journey, supposedly she had fled from some perilous situation twelve years to fall here and was dead-tired. ''The Time-Time Fruit,'' Damien thought, narrowing his eyes. ''I wonder just to what level this fruit can reach.'' He knew just how broken time powers could be from his previous life. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Time-Time Fruit (Toki Toki no Mi)] [Paramecia Fruit] [Fruit Rating: 7 Stars (Ultimate-Class Fruit)] [Allows the user to manipulate time in the positive direction, granting the ability to transport themselves or others into the future; making them a Fast-Forwarding Human.] [Expanded: Considered an Ultimate-Class Devil Fruit that gives domain over time.] (A/N: This is not entirely canon and has some original additions.) >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< "It really is an Ultimate-Class Fruit," he muttered. "Manipulating time in the positive direction makes it sound almost like hitting the skip-ahead button," Damien hummed in thought. "Doesn''t that mean she can also age things rather than just toss them into the future?" He could not use his tokens for 7 Star fruits but running into such a treasured ability was beyond rare. The pirate shook his head with a sigh, "I sound like some villain scheming up a plan, let''s just see where things go from here." бн The rest of the day was spent with Damien drafting up ways to train. Beyond that, he would occasionally go and check up on Kuzan and his new training schedule. Suffice to say, it catered to his strength quite well. Unfortunately, he reduced his sleep time to seven hours to accommodate the training, a fact that nearly sent the boy crying. Soon enough, it was time for dinner. Damien made his way to the island''s edge and gazed at the calm seas. {Come.} And so it did. *Splash!* The water exploded as a giant shadow appearedбкa Sea King! Though smaller than the true monsters that plagued the Calm Belt, it still dwarfed the Sin Incarnate. {Offer yourself as my meal.} The beast''s eyes became watery as if he were hesitant, but Damien had already euthanized it. *Thud!* Its giant body fell onto the shore, lifeless. "Such is the cycle of life," Damien muttered, dragging the gigantic beast stretching for dozens of meters with a casual grip of his right hand. "Damien-san!" He saw an energetic Toki run toward him as he moved the fresh meat. "What''s up?" She huffed a little from the run and answered, "I wanted to cook tonight to thank you for your hospitality." бн [A While Later] Toki had prepared some Wano cuisine, essentially a Japanese style that came with its own beauty and taste. The juicy meat and rich sauce brought about its flavour. The three enjoyed the meal with delight. "I''m glad you like it, Kuzan-kun." The boy smiled at her and rubbed the back of his head. "Then, Toki-nee, can you tell me another story from your years of jumping around?" She smiled but some memories brought a frown up instead. The girl sighed, "I''ve seen so many civilizations rise. Every time I jump ahead, all that remains is dust and debris; history can be stubborn in repeating itself." Kuzan felt the atmosphere change with Toki getting lost in her past so he picked the path of least resistance: "That was so delicious, I think I''ll go take a ten-hour nap nowбн" He snuck a glance at the quiet Damien and saw no reply. His eyes widened, ''No way, is it a blue moon?'' Kuzan didn''t turn back and tip-toed away, his trusty eye mask in hand. . Damien, on the other hand, let the boy get away with one day of missing the nightly training. He instead focussed his attention on the girl. "Toki, sit across from me." She was a little surprised but agreed and sat down. Their figures cast a large shadow from the nearby fire. It was a clear night with the crescent moon visible. Damien reached into his coat and unhooked the pendant around his neck. He brought it toward Toki''s hands and tapped her wrist. "Ugh," the cold touch of the metal came with a feeling of unprecedented fatigue and weakness, forcing a groan from the girl; it was as if her body had been hollowed out of life. "D-Damien-san, this is?" Her voice was fearful at the loss of her powers. "Toki, you''ve been using your powers to escape every peril you face. Tell me, have you ever seen this metal?" The girl stared at the pendant that looked exceptionally simple and mundane and shook her head, her long green hair following the motion. Damien was not surprised. "This is Seastone or Sea Prism Stone. It can emit the same wavelength as the sea, in other words, it can easily rob you of your powers," he explained. Toki''s face darkened at every detail. Damien then removed the damning stone and equipped it back on, unphased by the accessory''s effects. "I''m telling you this because this type of ore, though rare, can be found in the hands of the Marines and some very powerful pirates. If you end up in their hands then you will be locked up and unable to escape the way you''ve been doing for centuries," he said. Damien''s crimson eyes locked onto the shaken girl as he continued in a solemn tone, lacking his usually lax nature. "Let me ask you this, Toki. What''s to say the next time you jump, you won''t be hit with this little piece of metal; do you still think your powers are almighty?" Toki gulped at the thought and became lost in thought. "..." The only sound that remained was the crackling flame that seemed to have grown colder, sending a chill down the young woman''s back. Alas, Damien did not let the negative news sink in for too long. "Your powers are far beyond what you''ve ever used. So far you''ve used them only when necessary," Damien read her like a book. "You have barely scraped the surface of your ability." The tense mood had come out of nowhere, leaving Toki frozen. Damien''s face remained expressionless as he struck the iron while it was still hot. "Do you intend to run till the end of time? Let''s say you reach Wano, then what?" "Time trickles on while you relent to it, isn''t it tiring after all these centuries'' worth of travel?" The Sin Incarnate''s tone got sharper and sharper as if drilling into her very core. "From what I can see, your powers haven''t freed you of tragedy, they have become your chains!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 49: Chains The barrage of questions caught the girl off-guard. Her eyes quivered at the drop of every question. She unconsciously stood up and took some steps back to protect her naive mind. "I, I don''t knowбн" she managed to whisper out while staring at the ground. Damien picked up a leftover piece of meat and gobbled it up, letting the girl think. The buzzing of insects and flickering fire created a nightly ambience. Fireflies were parading around, lighting up the forestry surroundings with a mystical veil. Alas, Damien finished, all the while Toki remained silent. "Well, think it over; it''s a waste for you to remain chained by your powers." He then left to catch some sleep, leaving the green-haired girl behind. Damien''s words echoed in Toki''s mind, leaving a troubled expression to stretch across her face. "My chainsбн" ---------------------------------------------- [Twelve Days Later] [New World Sea] Currently, in the New World Sea, a battle was ongoing. BOOOM! Bang! "Wewu-Wewu-Wewu! Kill them all!" a condemned soldier yelled. "FOR THE GOLD!" "FOR THE WOMEN!" "FOR THE BOOZE!" бн "Ah!" "AUGH!" "Puah!" Thousands upon thousands of cannons firing at each other and half as many cries as bodies lay floating all over the reddened sea. It was the Valkyrie Pirates'' home turf! Sixteen thousand pirates were scattered over the huge mass of sea yet someone had the balls to launch an attack. "Jihahahaha!" A boisterous laugh bellowed throughout the battlefield. "Kill them all! Show them what a true pirate is!" "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma! Perespero, Katakuri, Oven, Daifuku, go! I want you to get used to the wars soon," Linlin ordered. "Yes, Mama!" the four of them yelled out. Daifuku was the first one to attack. He rubbed his belly like a vigorous teenager does in private, and poof came a giant genie. "What can I do for you, master!?" the genie thundered out. Daifuku pointed his finger at an enemy ship, earning a nod from the mystical apparition. . "Genie-uine Rage Split!" . Boom! The ship was cleaved in half by the Genie''s weapon, sending its sails flying up and beyond where they should be. Peresepero chuckled at the sight, his long tongue licking his cane-staff. Oven too joined in to take down the ship, leaving Katakuri behind. The towering young boy''s childish face was solemn as usual. A pirate rushed in from the side, having boarded the ship. "Pelican Eel-faced brat, die!" Katakuri did not even look in the enemy''s direction, rather, he replied with the slash of his trident. *Splatter* The blood rained down as the man''s body became lifeless. The bold young pirate then changed his aim toward a ship. *Gurrup* Katakuri''s hands, oddly enough, became fluid, taking on the appearance of a white, sticky substance. It then churned and spun into a minigun! . "Unstoppable Mochi Blade Bullets!" . The barrage of white bullets soon overtook the seas. Bodies fell one by one under the incessant rain of the mochi attack. ... There were currently two armies engaged in a naval war. Two Divisions of the Rocks Pirates against the entire Valkyrie Pirates Fleet. Shiki and Big Mom led their respective Divisions against the last large remaining force that was not an Overlord or a marine unit. . The Valkyrie Pirates had 16 divisions with 1,000 men in each. The 16 Division Commanders were known as the Angelic 16. The battle between the two sides has been raging on for a few days now! The total casualty count has been over 4000 pirates thus far. The attacker''s original 10,000 had dropped to 7,900 whereas the Valkyrie Pirates were down from 16,000 to 14,000. The problem was that the Rocks Pirates were rather odd: nearly a third of their casualty count for them was self-inflicted! The lack of camaraderie was obvious, and it had its negatives. And yet the lessening numbers did not make them fear, rather, it boiled their blood and riled up their spirits! бн Six of the Angelic 16 stood on their ships as they commanded over the constant fire. BOOM! If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Bang! The Rocks Pirates only had less than 8,000 men left and around 40 ships. And yet each passing day, their display of strength would go up! "Angelic Fury!" "Wisdom of the Bright!" "Ascending Shallows!" The defending side tried to respond as they continued their battle. ---------------------------------------------- [In A Different Area of the New World] "THIS IS THE FINAL WARNING! SURRENDER NOW, WE HAVE THE ENTIRE ISLAND SURROUNDED!" The booming voice fell onto the small, barren island, originating from a Marine warship! The warning echoed through the land. The inhabitants had already hidden away, hoping the monster invading their home would be deterred by the Navy. Yet that did not happen. Instead, an even louder voice thundered, "WORORORO! I''ve been looking for a nice meal. Come and get me, damn Marines!" ---------------------------------------------- [An Inconspicuous Seaway in the Grand Line] "Damn Rocks Pirates!" a muffled voice roared out. The man stood tall at the bow of an exquisite ship. Not only did the vessel seem inconspicuous, it also seemed worn down. And yet if one looked closely, one would see thick wood and powerful yet thin steel outline the ship. Obviously, it was made to only appear broken down! The man who had roared out in indignation was special. He wore a white-fitted suit with quite remarkable stitching. His face was covered with a mask, his body essentially covered up; Cipher Pol ''Aigis'' Zero; the loyal shield of the Celestial Dragons. If they were present then it meant the business they attended to was that concerning the Gods themselves! . "Johohoho, Dogs of the Dragons, give us the treasure!" The masked man glared at the figure of the man who spoke at the enemy ship and spat back in indignation, "This ship is transporting Heavenly Tribute; it''s not for your commoners'' hands!" The pirate who waved the Rocks Pirates banner was naturally not a nobody. Long pink hair, a pirate''s coat, holding a bottle of booze. Not just him, but another man stood by his side. His body was covered in silver armour with a sharp axe in hand. "Two of the Four Tragedies of the Rocks PiratesбкCaptain John and Silver Axe!" the CP Agent exclaimed. Even knowing his little chance of victory, the man jumped head-on, a sight earned a cackle from Captain John. "I can''t help but admire the brainwashing of CP-0, they really are the Shields of the Celestial Dragons!" Silver Axe did not speak, rather he let his weapon do the talking. *Swish!* A sharp and equally deadly slash broke out from the simple motion of the axe. It flew across the sea and onto the agent. "Tempest Kick!" The agent twirled out an equally large slash as the two attacks clashed. Boom! A grand explosion went off, sending out a powerful tide in response. Captain John smiled evilly, licking his lips. "Lights out, little Agent." *Bang!* The gunshot went off as a black bullet hit the agent in the chest. *Vvooo!* A violent gust of wind howled as Silver Axe sent another attack, ripping apart the immobilized enemy. "Why? Why don''t they fear the gods? Whyбн?" the agent muttered as his life came to an end. The body sank, leaving the booty ripe for the taking. "Board their ship!" The remaining marine on board could only gulp in fear, knowing their death was all but inevitable. ---------------------------------------------- [Hachinosu, New World] "Unsurprisingly enough, there aren''t many like-minded pirates to recruit," a calm voice broke out. The tall shadow cast from the man and spanned far enough to cover a field of corpses: dark skin, tribal marks, tall frame. "Even after two months, I''ve only met a single person who met the bill," Indra muttered to himself. He was given a task by Damien, to bring in a few decent pirates to the Division. They didn''t need to stay forever, just enough to do the dirty work. In return, Damien would allow them to attain fame and fortune. Naturally, the requirements were strict. Many wanted to join, but in the atmosphere of the Rocks Pirates, it simply was not rational to allow a bunch of back-stabbing rats onboard. *Shing* The sharp blade hummed lightly as the excess blood dyed the floor. Indra clicked his weapon into its sheath, not paying the dead a second glance. . "Do we need to clean up, Boss Indra?" The voice came from a massive man who easily stood eighteen feet tall (~5.5 m). He had short hair, a bulky frame and rough muscles with faded scars. He was shirtless, showcasing his rather odd skin colour: a rusty red. The colossal pirate wore gray trousers and thick metal shackles over each wrist. To top off the weirdness, he also donned a red mask that showcased large white teeth and eye holes. Indra glanced at the man and shook his head. "No need, Majin. The wildlife of Hachinosu has long been used to scavenging the streets for such free food." The giant man could only nod, scratching his head. "I really do want to meet that man you talked about," Majin could not help but say. "I hope I can keep up!" Indra had already begun to walk away, leaving a few words to echo out, "As long as the Rocks Pirates remain strong, the Commander will always need someone to do the heavy lifting." "Just don''t die too soon." ---------------------------------------------- [Mortem Island] "Hmm, Toki-nee hasn''t been talking much for the past two weeks, Damien-san, you didn''t do anything to her, right?" Kuzan questioned his pirate friend. Damien lightly scoffed. "I told you, she just has some stuff on her mind," he answered. "Plus, don''t you have a lot of today''s training left?" Kuzan clicked his tongue and pointed at the pirate in front of him. "One day, when the Child Protection Services comes to your door, just know that I will be there when they lock you up!" Damien chuckled at the boy''s words and gave him a healthy bonk at his nogging. *Thud!* His body fell to the floor, his eyes spinning in circles. . "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, but I''ve made some alterations to your training routine." Kuzan remained on the ground, though his eyes darted up to meet Damien''s gaze. "I realized that you''ve got your discipline in order, so now we''ll also add in your academic route." Kuzan''s eyes turned grim as his breathing spiked. "A-Academics!? That sounds like a made-up word!" "All words are made up," Damien casually said. *Fwoo!* He then waved his hands as a stack of thick books appeared, slamming onto the ground with a resounding bang. Kuzan saw the horrifying stack and almost had a heart attack. "From now on, you will spend three hours a day soaking in some necessary knowledge," Damien explained. "Geography, history, literacy, mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology." Kuzan, who had gotten up, felt arrows pierce his heart at the drop of each cursed word. He backed up in horror; his world falling apart. "I-I rather train twice as much, heck, I''ll even cut you a deal, remove that stuff and I''ll sacrifice half an hour of sleepбн okay fine, a full hour!" The boy''s voice was broken to the point of begging as he squeaked out, "Deal?" Damien smirked at the rattled boy, not feeling an ounce of mercy. "No chance." *Thud* Kuzan fell to the ground, his mind overloaded with stress. "Honestly kid, you can barely even read and write." "Heck, you have barely any knowledge of how the world works and it comes from the books I sent to this island before." Damien had sent the ice boy books in the past but they were more to pass the time while slowly building simple literacy skills. The ones he had just unveiled were a little more advanced and intellectually demanding. "These textbooks will help you see the world in a different light, it can be damning, but trust me, it''ll help you in the long run." Damien could not help but pat the kid on the shoulder, even though he was laid out on the ground like a corpse. бн On another part of the chaotic island was a young girl. She had been walking through the snowy, rainy, haily, boiling, freezing and pleasant parts of Mortem Island. Such varying surroundings helped gather her thoughts and calm her down. Unbeknownst to even Damien, Toki would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night. Damien''s words not only woke her up from her naive outlook on life but also managed to awaken some deeply haunting memories she tried to forget; A wake-up call. бн It seemed as the days went on by, Toki had begun to accept the existence of her ''chains''. After the usual hearty dinner, she found the Sin Incarnate, courageously meeting his eyes. She began speaking, "You''re right, Damien-san. I''ve made it my mission to reach Wano since I was a child. I''m just an ordinary girl who got lucky and got these powers." Her tone grew firmer, "This power has saved me from every tragedy that almost befell upon me, but as you said, it also caged me." Toki''s eyes teared up, "I''ve left an island for a ten-year jump and come back to see it plagued by fire, or lost to pirates. Good people I met and was excited to reunite with, all dead under the passage of time." "Flourishing islands and peaceful villagesбн all left in ruins!" She then gave a self-deprecating laugh, "Isn''t it funny, the user of the Time-Time Fruit has been caged by the very thing that she should have control overбкtime." Damien lightly nodded. "So what did you decide?" Toki exhaled heavily, clearing the stormy thoughts and simply said what was on her mind. . "I have long forgotten all my wishes over the centuries, holding on to Wano for so longбн" The girl balled her fists in determination, matching eyes with the pirate. Her green eyes shone brightly as the genuine words came out, "I don''t want to run away anymoreбн I don''t want to return decades later to see my friends deadбн I want to see the beauty of the world and not live every day running from its horrors!" The Sin Incarnate smirked at the determined voice, somewhat intrigued to see how far Toki''s resolve would take her. "Alright, then," Damien nodded. "I''ll help you break your chains." To Be Continuedбн Chapter 50: A World on Fire [Five Months Later] . б░Ice Block: Partisan!б▒ . Two sharp spears of solid ice spawned at the drop of the words. They glistened with light-blue luster, reflecting a chilly shine from the afternoon sun. *Fwoo* *Krrr* The projectiles shot out ahead and a freezing sound followed as the air in the atmosphere froze alongside their trajectory. Damien, who stood tall at the center of the attack area, simply glanced at the coming attack. He swung his left arm in a horizontal arc, shattering both the spears without difficulty. However, these few moments gave the young attacker time to flicker behind Damien. Kuzan tapped the famed pirateбпs back with a look of relish struck to his young face. . б░Ice Time!б▒ . The creaking of ice went off as Damienбпs trench coat began to solidify and freeze together. The fabric became hard and fragile as the chill spread onto the skin hidden below. Kuzan smirked, though his smile turned upside down as he saw the effect. б░Hah? How come my ice doesnбпt affect you?б▒ Instead of an answer, he was greeted with a swift punch to the cheek. Bam! The boy flew through the air, his body bursting through a sea of trees, eventually meeting a large hill. The body slammed onto the hill, exploding into innumerable shards of ice. . б░Kuzan-kun, are you okay?б▒ a soft voice came from the side. The creaking of ice went off once more as the young boy reappeared from the broken icy shards coming together. б░Haa, huuh,б▒ he breathed heavily. б░Man, that Haki kicked me out of intangibility and almost made me turn into a bloody paste on that hill!б▒ He then spat out a wad of blood and exclaimed, б░That, that could have killed me!б▒ Toki, who was naturally the one who came to check up on him, calmed him down, б░I think your body is a lot tougher than you think, Kuzan-kun.б▒ The boy blinked, he examined his body once moreбкall he felt was a dull ache in his face and the rest was negligible. Toki saw his look and gave him a bright smile. б░Well then, I think Damien-san wants us to attack together now,б▒ she said. Kuzan nodded and the two of them shuttled toward the awaiting Damien. *Whizz!* The ice boy appeared in front of the Sin Incarnate. *Hiss* His body was fuming with white vapour as the water molecules in the air could not help but freeze. Every breath created its frozen display as the very ground beneath had turned frosty. Kuzan leaped into the air, his arms crossed into an X-shape. The boyбпs breathing hitched as he put every ounce of his energy into the next attack. . б░Ice Ball!б▒ . It was a thick current of pure frost. The ice horizontally streamed onwards and met Damienбпs towering body. The burst of white calmed down, leaving a giant sphere of ice, the Sin Incarnate frozen at its core. Kuzan saw the display but had a feeling that Damien could easily have dodged the attack. *Thud* Toki landed on top of a tall tree while tracking the fight. She saw Damienбпs immobilized state and began her attack, her hands taking the motion of that of an archer. б░Time Bow.б▒ At the drop of her words, green-coloured energy materialized around her fingers, a bright green bow formed with an equally green bowstring. The weapon glowed brightly as tens of green arrows formed, cocked into the weapon. . б░Nullity Rain!б▒ . Tens of arrows shot out at the same time, creating a volley of green-coloured projectiles. They swished through the air, a foreboding sound left in their wake. The volley of arrows rained onto the ice ball, piercing the frozen statue. *Szzz* One of the arrows that had hit the ground remained in shape as its target began to deteriorate. Sizzling sounds resounded throughout the region as the entire mass of land below began to decompose and turn to dust. It was as if it had been aged to its very death! Conversely, the ice sculpture took only but a few seconds to turn from ice to water to broken and stray atoms, eventually turning into heat and dissipating into nothingness. The ground soon spread out in a circular motion, eating up a large chunk. Simply put, the arrows rendered the entire area null! You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. [Attack Images (in Discord)] . Kuzan felt a chill on his back as he saw the corrosive display. б░Wait, Iбпm an ice-human, how can my neck feel cold?б▒ he muttered. Then his mind clicked. б░Oh, heбпs right behind me, isnбпt he?б▒ BAM! The boy soon fell to the ground, clutching his aching dome, his eyes threatening to pop out of their sockets. . Damien ignored the child rolling in pain and saw the area of attack. He then turned his gaze to the girl who had jumped down from the tree. б░Those arrows are pretty damn dangerous, you know?б▒ Toki panicked a little and stuttered, б░I-I still canбпt fully control them!б▒ Damien smiled at her dread. б░Iбпm just kidding, being dangerous is a good thing.б▒ The words calmed the girl down, who could only return a pouty grunt in her embarrassment. Damienбпs mind, however, was elsewhere. боAs expected, fast-forwarding powers are really fearsome. They should even be able to cancel out a Logiaбпs intangibility,бп Damien thought. боBut Haki remains their biggest obstacle.бп Meanwhile, some information filled his mind. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Kuzan] [Age: 8 years, 1 months, 14 days] [Height: 7'' 8"] (2.34 m) [Status: Healthy] [Devil Fruit: Ice-Ice Fruit (Initial Mastery) б№] [Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars] [Skills: Shave, Moonwalk] [Strength: New World Pirate б№] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Amatsuki Toki] [Age: 17 years, 5 months, 2 days (~790 years old by date)] [Height: 8'' ] (2.44 m) [Status: Healthy] [Devil Fruit: Time-Time Fruit (Intermediate Mastery)] Fruit Rating: 7 Stars (Ultimate-Class)] [Skills: Paper Body (Kami-e)] [Strength: Paradise Pirate (level 5)] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< It has been a little over five months now. Kuzan went from a measly little Paradise Pirate (level 2) to the average New World fodder! His Devil Fruit already made him relatively invincible in the first half of the Grand Line, in addition to his hellish training, the boy was doing great. Toki, went from a negligible strength to the top of Paradise Pirates just from Damien helping her tap into her powers. Surely enough, they were quite broken. б░Both of you have improved very much, Iбпm impressed.б▒ Kuzan, who was rolling in pain, jumped straight up with shining eyes. His gaze turned quite excited, practically those of a child after being complimented for doing something. Toki also smiled brightly, her thoughts reflecting in her joyful mood. She gave Damien a curt bow, б░Thank you for everything, Damien-san.б▒ Something about Wano customs being overly honourable with every little thing. . Damien nodded at their thoughts and gave a merciful comment, б░In celebration, I will cut your training times in half for today!б▒ Kuzan leaped ten feet into the air, his hands stretching out in his newly attained freedom: б░Yes! He has a heart!б▒ Toki just returned a smile. Naturally, Damien had given the girl a fitting training too. It wasnбпt as physical as Kuzan for obvious reasons, rather, he urged her into a more speed and reaction-based direction. Boring the fruit of the Paper Body of the Rokushiki. The three eventually went off to the usual, five-times-a-day meal schedule. Eating over a cleaved stump of wood. Tokiбпs cooking improved. It was evident in not just the taste, but also the physical improvements to the two. As Damien sourced all the meat from vigorous and powerful Sea Kings of the Calm Belts, their daily nutrition spiked to the skies especially so for the young girl. Toki has already risen from a meager 6'' 3" to 8'' (1.9 m б· 2.44 m). Kuzan, who had already been eating very healthy, only went up two inches but it brought up the question: just how much he would shoot up in his growth spurt stage? бн [Nижa, Paradise Sea] Unfortunately, things were not as peaceful around the sea as they were at Mortem Island. б░Kuwahahaha!б▒ a young laugh resounded from a damp and broken-down home. б░Finally, after five months of on-the-dot writing, I have received it!б▒ Morgans remarked with pride. Before the albatross laid a simple card. [W.N.A. иC Apprentice Reporter: Morgans] It seemed Damienбпs боpersuasionбп had begun to kick in: the Four Directors had reined in their hardass attitude and began to promote freer writing, ever so slowly. б░Kuwahahahaha!б▒ Morgans thundered to himself. His cackling was loud enough to send some stray cats outside into fright. The boy then stopped his moment of pride and looked to the side as a piece of news made it onto his newly purchased fax machine. б░The Golden Lion kills six of the Angelic 16 in a single attack! This is BIG NEWS!б▒ the young reporter roared in his childish voice. ---------------------------------------------- [The Angelic Sea, New World] б░Wuaaaah!б▒ б░Euuuuugh!б▒ б░Waaaaaah!б▒ A childish cry erupted in a ship sailing amidst a brutal war. The Rocks Pirates were still fighting against the Valkyrie Pirates. Just two days ago, Golden Lion Shiki had delivered a single attack that cut apart all 6 of the Angelic Commanders who were on this front, greatly hurting the morale of the opposing side. б░Oy, Linlin! Have you popped your brat yet?б▒ Shikiбпs voice bellowed over the seas as he drank some sakиж. A calm yet evidently annoyed voice replied. б░How impatient! You men wonбпt know the pain of childbirth yet you complain so much.б▒ б░...б▒ б░Jihahaha! You''re the one who came to war pregnant!б▒ he shot back. б░Hmph, Br?lижe, Custard, Amande, look after your new brother,б▒ Linlin ordered her children while placing a freshly produced offspring. б░Yes, Mama!б▒ Custard then asked, б░Mama, whatбпs his name?б▒ Linlin thought for a second before deciding as she recalled her breakfast of hazelnut cake: б░Charlotte Noisette.б▒ The three girls nodded and took over their new brother; the Charlotte Family welcomed its 24th child! ---------------------------------------------- [Later That Day] Damien was now alone, standing at the top of a mountain covered in snow. The howling winds were enough to take a full adult into flight. *Rumble* Lightning fell from the clouds above, sparking through the skies carrying the anger of the gods. Yet Damien remained stationary. He looked down from a height of around eight kilometers above sea level (~5 mi). б░Hopefully this does it,б▒ he muttered to himself while plunging to what most would consider certain doom. His towering body leapt off the edge, shuttling through the blazing winds. His eyes felt like they would come loose from their sockets while his skin was drilled with the powerful winds. A quick chill went down Damienбпs spine as he forced a handicap onto himself. He had боturned offбп the Haki in his bones by using his Derivation ability to get as much benefit from his free-fall training. *Vvooo!* The winds grew angrier and more turbulent, threatening to rip the pirateбпs body apart as he neared the surface. BOOOM! A powerful tremor echoed through the island, shaking the nearby vegetation to its roots. The birds and other wildlife could not help but run from the earthquake-like vibrations. The icy mountain suddenly began to tremble, releasing a giant avalanche of ice and snow, collapsing over the nearby land. The large, man-shaped crater hidden under the veil of dust was quickly filled with icy hell, sending chill into the air. бн It took a few minutes for the dust and snow to settle, all the while a sole arm shot out from the ten-meter-tall blanket of white. A body soon rose out, much like a zombie. б░I used to call Kaido an M, and here I am doing his favourite morning routine,б▒ a helpless voice resounded in the shaken-up region. Damien patted the dust off his regal attire. As expected, there was no blood, just a dull ache in his body. б░Iбпm really turning into a monster,б▒ he murmured. The Sin Incarnate then cracked his arms and back, feeling a new power surge through his core. б░Hmm,б▒ he slowly grunted. б░Looks like it worked!б▒ A deep breath exited his mouth as his very bones began to tremble. It took a few moments to calm down, but it was quite comfortable. [{Black Bones} has reached the third stage.] The notification came as expected, alongside a thin smile on the pirateбпs face. б░Now thatбпs more like it.б▒ б░!!!б▒ However, Damienбпs satisfaction was interrupted by the short quiver in his Inventory; something was afoot. He could feel it: a tremble of uncertainty. Damien narrowed his eyes while fishing through his inventory, only to bring out a blank sheet of white paper. Oddly enough, the pure paper had caught on fire as it crackled with loose embers. They were like sparks floating outwards and sizzling into the snow below. б░...б▒ A solemn look appeared on the young pirate as he watched the fire slowly but surely spread and cover a third of the paper. The bright snow nearby dulled in response to the crimson eyes of the Sin Incarnate as he locked onto the paper of life, pondering over the turn of events. Without a doubt, it was a Vivre Card belonging to a bold assassin who had once tried to claim the reward on his head at Sabaody Archipelago; the flame signifying her grim situation. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 51: Amethyst Kingdom Crisis (I) [Amethyst Kingdom, Grand Line] [Earlier in the Day] The island was situated almost exactly at the center of the Paradise Sea, a hub for traders and merchants from all seas! Within the beautiful Amethyst Kingdom, a grand celebration was being held. The hosts were the Royal Family, The Prabna Family and the Grand Minister, Warno Proditor. Many of the neighbouring kingdoms were invited to attend, alongside some true VIPs. "King Faris Ashgar of the Ashgar Kingdom has arrived." "Lord Darkshade of the Darkshade Kingdom has arrived." "Grand Duke Dayton of the Inquisitive Isles has arrived." "Crown Prince Cyrus of the Kingdom of South Fire has arrived." Such names drew great attention from the other Nobles who very kindly extended their hands in greeting, after all, those four were Reverie Attendants! бн The introductions went on and on as the powerful people lined up. It was hosted within the Amethyst Kingdom Castle, a majestic sight of its own. Built on a hill surrounded by a lake, dozens of towers were erected from the ground. A rather modern yet noble castle at the apex, scraping the clouds. The primary colour was a simple yet regal tan, topped with blue triangular tips at each tower. [Castle Image (in Discord)] Along with other Nobles came their guards and protectors, all keen for the slightest of dangers; slowly but surely, the great halls were flooded by hundreds of guests. The hall itself was a cross-shaped chamber, spanning a few hundred meters out equally. Thick stone pillars coated in marble held up the majestic area, sporting a glass dome above that invited the warmth from the sunny sky. The ground was polished and finished with black and white tiles and along the pillars were long red banners, sporting intricate designs, opening the way to the Royal Throne stood at one of the ends of the hall. [Grand Hall Image (in Discord)] The celebration could be considered a mini-reverie as it had at least 23 Kings, Queens, Heads of State and Sovereigns, all confined within a small location. From the 23 Royals, 5 held a spot at the Reverie. [A/N: Recall that there are only 50 Reverie seats at once.] There were around 600 guards all around the area, excluding the personal guards of each Royal. They had to keep track of the servants who numbered a good five dozen, responsible for appetizers and drinks. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* A larger-than-life man walked in from the gates and into the hall with four bodyguards. He was around nine feet in height (2.74 m) and shaped like a ball. He wore a heavy red noble coat, regal clothes underneath with a warm furred scarf draped over his shoulders and a cane with a large jewel on its top, shining as brightly as his bald head. Such a striking look matched that of the Grand Minister of the KingdomбкWarno Proditor. [Grand Minister Image (in Discord)] . "Profofofo! Everyone, I thank you for your patience and am honoured to serve as the host for you all today," he said as he bowed a few degrees down, since his fat obstructed him, it looked more like a small head nod than anything. The people clapped in joy, cheering in Proditor''s name and glory. The Minister laughed, raising his cane to quiet the people. "May I now have the privilege to present to you, the Prabna Royal Family!" *Creak* The heavy doors opened once more as a family of four walked in. The King wore purple robes with red petals, on the other hand, the Queen wore light purple clothes as she walked behind her husband with her two sons. Such a noble entrance drew another applause from the crowd, filling the ends of the Grand Hall with applause. Yet there were a few whispers amongst the masses. "Weren''t the Amethyst Family the rulers?" a young prince asked his father. *Smack* A light yet sharp smack clocked the boy''s dome as he looked up in tears. "Never speak of that again!" his father thundered. бн The King, Prabna Vari, raised his hand and addressed the room, "Everyone, this celebration is for the renaming ceremony of this noble land! So please, share this joyful moment with me as I raise my cup to our union for the new Prabna Kingdom!" """Cheers!""" The clicking of glasses resounded as the guests cheered the words of the King; the celebration had begun! Yet even with the hundreds of guards, there was a person there, watching everything going on; two amethyst-coloured eyes, locked onto the gathering. ---------------------------------------------- [G-4 Base, Amethyst Kingdom] The Marine Base, G-4, was built only six years ago on this very island and housed 6,000 marines as it was at the center of the Paradise Sea. These men were led by five Rear Admirals and a Vice Admiral. It was around 12 kilometers away from the Royal Castle of Amethyst Kingdom. "Hey, did you hear that the previous Vice Admiral was all of a sudden recalled back to Marinefordбн they sent a big man to take over in his stead!" "What!? Is it because of the Grand Celebration? All the Royals have their own security detail on top of us." These hushed voices came from a duo of recruits. They did not have much to do so they spent most of their time recalling and discussing global politics and national gossip. Another such man chimed in as well, "Yeah, yeah! I can''t believe they sent him here!" Their little discussion was soon put to an end: "Enough, you three! Get to your post, the new commanding officer has arrived!" The marines nodded with visible fascination, running out to the rear entrance near the main marine port where hundreds of other naval officers stood in salute, granting a grand welcome to their new, temporary commander. Alas, a marine warship came into vision and soon docked with a deep thud. The strong foundation of the base let out a dull rumble as the ship lowered its boards. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* Soon, tens of elite marines walked off, each with steel-like eyes, as if ready for war. The G-4 members could only stare with envy; such discipline was not overly preserved in the Paradise Sea, if anything, it showcased the difference in rank of the newly arrived battalion. . Soon, an imposing figure made his debut, walking at a confident pace. The marines standing in salute felt giddy as if meeting their idol. He had short purple hair under his marine hat. He also had a well-ironed marine coat draped over his shoulders; his thick muscles popping out from the marine shirt underneath it. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. A leading Rear Admiral of G-4 stood at the front and exclaimed, "Welcome to G-4, we have been expecting you, Vice Admiral Zephyr!" The top marine nodded strongly, ensuring to acknowledge the marines before him. бн [Base Commander''s Office] Barely ten minutes passed and Zephyr had already seated himself as the commanding seat of G-4. He did not wait nor rest, rather he immediately gathered the five Rear Admirals and did a quick homework check: reading a report of all the royal figures at Amethyst Island and putting all of them to memory. The other marines waited patiently, careful not to overstep their welcome. After all, the man in front of them was becoming a leading contestant for the next generation of Admirals! . ''Enlisted at the age of 14 to become a hero for the innocent,'' one of the Rear Admirals thought to himself. ''A career of great merits and feats, known for his fairness and level-headedness and making him 1 of the 3 Admiral Candidates!'' Another of the commanders who was more brutish tried hard to mask his grin, ''Just like Vice Admiral Garp, Zephyr-sama is known to use masterful Armament Haki, he really is a role model!'' The word of the man''s Armament Haki and disdain for Devil Fruit reliance had gotten out, earning him the epithet of "Black Arm" Zephyr! *Thump!* The man placed a stack of papers, bringing the others out of their reverie. Zephyr''s eyes made them stand taller and prouder, sticking out their chests and their heads held high. "Be prepared. I will need your full support to ensure the safety of this event, no matter what, this may very well get out of hand fast," he warned them. Each of them saluted in return. However, Rear Admiral Cocoa, the most respected of the five, couldn''t help but speak up: "Vice Admiral Zephyr," he hesitantly asked, "even if someone attacks the Royals gathered, G-4 has more than enough resources to resist them!" Zephyr leaned back into his leather chair and nodded. "Tsuru-san has predicted that the renaming ceremony will draw an attack from the surviving princess, matching her identity to that of the Terror of Sabaody," he informed. "Cipher Pol has kept tabs on her." His voice then grew unsure, "Her previous, more reckless demeanour has entirely reversed over the past few months; sloppy and rash movements became precise and thought-out, traces of her arrivals nearly null." Zephyr narrowed his eyes and said with a solemn voice, "It''s almost as if having received training and guidance from a more dangerous figure..." ---------------------------------------------- [The Castle] "Profofofo! Drink freely, fellow Royals; today is a day of celebration!" Proditor exclaimed. At his words came a boisterous clinking of glasses, nobles getting drunk was nothing out of the ordinary. One such Noble, who was embracing the warm atmosphere, saw something odd. He squinted his eyes hard, staring at the rows of windows at the side of the room. *Thwack!* He slapped himself. "Hehe, I had so much to drink," he chided himself, "the bright afternoon somehow turned dark so fastбн I really should control myself more." The man laughed to himself, oddly enough, the bright sun that had graced the celebration had gone dark, leaving the windows black. "No, no, there''s something wrong. What happened to all the windows!?" another Royal questioned. His voice woke the others from their conversations, each gawking at the odd display. A guard who stood post could not help but become shocked. He looked at the large clock on the front wall and read the time twice. "I-It''s only two in the afternoon, how could it be pitch-black all of a sudden!?" The other guards felt a chill and they took out their weapons ready. Proditor also noticed it and gave a loud yell, "What are you doing, go alert the Marines!" Yet things got worse for the celebration: "It''s no use Grand Minister, our transponder snails aren''t responding!" A more senior Royal put his finger on the matter: "Isn''t it obvious, we''re under attack! And whoever it is has the power to jam all our calls, get ready!" . Proditor took a few steps back and nearly fell on his behind. "Y-You!" He pointed his thick and fatty finger at the lithe dark figure that had appeared at the center of the room. *Click* Hundreds of guards swarmed immediately, drawing their various weapons. "Fire!" Boom! Bang! Pew! Pew! Pew! The men did not question the attacker, instead, unloaded their entire magazines at the darkened figure. The shell casing left a melody to play from the clattering in the pristine floors, alongside dust and smoke. "S-She''s an ability user!" Some of the guards couldn''t help but fear as they saw each of the bullets pass through the figure, leaving nothing behind but a shadowy cloud. "Ugh!" "Aughh!" "My arm!" Naturally, panic ensued amidst the crossfire. A good amount of Royals shot to the door in hopes of fleeing but were once again met with bad news. "The doors don''t lead anywhere!" It was a pitch-black screen with faint purple flickers crackling about. One man touched the dark curtain and felt that it was malleable but unmovableбкthey were trapped! *Whizz!* The assassin darted ahead, in the direction of the Grand Minister and the current Royal Family! "Don''t come near, w-we are members of the Reverie, you think you can get away with this!?" This time it was Vari, the King, who spoke up in a bold tone, feigning a calm disposition. The assassin paused and gazed at the King. Vari thought his words worked, his face beaming a relieved smile. However, the following sight caused his eyes to pop as he saw the assassin remove her hood. "Those eyes, that damned purple hair! Y-You, you''re the one that got away!" Aurora, after years of a dull lifestyle of hunting pirates, finally felt alive. Her equally purple eyes locked onto the perpetrators of her past, swarming with ill intent. *Vvoo!* The girl resumed her pace, this time shooting toward the King, waking Vari from his frozen state and taking out a golden pistol. Bang! Bang! Bang! The bullets went through the assassin''s forehead. However, to Vari''s dismay, her head simply burst into a purple cloud, taking a few moments to reform without issue. "Logia!" he cursed. Aurora materialized her daggers, ready to do the deed. The King took a step back while his soon-to-be killer took two steps forward. Sweat dripped from his weathered face as he could not help but grab the nearest thing to toss at the assassin in response. "Vari, you coward!" The man actually threw his wife and made a run for it! "Wai-" the Queen''s words ended abruptly as her heart was lodged with a sharp dagger. Her body soon graced the floor with a pool of blood. Meanwhile, Vari ran to the side doors and flung them open. *Thud!* His body slammed onto the black wall, falling with a loud rumble. His nose was bleeding, his mind hazy. By the time he turned around, he felt airborne. His eyes widened from the light and empty feeling of his body. Vari''s eyes went in circles as he saw his headless body flop over, his conscience following suit. . The slaughter of the Prabna Family sent a surge of panic through the Royals, bringing great fright into their eyes. Under the panic, Proditor, the Grand Minister, chose to hideбкhe found a wide table and scrambled below; his wide mass could barely fit. "..." Moments passed after Vari''s death, leaving Proditor unsure from under the table. He peaked out from under the spanning tablecloth and saw the hall. All four corners of the Hall were packed with tens of Nobles huddling next to each other, hoping to squeeze out from their prison. Proditor slowly crawled out and let out a sigh of relief. "Looks like she left, hehe, that crazy bitcиC" Though his eyes saw the expression of the Royals turn upside down in his direction. *Gulp* The man swallowed as he felt a chill behind himself. He turned around and saw his very own shadow tremble as a purple figure rushed out and grabbed him by the throat, his meaty flesh wrapped around the assassin''s gloved hands. "..." Aurora''s eyes grew somber as she saw the frightened man. Proditor''s figure would appear in her nightmares again and again, yet now he was nothing more than a fattened fool. "I''m sure you have the same look in your eyes as my mother did when she begged you to spare us sisters." The girl''s face scrunched up into pure anger as her fingers dug into the man''s neck and yelled, "My father trusted you and yet you plotted with the Prabna Family and fed the World Government lies!" Proditor, whose throat was being constricted, tried to defend himself: "It was true! Y-Your father had a Poneglyph hidden away, everything I did was to protect this Kingdom, d-don''t you know those things can lead to Buster Calls and level islands!" "He didn''t even know what that stone meant, let alone by the time you stabbed him in the back and sold yourself to the Prabnas!" Aurora exclaimed, her eyes fiery. BOOOM! A huge explosion sound went off, echoing through the halls and surprising everyone present. The explosion was followed by a calm voice: "Young lady, I understand your anger, but this will not bring your family back." Aurora''s hands shook as she felt a powerful presence lock onto her every move, sending a chill down her back. "Don''t make any more bad decisions, there''s still time to make things right." She turned around and saw the eleven-and-a-half-foot-tall (3.51 m) marine standing under the broken clouds of her powers, eclipsing herself. "I will ensure you get a fair trial, you have my word!" Zephyr promised sincerely. The bounty hunter gave him a faint smile with a resolute gaze, "I''m only here to put my family to rest." Her words came with the tightening of her grip. "Guhh!" Proditor gagged as he was lifted off the floor, his ball-shaped figure flailing like a fish out of the sea! . "Don''t do it," Zephyr solemnly warned as darkness covered his face. *Fwwm!* The Vice Admiral''s words were followed by a sharp plating sound as his right arm was coated in a thick coat of Haki, pristine in all ways. Aurora turned away from the threatening sight, ignoring the marine battalion who stood around 20 meters away. Her open hand materialized a dagger as she shot at the Grand Minister''s throat. A fountain of blood exploded as the Proditor''s headless body fell to the ground. The fresh blood dyed the expensive tiles with a deep red colour, casting a reflection of the marine scene at the heart of the hall. "..." Zephyr clicked his tongue, his disposition now changing to that of a beast about to strike. "You''ve left me no choice. Your actions cannot go unpunished; justice and order must be upheld." Aurora turned her body to the burly marine. "Where was the justice when my family was slaughtered? Your words are hollow, Vice Admiral," the girl muttered, taking a deep breath and exercising her ability to the extreme. Zephyr picked up on a surge of power emanating from the ex-princess, clenching his fists and preparing to respond. "I can only do my part to uphold justice... I can''t change the past, but I can ensure that those responsible are held accountable now." "Let me do what I can to bring closure to this tragedy; surrender." Boom! The assassin''s body soon exploded with the ghostly purple energy as small explosions followed suit. The ground began to dissociate with the introduction of foreign energy. Aurora returned a gaze of conviction, spreading her ability throughout the Grand Hall. An ominous breeze whirled about, leaving the Vice Admiral solemn. "I can''t let you take me away, Zephyr; I have a promise to keep, and nothing will stop me from fulfilling it. Not you, not anyone!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 52: Amethyst Kingdom Crisis (II) "I can''t let you take me away, Zephyr; I have a promise to keep, and nothing will stop me from fulfilling it. Not you, not anyone!" Zephyr heard the bold words and could not help but narrow his eyes. For whatever reason, the Vice Admiral felt the air shudder of ominous tremors. "!!!" The man''s Haki flared, causing him to immediately react. "Scatter!" he roared out to the marines that came with him, but it was too late. *Purrup* Boom! A purple force fell onto the entire marine side, it was a compressive force that weighted everything in its way to the floor! "Augh!" The fire row of marines was crushed to their knees as the gravity-like power fell onto them. Zephyr jumped out of the way, staring at the jarring display. *Crack* A huge crack spread itself over the castle as the pillars creaked from the added pressure. Bits of thick stone and concrete rained from the lustrous ceilings of the Grand Hall, littering the tiled floors. Aurora waved her hands like a maestro as the forces followed her every motion: horizontal, vertical, and even diagonal forces were thrown around like water. *Rumble* The entire castle turned chaotic as its very reality was going wrong. . "''The Aether exists everywhere and it can mess with space''," Zephyr quoted. "Looks Tensai wasn''t wrong in his analysis." Though his attention was on the girl spreading the madness, it was soon diverted elsewhere. "You five, go and protect the Nobles, too many have already died!" he commanded. The Rear Admirals saluted and rushed to the falling debris from the crashing castle, shoving the other marines out of the way. . "You killed a lot of innocent marines just now, young lady," Zephyr angrily said, peering past the ravaged land and onto the lithe figure at its heart. However, Aurora was not shaken. "When the Prabna Army arrived to take over our Kingdom, they also requested assistance from the Celestial Dragons," she responded. Aurora gestured to the gold-embedded throne, alongside the jeweled surroundings. "Vari gained the favour of the Celestial Dragons, even sending an Admiral to ensure nothing went wrong." Her words left Zephyr shocked. She continued with a monotone voice, "I remember him. He just watched from afar like an eagle, all the while Proditor executed my entire family. His legion of marines laid waste to all of our guards." A helpless look stretched across Aurora''s face in light of the dark memories. "My parents were killed in an attempt to let us sisters escape, all before he took it upon himself to kill her." Zephyr breathed out a deep and complicated sigh. "Kurowashiбн" he murmured as a figure appeared in his mind. . "The only real truth is that if I don''t have the strength to protect myself, I''ll just end up dead or enslaved," the girl said, running her fruit ability down her hands. *Vvooo* Another ominous breeze whistled out, creating a standoff between the assassin and the Vice Admiral. "Is that what the Sin Incarnate told you?" Zephyr questioned with a sharp tone. Aurora froze, letting the Vice Admiral continue. "I faced great injustice, leading my way to the Navy, all in hopes to become the hero the world needed," he said, his words layered with sympathy. "I failed." The man shook his head with a sigh. "War and blood remain prevalent throughout the seas, even more so in the Grand Line. But my years in the Navy also let me see the world through a different picture." "If anything, do know that there is still good in this world! Don''t fall for the words of a pirate who wants to use you, surrender now and I will show it to you!" The sincerity in the man''s voice was palpable as it echoed through the scarred castle, reaching the girl''s ear. Aurora, instead, slightly smiled. "Use me? So what?" This time it was Zephyr who froze as the assassin continued, "The only thing that kept me going since that day was my desire to kill the usurpers with my own hands. He helped me fulfill my life-long desire." "If he wants to use me, then so be it." With a resolute voice, she declared, "It just gives me a reason to stay alive!" *Kroooo~* Aurora''s body evaporated into a purple mist, dissolving into the air. "!!!" Zephyr''s eyes widened as he felt his shadow squirm, moments before the cold edge of a blade shot out. Clang! Aurora''s advent was easily blocked with a coat of Haki, something she expected. Instead, her lithe figure danced in the air in impossible movements, twisting fluidly as she shot her leg toward his stomach. Zephyr''s eyes shot down as he felt the boot dig into his ribs, but beyond that, there was also a huge influx of horizontal force accompanying the kick. Boom! The man''s feet dug into the ground, failing to make him fall. Aurora, however, continued the assault as she materialized a purple flower in hand. . "Oblivion Blossom!" . The purple lotus spun in circles as it exploded at the Vice Admiral''s chest, sending a screeching sound as the air was expanded from the impact. *Grrrr!* *Szz!* "Torsion force!?" the Black Arm exclaimed as the energy was drilling into his core, spiraling faster and faster. The girl''s attempt, however, was not of much use as Zephyr''s Haki-clad body was left unharmed. "It''s a dangerous powerбн" The marine then flickered a meter from the girl within a fraction of a second. "Unfortunately you rely far too much on your ability!" BAM! The black arm hammered without mercy as the bounty hunter was flung far through the air and slammed onto the walls, dispelling all her momentum with a single hit. *Rumble* The thick walls that even stood the test of Aurora''s forces could not help but explode into pieces. A dull cough went off as the girl leaked large amounts of blood. She looked down and saw her left arm freely hanging from her shoulderбкbroken. Stolen story; please report. Aurora grimaced but did not retreat even as the Vice Admiral was about to rush at her. She knew that another strike from Zephyr meant her capture and burst with power. *Purrup* A copious amount of aether gathered around her free arm, swarming in a purple spectacle. *Vvooo!* The purple energy brought in its own void as the very light in the room was sucked in. With a cry of defiance, Aurora swung the cloud of bubbling forces with everything she had left. . "Nihility Storm!" . The forces imposed by the energy soon fell all over the very castle itself. Not just that, but also reaching out to the nearby region, spreading past the castle and to the forest beyond. Compression, tension, torsion and shear forces all gracing the nearby land with their might. *Gruup!* The ground spun like spaghetti, ripping it out of its roots. The forested hill was crumpled and eaten up by the forces; chaos fell everywhere! [Attack Image (in Discord)] Zephyr stood still in the middle of the storm, his Haki was more than enough to stand tall. However, this was not the case for the others. The marines he brought were already turned to excess blood while most of the Nobles had died. The Rear Admirals tried to control the chaos but it was well beyond them. "бн" Zephyr grew annoyed as he had to at least protect the remaining Nobles lest more hell would befall their respective nations. Aurora took the chance to dissolve away, her body drained of energy from the disaster she had wrought. бн Boom! Zephyr smashed a huge boulder that spun around into a tornado of dust. He then slammed his foot to smash apart a huge section of the floor that had come loose. His hands continued to move at sonic speeds. "Finger Pistol Barrage!" The air pockets shot out like a minigun as they obliterated all the obstructions that fell under the storm. Zephyr''s legs swung to more distant targets. "Tempest Kick: Crescent Moon!" He then jumped into the air and flew around to control the disaster at hand as strands of thick Haki coursed through his veins. "Black Arm Suppression!" бн The people outside had naturally felt the catastrophe. It was good that the storm of hell took place in the Castle that was a fair distance from the main population, something about keeping the dirty commoners away. They saw the Prabna''s Castle being ripped to shreds and could not help but jump in joy. "Those damn leeches sucked us dry of all of our earnings when they succeeded with their coup. It''s about time they get punished!" "Good riddance; one less Noble is one more reason to celebrate!" The castle was naturally in ruins by the time the attack calmed down. Zephyr was flying around like a panicked bird, trying to be everywhere at once. His elites were inclined with decent Haki and were able to contain the outer castle, though anything near the eye of the storm was now dusted. "Vice Admiral, the assassin disappeared; we lost her!" a Commodore reported. Zephyr removed his coat which was now covered in sweat and directed, "She used a lot of energy right there, there''s no way she can stay hidden for long. Scour every port and find her." "Roger!" бн [The Next Morning] The Marines ran around and took over the island. Naturally, since the Amethyst Kingdom was under the World Government, the Marines could not interfere with national politics. But now that things had fallen apart, it was only right for them to get involved. It did not take long to lock the island down; not a single soul could leave. "Look around at every corner, she''s tired and injured!" a Rear Admiral ordered at one end of a port. "Hail down any ship that tries to leave, no matter what!" another said at the opposite end of the island. The stationed Marines took no chances, too many of their fellow brothers-in-arms had just died and the agitation was palpable. Even the residents who were happy at the fall of the Nobles had no choice but to shrink under their fury. бн "This atmosphere isn''t right," Zephyr sighed, "I underestimated her capability, I''m the one they should be mad at." Cocoa, who stood to the side, disagreed: "Vice Admiral if it weren''t for you, the entire island might be facing far greater destruction!" The two stood under the ruined Grand Halls, all the pillars and majestic architecture had been obliterated. The morning sun had hidden the ruins of the previous night with its warmth. Zephyr did not respond, instead, he pondered in silence. "Her powers are born from the Aether. It seems she can also travel where light is absent. That''s probably how she escaped from her tragic past." He then gave an order, "Douse every port with seawater cannons. If the girl is nearby, it should throw her out of her realm." Cocoa''s eyes brightened as he ran to convey the orders. . Though it left Zephyr to think, "I have a feeling she will go somewhere unpredictable," he muttered. "Where else could she hide, let alone tend to her broken bodyбн" He then thought of a pirate that was probably responsible for her growth. "Sin Incarnateбн knowing his bold thoughts and guidance, the girl would choose to hide in the most dangerous place!" Zephyr did not share his thoughts with others, rather acting on his own. бн "Ugh!" a painful voice resounded. Aurora, who was injured, got up from a blanket placed on the ground. Her arm was wrapped in a makeshift cast; the slightest movement sent pain down her body. "I haven''t felt so much pain in a while, Damien was right, relying too much on my Logia powers will bite me in the backбн" She had laid down to rest till the morning while the marines continued the search through the night, allowing her a good five hours to rest. Naturally, she was not in some dark corner or stowed away in a ship, rather, she did as once instructed: "The most dangerous place is often the safest." So Aurora went to the Marine Branch of G-4! They had food, water, supplies, and a warm bath. Hiding from the occasional marine was not hard. "!!!" However, the sense of peace warped into trepidation as she soon felt a dangerous premonition, that of a beast breathing down her neck. Aurora spanned her limited Observation Haki and felt the threat inch toward her. "He found meбн looks like I have to put everything I have left into this." "If anything, maybe I can take out a future threat for himбн" The assassin dissolved into a purple mist, scrambling into a nearby shadow, all the while Zephyr reached the base. "All of you, get out of the building," he ordered the remaining marines. They were confused but executed the order nonetheless. бн The Vice Admiral strolled through the main entrance of the base, taking in the peaceful atmosphere of the building. "!!!" His eyes sharpened as his body turned around in a fraction of a second. The man''s thick hands shot out and grabbed onto the throat of the enemy that appeared behind him. Aurora felt the vice-like grip; unable to move and held up high. "It''s useless, I''ve already become used to your abilities. This time, you will not escape." The girl could not help but sigh in creeping desperation. She stopped struggling, and instead, grabbed Zephyr''s wrist as tightly as she could. Her fingers locked onto the Vice Admiral''s arm, even summoning strands of tension forces to ensure the enemy could not escape. The Vice Admiral felt a foreboding feeling as the waves of energy once again reappeared. *Fwooo* An ominous wind echoed through the thick walls of G-4, followed by a flash of purple. The assassin''s eyes swarmed with amethyst energy as her long hair floated into the air, bubbling with aether. . ''Oblivion Starburst!'' . Like the birth of a star, Aurora exploded into a nebula that lit up the sky. BOOOM! The thundering energy spread out as it dawned on the marine base, exploding and obliterating everything. A purple dawn eclipsed the region as the waves of forces arrived once more. [Image of the Attack (in Discord)] . The blinding light came with a shockwave with a mixture of all types of forces. Even the mighty marine base was unable to hold up as much of it was leveled away. The walls made to resist cannon fire crumpled and shattered like glass. The stone roads were ripped out from their path, dusting away into a fine powder. The shockwave rippled out and dug out a giant sphere of earth with it. бн It took a while for the rumbling to stop as cracks spread nearly 500 meters beyond the center of the blast! A giant cloud of dust acted as a veil, hiding the grim fate of what was once a mighty Marine Base. The soldiers who had fled soon felt greatly relieved, thanking Zephyr in their hearts. Though the thought of the Vice Admiral brought them back. "Vice Admiral Zephyr, is he okay!?" a captain marine thundered out. The officers looked around with some dread, worrying for the man they idolized. Alas, their worries were for naught. "Stop screaming, as you can see, I''m quite alright." The voice drew all their attention as they saw the man. He stood tall, though his majestic attire was ruined. Instead, they saw the ripped muscles and faded scars. Blood leaked from the corner of his lips and down his chest, but aside from that, he was mostly unharmed. The striking thing was that Zephyr was black! His entire body glistened with a thick coating of Haki. The pristine shine came with a purple glint, reflecting the mastery over Armament Haki. A Rear Admiral who had arrived was also stunned, ''His entire body is locked downбн is this the Iron Body of the Rokushiki?! He''s as stable as Mount Tai!'' [A/N: Had to sneak it in somewhere.] *Fuuu* Zephyr soon undid his defense with a sigh. "Hehe, looks like that assassin died in the explosion!" "Thank god, she gave a Vice Admiral such a fight, who knows what a threat she would eventually become!" Yet for whatever reason, Zephyr felt uneasy. The celebratory words left him feeling even more worried and his worries were justified. "!!!" A foreboding pressure soon fell on all the marines nearby, as if their primal instincts drew their eyes to the top of the sole Marine tower that overlooked the now-ruined base. It was where the flag of the Navy and the World Government was placed, still standing proud even under the storm of hell that had hit it. However, instead of the beacon of might, there was instead a towering shadow spanning down from the tower, stretching upon the soldiers and leaving them under a blanket of turbulence. . Zephyr annoyingly exhaled as he saw the person, balling his fists. Said figure held the familiar assassin''s unharmed body on his left shoulder and a burning piece of paper was held in his other hand. He was immediately recognized. "The Sin Incarnate, Einar D. Damien of the Rocks Pirates!" an officer cried out. "Bounty of nearly 1.5 Billion Berriesбн he''s the one who took down the Overlord: Thaddeus Enigma!" "He''s considered to be one of the two monsters of the next generation of pirates!" "What''s a big-named pirate like him doing in this sea!?" Their worries flooded the base, or what was left of it. The majesty of the Navy and World Government''s flags was utterly overshadowed by the titanic threat that had arrived. "Rahahaha! To think they sent an Admiral Candidate to this small Kingdom. It seems you were expecting meбн" Damien gently placed the girl down to the side, locking eyes with the mighty Vice Admiral. "Well, I''m here now. Bring it on, Marines!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 53: Amethyst Kingdom Crisis (III) [Marineford] "What!?" A roar blasted the marine base as the officers nearby were too scared to even ask. All but one man. "Bwahaha! To get you to yell, ''What?'', so loudly, it must have been big!" Garp laughed from the side. Kong gritted his teeth, "Garp, you brat. I can''t believe this is happening!" Kong then picked up the responder of his snail and dialled: "Puru," "Puru," "Puru." "Katcha~!" "This is Admiral Kurowashi," the voice replied. "How''s your situation, Masao, are you free?" Kong asked. "No, Fleet Admiral, the Golden Lion is currently dueling the Fallen Angel while the Evil Spirit is raging all over the island as her cake was destroyed by a stray attack," the Admiral said. "...Alright, keep me updated," Kong ended the call, clicking his tongue. Garp was picking his nose as he asked, "Hey-Hey, Kong-san, why don''t you ask me to go?" "..." "Puru," "Puru," "Puru." "Katcha~!" "This is Sengoku." "Sengoku, are you finished with G-2?" The snail shook its head. "No, Kong-san, the damage done by Sol''s Six Cardinal Sins was worse than expected, all in hopes of finding Enigma''s Research Notes." Kong hummed with a sign, "Alright, make sure the Science Unit is up and running as soon as possible." "Katcha~!" "...Kong-san, Kong-san... I''m free here," Garp said as he waved his hands, forcing bits of food out his mouth. "Puru," "Puru," "Puru." "Katcha~!" "This is John Wick." Kong frowned, "My apologies, wrong number." *Bang!* Garp slammed his fist onto the desk and beamed a confident grin. "Kong-san! Just tell me who pissed you off and I''ll punch them to death!" Alas, the Fleet Admiral heaved a sigh. "Go to the Amethyst Kingdom, we lost connection to G-4 after turbulence struck the Castle!" he ordered. "I need the five Reverie Attendants alive and safe!" Garp huffed, "Never mind, I just realized I have a fence to repair." Kong was not amused. "Take Raito with you and go now!" ---------------------------------------------- [Amethyst Island] "Well, I''m here now. Bring it on, Marines!" The arrogant and lax statement did not catch any marine by surprise. A pirate, let alone a Division Commander of the infamous Rocks Pirates, was more than notorious enough to say such things. "The North Blue Massacre and the Encephala Island Raid were both masterminded by him, he''s a monster!" . Zephyr balled his fists as he felt the nearby marines go lost. "Sin Incarnate Damien, so you really were behind this pitiful girl losing her way into piracy!" Such words drew a scoff from the pirate as he responded, "I think you Marines did that all by yourself." The Vice Admiral naturally knew what he meant, clicking his tongue. "I can admit what happened here was unbecoming of the Navy but that doesn''t give her the right to casually slaughter people; if you want to protect her then I''ll take you to Impel Down too!" Damien smiled in reply, "Oh, Zephyr, you wanna fight me?" "If that''s what it comes down to." The words were music to the pirate''s ears; it had been a while since he fought such a tough opponent. A sharp glint flashed by the Sin Incarnate''s eyes as he muttered, "Well, before that, let''s clear away the nuisances." Boom! Overpowering waves of Haki soon exploded from the young pirate. The bright sunny weather that had finally returned was once again thrown into hell as wreckage began. The black-red waves pulsed out like a heartbeat, aiming at the very mind of the marines. Thud! One by one, they all fell; white foam covered their maws as their bodies hit the floor. Even the Rear Admirals were left shaken, their bodies wavering and threatening to fall over. Zephyr shook his head, unsurprised by the outcome. . Meanwhile, Aurora slowly opened her eyes to the blinding brightness of the sun above. With an effort that spoke of her deep exhaustion and pain, she turned to gaze at the figure who had become her unexpected protector. There he stood, Damien, amidst the ruins and chaos, a stark contrast to the destruction around him. "Damienбн" the girl''s voice was a whisper, a mix of relief, admiration, and a newfound realization of dependence. At that moment, gazing at him, she felt a rush of complex emotionsбкgratitude for being alive, awe at his formidable strength, and an inexplicable sense of safety in his presence. Damien met her gaze and smirked, his casual demeanour belying the intensity of the moment. "You know, had I not pulled you out of that explosion in time, you would be dead." His words, though spoken lightly, resonated deeply within Aurora. She had barely escaped death, yet her voice remained firm, though now tinged with a hint of vulnerability: "I was hoping to kill Zephyr at least, it would be of some use to youбн" "You are of no use to me dead," Damien''s response was straightforward, yet Aurora sensed an underlying concern, a subtle acknowledgment of her worth beyond just an asset in battle. . He then turned his attention back to the Marines, speaking under his breath, "Plus, there was never a chance for you to take him out." The assassin helplessly sighed, feeling the aching pain throughout her body. "I reconned the island for months... the previous Vice Admiral was old and had been stationed here for years, never having been to the New World." "I didn''t think they would suddenly replace him with an Admiral Candidate." Aurora couldn''t shake the sense of frustration at being blindsided. Months of careful planning and preparation had been undone in an instant, easily showcasing the extent of her underestimation of the Navy''s tactics. The pirate hummed, glaring at the calm marine in the distance. "We both underestimated the brains at Marineford. Using you to draw me out of the chaotic New World, Rahahaha, it was a good plan!" The revelation of his planned killing brought a smile to Damien''s face. "Can you move?" Aurora struggled to her feet, masking her pain and fatigue, determined not to show weakness. As Damien continued to confront Zephyr through the staring contest, he instructed her, "Go and rest in your Night Realm; things are about to get messy." The girl regained her breathing and nodded. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Retreating to her Night Realm, Aurora grappled with a whirlwind of emotions, ranging from gratitude for Damien''s intervention to frustration at her own miscalculations. The image of the pirate standing tall amidst the rubble, a beacon of strength and defiance in the face of adversity, lingered in her mind as a reminder of the challenges that lay ahead. бн Zephyr cared little for the disappearing assassin, rather, his focus was on his troops. "You guys, retreat from here," he said sternly, "this won''t be a battle you can participate in." The younger marines wanted to speak up but they were hushed by the Commodores and Rear Admiral present. *Whizz* Damien appeared on the ground, standing at eye-level with the striking Marine. *Fwwm!* A dull hum went off from the two as they both coated their arms in powerful Haki. "..." A brief silence; calm before the storm. Boom! Cracked earth remained at their previous positions as the two appeared but a meter from one another. Damien''s fist shot ahead and met Zephyr''s right one. Clang! Their knuckles both dug into the other''s hand, their bones creaking as a result. *Grrrr!* The coating of Haki was as thick as steel and under the pressure of both their strength, sparks lit ablaze from the friction! The ground beneath cracked and cried out as the fistfight was at a standstill. Waves of shock spread out from the collision as the nearby terrain was terraformed into something new; the destruction had just begun. Neither side wanted to give the other the first good hit and the two continued to push with their might. Bam! Another explosion went off as both men were thrown back to their respective sidesбкthe first clash was a tie! ''What monstrous strength hidden in his body,'' Zephyr thought. ''His Haki is well above mine,'' Damien thought. *Vvoosh!* The two shot at each other again, flickering through the air. Damien swung his left hook, slicing through the air at great speed. Boom! Zephyr defended himself by crossing his arms over each other in an X-shape. Once again, both sides cancel the other out. But Damien did not stop, he instead jumped a few feet in the air and swung his left leg at the Vice Admiral in a horizontal motion. Zephyr opted to dodge as he ducked below, clearing the pirate''s strike and creating a window for a counterattack. His right arm, which was hardened with Haki, blazed on to meet Damien''s stomach. Boom! "!!!" Zephyr grimaced as he felt a huge shock ripple through his arm, ''Is he made of steel!?'' However, the Vice Admiral did not stop his assault as he released an unrelenting assault with his other hand. "Shave." Damien flickered from his position and appeared a few feet above Zephyr, though upside down. He swung his foot in a wheel-like motion, crashing it onto the Vice Admiral''s dome. *Creak* Zephyr blocked it with a forearm that shook from the deadly force. The marine then locked his open hand onto Damien''s leg, pulling the young pirate toward himself. . "Finger Pistol: Seismic Stab!" . The man''s finger was as black as the night sky as it shot ahead and toward Damien''s heart. *Crack!* Zephyr''s eyes shook in shock, "Ugh!" He jumped back a few meters and glared at the pirate, ignoring the fact that his index finger was bent at an unnatural degree. "What kind of monster are you?" he muttered under his breath. *Snap* His words came with the crack of a finger as Zephyr put it back into place, not an ounce of pain was felt. . Meanwhile, Damien looked down at his chest and saw a depression: his sternum had slightly sunken in from the previous clash. He bopped his cheat like a gorilla as it popped back into place. "Don''t sell yourself short, Zephyr. Your hand-to-hand skills are something to fear." The Vice Admiral audibly scoffed, "You''ve yet to use your Devil Fruit ability." Damien shrugged, "And you haven''t shown me your pristine Haki yet." Zephyr hummed. "Seems like we should step up the pace." Damien smiled, "Agreed." Boom! The ground cried out once more as Damien shot on ahead like a wild beast. He utilized Rokushiki and appeared near the Admiral Candidate. *Purrup* Fluid-like sounds resounded as Damien''s fist was swarmed in crimson, pulverizing energy. The very air screeched like a banshee in its wake. "Fury Road!" The red arm went on ahead to catch on fire as it inched near the marine''s face. Though naturally, Zephyr was not immobile. Instead, he held both arms across his chest with a small gap in between. "Six King Gun!" His muscles strained as a powerful blast of energy shot out via amalgamation of force and friction and rushed onto Damien. The flame crashed into the rushing energy in a powerful collision that bore no fruit for either party. "Desolation Zone." At the drop of his words, Zephyr felt a powerful force fall upon his body; his very pores shook under the crimson rays of vertical pressure, slowing him down. *Whizz!* Damien flickered in front of him and slammed his bubbling palm into his core. . "Deathly Rupture!" . The wide hand rang the marine''s body like a gong as another power seemed to travel deeper in. Zephyr''s eyes widened as he felt his ribs shake from the hit, unable to stop himself from being launched far away. He skidded across the ground like a stone tossed over a river, eventually meeting a stop with a now-broken hill. The dust was sent into disarray as the brown clouds overtook the Vice Admiral''s body. Damien was not an idiot; he was not going to let the man take a second to recover. . "Omega Beams." . *Szzzz!* Two identically destructive beams of crushing weight whizzed on from his eyes, bouncing and ricocheting from the very air around them. Their trajectory sent out explosions that followed their path. Boom! The two beams fell upon Zephyr''s position in a cataclysmic spectacle. *Rumble* The entire region near the attack soon flooded with a checkered pattern as it collapsed into innumerable pieces and birthed a spanning crater. However, Damien had no time to celebrate. "!!!" A flare in Observation demanded a retreat from the pirate, killing his momentum. His body, which had already jumped ahead, immediately reclined into a defensive position. Bam! Damien groaned as he felt a hit on his arm, only to see a black figure appear out of nowhere. The arms were pushed back and slammed his chest from the incredible brute strength. The Sin Incarnate''s towering body flew across the ruined field and crashed into a mass of earth, digging a crater. . "I''m sure I blocked that hit and yet I was still flung afar," Damien muttered, blinking at the sky from his crash-landing. "So that''s the Emission of Armament Haki, Advanced to the stage of Internal Destruction." Zephyr, lightly exhaled and shook his head. "I was sure that it would fully connect, so that''s the Future Sight gained through the mastery of Observation Haki." . Unfortunately, there was no time to rest! Damien dug himself out of the pit without much difficulty, only feeling a dull ache in his chest. Zephyr readied himself, both arms coloured black. . "Utter Ruin." . A wide stream of pulverizing energy was soon released from the open palm of the Sin Incarnate. The attack left a path of shredded despair. It even spawned howling winds that uprooted sizable trees from the surroundings, taking them to the sky. Zephyr was quick to dodge, moving out of the way of the river of destruction as it continued to ravage everything in its path. The marine quickly swung his leg into the open air in front of him. . "Tempest Kick: Crescent Moon!" . The slash of energy shot ahead at Damien. It was wide enough to span the entire region, chopping through the sky. *Vvoooo!* The air shrieked from the sudden gust, crying out in pain. Yet all that noise was suddenly silenced. . "Devoured Space." . The red energy rushed out and spanned a wide area, wholly covering its master. Boom! An explosion went off, not from the shield meeting the slash, but rather the excess energy of the attack that was outside the shield''s range and had met the ground. Damien''s ward was strong enough to hold against Zephyr''s attack to the point where even the sound waves were eaten up. Though in the moment he took to shield himself, Zephyr had already appeared to his far right with a blackened arm. Damien didn''t waver and moved his hand at the shadow who had arrived, almost as if he knew what was to come. . "Assail." . The rectangular-shaped shield was soon sent rushing ahead like a rocket and into Zephyr''s direct position. "Cheh," The man was annoyed at his future being read. In response, the Admiral Candidate crashed his arm onto the coming shield-turned-spear and shoved his Haki into it. *Shatter* The ward shattered like glass from the Emission into a crimson light. Damien, meanwhile, had shortened the distance between the two. His left hand which was covered in his fruit ability, thrusted out. *Bzzzzzz!* The drill-shaped energy buzzed loudly as the air was left destroyed. Zephyr, who had dealt with the previous attack, had no choice but to meet the next one. . "Deathly Fracture!" . "Black Arm Suppression!" . BOOOM! The drill spun at incomprehensible speeds, digging its way into the very flesh of the Vice Admiral. Zephyr turned off his pain and continued to push on with his emblazoned fist. BAM! The two attacks were connected in more ways than one. First was the collision of Haki, and then was the collision of internal destructive components of each respective attack. A deafening explosion went off as the waves of pressure released were enough to generate large tides from the ocean far away. The grassy region within a kilometer had gone from its healthy green to a dull brown, ripping the beauty of nature from its roots. Alas, the clash came to an end with a fiery spectacle. *Fwooo!* A body was sent flying back into the ruins of the marine base and crash-landed with a voluminous cloud of dust. "..." A tall shadow remained standing at the core of the recent clash, though huffing loudly. "Even if you substitute your powers to mimic that of Emission, it will never measure up to the real thing," the man slowly muttered. "Haki will surmount Devil Fruits!" Zephyr then shifted his gaze to his arm. The same arm that had pummeled countless pirates, hailed as the ''Black Arm'', was now bloodied up. *Drip* *Drop* Blood leaked from the knuckles as significant cuts and shredded skin remained, enough to even see the bone below. However, his attention was soon diverted to the destroyed base shrouded in dust clouds. "Hmm, the man who took down an Overlord won''t be beaten with just thatбн" He felt the ground shake as copious amounts of debris were expunged from its resting position, mixing into the air of dust and filling it with the aroma of smoke and metal. Soon, a dark silhouette could be made out. "Rahahaha! We''re just getting started!" The pirate clawed his way out from the graveyard of fallen concrete and steel, his body visible. Damien''s coat had ripped for the time being, leaving his upper body bare. The muscles forged from years of brutal training were on full display. The only flaw of the pirate''s appearance was the dull scar that sat above his eye, one that was a stark reminder of his past. . "I have been trying to perfect a little technique of my own for a while now. And as you said beforeбн" *Purrup* At this point, Damien''s entire body began to pulse with energy, dawning the dull surroundings with its fiery light. "Let''s step it up once again!" *Szzz* A grinding sound graced the barren wasteland that now remained. Zephyr''s eyes widened as he saw Damien''s chest crack with crimson light. Explosions went off as the energy below sizzled out in its fury. The entire mass of the Sin Incarnate was soon flooded with a surge of red, overtaking the setting sun''s brilliance. However, the volatile energy suddenly calmed down and began to settle. *Fwwm!* Lustrous black shined all over as armour, plating across his body; potent Armament Haki containing the eruptive power. The coating of Haki spread out from the heart to the limbs, and up to Damien''s face and over his head. It took but a few seconds before the crimson mass of energy was now wholly encased in armour. Few cracks were visible, almost as if magma itself was coursing underneath. *Huuuu* Ever so often, the leaking energy would send out creaking whistles of the air right before it was pulverized into nothingness. A black halo materialized above the demonic figure with an ironic twist. Damien, or rather, the Sin Incarnate, now stood around thirteen feet tall (~4 m), embracing the volatile energy. A crooked smile stretched across the figure''s face and a distorted voice then broke out. "Empyrean Release!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 54: Amethyst Kingdom Crisis (IV) "Empyrean Release!" The crooked smile, the distorted voice, the halo above the demonic figure; it was truly a sight. Ironically enough, the devilish figure had the gall to name itself after the heavens. Zephyr gazed at the new version of Damien that had grown noticeably taller. "Such eruptive energy contained under Armament Haki, it''s suicidal!" the Vice Admiral exclaimed. Damien gave out a twisted laugh, "Rahahaha! My powers have always been to rip things to shreds. Trying to tame it is like putting a leash on a wild beast." He then pointed his finger out, the cracked energy still leaking out slowly with a sizzle. "Let''s finish this, Black Arm Zephyr!" *Whizz!* Before Zephyr could react, Damien had already appeared in front of him. A molten fist shot ahead and slammed into the Vice Admiral''s face. Bam! Zephyr''s body was sent across the field. He bounced a few times on the ground, though eventually flipped to land on his feet. Damien rushed on ahead and threw a barrage of powerful fists. Bam! Boom! Bam! The continuous assault was met passively as Zephyr tanked them with his body. His arms were blackened as before, trying to hold on. Each punch came with a bone-rattling charge of energy that shook the Vice Admiral''s very bones; the pulverizing energy spazzed through his body and tore it from within. "Ugh!" Zephyr was shot back once more with Damien following dangerously close. The Sin Incarnate was moments before landing a powerful kick, though, in the last minute, Zephyr regained his footing and held his arms across his chest, boasting his battle instincts. . "Six King Bellowing Gun!" . *Fwooo!* A huge stream of energy exploded out like a canon. "Ugh!" Damien''s body was mid-air and took the brunt of the sudden attack. The concentrated torrent of wind dug into his armoured body, even leaving visible tears and scratches on the plating. *Hisss!* The crimson energy leaked out at faster speeds, cracking the air and following Damien who had been shot into the sky. Zephyr slashed his legs with multiple slashes, seeing his enemy''s stunned state. . "Tempest Kick: Onslaught!" . The tens of slashes rocketed through the skies and onto Damien. The armoured figure did not even block it, rather he turned his back towards it! The slashes exploded from the volatile energy with a powerful boom, spawning a chain of explosions at the pirate''s back. Damien felt the pain but also the boost; he used the momentum of the attacks to reach the ground fast. Meanwhile, Zephyr tried to take advantage of the Sin Incarnate''s momentary upheaval but was met with a brick wall. . "Cataclysmic Current!" . The distorted voice broke out as a giant stream of pulverizing energy was unleashed from his hand. *Vvoooo!* The energy was wide enough to envelop a giant in its range, though now fully concentrated at Zephyr. . "Black Arm Suppression!" . Boom! The Black Arm groaned as he felt his already cut-up fist get railed and drilled on with the eruptive energy. "Haah!" he roared out as the Haki fuelled his anger, slowly but surely overwhelming the current. Though he had no time to rest. "!!!" The man froze as his entire body was covered with a shadow. Zephyr looked up to see the eyes of a mythical beast with a body as large as fifty meters! Damien was currently fuelling the beast by raising his hands to the sky. He then swung his arm down to signify the assault. . "Advent of Chaos!" . The winged monstrosity roared out in fury. Its cry was mixed with the pulverizing energy that turned the surrounding area into a shrieking symphony! The beast spread its wings and flew across the sky and onto the Vice Admiral, dwarfing him with its frightening brilliance. BOOOM! An island-shaking explosion went off as a chain reaction continued with deep rumblings. An earthquake graced the island and even the residents living on the far side felt the collision. The crimson energy exploded with waves of energy that could level a mountain. The same move that took down the Overlord! Another explosion went off as the dragon used up the last bit of its energy, leaving behind a broken path of disorganized terrain bubbling with molten rock. . Yet under such a fearsome sight was the display of true Haki. "Rahaha! He''s much stronger than Enigma for sure!" Damien''s broken voice broke out at the sight of the marine''s silhouette. "Haah, huuuh," Zephyr''s desperate breathing resounded. "Don''t think you can take me down that easily, brat!" The man roared out as his body quaked with power. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. *Fwwm!* A strong coat of Haki spread across his entire being, covering every inch of his body, much like Damien''s. His arms were extra solid, brimming with power. The blood that dripped out from his tattered arm was also forcefully stopped, allowing the man to continue the fightбкa technique of Life Return! *Woosh!* Zephyr soon launched ahead to try and regain the momentum. His pristine black body whizzed through the air, utilizing his mastery over the Six Powers. The Vice Admiral''s eyes were whitened out in fury. Unleashing what seemed to be a basic punch, yet one with enough power to break a mountain. *Purrup* Damien''s eyes widened in anticipation as he saw the Vice Admiral''s arm glow in a red bubble that encased the limb. . "Black Arm Oppression!" . Damien laughed from the turn of events, this time, taking a defensive approach. "Show me what to expect from Emission Haki!" He then materialized a sizable sum of his energy to create a thick barrier made from the very personification of pulverization. . "Void Space!" . The barrier, unlike its predecessor, did not simply devour the space before it, instead, it ripped it apart into void. "..." No sound was released under the shield that spanned nearly fifty meters! Zephyr paid no mind and slammed his fist onto the shield. BOOM! The ground below was left terraformed as it was obliterated into countless pieces. The approaching night sky that had overtaken the battlefield was once again lit up with the crimson spectacle and explosive Haki. *Crack* Damien grinned as he saw his barrier creak and threaten to break. That is what he wanted to see, the power to destroy things from within! The void was able to eat away enough of Zephyr''s Haki to stop him, unfortunately, it came at the cost of its structural stability. With a flash, it fell apart into crimson shards resembling glass. The two men took dozens of steps back as their bodies were pushed away from the reactive forces. But it only delayed the coming battle by a mere moment. ... The two sides traded blows endlessly, sending shivers down the roots of the Amethyst Kingdom. Its residents all hid away in their basements, hoping the island wouldn''t sink from the repeated abuse that had continued for hours now. From an early night to midnight and getting closer and closer to dawn, they continued their duel, sending turbulence into the nearby seas. However, Damien was slowly losing his breath. The eruption of such power came with the draining of his energy and Haki was difficult to maintain for long. "You''re not giving up now, are you, Zephyr?" The Vice Admiral heard the distorted voice and humphed loudly. "Don''t get too ahead of yourself, pirate. If I don''t take you down now, it''ll damn the future peace of our seas!" Damien smirked, though his expression looked frightening from his molten appearance. He then dug his feet into the ground and gave out a thunderous roar. *Bzzzz!* His entire body shined through the cracks. More and more of said cracks spread out as Damien utilized every final ounce of the power. The energy began to accumulate into a cloud of pulverizing energy, bubbling into the air in its way. Suffice to say, if Damien lost his concentration now, this entire region would be reduced to dust from the explosion. *Crack* The armour began trembling, threatening to lose control as more and more energy flooded out. . Zephyr saw the attack and understood the end was coming. They had already been fighting for half a day now. The entire black body of the Vice Admiral soon lost its luster, all but his right arm; Zephyr consciously moved every last bit of his overwhelming Haki into his prized right arm, swarming it with untold power. *Purrup* Alongside the energy was a visible bubble. It was red and soon wrapped around the man''s arm. The advanced Haki energy flowed freely and gently; utilized masterfully. The esteemed Marine exhaled a heavy breath and jumped straight ahead to meet his young adversary. No matter what, this collision would decide the winner! . "Black Arm Expulsion!" . The arm flooded with Haki rushed ahead like a meteorite. It left a trail of broken air, alongside the masterful use of Rokushiki, Zephyr was able to even break the sound barrier with his speed! Damien, who saw the attack coming, could not clench his fists in expectation. He raised a single finger into the sky as the red mass of energy had fully formed. *Fwooo* A whirlwind broke out as the crimson torrents of air amalgamated into a sphere. The ball was around twenty meters in radius (~66ft), far, far larger than Damien''s current 4-meter tall stature. It churned in pulverizing energy that had become so dense that it became a fluid! The howling energy illuminated the island with its ominous crimson appearance. The sight alone resembled that of a miniature sun! Damien then left the ball of energy as it could only fall with the embrace of gravity. It wholly encased the Sin Incarnate in its destructive might, turning the once-armoured figure into nothing but a volatile bomb. "!!!" His entire body coursed with power beyond what it could hold, exercising every ounce of destruction that pure pulverization could bring. It was a move that gave up defense for offense. . "Red Sun!" . Damien rushed on ahead, his body overwhelmed with the eruptive power that left cracks in the air. Alas, he met the Vice Admiral''s fist with his own, sending out an untold amount of shockwaves. *Crackle* Black lightning rained down from the skies, shaking up every resident on the island, and forcing them into unconsciousness. "Ha!" Zephyr roared out in fury as his arm popped with an enormous amount of muscles. The blood vessels underneath dilated to their maximum capacity, sourcing as much energy there as possible. Boom! Waves upon waves of shock spread out in all directions. Whatever was left of G-4 was reduced to ruins. Huge tsunamis were born as ships far from the island were swept away. The night turned into day as the clash continued, bringing a crimson dawn which signified the grave situation taking place at the wealthy island. Zephyr groaned as he lost the feeling in his arm, though still desperately pushing on. Damien mirrored a roar as he felt the Emission Haki tearing him from within. Bones cracked, arms broke and blood splattered. The clash came to an end with an explosive finale that shook the island with its terrifying might. Regardless of the outcome, the battle was over! "бн" Time passed as the voluminous cloud of dust and ash settled across what was the ruins of G-4. The very roots of the stronghold were obliterated, not even a lick of the foundation remained. If someone ventured here, they wouldn''t even know that a mighty Marine Base once stood here! [Ruins of G-4 Image (in Discord)] *Cough* *Cough* *Ptui* a wad of blood splattered on the ground under a chain of rattling coughs. "Haah, huuuh," deep breathings echoed over the quiet ruins. The deafening silence was even more unsettling than the bone-rattling tremors from earlier. . Damien slowly moved his body up and out of the huge crater. He waddled around, stretching his body while soaking in the sun''s rays: dawn had arrived! "It''s been, what, thirteen hours now? Anime time really goes faster and slower when it wants," Damien murmured. "Ugh," he silently groaned. His left arm had been dangling like an over-filled spaghetti bowl; dried blood was all that remained, naturally, it had cauterized already. "All three of the bones in my left arm are broken," he examined himself. "If not for Black Bones, things would''ve been far worse." Damien then glanced at the mess near the center of the crater where his defeated enemy remained and muttered under his breath, "Though Zephyr may have paid a greater price..." . He no longer gave any attention to the defeated, rather focussing on something else. "Cheh, what a waste, a Marine Base practically untouched by pirates reduced the dust, I couldn''t even rob it first!" he complained. "Hmm?" Though his annoyed expression froze as he heard a voice: "Don''t worry about that, Damien. I snuck in and acquired them from their underground vault while you two fought." The Sin Incarnate traced his vision to Aurora who popped out from a distant shadow. She wore fresh clothes and had cleaned herself up. She then waved her hand as four giant sacks of goodies appeared before them, falling out of the shadow of the young girl''s arm with a resounding thud. "Oh! I wasn''t wrong about you," Damien smiled through his bloody teeth. "You really do have a pirate''s heart!" Aurora was not sure if that was a compliment so she could only tilt her head to think. "Hmm, well, let''s look over them later, for now, why don''t you take me thereбн" Damien instructed, "Take me to the Poneglyph!" ---------------------------------------------- [An Hour Later] A battalion of marines slowly made their way to the crater. They came prepared for war, while also bringing along with medical equipment, ready to scour the place. "Zephyr-san, where are you!?" "Please be alive, Vice Admiral!" "That damn Sin Incarnate, he reduced G-4 to the ground!" The Marines were truly worried, it seemed Zephyr''s reputation was truly impressive. Thankfully for the hundreds that arrived, it was not all that bad of news. . "I''m here, don''t yell so muchбн" a tired voice broke out. The marines'' eyes brightened as they rushed to the origin of the words and rejoiced. "Zephyr-sama sounds lively, looks like he won!" "!!!" Though all the marines stopped in their steps, their jaws touched the floor. They saw Zephyr in his current state, peacefully sitting at the edge of the island, his legs hanging off. The man watched the sun as it graced the ocean with its brilliance. However, the man''s serenity was not shared by the spectators. "Zephyr-samaбн!" The Vice Admiral''s voice was a little sour from the noise. "I told you to stop screaming, it''s hurting my ears." The younger marine, however, couldn''t hold in his voice: "But Zephyr-sama, yourбн your arm!" All the marines looked at the Admiral Candidate with deep shock, some even tearing up at the sight. The man in question traced his left hand down his right shoulder, abruptly stopping a few inches down as there was nothing left. Yet his voice remained plain and without conflict: "What about it? It''s just an arm." To Be Continuedбн Chapter 55: Scars "What about it? It''s just an arm." The spectating marines nearly fell to the ground. "B-But you are ''Black Arm'' Zephyr, and nowбн" The Vice Admiral stood up, his face slightly angered. "Now what!? Do you want me to retire? I can take down just as many pirates with one arm as I did with two. My justice is worth far more than a single limb!" His proclamation shook the nearby soldier, wondering if they could say the same thing in Zephyr''s place. The thought left them with nothing but admiration and respect, reflected in their immediate arrow-straight posture and discipline. "Ugh!" Zephyr, who had stood up, could not help but go down on one knee. His purple hair was still damp with sweat and blood, and now his face had gone pale from the sudden movement. *Drip* *Drip* Blood dribbled out from his stump as the man muttered under his breath, "Damn that monstrous pirate, I just hope he took some damage too!" The Marines scrambled, frantically waving their arms, "Please rest, Zephyr-sama!" ---------------------------------------------- [The Catacombs] The tunnels deep below the Castle were hidden and unknown to most. They were long and constantly branching into many others. However, under the veil of darkness were a duo, traversing the maze with great speed and precision. Damien had bandaged the aching wounds, unlike most of his injuries, those caused by Advanced Haki took longer to heal. Aurora had let down her long silky hair, its colour matching the air around the two. "You know these tunnels well, Aurora." The girl gave a thin smile, her eyes trying to hide her sadness. "I used to play with my sister down here, we had a game where we would pick a path each and see which one of us could reach the end of the catacombs first." The memory brought some genuine happiness to the girl as she momentarily forgot the loss that followed. "In light of Proditor''s betrayal, my father was killed right away. They found my mother but not before she gave us sisters time to escape through here. However, in my hurry, I lost my way and ended up splitting away from my sister." Aurora shook her head, falling into silence. "..." The only sound was the occasional dripping of water that had seeped through the soil above, mixing into the Night Realm''s aetherial ambience. The two continued to walk on ahead. The girl finally heaved a sigh, "I ended up in a part of the Catacombs I never ventured to beforeбн it was where the giant blue stone and a purple Devil Fruit rested." She then waved her hand as a trail of aether followed suit, dissolving into the purple shadows. "I ate the fruit and my fear of getting caught by the traitors threw me into the Night Realm right away, allowing me to easily retrace my steps." Damien narrowed his eyes as he saw the girl ball her fists; Aurora was turned away from him yet he could sense her gnashing her teeth. "When I got there, everything was on fireбн The Prabna Family''s armies had already arrived." She subconsciously looked at the ground, trying to hide her shame as she explained, "The Marines had caught my sister and Proditor executed her alongside my mother at the front of the burnt castle." "Everyone just watched from the sides while I watched from the darkness." The girl clenched her hand to the point of blood dripping out. "If only... if only I could control my powers a little more, maybe I could have saved them!" . Damien replied in a straight tone, glancing at the girl, "And then what? You think you can take down an Admiral?" Aurora went silent, though still leading the way. "I haphazardly rampaged around in a Mafia Stronghold after they destroyed my home island. Lucky for me, I was able to awaken Observation Haki and showered my own justice in their blood." The pirate''s voice was laced with nostalgia as he continued, "You came back and took down the usurpers; your family can rest now, that is the best you can do." "As for Kurowashi? He''ll get what''s coming for him." "..." Damien did not need a reply, he was just sharing his thoughts. He had a similar story. The usual greed of a few ruins lives. Justice was the right of the victor to claim. бн After a good few minutes, the girl had visibly calmed down. Her hand had been loosened, almost as if letting go of a heavy weight. Aurora nodded to herself and slowly glanced back, locking eyes with her companion, "I''m glad I met you, Damien, she said with an honest smile. Her purple eyes were exceptionally clear after reaching the point where vengeance didn''t drive her life. "Rahahaha!" Damien laughed as he felt the clarity in the girl''s eyes and face. "You weren''t this thankful when we first met, from what I recall, you tried to kill me." Aurora turned her head away in embarrassment. "That was a different timeбн now, everything has changed!" Damien looked at her with an amused face. The Voice of All Things allowed him to hear quite a lot; easily tracing the emotional spikes of the assassin. "Here I thought your heart was beating that fast because you were treading this maze after so many yearsбн" his words send a shiver down Aurora''s back, reflecting in another spike. . The two continued in dark silence once more as the pirate was left smiling wryly. The little trip through the never-ending Catacombs went different from what the Sin Incarnate had expected. He narrowed his eyes and casually remarked, "At this point, you''ll make it seem like you''ve fallen for me." Yet under the young pirate''s thought came a reply that left him surprised: "Maybe I haveбн" Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. "..." The girl''s eyes were still glued to the dark tunnel ahead, unable to turn back. Though Damien''s response was quite blunt. "Rahahaha!" Aurora''s head shot back and locked onto Damien. The darkness of the Night Realm mostly hid her ruddy face but the pirate could easily make out the embarrassment in her voice. "W-What''s so funny!?" "!!!" However, their conversation was put to an end as the catacombs opened up to a large spanning chamber with a mystical air. The change in the atmosphere brought the two out of their chatter, forcing their attention onto the giant, indestructible Poneglyph. Blue in colour, barely visible from some ray of light that managed to find its way deep down here. Aurora opened up the portal, allowing the two to exit. ''It''s a little dark down here.'' *Fwwm* Damien applied some Haki to his finger and thumb. *Snap* The friction generated from the snap immediately lit his fingers ablaze. He then grabbed some dried and rotten wood and brightened up the place, all the while burning the moss covering the cube of knowledge. . "Let''s hear what you''ve got to sayбн" The Sin Incarnate concentrated his mind on every symbol and listened. "..." The voices from all around them were drawn out as Damien focussed on a single one. Little by little, he took in the story. Whispers turned into a voice, a voice turned into a strong connection and bridged itself to the young pirate. "Hmm, a story about the ''Sun God'' Nika?" Damien muttered. "Warrior of the Liberation? The figure who freed slaves in ancient times." Aurora just quietly stood there, letting Damien do his thing. "He will appear again with the most ridiculous power in the world, bringing joy and laughter to the seas. Nika, was it?" Damien pondered for a second, cupping his chin. "Such a figure almost sounds like a chosen one type of thing. A powerбн Devil Fruit perhaps? Warrior of Liberation? If it''s detailed in the Poneglyph, it must be important." The pirate narrowed his eyes, coming up with a theory of his own. "Maybe, just maybe, it had something to do with a certain main character of the future?" "..." [A/N: As stated in the Author''s Corner in chapter 19, Damien died after the release of chapter 1030. I don''t want to just magically enchant his knowledge as I learn the new info revealed in the manga. So I''ll have Damien acquire them through other means.] . Damien sighed, "Anyway, it had nothing to do with me." It was not worth pondering on the eventual future that was over 40 years away, leaving the pirate to relent. With a shrug, he instead walked toward the assassin who waited by the side. The crimson pupils locked onto the gem-like eyes of Aurora, shining with a purple gleam. "This wraps up my curiosity," he announced. "So then, have you decided, Princess? Are you ready to put up your end of the bargain?" Aurora took in a deep breath, hearing Damien''s words. The weight from the past had been fully released, leaving her with a long-lost emotion: excitement for what was to come. With a genuine smile on her face, she firmly answered, "I am!" Damien returned her a thoughtful look. "Zephyr wasn''t wrong, you know," he spoke frankly. "I did pick you up to weaponize your power." Though it was at this time that the pirate heard Aurora giggle honestly. "I knowбн and I don''t mind." Her voice then warped into that of hesitation as she muttered, "I don''t think I can stay away from you anywayбн" Damien blinked. "You''re certainly honest with your thoughts, but let''s get out of here before more Marines show up." ---------------------------------------------- [The Ruins of G-4] [A Few Hours Later] "Vice Admiral, should we continue to search for them?" a Rear Admiral asked. Zephyr, who was now bandaged up, was able to stand and move around. "Forget it, even if you find them, do you think you can hold down that monster with our current forces?" The Rear Admiral''s mind flashed to the apocalyptic scene he witnessed throughout the previous night. *Gulp* Just the thought of going against such a pirate made him shudder. Zephyr nodded at his expression and ordered, "Focus on calming the residents. The Sin Incarnate knocked every single one of them out just last night, they''re bound to be shaken up. And keep the surviving Nobles safe from any pirates that may take advantage of the chaos!" The marine saluted and scurried away. Zephyr walked around but his body still felt quite light with the missing limb. However, his eyes lacked hesitation, rather, they were filled with conviction. The man chose a life of enforcing order to allow the weak and innocent a chance for a tranquil life; an arm was a small price to pay! ---------------------------------------------- [The Docks] Aurora took a deep breath of fresh air, exiting the dark catacombs and finally burying the gloomy past. Her gem-like eyes fell on the infinite skies above, bringing out an honest thought, "There''s so much freedom up there, so much more peaceful than the islands down here." The thought of the recent battle brought her out of her reverie and asked the big question: "Will it be okay, after all, the Vice Admiral lost his arm," Aurora muttered, a little hesitant about a full-fledged attack by the Marines. Damien, who had brought out his sea skimmer and was readying it to leave, waved aside her worries. "I took his arm rather than his life, he should be glad." At the end of the day, a weak Navy would be more beneficial to Damien''s rivals than to himself. Vanquishing an Admiral Candidate, even more so. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Zephyr] [Age: 33 years, 9 months, 23 days] [Height: 11'' 5"] (3.48 m) [Status: Injured; Disarmed] [Devil Fruit: None] [Skills: Complete Mastery of Rokushiki, Unwavering Spirit, Great talent in Armament Haki] [Haki: Mastery of Observation Haki, Armament Haki (Advanced Mastery)] [Strength: Bottom Tier Yonko] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< ''Hmm, it doesn''t say ''Advanced Mastery of Armament Haki'' in the way it says for his Observation. In other words, Zephyr is still far from his greatest strength!'' Damien surmised. However, this only went to drive his point as he told his female companion, "Plus, Zephyr is in the running to become an Admiral, you think such a title can be given to a man who can''t cope with the loss of a measly limb?" Aurora slowly nodded in understanding, trying to fully take in any advice imparted to her. "Aside from that, let''s see what goodies we have here!" Damien then started to check all the loot Aurora had taken from G-4. First, the smaller things: 1. Seven hundred million berries. 2. Eternal Poses to a handful of islands. 3. Two Skillful Grade Swords. 4. Kagekiri иC one of the 21 Great Grade Swords. 5. A sizable amount of seastone. The pirate then unveiled a few more prized possessions. "Oh, look what we have hereбн G-4 had quite the Devil Fruits in stock!" Paramecia: Sakиж-Sakиж Fruit иC Allows the user to create, control, and transform into sakиж at will, making them a Sakиж Human. Bender-Bender Fruit иC Allows the user to freely switch their gender, making them an Omni-Gendered Human. Balance-Balance Fruit иC Allows the user to freely switch anything of equal value, making them an All-Conserving Human. . Zoan: Bird-Bird Fruit иC Model: Carrier Pigeon иC Allows the user to transform into a carrier pigeon and its human hybrid at will. "Well, well, well. A fruit fit for a pirate: Sakиж fruit!" Damien found it amusing. The power came with the weakness of flames, however, its description almost made it seem like a Logia! Other than that, another fruit caught Damien''s eyes. ''Balance-Blance Fruit, I remember this one from 9 years ago,'' Damien thought, recalling his first peak into the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia he found from the pirates that attacked his home island. . Aurora, who quietly watched from the side, felt some nostalgia in Damien''s smile. She looked at the brown fruit that had a stem in the shape of a balancing scale with curiosity. Damien smiled at her. "You did a good job," he honestly stated. The girl just smiled back, then grabbed a scroll that remained in the bag. "I found this in the Vice Admiral''s Office." She handed it to Damien who unfurled it right away. His face lit up as he read the title: "Life Return Training Manual!" (Seimei Kikan) Such a treasure was worth a colossal amount to the young pirate, drawing a grin to his face. "You saved me a lot of trouble by getting all these things, tell me, what do you want in return?" Aurora heard the words and was a little caught off-guard. Summoning her courage, she looked Damien in the eyes and asked, "I, I''ve been wondering... what do you think of me?" Her voice wavered slightly, betraying the composed facade she had attempted to maintain. "..." Damien sighed, looking at the sea for a moment. He cleared his throat and brought the girl back to reality. "Listen, Aurora," he slowly started. "You''re a good girl but right now there are far too many unknowns in the imminent future for me to answer your feelings." Damien''s mind went toward God Valley. As of today, it was December of 1483 and the fateful day would occur sometime in 1486. Damien felt obligated for his past and his future, to stray from any distraction along the way, or at least that is what he told himself. . Aurora heard the words and felt disappointed. Perhaps she had convinced herself that her princess dream of having a shining prince save her was not to come true now. If anything, she could now clearly feel the wall in between them; almost as if Damien was subconsciously pushing her away. She clenched her hands and met the red eyes with her purple ones, "You once said a pirate should always chase after what they deeply desire, right?" "That''s right," Damien nodded. Aurora beamed a smile and exclaimed, "Then you shouldn''t stop me from trying to open up your heart!" The Sin Incarnate''s eyes slightly widened at the declaration, feeling palpable determination emanating from the girl. "Open up my heart?" he murmured; Damien was left lost for words as he fell into thought. His mind fell into a long-lost memory as a few words echoed in the notorious pirate''s mind, born from Aurora''s proclamation. ''Gather those who you can trust with your life. Marry a beautiful girl. Treasure them deeply for they will be your greatest strength.'' They were his mother''s final words that set him off on the path toward power. Spending every breathing moment to rush toward the highest level of strength he could obtain. As tiring as it was, the young pirate never wavered. "..." Damien''s hand subconsciously reached up, pressing the scar above his eyes. A reminder of the past that had begun to throb. . Meanwhile, Aurora''s gem-like eyes were fixed on him, feeling the air warp in emotion, it was a surreal sight for her. ''I was wrong. No one is born strong... The strongest are those who go through hell and can stand tall afterwards,'' she thought. ''But it leaves scars behind...'' The girl clenched her hand and candidly spoke. "You helped me put my past to rest, so I''ll help you do the same!" Damien was quickly brought out of his reverie, feeling the afternoon sun and the unshaken gaze of the assassin next to him. "Rahaha! I look forward to it." To Be Continuedбн Chapter 56: Disarmed [A While Later] "A large ship spotted on the horizon!" an alarmed voice announced through an outpost set up near the shores of the Amethyst Kingdom. Nearby marines jumped into formation: guns drawn, swords unsheathed and cannons ready to fire. A tense atmosphere filled the sandy shores, one that was reflected in the sweat dripping off the faces of the younger recruits. It was already night time and all they could wish for was a quiet period but things were proving to be the opposite. It had been a dark day for G-4; an enemy attack at this time would be disastrous! The sole veteran at the head of the formation was Rear Admiral Cocoa who seemed exceptionally apprehensive. "We don''t have the defend this nation, not with G-4 destroyed," he muttered in a helpless tone. "..." "Wait, I think I can make out a marine flag on the ship!" the same man called out, peering through his telescope. "I-It''s a Marine Battleship straight from Marineford!" The words greatly calmed down the soldiers at ready as they all heaved a sigh of relief. ... After a little while, the Battleship docked a good dozen meters from the shores, lowering 2 thick iron anchors with a resounding splash. Boom! The wooden ramp was lowered and crashed onto the sand below. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* Heavy steps echoed as hundreds of marines began walking off the massive ship, each sporting a sharp look in their eyes. Sure enough, they were veterans of the seas! The troops at the outpost were only from G-4 and couldn''t help but marvel at the discipline emanating off the sea of allies. *Whizz* A black shadow flickered in front of the Cocoa catching him off guard. The darkness made it hard to make out the man''s face but he wore a fedora topping a well-cut suit. He was quite tall and lanky. "You there," the man addressed. "The comms at G-4 are down so we were unable to make contact you. Do not fret, we are here to help." The nearby marines subconsciously smiled, feeling their jittery nerves calm down at the affirmation. "Bwahahaha! That''s right, so do the minimum and welcome your guests with a warm cup of tea and some rice crackers!" The boisterous voice echoed past the near-500 marines who had come, dissolving the distinguished air of the mighty battleship. "...Vice Admiral Garp!" Cocoa exclaimed. The branch marines jumped into a salute, their bodies straight as arrows. . "Alright, alright, at ease now. Hehe, I must say, it''s surprising we could get here in only 1 day, isn''t that right, Bogard?" The bladesman with the fedora locked eyes with the burly Garp donning a simple Vice Admiral''s get-up and lightly sighed. "With all due respect, sir, you nearly killed Captain Raito. It was a 3-day journey even with his Turbo-Turbo Fruit." The short-haired Garp grinned in glee, slapping Bogard with a thunderous chop. "That kid ate a very convenient fruit; cutting down a 20-day trip to 3 days. He should thank me, my directions made him do it all in under 1 day!" Bogard twitched, feeling the aching pain across his back, for some reason he knew his well-ironed suit was already crumpled up. ''Did he forget that Raito is in a coma after he drove him like a horse to speed the ship for 20 hours straight?'' . The Vice Admiral ignored the ruckus around him and locked eyes with the island. "..." Garp narrowed his eyes, feeling the turbulent air. ''What kind of hell came here?'' he thought. "Take me to Zephyr," he ordered. "Y-Yes sir!" бн The newly arrived battalions had already been spread through the nation, bringing much-needed help to the surviving soldiers. Garp and Bogard, with Cocoa as their guide, made their way through the quiet streets of Amethyst Kingdom. Whether it was nighttime or the earthquakes from the day, every resident had simply retreated to the confines of their homes. "So, you''re saying it began with the little bounty hunter from Sabaody making a storm of hell that ripped the entire castle and G-4 to shreds? Then that guy who made Sengoku grow white hair came along and fought for half a day against Zephyr?" Cocoa was left speechless as he heard the added bits of details in the quick report he had given. . "Anyways, he really did some damage, that Damien," Garp muttered as he walked through the streets littered with cracks. *Crunch* Every step they took would make audible noises, credit to the shattered windows and bits of wood. ''This Haki is pretty dense, 5 months of disappearance and he brings the whole damn party to this small island!'' бн Eventually, the three made it to the marine branch within the city that was thrown together just some hours ago. There, Garp saw a scene he never expected, even leaving him gobsmacked. "Woah, woah, Zephyr! You actually lost your arm!?" Garp thundered, dropping his bag of crackers. His mouth widened in an O-shape and his jaw nearly comically fell to the floor as he pointed at his colleague. ''Black Arm Zephyr lost his prized armбн Do I call him Black Stump Zephyr now?'' Garp thought to himself. "..." The soldiers nearby shut their mouths immediately. Even though the Vice Admiral didn''t seem to mind the missing limb too much, wasn''t it a little blunt to point at it and question it so loudly? . Zephyr just sighed in helplessness. He knew the best way to deal with Garp was to ignore his impulsive words. "The enemy''s strength was beyond my expectations; I paid the price for it," he responded while lightly grasping at his bandaged stump. Garp hummed as he picked away at his nose. "Oh? I guess those useless dogs of the Government are behind on their intel like always, to think their average salary is even higher than us marines." Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The man reputed as ''The Fist'' then found another subject of interest: "G-4, I wonder if I should report it to Kong-san now or later, his blood pressure may increase too much from the news," he thought out loud. Zephyr almost slapped Garp as he exclaimed, "Of course, you report it now! That young woman''s powers were far beyond our intel too!" Garp casually nodded, slowly walking up to his comrade. *Smack!* He patted his booger-encrusted hands on the Black Stump''s shoulder. "Don''t worry Zephyr, everything will be alright." Zephyr almost had a brain aneurysm as he slapped the trashy hand away: "You still have no regard for your position as a Vice Admiral! And I don''t need your terrible attempt at reassurance!" Garp scoffed and waddled away to get another bag of rice crackers, though he made his complaints loud and clear: "Hmph, Zephyr. You should be glad you have a friend like me." ---------------------------------------------- [Room of Authority, Pangaea Castle] The five elderly men sat in their usual line-up. Each had a perpetual frown etched on their weathered face. "The Black Arm was disarmed, how absurd!" Shepherd Ju Peter roared out. *Shing* V. Nusjuro unsheathed his blade and reflected a dangerous light to announce his anger. "After the fall of two Overlords, the last thing we need is for one of our top pieces to be so publicly beaten!" Topman Warcury was just as furious: "That fool Zephyr, he should know what kind of a position he put us in!" "On top of that, it seems Cipher Pol has failed again and again in their intel-gathering, to think the evil bud had sprouted to such a chaotic level under our noses," Marcus Mars chimed in. . The Five Elders were angry as usual, this time, however, things only got worse. Boom! The door to the room soon burst open and a Rear Admiral rushed in with a panicked expression. "Lord Five Elders!" Saint Saturn glared at the intrusion, though gestured to him to speak. The marine gulped before delivering the news: "I-It''s the World News Agencyбн they already published the news, hailing it as the Amethyst Kingdom Crisis!" "What!? How could that happen!" The Rear Admiral felt his life getting snuffed out from the anger concentrated upon him. He almost cried out but had to force himself to continue. "T-The report not only covered the defeat of Vice Admiral Zephyr but even the massacre of the Royals, alongside the deaths of the five Reverie Members!" "!!!" The veins popped all over V. Nusjuro''s face, defining his wrinkles even further. "Whatever the price, recall the news immediately! The Government cannot take such a hit to its reputation at such a hazardous time!" The poor marine felt suffocated, the final part of the news was not entirely any better. "W-We''ve tried but the Agency has already overruled our connections and printed the papers before we could react!" . "...World News Agency. The dog we raised has bit its master''s hand! What is CP-10 doing!" Ju Peter then sighed a dangerous exhale. "Those Four Directors were given so many privileges," he scoffed. "To think they pulled such a move now, they must know the Reverie is to happen in a few months and yet the death of five such members was delivered so boldly." Warcury also gave his input, "We must reassess both the Marines and Cipher Pol; Xerxes better have an answer for this." He then leaned back into his chair, thinking of a solution. "Hasn''t Tensai at G-2 made good progress with Seastone? Let him craft a new arm; Zephyr must correct his failure with adequate performance!" By the time the meeting wrapped up, the sole marine almost pissed his pants. He ran out to deliver every order received, naturally one connected to the topic of pirate bounties! ---------------------------------------------- [Paradise Sea, Grand Line] "Is this the island you wanted to swing by?" Aurora''s soft voice questioned. She glanced at Damien who was going over Life Return. *Clank* The manual rolled up with a dull clinch as Damien shifted his attention to the gloomy island. "This is it, Yozora Island." бн The two made their way on the dark soil, under the night sky that seemed infinite and endless. Aurora felt at home, such a perfect night sky was truly enchanting to her considering her powers. Damien led her into the island and through the widely spread vegetation that had long adapted to the darkness. "It''s me, Vlad-san," the Sin Incarnate announced himself. Aurora paused, she looked around and didn''t see anyone. "!!!" She suddenly felt a shadow fall beside her, forcing her to react and jump back into a battle position. Damien waved at her to calm down, while he smirked at the dark shadow before him. "Young man, your senses have grown sharp." The man wore a dull attire, though under all that gloomy nature were two brilliant and hawk-like eyes. The sharp gaze then traced across the field and onto the alert young girl. "It''s good to be ready to fight at any moment," Vlad complimented. He then eyed the mystical energy swarming Aurora''s hands and calmly responded, "A dangerous power; do put it away, I won''t harm you." бн "Damien-kun, what a lovely surprise," Mina said while clapping her hands in delight. They had made it into the dull castle that was as barren as before. Lit up by the green candles and occasional flash of lightning in the distance. Damien smiled at the bright woman, "It''s nice to see you, Mina-san." Mina was exhilarated by their arrival, the gloomy island was a little out of character to be such a bright woman''s home. The woman beamed a smile. "And who''s this beautiful little friend of yours?" "My name is Aurora," came a concise reply from the purple-haired girl. . "Hawk-chan, aren''t you gonna say hello too?" Damien too felt the curious gaze from afar. A small pair of eyes watched from the dark hallways as if trying to study the intruders. They were wary at first, then shaken with some distant excitement. Damien watched as the small figure ran out and in front of him. Standing a little over three feet in height, Mihawk was now two and a half years old. His thoughts were far too much from his immature face, an odd contrast. The pirate crouched down to meet the boy''s line of sight and greeted him, "Yo, Mihawk. Been a while." The hawk-eyed boy shared the enthusiasm but was unable to fully display it. Perhaps the loneliness since the day of his birth made him quite reserved. He just nodded with an audible hum, which was quite evidently joyful. But his eyes soon fell onto the young woman at Damin''s side. A mix of intrigue and curiosity laced within his sharp eyes. The girl lightly smiled at the reticent boy. The contrast of the sharp gaze and childish face made for a funny combination. "Mihawk, don''t treat our guests as threats!" Mina scolded from the side. The middle-aged woman then turned toward Aurora and pulled her into a girl talk, pushing the child to the side. . Meanwhile, a conversation took place at the sidelines, one between the two men in the lounge. "Vlad-san looks like you''ve stepped up his training," Damien commented. The one-armed swordsman leaked a thin smile of pride. "Mihawk has talent far beyond anything I''ve ever seen." He then gestured to the hedge maze outside the glass panes, "He''s been following your exploits over the past years, it seems his drive has reached new heights. Perhaps Yoru may finally get a worthy wielder." Damien followed the older man''s line of sight and eventually fell on the beautiful blade carved deep into the stone outside. The silver blade with its magnificent design was a true wonder of a weapon. "One of the Twelve Supreme Grade Swords," Damien thought out loud. He then looked at the boy who had seated himself on the couch facing the hedge maze, quietly listening to their talk. "It won''t be easy to get the sword''s approval." Mihawk nodded at the impossible task, balling up his little hands with fiery eyes. Damien paused for a second, then reached into his newly reformed regal attire. Under the curious eyes of the two other males, he pulled out a weapon. "You can''t go straight to Yoru anyways," the pirate explained. "This is Kagekiri of the Twenty-One Great Grade Swords." Damien held it in front of the aspiring swordsman, "The Navy was kind enough to let me take it from them; consider it a late birthday present." He unsheathed it with a sharp hum. The sword had a black sheath with a white middle area printed with a drawing of a dragon on it. A traditional katana shape with a simple yet sleek handle and grip. The blade itself was your usual wave-like design, though sharp enough to cut most things with ease. [Kagekiri Image (in Discord)] . Mihawk stood up from his seat and slowly reached out before grabbing the blade from Damien''s hands. *Hum* A slight vibration echoed from the blade, running down the child''s hand. Though the weapon was for an average-sized man with a heavier-than-average weight, Mihawk was easily able to hold it. "..." The boy held onto the weapon with brilliant eyes. Vlad did not interrupt the gift, instead, he encouraged Mihawk to try it out. Meanwhile, Damien raised one finger and gestured to the boy. Something the aspiring swordsman picked up on immediately. His tiny body jumped to the side and held the famed blade in both hands, under a one-sword style pose. Damien suddenly moved his left index finger to the side, across his right shoulder while Mihawk burst out with his newfound blade in hand. *Vvooo!* The air shivered from the impressive speed. Clang! Oddly enough, the blade crashed exactly where Damien had moved his finger. The resulting impact sounded like a rock hitting a metal wall. ''His skin is so thick!'' the young attacker exclaimed in his mind, right before hearing a few complimentary words from the side. "For your age, you really are impressive, Mihawk." The child clicked his tongue and clanked the weapon back into its cover, somewhat annoyed by the weak attack. Damien almost laughed out loud at the boy''s attitude. Perhaps he did not know the average two-year-old would still be learning how to count while he was swinging a famed sword with ease. . Vlad, on the other hand, sucked in a cold breath. "You can already read the future?" "Well, I picked up a few things or two in the past few years," came the reply. Such a casual comment left Vlad with an urge to sit down, his surprise exhaled with a sigh. "Okay, okay. That''s enough of that," Mina intervened, breaking away from Aurora. "Why don''t you both join us for a meal?" She then reached out to grab the assassin by the hand, "Your arm looks all bruised up, come on, food always makes things right!" бн The gathering of five ensued at the long table fit to seat twenty people. Damien was surprised at how clean the castle was, after all, it seemed only Mina was responsible for it, considering the one-armed Vlad. They ate their fill and it was nearing the time for the pirate and assassin duo to take their leave. However, it was not before the young figure of Mihawk ran in from the side, his hands clutching a newspaper. "It''s about you," the boy waved a wanted poster. "They upped your bounty!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 57: Setting the Board Rest in peace Akira Toriyama.

Damien grabbed the newspaper from the aspiring swordsman''s hand; his eyes reading over the bolded words. "Amethyst Kingdom Crisis: The Sin Incarnate''s Latest Excursion!" A quick overview of the report left Damien satisfied, it was fairly objective! The article went over the shady take-over of the island by the Prabna Family, leading to the birth of the Terror of Sabaody. It highlighted her revenge killings and destructive strength showcased at the castle. "I''ve never seen the paper to be so neutral to the World Government," Vlad commented, bringing up another copy. "I''m surprised they allowed such a paper to be released." After all, Aurora''s actions led to the death of five Reverie members, a fact that was covered in the report! Beyond that, the main event was the clash between the Black Arm and the Sin Incarnate. "Colour me impressed, young pirate. I''ve heard the exploits of Vice Admiral Zephyr; you have well surpassed me in such little time." Vlad then turned to the quiet girl on the side with a new light. . At the same time, Mihawk''s eyes were brighter than usual as he went over the story. He wanted to grow up fast to reach such levels. After all, the pictures shown showcased the red sun clashing against the Black Arm vividly, highlighting its apocalyptic nature. Alas, the story then referred to the newly revealed bounties: -----< WANTED >----- < AMETHYST?AURORA > < ''Veil of the Night'' > < ?? 430,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > -----< WANTED >----- < EINAR?D?DAMIEN > < ''Sin Incarnate'' > < ?? 1,987,600,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ---------------------------- "Ara~ what a scary amount! It won''t trouble you too much, right, Damien-kun?" Mina asked with some worry. Damien shrugged at the number. Beyond a certain level, bounties were more of a flexing point than anything; there weren''t any treasure hunters strong enough to ever claim them. Aurora, however, was also surprised by the numbers. "I have never seen such high numbers, even in my days as a Bounty Hunter," she muttered. "They even put a huge reward on my head." Damien waved his hand to put aside her thoughts. "According to the report: your feats include killing 35 Royals, slaughtering the five Reverie Attendants and obliterating most of G-4." He smirked at the devious actions, "I bet all those rich nations are demanding your death." Aurora was a little embarrassed at the list of her actions, masking it with a light cough. Though she was a bounty hunter, she never really did anything so destructive till now. . However, the new report had one more glaring piece of information. "The Reverie will be held in the coming year, all but a few months from now. Such an event will make things turbulent for the Nobles," Vlad informed the pirate duo. "I must say, you are developing a habit of turning the world upside down at more critical times." "Rahaha! I''ll take that as a compliment!" ---------------------------------------------- [The Seas] Naturally, the news made it all over the world; the reception was quite fearful. Not too long ago, the fall of Two Overlord of the Seas had spawned wrecking tides that shook up the pirates but pleased the Nobles. Yet now, an entire Royal Celebration to rename the prosperous Amethyst Kingdom was raided and left many dead, of them, five were Reverie members. As many predicted, it kept both these parties on their toes. Frustrations and conflicts began to slowly break out as the tense times only continued. The Rocks Pirates were ravaging the New World, some of them even raiding Paradise Sea! Even marines outside such anarchic seas became scared of the turbulent times; some began to take their vexations on the common folkбкan unsettling era; without a doubt, a storm of chaos had arrived! It was also the dawn of a new powerhouse of the sea: Einar D. Damien! A name now seen as the heir to evil. A pirate boasting exceptional strength, infernal potential and a tendency to leave nothing but untold ruin in his wake. ---------------------------------------------- [The Edge of the Island] "You''re already leaving, Damien-kun?" "I should leave, I don''t want them to track me to this island and give you any more difficulties," Damien said to Mina. She could only smile with some reluctance. "Hawk-chan will be lonely again." Though her frown warped into a playful one, almost seeming mischievous under Yozora Island'' perpetual darkness. A quick look at her unshaken husband and seeing a similar image in Damien and then landing on the reticent Aurora. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The older woman reached out and grabbed the assassin''s hands, pulling her to the sides. A few hushed whispers pervaded the chilly coast while Mina imparted a few thoughts unto Aurora. "..." Within moments, the latter''s eyes brightened with clarity and a thin smile. She snuck a peak at the Sin Incarnate and then returned to a female swordsman. Damien was not all that interested in their gossip, instead, he crouched down to meet the tiny Mihawk''s eyes. "Hone yourself, Mihawk. It would be a terrible waste if your talent doesn''t shine brightly over these seas." The boy gave a thin smile. His small hands grasped at the much larger sword. . "This is a bit much to accept," Vlad sighed at the sight of the coast. He was talking about the giant Sea Kings that had appeared. Damien shrugged his thoughts aside. "Consider it an investment. This island''s wildlife isn''t nutritious enough for a growing boy. Let alone all the missing vitamins from the lack of sunlight." Of course, Damien, who considered himself a masterful talent manager, wanted the future Strongest Swordsman to reach the highest level. The pirate wished to bring Mihawk under his flag one day, or at least as a reliable ally. Granting a daily supply of highly nutritious Sea Kings sourced from the Calm Belt was a simple task. . Vlad eventually accepted it, while Mina also finished her chat with Aurora. "..." Damien blanked at the assassin who matched his eyes with newfound determination, almost as if having acquired some forbidden information. "Remain prudent, young man." The family of three hawk-eyed individuals waved at the departing ship. Mihawk just quietly watched, his sharp eyes following the vessel. A surge of desire to venture out came and went, surmounted by his thoughts to protect Yozora Island. бн The Sea Skimmer ran across the sea and toward the northwest. The weather was decent, bright even, especially in comparison to the eternal night of the island they had just left. "You seem contemplative, Aurora," Damien said to the girl to his side. The assassin thinly smiled and shook her head, "It''s nothing! Mina-san just gave me some advice on somethingбн" Damien rolled his eyes. "Right, whatever. Either way, you''re a pirate now, you don''t need anyone''s permission to do what you want. Well, apart from your Captain." Aurora nodded thoughtfully. She then remembered the piece of paper that christened her as a pirate. "A pirate... I never thought I would have such a high bounty," Aurora whispered under her breath, "it''s a little exciting." "Rahaha! That''s the spirit!" She then turned to the male pirate, and asked, "Thenбн is there anything I can do to help you?" Damien hummed while relaxing into the leather seat. A light pause followed by a vague answer: "There is something that suits your particular talentsбн I''ll tell you about it soon." ---------------------------------------------- [Mortem Island] A freezing chill was currently wrapped around a small part of the island while a scruffy boy lay slumped upside down against a tree, a bored look stitched to his face. "It''s not fair at all, how can Big Bro Damien up and leave to go save a damsel in distress while I have to go through this tortuous training?" He tossed aside a thick book, sending out a resounding thud. "What kind of a monster came up with this calculus stuff anyway?" Every yawn and tired breath the boy wheezed out came with a puff of cold air. The white vapour made it look as if he was smoking. "Kuzan-kun, come eat lunch!" The boy was still upside down, tilting his head in the direction of Toki''s voice. Though all of a sudden, he felt the ground shudder, tremble, even. Kuzan looked around and saw the energetic vegetation, even the blades of grass seemed exceptionally vigorous. "He''s back!" бн *Whizz!* The ice-boy flew through the island with the grace of his intangibility, a trail of chilled air followed as he made his way to the docks. When he got there, he saw two people stepping off a tiny vessel. "Big Bro Damienбн and another nee-chan with big bazongas!" The boy seemed quite excited as he recalled the news stories. He waved from the high ground, trying to get Damien''s attention. "Yo Kuzan, you look spirited as always." The boy audibly scoffed, choosing not to reply. He then stared at Damien, the headlines flashing through his mind. "What is it, kid?" "Big Bro Damien, I heard you disarmed Vice Admiral Zephyr, that''s a cool headline right there!" He then gave a toothy grin, "I see you found some nice treasure too." He poked Damien with his elbow while gesturing to the girl beside him. Said pirate rolled his eyes in reply, mercifully sparing the boy off from his beloved bash on the dome. . The lad turned to Aurora and gave his version of an introduction: "My name is Kuzan. I like to sleep. I also enjoy lying down on a comfy bed with my eyes closed; however, closing my eyes and drifting off to the beyond is just as fun." He then unwrapped a newspaper. "Then, Lady Princess, is it true you have a Logia ability too?" he asked, peaking from the side of the inked paper. The young woman in question was a little caught off-guard by the odd yet energetic self-introduction. "Well, you can call me Aurora. And yes, I am a Logia user of the Aether-Aether Fruit." She offered out her hand as a demonstration. Kuzan watched with great focus as he saw the hand turn into an aetherial cloud of deep purple colour. "Cool! It''s so mystical!" Aurora could not help but smile at his bright response. After being stuck in the slaving road of vengeance and dwelling in the Underworld, she had forgotten such innocence still existed. . Damien was pleased with their interaction, though his eyes eventually turned to the girl who had arrived from the island. "Toki, you''re here too." However, he did not get the reply as expected. Aurora narrowed her eyes at the green-haired girl who had arrived, leaving Toki somewhat uncomfortable. Kuzan backed up as he felt the tension pervade the atmosphere, retreating to Damien. "What''s wrong with them?" he fearfully asked. The Sin Incarnate did not have a chance to answer as he was hit with some sharp questions. "Damien-san, I didn''t know you were bringing guests." "Damien, who is this girl?" Toki''s gaze was more confused, whereas Aurora''s was laced with a degree of speculation, culminating in palpable tension. "..." Kuzan, who had for the first time felt this sensation could not help but retreat further and cried out, "Girls can be scary!" бн [Later] "Aurora-san, that is so tragic," Toki said with sympathy dripping from her eyes. She sat next to the assassin who also seemed oddly close. "Thank you, Toki," Aurora sincerely replied, "though your story is worse than mine, lost in time for centuries with no place to call home." Damien, who sat a little further away, was confused. Somehow the two girls had become the best of friends after the hearty lunch. Something about both of them being princesses thrown off from their treasured lives by a tragedy and forced into a life of grave difficulty. . "Well, since we''re all acquainted, I think it''s about time to talk about the future," Damien stated. His crimson pupils reflected the fiery nature of the coming months, settling a more solemn atmosphere. The words drew the others'' attention as they looked toward him attentively. Damien went on to say, "First, in a few days, Toki and I will sail to the Land of Wano through the Calm Belt." He then turned his head to meet the boy. "Kuzan, your task is to remain here and focus on your training and studies." Damien ignored the ice boy who frantically fell to the ground and continued. "Aurora, your task won''t be simple." The girl did not seem phased: "I''ll do it," she firmly responded. Damien nodded and outlined what he had in mind. "This hellish era has only just begun and it''s beyond anyone''s grasp." "Unlike most rash and reckless pirates, I actually want to be the one steering the ship," Damien boldly declared. "There is one existence in the Grand Line that can affect the turbulent tidesбн whilst being inconspicuous from a distance." The air of mystery in the pirate''s words drew the curiosity of the three others present. "A force that you are familiar with," Damien said, glancing at the purple-haired girl. Aurora narrowed her eyes, connecting the dots: "You want the Underworld." Damien smiled in response. "That''s right, the one string that weaves its way through not just the endless sea of pirates but even the World Government and the Navy is the Underworld and its shady Emperors!" "Considering my name and connection to Rocks, the Government would never allow me to gain a foothold in the shady waters of the Underworld." He gestured to the girl. "That''s where you come in." . The assassin paused momentarily, taking in the gravity of the objective. "The Underworld is a vast network of crime and dark business. Where should I begin?" she asked, lacking hesitation. "Black Fish Barro, the man who reached out to you in the past," Damien replied. "For now, I want you to go and scout his little underground stronghold at Unso Island; familiarize yourself with his territory and empire." Aurora nodded, recalling the figure of the Underworld Emperor. It was the same man who attempted to forge her into his weapon by tapping into her despair; putting a price on her sole purpose of existence to become the Terror of Sabaody, that is, until Damien came. She nodded in understanding, her eyes showcasing the determination to not fail at her first task. Damien clapped his hands as a declaration. "Alright then, that''s it for now!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 58: Underworld Gambit [Three Days Later] [Angelic Sea, The New World] "Jihahaha!" a boisterous laugh enveloped the sea. Shiki roared as he brought down his two famed swords upon the breathtaking woman flying in the air, floating on clouds of light. They were right above some ruined lands within the Angelic Sea. She embodied an enigmatic blend of elegance and intimidation. Adorned with a sculpted crown, Her eyes, a fierce and radiant red, pierce through the gloom, hinting at a formidable will and the potential for fierce retribution. She wore armour over her chest that matched the intricate design of her crown. The woman was stunning with her golden hair and complete heterochromia of red and hazel eyes. "I heard whispers labelling the ''Fallen Angel'' Herja as the most beautiful woman in the world. Say, why don''t you become my woman, it''ll be a waste to kill you!" [Herja Image (in Discord)] The woman was not amused, not even showing an ounce of fear under the eyes of the infamous pirate. "I prefer girls over vile men like you," Herja responded, floating a few meters further up and looking down on the enemy. At the drop of her words came a burst of light, bathing her in a veil of divinity. "It is you who will die, Golden Lion!" The powerful woman unleashed a wave of attack using compressed light to shoot out in a cannon with enough energy to melt the ground to the very core of the earth! . "Heaven''s Fall!" . Shiki saw the bright beam of light that spanned over twenty meters and could only respond with his jolly laughter. "Jihahaha! At first glance, you look like a Mythical Zoan but I know just how special your ability is!" In response, the man seemed to weave his hands in the air. It was quite odd, almost as if he was trying to paint in the air with his bare fingers. And yet the motion of his hands led to a strong rumble. "Woah!" "Abandon ship!" "T-The ground is alive!" The tens of ships below went into a panic as the very ground below shook from the advent of large protruding mountains. The jagged rocks seemed to have woken up to life as they moulded together and wrapped into the figure of a giant lion! . "Lion''s Threat: Earth Bind!" . [Attack Image (in Discord)] The mountain-turned-beast bellowed out a bone-rattling roar as it rushed forth to meet the female pirate''s attack. BOOOM! The collision gave birth to a bright light that was enough to turn the mellow dawn into a full-fledged supernova! The tsunamis unleashed left the Valkyrie Pirates in chaos while the Rocks Pirates simply laughed and waited to see where they were swept to. . Such events were naturally visible and feelable from tens of kilometers away, particularly on a giant cake ship. "Damn Shiki, he has no tact of a Great Pirate!" the towering and voluptuous woman complained. Charlotte Linlin was currently holding onto a sword with a human face etched onto it in one hand, and a cake in the other. Every swing was accompanied by a bite! However, the recent rumbling left her off balance, losing her grip on her cake. "I''ll take my anger out on you trash!" Her fury was channelled into the sword that seemed to laugh merrily, growing and growing into a long sword. The blade was soon covered in white flames that danced in the chaotic winds. Linlin slowly walked forward, a dark cloud following her footsteps, allowing her to essentially walk from the ship and over the air. *Crackle* The ghost flames danced in ominous echoes, overshadowing the bright skies with their unsettling nature. The elongated weapon was raised over its wielder''s shoulder and directed toward the fleet before herself. Said fleet was also caught in the giant tsunamis that left them in disarray, leaving an opening for the crazed woman. Their flags waved loudly as the winds did not settle down, if anything, it seemed the cloth was ready to rip. Naturally, the emblem on the flag was not that of a pirate, but rather, of the Navy! Twenty warships at that. "..." A man at the very back of a colossal warship watched with sharp eyes and unshaken eyes. His tall body spanned a long shadow, though even with his charisma that seemed to keep his subordinates in check, he did not act in person. The marine simply watched from afar. One with keen vision may be able to see that the top soldier draped in the pristine coat was covered with a thin coat of energy that pulsed out rhythmically. The man raised his head to zoom into the woman, eyes that of an eagle. "Send word to all warships, prepare to immediately sail to the side! She''s vexed." "Roger that, Admiral Kurowashi!" The orders were sent posthaste to every ship that went full speed to the side concerning their location. This allowed the warship formation to fork into two streams. However, the ones in the deep center did not have much of a chance to survive for what was to come. . "Ikkoku Sovereignty!" Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. . The longsword slashed down with great speed, unleashing a huge stream of destruction mixed in with powerful Haki and soul power. It summoned howling winds that were loud enough to pop the average person''s eardrums! The horizontal tornado raged on to envelop entire warships caught in its path, picking them up from their position! They were no ordinary marine ships, but instead, battleships that were the size of Ancient Giants! Yet their incredible mass was easily excavated by the attack, annihilating everyone on board three of the twenty ships! However, such a catastrophic display of killing around 3,000 marines left the attacker annoyed. "Cheh, damn Kurowashi, he responds fast!" Linlin grunted. She had to jump back down to replenish some soul, after all, the war had been going on for months now. . "Go and rip them to shreds!" she roared out. In response came a huge pop loud enough to wake up a deaf man from his sleep. The torn and weathered ships came in broken formations, desperately clawing onto the wind as they sailed onward. Each ship has similar characteristics: cut-up sails, bloody wood, corpses scattered on deck, and a sole word waving above them: " R O C K S." The menacing letters were enough to make a battle-hardened veteran shiver in fright, and yet there were dozens of said ships! The remaining pirates that were able to survive thus far were all that many, barely a thousand, and yet they were ready to rumble. ---------------------------------------------- [Meanwhile, in the Grand Line] Aurora had left Mortem Island. Suffice to say, the girl was very resolute in the mission. Her steel will came with a deep desire to show her worth to Damien, in every way possible. Before her departure, the assassin had left a pattern imprinted near the core of Mortem Island. It was a meter wide with an intrinsic design. Even Damien was curious what the mark meant, though Aurora simply said it was a surprise. бн [Unso Island] It was night. Darks floated in the sky, hiding the moon in their wake. "Do we leave the ship like this?" a merchant asked with some hesitation. The man had arrived with a small ship carrying some inconspicuous boxes that, considering the island, probably held illegal goods. "Galululu! Calm down, papi, this is Barro''s main base!" his right-hand man exclaimed. "Do you think the ''King of Shipping'' will raid our goods?" The lead merchant slowly shook his head. "I suppose, if you put it like that, it should be fine." The group of merchants soon left with the crates of goods off to a shady alley, probably to make some ill-bred deals. Yet they were ignorant to the fact that they had introduced an uninvited guest to Unso Island. . Aurora, who had made it to Barro''s lair, was quite comfortable. The deep and dark land was familiar, a place she visited before. Gloomy and void of anything human. Reeking of filth and sin. She soon flew through the shady streets in her Night Realm, ignoring all the no-good trades going on. She had long familiarized herself with the evil of the world. Just below the area she ran past was a child trafficking ring. The people present to buy slaves, looking for gold in a land of bronze, worked for many factions. Some pirate rulers, nearby kingdom Royals, and even Cipher Pol were present! Aurora kept going, many deals like that of drugs, rare goods, human slaves, and rare species, were taking place in every corner of the filthy island. One such large establishment allowed one to make out the name of the market: "Mountain Hag''s Orphan Dealership." Perhaps it had some glory back down, however, it seemed abandoned now; the wounds of time distinctly noticeable. бн Deeper into the territory was a giant bowl-shaped enclave. It was dug into a mountain with an interesting build. The name read: "Suisин", meaning ''Fish Tank.'' Naturally, the Emperor Barro''s domain. [Unso Island Image (in Discord)] Aurora arrived within ten or so minutes of reaching the island, making her way into the giant fish tank building. Though a second before entering past the guards, she halted. Her eyes widened as she felt the waves of unsettling energy emitted from the structure. "!!!" Aurora''s instincts drew her to the metal frame surrounding the entrances, alongside the windows and any other way into the Fish Tank. "Seastone!" She breathed a sigh as the energy left her uncomfortable; taking any further steps would kick her out of the Night Realm and throw her into reality. . "Plan B, then," she muttered to herself. The girl picked up a hand-sized rock from the ground and tossed it to the far side, attracting their attention. "I''ll check it out," a sole guard announced. He cautiously walked over to the corner outside of the others'' vision and peeked in, his gun ready to fire. "..." The guard saw the broken stone but nothing else. He sighed and turned around, and then everything suddenly went dark. *Thud* A body fell to the ground as a fist had knocked him out cold. A masked assassin stood above and summoned a stream of aetherial energy. *Vroooo~* The ominous breeze echoed from the advent of the purple powers as they dropped another corpse on the scene. It was the body of a man with a gun in hand. The fresh corpse was also a man of shady origin. He had an emblem on his chest, one belonging to another Underworld Emperor! Aurora then picked up the guard''s gun and fired. Bang! Bang! Both corpses shook as one''s heart and the other''s heart was pierced by the bullet. Thwack! Aurora threw the gun back onto the guard and disappeared into the shadows once again. Her noisy actions drew the immediate attention of a horde of guards. бн In a dimly lit room were two large couches facing one another. On the couch on the right sat four people. One man was surrounded by three beautiful girls, his arms around their shoulders. The girls would frequently laugh in unison, drawing circles on the man''s chest every here and there. Surrounding the couch were another thirty or so men, some smoking, some drinking, all casually waiting. *Boom!* The fancy wooden doors flung open. "Lord Barro!" a man frantically called out. "The invader was a spy who had the emblem belonging to the Du Feld Conglomerate!" The words aroused irritation from the Black Fish who began to violently grab the girls. He was a middle-aged man. Wearing an orange shirt with a green coat draped over his shoulders, and sporting a gray fedora etched with a rose. [Barro image (in Discord)] . "Du Feld!? That brat who stole his daddy''s fortune and took over the title of the ''Loan Shark King''? Hmph! He has balls, I''ll give him that!" Barro roared out. "Should we do anything in response?" the man who had just reported the news, questioned. The words turned the Black Fish''s face hesitant. He loosened the grip on the struggling girls, slowly taking off his fedora. "Send a message to Du Feld and ask for a proper answer! Let them know we ain''t to be messed with!" The words were quite weak in the eyes of the surrounding men, arousing some negative emotions. "S-Should we not respond with more ire? Du Feld is only a budding ene-" "Enough!" Barro angrily exclaimed. "Do as I said!" "Y-Yes!" The man scurried away, leaving behind an irate Barro. The exchange was seen with an array of perspectives, all of them boiling down to contempt. What the Underworld Emperor did not notice was that his right-hand man, Ebi, who had built this empire with him, was staring at Barro with great disapproval. Ebi was Barro''s top man. The two drank the blood of the previous Shipping King to become sworn brothers. ''Isn''t it a stupid mistake to have such an obvious identifier on you when spying on your rivals... Barro, you really are pathetic now!'' the man cursed. The charisma of his superior had waned, leaving Ebi indignant and resentful. бн Meanwhile, in a dark room of the Fish Bowl. "Puru," "Puru," "Puru." The snail soon took on the appearance of a familiar face to the girl. Even its base was donned on a black coat, while above one eye was a thin scar. Aurora took off her mask to meet the snail''s eyes, fully knowing the person on the other end couldn''t see her. "Katcha~!" "Yo," the voice responded. Aurora took a breath of air and spoke up, "Damien, I finished a quick scout of Barro. He''s falling apart, nothing like the rumours he tries so hard to maintain." "I heard the whispers of his people; Barro''s businesses are slowly corroding away. The connections through his contacts are weakening by the day and his men are losing faith in him." The snail slowly nodded, "I see, good work. It''ll make things easier with a weak enemy." Aurora, at this point, simply waited, though the next words caught her off-guard. "Alright, that was the easy part of your missionбн" The snail reflected the smirk of the notorious pirate as he casually said: "Your true task is to take over Barro''s Empire." "..." The flat words rang in Aurora''s head as she blinked in confusion. "Take over?" The red eyes conveyed through the snail narrowed in focus, almost as if drilling into the purple-haired girl. "That''s right. You''ve been zealously trying to prove yourself, no? Very well, this is your chance." The voice did not wait for a response and continued. "I don''t need a machine to deal out my bidding. What I need is someone to hold the Underworld by their throat," the snail solemnly uttered. "Even the air those rats breathe will be granted through my grace." Aurora''s eyes widened as she heard the bold words. "Barro is weak and surrounded by vermin, though there is a link you can exploit, no?" The assassin seemed surprised, "You already knew?" The transponder snail conveyed Damien''s shrugging gesture. "Of course, I had already done a preliminary scout on every Underworld Emperor months ago. You think I sent you across Paradise just to sneak in and come back with information?" The question remained unanswered as the snail did not stop. "I sent you so you can understand that what I need on my side are powerful and reliable companions who can think for themselves in any situation, no matter how dire." "Barro''s Empire is your starting point." The snail''s face warped into a smirk, "Be bold Aurora, these chaotic times will not wait for you!" "Katcha~!" And without any patience, the snail turned off and went back into hibernation, leaving the assassin alone under the darkness of the room. Her shaken body soon regained motion, her eyes sharpened as her mind went over every word she had just now heard. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 59: Fortune Favours the Bold [The Prawn''s Keep] A large room in the Fish Tank, home to Ebi the ''Red Prawn''. "Barro, that son of a bastard! He really lost his mind since that news came out!" he roared. The man was of a frail build. All the while boasting a bald head that reflected 94% of the light that hit it. Topped with plain features and nothing noteworthy apart from his bare dome. [Ebi image (in Discord)] The man sat on his large bed, holding his head in his hands. He felt things were breaking apart, shattering like glass. "He is quite pathetic now, isn''t he?" a voice echoed in the empty room. "..." Ebi''s breathing halted as blood rushed to his head in a matter of fight-or-flight. Slowly but surely, he raised his head with bated breaths. "W-Who''s there!?" He looked up and saw the familiar room, no one else was there. *Click!* The man pulled out a vintage revolver and held it up. "You know who you''re messing with? I''m the Red Prawn!" The voice seemed to ignore his pride and continued, "In all your years of loyalty to Barro, have you never once desired more power and control?" The man turned in the direction of the voice and aimed strongly. Once again, no one was present. "Damn itбн show yourself!" However, Ebi''s anger warped into fear as he saw his very own shadow warp and churn with unsettling noises. "!!!" There was no time to react as a gargantuan loud of force fell upon the man. "Ugh!" he cried out while being brought to his knees; almost prostrating under the gravity-like power. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* Slowly, Ebi heard soft steps ring out as a figure appeared in front of his kneeling posture. With great difficulty, the man raised his head, no, instead, it was as if the force allowed him to raise his head. What he saw was a woman. Her black attire wholly covered her body, not unveiling an ounce of skin outside of outlining her curves. The assassin''s head was draped with a black hood, and her face was hidden with a smooth black visor-like mask that was entirely reflective. [Image (in Discord)] . "W-Who are you?" The man was quite visibly intimidated; sweat dripped from his shaken face. For one, the weight imposed on him was beyond human; also never seen such a tall woman before. After all, he was a meager 6 feet in height, whereas the assassin was at least nine feet! (1.83 m vs >2.74 m) Ebi gulped in fear as he stared into the black mask, only seeing his frightened face in return. . "I came to make a deal," the same, somewhat distorted voice echoed out. "Help me take over Barro''s Empire; dedicate your loyalty to a new King of Shipping." Ebi tried to stabilize his breathing while thinking over the statement. "And if I don''t?" The assassin''s voice did not fluctuate, but came out as calm as before, "Then I''ll find someone more cooperative." *Creak* Though with her words came the extreme weight once more, this time twice as worse than before. "Augh!" The man cried out in pain as the very floor he was subjected to began to creak. Cracks spread across the nice room as dust fell from the ceiling. Such noise would naturally alert all others present, however, there was a fluid dark curtain encircling the room, disallowing all sound from escaping. . Blood dripped out from Ebi''s eyes and nose as he struggled to remain conscious. "Alright, alright! I''ll do it! I''ll do it!" *Vvoo!* The assassin did not stop and doubled her weight once more. Ebi could not even scream anymore as the vertical force was compressing his lungs and throat to the point where words simply could not come out. "бн" The hell continued for a few moments that seemed like an eternity for the wailing man. Finally, the invader halted the weight and allowed the Red Prawn to move. His deep and bated breaths now echoed throughout the room while the assassin simply stood in patience. "I want you to draft up the names of any of Barro''s loyalists; anyone who would disagree with his resignation," the assassin announced. Ebi did not even bother to interrupt nor disagree, his hand reached out to a piece of paper and began diligently writing. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The silent room now resounded with nothing more than the scratching of a pencil. Though to Ebi, he felt the emissary of death watching his every move. "H-Here!" He handed the piece of paper with desperation, some blood having dripped onto it. The assassin grabbed the paper, gave it a look and absently stated her thoughts, "That''s it? Seven people?" Ebi remained on his knees and explained, "Y-Yes! Barro fell apart ever since some crazy chick he tried to mess around with got connections with the Rocks Piratesбн" "He pushed away all his best men into terrible missions to test their loyaltyбн" Ebi gnashed his teeth as he leaked a few venomous words: "If the other Emperors knew just how weak our forces are then we would be long dead by now!" . The woman under the mask could not help but feel amused at the turn of events. However, in Ebi''s eyes, the assassin was waiting, almost as if deciding the fate of him and everyone else. "Call up everyone important to the meeting room, use whatever excuse you need," she ordered. The man crawled back a little, "R-Right now? Shouldn''t you at least plan things a little?" His voice was unsure and broken in tone as if fearing for his life per syllable uttered. "Be bold, these chaotic times will not wait for you to plan out every move," she responded. "Barro is just a big fish in a small barrel. Get it done." "Y-Yes!" бн [A While Later in the Briefing Room] Dozens of people gathered around. They shared a look of irritation. It had gotten late and many of them were pulled out from their ''nightly affairs'' with their partner(s) in bed. Some were in the middle of a drinking contest, while some were asleep. Barro strolled in with his cane and cigar in hand, sporting a scrunched-up face. "Who does he think he is!" the King of Shipping roared out and sat upon the seat at the head of the table. *Creak* The door opened once more, this time to welcome in the bald man himself, Ebi. "So you''ve finally come, Ebi. Since when did you think you could just demand for my presence like this!?" Barro questioned, his majesty returning for a bit. Ebi scoffed, after having his bones nearly turn to smush, Barro was not all that scary. . "Gentlemen," the bald man addressed the room, ignoring his superior. "I think it''s time we elect a new leader of our great Empire." The words aroused a huge pop from the audience who could not help but jump out from their seats. The atmosphere in the room turned tense, allowing a pin-drop silence to pervade. Barro was about to explode, but even with his timid nature, he still noticed something wrong. *Vrooo~* He looked around and felt the walls get darker and darker, almost as if a fluid wisp was slowly covering everything. The ominous hissing noises became more distinct, echoing in the ears of those within the chamber. "Ebi, w-what did you do!?" The Red Prawn did not respond, rather he waited patiently. *Shing!* Barro raised his cane, unsheathing a hidden sword. "Kill him!" Though before anyone could move, a powerful storm of forces was soon imposed on a few people present. Boom! "Augh!" "Ugh!" "Eugh!" Groans and grunts resounded in the large room as seven people fell to their knees in a mix of shame and confusion. Their eyeballs turned red and blood pooled into their pupils from the sheer weight. The remaining men subconsciously retreated up to the walls, yet the cool touch of the concrete barriers covered in the viscous substance sent chills down their backs. *Fuuu* A small blast of wind erupted as the purple energy began to manifest into a human figure, clothed entirely in black. Barro was unable to speak, though he did find the strength to raise his head and examine the intruder. *Pop* The chain of red splatters went off like a bang in their ears, dyeing the expensive carpet and furniture with a fresh coat of red. They all died, Barro''s loyal seven. The metallic smell of the liquid was palatable, dousing the room with a grim atmosphere. . The assassin then turned to the few men who were backing up as far as possible. She gestured at Ebi to speak and so he did, "Ahem! W-We are a proud democratic Underworld Empire! I now elect the sole candidate as our new Leader!" "..." After a brief moment of silence, the men, whether it was out of fear or duty, began clapping into boisterous applause. The rhythmic claps continued, almost as if hoping to calm the assassin down. "That''s enough," the woman commanded. And like a gunshot, everyone froze into a resounding silence. "Ebi, where''s Barro''s treasury?" The bald man answered immediately: "Barro keeps it in the far end of the Fish Tank, though after theбн incident, he changed all the locks." The assassin turned to the man still kissing the floor and waved her hand. Like a marionette, the Underworld Emperor was lifted into the air. His height was too little to even meet the woman''s eyes and was being forced to look up. "G-Go to hell!" Barro''s eyes widened as he felt incredible pressure concentrate on his frame. "Aughhh!" His head popped with veins as forces from every direction drilled into his cranium. The skull cracked as it threatened to explode his very brain, making the Emperor tap out quickly. "Five-two-zero-one-three-eight!" he yelled out with all his strength. Ebi nodded, rushing to open the vault. . Meanwhile, the newly-elected Leader turned to the men hugging the walls and spoke, "You''re only alive because you have the power to command all the other scum of Unso Island. Now you have a choice to submit." Every single one of them lived lavishly from the embezzlement, robbery and schemes. Therefore they cherished life even more. Tens of thuds went off as the men bent their knees, ducking their leads to the floor. "Good choice." *Pop* Barro''s head exploded into a crimson burst of blood, a few droplets landing on the men at the sidelines. The lifeless body of the Underworld Emperor fell to the ground, the gushing red seemed endless. . "B-Bossбн there''s 12 billion berries in the vault!" Ebi exclaimed, rushing back at great speed, holding a few trinkets in hand. The female assassin paused for a second, running through a few thoughts on how to proceed. "Take two billion and spread it through all the men; let them celebrate their new leader," she ordered, immediately calming the others. "Go and spread the word." They frantically nodded before scurrying out. . Ebi blinked and hesitantly asked, "C-Can you trust them?" "I can only trust their greed." She then looked at the crimson fruit in the bald man''s hand. Ebi saw her attention and presented the token. "T-This is the Ignite-Ignite Fruit," he explained. "It allows its user to ignite any surface of their choice by the snap of their finger; Barro found it before leaving the North Blue to move our operations to Paradise." The masked woman picked up the red tomato and tossed it up and down. The man then presented a small diary. "This is Barro''s Diary of Assets which documents everything, even things that he didn''t tell me about!" . The shrouded woman flipped through and it indeed was what she expected, a book of all of Barro''s biggest customers and deals. It outlined all his connections and their locations, alongside all the dirt Barro had on them for leverage. "Number one customer: the World Government," she muttered with an ironic tone. Ebi nervously chuckled and said no more. "Go and use your influence to calm everyone down; things will change a lot come tomorrow." "Y-Yes!" The man bolted off, leaving the assassin alone. She remained motionless. *Fuuuu* A soft hiss went off as the assassin removed her mask, bringing down her long silky hair, and unveiling a young, beautiful face. Aurora seated herself on the wide sofa and breathed out a heavy sigh. Her hands were slightly shaking, though her eyes were shining bright. "Things worked out wellбн" she softly comforted herself. A self-deprecating smile soon appeared on her young face as she thought over the turn of events. "Fortune favours the bold, Damien was right," she said out loud, "this way, I can help him." She then crouched down and tapped the floor. An odd yet symmetric design marked the ground, blooming like a flower. Meanwhile, Aurora felt a tug in her Night Realm, almost as if an anchor had been dropped down. [Inscription Image (in Discord)] She then walked out, leaving behind a warmly painted room of primal red. Her body floated over the splashes, making sure they did not sully her boots. The raven-black mask was donned once more, reflecting the unpredictable fate of the Underworld. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 60: New Heights I released chapters 59 and 60 together, make sure you didn''t miss the previous one.

[Mortem Island] A dark-haired young man was currently sitting on top of a tree stump. His regal attire floated in the breeze. Just being there had let the surrounding grass and nature blossom vigorously. Dead leaves turned vibrant, the grass grew greener than ever; quite the scene. "..." Damien had his eyes closed, fully focusing his mind on the inside. Not something like training his soul or whatever nonsense, instead, he was focussing on his very body. The muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, organs, organ systems, and even nerves. "I can feel their minute details but not even close to manipulating them, let alone the cells," he murmured. Out of boredom, he unloaded his conscience onto the tips of the hair on his head. *Fzzz* Like tentacles, each strand started to stand up and move, as if with its own brain. "Though my hair isn''t long enough for anything useful, not that I want to turn into a pervy sage." He then loosened the ability and pondered. Naturally, it was Life Return. Though before he could continue, his Observation flared, evident by the red flash of his eyes. . "Oh, so that''s what it does," he said while glancing at the purple flower pattern on the ground nearby. *Fwooo* A blast of air erupted as the inscription glowed with purple brilliance. It took but a second for a human silhouette to arise. Dressed in black, though without her reflective maskбкa wild Aurora appeared! "So that was your little surprise," Damien commented. The girl beamed a slight smile and responded, "I was able to develop a lot of new abilities after you trained me at Fishman Island. One of them is with these Aether Anchors that allow me to materialize myself wherever they are imprinted." "Unfortunately, even a drop of seawater can destroy them, but they can be very convenient." Damien hummed at the revelation, nodding at its usefulness. However, he then switched the topic and addressed the elephant in the room. "So, how was it?" Aurora lightly exhaled before giving a deep nod, her eyes firmer than ever before, something Damien picked up immediately. "Everything went well!" she said, her chipper inflection betraying the calm response. Damien grinned at her attempt to hide her excitement. "Don''t be embarrassed, it felt good, didn''t it? To make a bunch of scum dance to your words." The comment left the girl a little speechless. That''s their place," Damien said, standing up. "If you want to grasp them by their throats, you must use an iron fist. Otherwise, they will stab you in the back." The girl nodded with a serious expression, inputting the advice into her mind. "And as long as you satiate their greed, they will do as you say. If they get too greedy then make an example out of them." Aurora nodded once again, "I know, I won''t let you down." Damien was pleased with the turn of events, smiling in return. . "How should I deal with the spies?" Aurora then asked. During her preliminary scout of the island, she found many spies walking around. The big thing was that they did not even try to hide; Barro''s control was so weak that his own men didn''t execute the orders to remove said spies. "What do you think?" Damien questioned back. Aurora looked as if she was expecting such a response and aired her thoughts, "Kill the ones on the surface to let them know that Barro''s weak grasp has been eradicatedбн leave the more hidden ones alive." Damien raised an eyebrow at the second part, to which the girl elaborated. "If I purge them all then it will end up inviting more trouble in the form of attention of both pirates and the World Government." Damien nodded in agreement. "Just remember that all of your actions in the Underworld must remain under the veil of the night." Aurora smiled. "I know, the Government would never allow the Sin Incarnate''s evil claws to seep into the Underworld. Don''t worry, I''ll make sure they can''t trace it back to you." She then took out a Devil Fruit and handed it to Damien, all the while revealing the small book. The diary brought curiosity to the pirate''s face: "That is?" Aurora beamed a confident smile and replied, "This is my textbook! Since you want me to manage the Underworld, I''ll have to read up on every bit of Barro''s notes. He may have turned into a shell of his former self but these notes go back decades, even into his prime years." Damien hummed. He noticed that Aurora was quite excited by the sound of her tone, perhaps she had some aspirations in business before her life was turned upside down. "Then I''ll leave you to it." The girl leaked an honest smile before dissolving away into purple clouds and the anchor from before, leaving Damien alone. "Her powers are a bit broken," he murmured before shaking his head and bringing up some data. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Amethyst Aurora] [Age: 18 years, 7 months, 29 days] [Height: 9'' 3"] (2.81 m) [Status: Healthy] [Devil Fruit: Aether-Aether Fruit (Nigh-Advanced Mastery) б№] [Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars] [Skills: Shave] [Haki: Observation Haki (Intermediate Mastery) б№] [Strength: Pseudo Yonko Commander б№] (A/N: Her strength levelling back in Chapter 20 was brought down to the "New World Pirate" level.) The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< Naturally, everything had gone up since he last reviewed her statistics, over a year and a half now. Aurora''s strength was getting more noticeable. "But she''s still too reliant on her Logia abilities to awaken Armament Haki," he muttered. Damien had a feeling that Zephyr had woken her up from that faux reality of invincibility, reflected in her recent initiatives. "Sibyl, bring up my stats as well," he ordered. [Coming right upбн] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Einar D. Damien] [Age: 17 years, 10 months, 9 days] [Height: 11'' 3"] (3.43 m) [Status: Thriving] [Devil Fruit: Pulverize Pulverize Fruit (Advanced Mastery) б№] [Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars] [Seastone Resistance: 100.0% б№] [Notable Characteristics: Black Bones (III) б№] [Skills: Titanic Recovery, Titanic Vitality, Evolable Anatomy, Voice of All Things, Will of D., Rokushiki, Underwater Breathing, Life Return (Initial Mastery) б№, Deprivation] [Haki: Observation Haki (Advanced Mastery), Armament Haki (Nigh-Advanced Mastery) б№, Conqueror''s Haki (Intermediate Mastery)] [Strength: Bottom Tier Yonko б№] (The requirements to unlock {Underwater Maneuverability} have been reached.) >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< Such a row of data was not overly surprising to the young pirate; as expected, quite a lot of increasing arrows. Fruit mastery, physique, seastone resistance, and Armament Haki had all gone up. Ultimately reaching the level considered to be a ''Yonko'' of the future. "Unfortunately, it''s the weakest bound of a Yonko, the likes of Shiki, Linlin, Whitebeard, Rayleigh, Roger, and Rocks, all outclass me by miles," the pirate muttered, cupping his chin. However, the final little line left Damien quite intrigued. "Is that the bar to get that other skill?" [Yes, Damien. To begin with, the skills of {Underwater Breathing} and {Underwater Maneuverability} were only locked to prove your worth to the original System User. You have met both requirements so it''s all yours,} Sibyl explained. "Absorb it, then." *Krr* Damien felt his body tingle for a second, though perhaps that was just his excitement. All in all, it was rather anticlimactic. "Well, I guess there''s only one way to test it out." *Vvoosh!* He utilized his masterful Rokushiki and appeared at the edge of the chaotic island and without a wasted second, dived into it. A large burst of water went off as Damien''s towering body fell to sea. The pirate''s throat itched for a second as the gills made their appearance, enabling him to breathe. He felt comfortable with his current breathing and tried to swim... And beautifully enough, he was swimming! ''Rahaha! It''s been a while since I''ve been able to feel the grace of the sea!'' For the next hour, Damien soared through the seas, relearning his swimming techniques and simply feeling the freedom of the infinite water. It was truly exhilarating! ---------------------------------------------- [Marine Branch G-2, Grand Line] G-2. Home of the current Marine Science Unit. It was headed by a mad scientist that the Government found trying to destroy the world, so naturally, they recruited him and gave him resources to spit out something ground-breaking. "We have gotten the necessary measurements, Zephyr-kun," the head researcher said. He was naturally addressing the tall Vice Admiral who sat patiently on the table. "I''m grateful," the navy man replied. The researcher nodded and walked to a box of metal. With a click, It opened. Zephyr glanced at it from afar with a look of appreciation. "Such pure seastone, where did you get it?" he could not help but ask. "Kukuku! Government secrets, Zephyr-kun. I simply cannot tell you that Cipher Pol has been excavating a mine filled with sea prism at the bottom of the sea." "..." The Admiral Candidate had to pause but chose against bringing it up. The researcher also acted like it did not happen, carrying the box onto the metal table. A huge contraption armed with laser emitters and other complicated wirings was held directly above. A mould with an arm-sized depression was placed under the huge brick of seastone. "Do cover your eyes." The engine then roared as the machine did its thing. *Bzzzz* Loud drilling sounds went off as the laser began to slice apart the main size of the arm, leaving the finer details off for later. It then began to emit an immense amount of heat, enough to melt human skin. The heat was transferred to the arm-like piece of metal, turning it red-hot within tens of seconds. Water in the air evaporated at great speeds as a huge piece of diamond-tough metal was directly lowered onto the arm. The heat made the Seastone malleable and the tough metal lowered on top squeezed the molten ore into the arm-sized mould, filling it up as desired. It took but two minutes to finish, leaving behind the fiery arm that was still way too hot. The researcher then lowered the mould with the arm into a huge tub of water. *Sizzle* Sharp hisses went off as the heat began to dissipate, bringing the colour down to a shiny silver. Five men walked over, picked up the metal box and placed it before Zephyr with a loud thud. The sheer weight was enough to leave the burly men gasping for air. "It''s 100% pure seastone which is truly hard to acquire outside of Wano. I hope you don''t lose this one, Zephyr-kun." The Vice Admiral nodded, duly noting the Five Elders'' warnings through the scientist. He walked over and grabbed the arm with his left one, clawing at the metal. He picked it up with ease and held it on display. The clean shine of the pristine metal. The sleek design was exceptionally resemblant to a human arm, if covered with cloth and glove, it would be indistinguishable. In addition, every joint was wrapped with a golden metal to provide flexibility and range of motion. [Image of the Arm (in Discord)] . "It''s incredible." The researcher agreed, slowly taking the tiny wires at the shoulder end of the arm and connecting them to a receiver that was drilled into Zephyr''s stump before this moment. The Vice Admiral grunted in pain as the screws lodged in his bones began to pull with the weight of the arm, slowly clicking into place. A few drops of blood dribbled down the sleek limb, reflecting a crimson gleam. Zephyr started to extend, doing some simple motions, his mind learning the new limb. "You still need a few months of therapy to get used to it, don''t strain your bones too much," the scientist warned. Zephyr nodded, admiring the weapon that had become his arm. "My thanks to you, Tensai, I knew you could use your genius mind for good." "Once you''ve all healed up, you will truly become the bane of Devil Fruit, Kukuku!" the researcher could not help but smirk at the thought. The Vice Admiral concurred. The time was coming for him to prove himself to the top dogs once more, Black Arm Zephyr would return with a bang! ---------------------------------------------- [Marineford] "Herja was defeated and thrown to G-1 by Shiki, what a ruthless pirate." Kong leaned into his seat, pondering at the news. "It also seems that we underestimated Charlotte Linlin, she truly deserves her spot as a First-Class Threat." He massaged his temples as his tone turned sour, "Then there''s Rocks. For some reason, I feel more and more apprehensive since his sudden departure than I ever did when he was making a messбн" Kong had it tough; it would not be long till his hair was completely gray with all this chaos. He then answered a call and finally received some good news. "So Zephyr will soon be back in action, thank the seas." He then brought up a stack of bounties and outlined all the major threats. It was time to re-examine the threats of the New World once more. ---------------------------------------------- [Mortem Island] [The Very Next Morning] "Shiki has no patience," Damien muttered as he held onto the newspaper. It detailed every bit of the war, simply stating the facts. Shiki and Linlin took their Divisions to raid the Angelic Sea. The two wiped out the Angelic Sixteen Fodders with ease, inviting the wrath of Herja. Though it seemed her huge fleet of pirates took quite a while, nearly five months to wipe out due to the constant interruption of the Marines led by Kurowashi. The Admiral was committed to wasting away the pirate forces'' numbers. Alas, it ended yesterday, marking its existence in the history books to come. . "Such high numbers, it really makes people envy," Damien casually said as he looked at the two bounties. One with the menacing grin of Shiki, and one with Linlin''s voluptuous figure on full display, perhaps credit was due to the magical photographers of the seas. -----< WANTED >----- < CHARLOTTE?LINLIN > < ''Evil Spirit'' > < ?? 2,188,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > -----< WANTED >----- < SHIKI > < ''Golden Lion'' > < ?? 2,804,990,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ---------------------------- Though apart from the high reward, there was a little detail in the report Damien noticed. "Looks like those Directors still have a good sense," he said, "Limiting any negativity toward the World Government, bending enough to somewhat calm the Five Elders." "Though it''s a river ready to burst, I need to liberate the Agency soon." . At the same time, he saw a purple shadow materialize in front of him. "Damien," the figure called out. "You called for me?" "Yo," he greeted, looking at the girl dressed in all black. Aurora smiled at her captain. However, that joy soon plummeted at her next thought: "Are you leaving for Wano soon?" "That''s right, the Sea Kings are ready to escort us, it''s about time I go to the Land of Samurai," he answered. The girl nodded, though her mood was slightly dim. Damien then reached into his regal coat and pulled out a small pendant. He inched forward and casually moved aside her silky hair to put the accessory around her neck. Though his casual intentions left the one on the receiving end to freeze; Aurora''s face reddened up as she felt Damien''s breath hit her neck as the pendant was fully equipped. The girl was so enraptured by what took place that her mind seemed to ignore the seastone''s effects for a second. "бн" Soon enough, she fell to the ground, though enough time for Damien to grab her shoulders to stabilize her. "Thisбн" she weakly muttered. "It''ll help you build immunity to the metal. I want you to liberate your reliance on your Devil Fruit and master the Haki you have seen Zephyr and myself use," he lightly explained. The girl tried to hide her difficulty. "Armament Hakiбн" she murmured as she recalled her desperation against the Black Arm. Someone who essentially overwhelmed her powerful ability to the point of trying to kill herself to take him down. Ignoring her weakness, she slowly escaped Damien''s grasp and stood up, trying to show a look of determination. "I will have Barro''s Empire ready by the time you return!" she declared with a resolute voice, surmounting the weakening of the Seatstone. Damien was pleased with her determination as his crimson eyes fell upon the purple-haired assassin. "Very good, I look forward to the height you can reach by the time I return from Wano." To Be Continuedбн Chapter 61: The Land of Samurai [The Edge of the Island] "Ehh? Is it already time?" Kuzan''s childish voice grumbled. They were at the South End of Mortem Island, the sole location with decent and pleasant weather at most times. Kuzan watched as the Sea Skimmer was placed and the Sea Kings came and grabbed the long ropes at the boat''s head. He also saw some baboons running around, transporting supplies and food to the boat, preparing to depart any second. "Don''t worry, Kuzan. I''ll come by every here and there to keep you company," Aurora comforted the boy. He looked up and narrowed his eyes, "Something''s off with you Aurora-nee, you seem moreбн lively." The purple-haired girl paused for a second to think over his words, "You think so?" she asked him and herself. "Maybe I am," she said with a smile, glancing again at the soon-to-depart boat. . At that moment, a giant hand fell upon the ice boy''s head, turning to both sides and messing up his hair. "Don''t make trouble while I''m gone," Damien''s voice echoed in his ears. The boy jumped back, a scowl on his face: "Just watch, one day I''ll freeze you before you can even think to mess up my hair!" Damien chuckled at the bold words and left a few words to cheer Kuzan up: "If you impress me enough when I''m back, maybe I''ll let you in on some new techniques you can do with your Devil Fruit." The words were enough to bring him some spirit as he pumped his fists. . "He''s a bright and innocent child," Toki, who had arrived, commented. Damien hummed, though his face was not all that approving. "Bright and innocent suffer the most; he still sees the world through a peak hole." Toki was not as pessimistic, rather she softly said, "I''m sure it''ll all work out well." The pirate chose against replying and left for the boat, giving a single wave backwards, "I''ll see you later, Aurora." Toki walked beside him, "Aurora-san, stay safe." . The purple-haired girl gave a lively smile, treasuring the newfound bonds. She watched their boat skim away, off to the turbulent sea. Their destination: The Land of Wano! ---------------------------------------------- [Few Days Later] The duo had crossed into the New World via Fishman Island. Damien went in quickly and without alerting even the people of the island. He knew Cipher Pol were even more present at the entrances and exits of the main areas of the world. As of now, he preferred a quieter trip. . "Here I thought you would be excited to get closer to Wano, yet you seem so on edge," Damien commented at Toki''s ambivalent expression as they drifted through the Calm Belt. The green-haired girl looked up and gave her usual smile. "It''s just that I never thought my life-long wish could be fulfilled one day," she slowly answered. "It''s a little surreal." Damien hummed at her thoughts. "Last I recall, you wanted to cast away your chains, well it''s time to take the first step. Don''t worry, I''ll help you." Toki felt relieved by the words, feeling more comfortable with what was to come. She even leaked a small laugh, "Damien-san, you have a kind heart," she said with a bright smile. The pirate hailed as the Sin Incarnate returned a wry smile. "''Kind''? There are a few billion people out there who would disagree with that." However, the words didn''t affect Toki: "Well, they don''t know you like I do." "Is that how it is?" "Yes!" the girl exclaimed, feeling excited to finally go to her home. бн In a matter of a few days of straight travel through the Calm Belt and with the help of some rather fast Sea Kings, the Sea Skimmer reached its target. The gigantic Wano Waterfalls dwarfed the vessel in their magnificence. The sheer pressure created by the huge amount of water was enough to crush an ordinary ship into pieces all while drowning the area with its mind-rattling noise. Not only that, but the nearby weather was just as chaotic. Stormy skies and heavy rain made it their sole duty to remain perpetually here, marking a significant obstacle to all invaders. . Damien, who stood at the hull of the boat, was not threatened by the display but couldn''t help but mutter under his breath: "This thing better not fall apart from the water pressure." The ship he had forever borrowed was from a super rookie who had stolen it from some rather wealthy individuals and could be considered a reinforced vessel. {Bring us up.} The words seemed like any other utterances, and yet they carried a degree of authority that echoed through the turbulent sea. It took but a moment before the water exploded into a chain of splashes and five giant koi fish jumped up from below. Damien was pleased with their appearance, and how they then grabbed the three ropes that were bound to the boat. *Creak* The Sea Skimmer remained solid, though the point where the ropes were attached let out some dull sounds, other than that, it was alright. The koi soon jumped into the water and began climbing it! They zoomed through the fall and rushed on without any difficulty. бн "Wow, this is the soil of my home island!?" Toki said with starry eyes, grabbing a fistful of the mineral. "It''s just dirt," Damien deadpanned from the sides. Though the pirate''s appearance caused the vegetation to spark in life, however, there was not much there to begin with; a wasteland. "Such a barren place, it must be Kuri," Damien commented. It was South of the Flower Capital of Wano, a lawless land of corpses and criminals. [Wano Map Image (in Discord)] . The two made their way through the wasteland, eventually reaching a forested area. Damien leaked a smile as he felt the embrace of foreign nature around him. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. He felt the breath of so many unknown and exotic species of nature never seen before; a truly special feeling. Toki was also fascinated with the trees, though to any normal person, it was like a mermaid seeing a forest for the first time in their life. {Show me the way to the Capital,} Damien ordered them. Immediately, a path was cleared by the recession of grass and shrubs to the North. бн [Twenty Minutes Later] The smell of unpolluted air was quite refreshing, leaving Toki enraptured. "You seem quite impressed by a few trees." The girl was a little embarrassed and gave a small pout, "I''m just a little excited!" Though at that moment a roar went off. *Rumble* A giant crocodile rushed out from the cover of a mangrove, its giant maw the size of a ship. It charged on toward the two people who he thought were a free meal. "Oh look, Toki. Even the wildlife of this country is so welcoming that they offered us a ride." Damien''s words came in unison with a deafening boom as his palm dug into the beast''s head. "Raawr!" it cried out in pain, forced onto its belly as its limbs waved around frantically, losing the previous flair. "You did come here to offer us a ride, isn''t that so?" The alligator was leaking tears from its eyes, naturally, it could not help but incessantly nod, turning around in difficulty while offering its back. бн [An Hour Later] The party of two zoomed through the wasteland, nearing the border. "!!!" However, it was not going to continue as smoothly once Damien received a warning from the forest. *Fwooo* The air whistled as an arrow skimmed over and neared the pirate''s chest. *Ting* Unlike expected, the bladed edge simply exploded while the wooden body crumbled into bits upon contact with its victim. Meanwhile, Damien''s eyes flashed red in Observation, studying the next volley of attacks. Dozens aimed at the alligator, an equal amount at Toki, and a few hundred at Damien. Naturally, the girl had also perceived the threat, her body jumping into action. *Vooosh* *Vooosh* *Vooosh* A volley of hundred or so arrows soon hurled their way over to the party of three, mercilessly aimed at their hearts and heads. "Toki, it seems your fellow islanders have an interesting way to greet their guests," Damien casually commented. . "Obliteration Pulse." . A spherical burst of crimson energy soon rushed out from the pirate''s body, shredding and annihilating the coming projectiles without issue. The pulverizing energy was so masterfully used that it seemed to stop before hurting the alligator, the girl, or even the land beneath. . "Omega Beams." . *Szzzz* Two beams of destruction blasted out from the eyes of the man they deemed a sorcerer and began to dance around him. They whizzed through the air, leaving a trail of demolition at every bounce and ricochet they performed. The attackers could not even react before the two beams began to cut down their numbers by the dozens per second. "Augh!" "Ughh!" "Aoowww!" The beams went on mercilessly, leaving a trail of bodies and bits of flesh. Just like that, 70 or so men died before Damien purposefully reined back his attack. *Rumble* A loud and ground-shaking sound resounded in the now-quiet area as a giant shadow emerged from the trees. The figure was that of a man who wore an open kimono with flowers that left his chest exposed. The face belonged to a young teenager with long, pink hair, standing over fifteen feet tall (4.57 m)! His face brimmed with anger as he glared at Damien. "You! You slaughtered my men, I''m gonna kill you!" Damien eyed the brazen lad and questioned, "You''re the boss of these low-level thugs?" "I''m Ashura Doji, the Ruler of Kuri!" he proclaimed with great zeal and anger. [Image (in Discord)] . Damien did not respond to the boy''s obvious look of wanting to fight. *Shing* The noise originated from the girl at his side. One who was once quite indecisive, now looking at the threat with calm eyes. Her body was a little north of eight feet tall (2.44 m), yet Ashura was nearly twice her height! "You think some weak woman can take me down, don''t mess with me!" the samurai roared out, his blade drawn. "I didn''t expect my first interaction with a fellow Wano person to be like this," Toki said with a sigh, jumping down from the alligator. Yet her words drew even more anger from the towering enemy: "You look like one of those pampered trash from the capital, you have no right to judge us who live in hell!" The giant swordsman shot from his position, slashing at the girl without mercy with a blade that sliced through the air. Clang! The sound of metal hitting metal broke out as the two swords of vastly unequal sizes forced themselves onto each other. Toki narrowed her eyes as she felt the weight pressing through her blade and onto her. Boom! The two continued a brief exchange of powerful slashes, though it was obvious Ashura Doji''s wild attacks were superior. The blade began to press the girl down to the point where she had to rely on something else. Bang! Bam! Boom! Instead of blocking, Toki focused on parrying the attacks, using the giant samurai''s weight against him which proved to be effective to hold off the first assault. *Fwwm* Eventually, Ashura grew impatient and imbued his weapon with pristine Haki. *Clang!* The parry worked though it came at the cost of Toki''s body being shoved back dozens of meters. Her shoes dug into the soil below and her face was clouded with some difficulty. At this point, her katana glowed a vibrant green with the movement of her Devil Fruit. . "Time Enchantment." . Unlike before, Toki took offense. She used her lithe and slender figure to depart quick and carefully aimed attacks. Burst of green flashes glistened across the ruined grounds, filling the area with an ominous air. Ashura Doji blocked the attack with ease, yet his eyes could not help but widen in shock. His Haki had thrown aside the bright green energy which had dissolved into the earth below. *Hiss* The soil immediately corroded and dried up, going from its earthy brown colour to sizzling into a burst of particles and drying up into nothingness; aged to the point of nonexistence. "Sorcery!" Ashura exclaimed. He jumped back subconsciously as if his body told him to retreat momentarily. Toki took the chance and raised her sword vertically. "Time Bow." The sword was soon flooded with familiar energy as it formed the shape of a bow. The girl pulled back on the string as tens of equally-green arrows materialized. . "Nullity Rain." . The air howled under the unleashing of the volley of arrows. They swished through the air at great speeds, all aimed at the samurai. "!!!" Ashura''s instincts flared once more as he began to whizz through the air. "Dammit!" he groaned at the loss of control from the duel, being forced to retreat. He glanced back and saw tiny craters that continued to expand under the aging enchants from the girl''s powers. The fear he felt fuelled his anger and he channeled it all into his weapon. The young samurai''s eyes grew sharp as his sword began to tremble from the excess Haki. *Fwwm!* It flowed in and turned its colour into a raven-black gleam. It was enough to make even Damien impressed who watched from afar. "Take this!" Ashura swung his blade in a diagonal cut, unleashing a slash of red sword energy. It sliced its way through the air and onto the swordswoman. . Toki put her bow aside and instead raised her thin right palm. The familiar green energy appeared once more, swarming out to the very soil nearby. It was barely a second before the minerals began to vibrate and burst into a cacophony of sand-like particles. The grains of sand came together behind Toki and formed an ancient clock with Roman numerals! At the center of the clock was an astrological spectacle, a bright sun at the core with stars surrounding it. [Image (in Discord)] . "Clockworks: Aegis!" . The ancient clock responded to the words of its master as the two hands set to noon began to tick. At the same time, a stream of energy burst out from the clock''s center and collided with the coming slash. Boom! A shockwave burst out, sending tremors through the forested area. *Tick* *Tock* As the long hand of the clock spun around, the slash began to dry up and lose its power. The clock ticked on as the outcome became more and more obvious. The small hand barely passed "II" before the attack was rendered obsolete. The result left Ashura shocked once more; seeing his attack slowly corrode away brought a fix of anger and fright to his eyes, leaving him in a frozen state. . Toki felt proud at the display, looking at Damien with a smile. "Well, the defense is quite impressive, but you still lack in offense," Damien commented, staring at the giant clock. "That''s enough, let''s get going." He then glanced at the headstrong young samurai and thought to himself, ''As expected of Oden''s Nine Scabbards, their talent for Armament Haki is very high.'' . Toki jumped next to the pirate, meanwhile, Damien''s amusement was quickly lost as he gestured to his alligator carriage to resume the journey toward the Flower Capital. "You! How dare you ignore me!" Ashura roared out as he saw the enemies planning to leave, breaking out from his earlier shock. *Woosh!* The larger-than-life samurai slightly bent down, gathering momentum before hopping into the sky with his giant body. The blade was once again pulled, brimming with Haki and brought onto the departing pirate. Clang! Sounds of metal grazing one another resounded once more, though this time in a different fashion. "H-How...!" Ashura''s expression turned upside down as he saw Damien block his attack with his finger! Not only was the attack easily destroyed but the gargantuan samarui''s weight was held up in the sky with next to no effort. Even after channelling his all, Ashura Doji could not move an inch. The young samurai subconsciously took a deep breath as he felt the two crimson pupils lock onto himself, sending an instinctive chill down his back. "It seems you spent so much time sharpening your blade that it left your brain dull." A flash of black and red shone through the dreaded forests, followed by a sharp hiss of wind. *Thud* Ashura''s humongous body collapsed onto the ground covered in small craters and his eyes whitened out. Damien did not even glance at the brazen samurai as the two tourists continued their journey. . "Damien-san, shouldn''t you kill him?" came the bright girl''s words. The pirate glanced at Toki and asked with a hint of curiosity, "When did you turn so bloodthirsty?" She tapped her chin, seemingly confused, "My parents taught me that once a samurai draws their sword, they put their life on the line, so it''s only natural to give them a quick and painless death." The answer came alongside a radiant smile, displaying Toki''s pride in her knowledge of Wano''s traditions. Damien looked back at the disappearing figure of the knocked-out and self-proclaimed ruler of Kuri and shrugged. "Well, I suppose you''re right, but he isn''t worth killing." бн [A While Later] The two eventually made it to a cliff that overlooked a fantastic view of the Flower Capital. Vibrant colours; blossoming trees; mesmerizing scenery and an exuberant atmosphere. Toki''s eyes shined brighter than the sun, lost in the Capital''s grandeur. [Image of the Capital (in Discord)] "It''s beautiful," she murmured, "this is Wano, my home!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 62: Surname [Fooljack Peaks, Grand Line] A small and dim room, with high ceilings and carpeted floor, emanating a rather authoritative air. "What the hell are you fools up to!?" a man thundered out at the table of Directors. The room shook with fury; the deafening argument ensued; the tension was palpable. "The Government is the umbrella that houses us; how can you turn your backs on them!?" The words, however, fell on deaf ears. Chad Bizивrrиж saw the man about to blow his wig off and tried calming him down. "Ardemi, anger is not good for your age," he advised. Another of the calmer side added, "Bizивrrиж is right, perhaps we can talk this out like civilized men." The angered official grew even more furious: "Civilized!? The Government is readying to kill us off any second now, the calmness of you four is beyond me!" . Markus Goji, another of the Four Directors, could not help but click his tongue in disappointment, making his stance clear. Meanwhile, Ardemi crushed the paper in his hand, still finding it unbelievable as to what these four had become. "I don''t know what happened to you four, you must have fallen in some illusion!" he cried out. Newman Bradley nodded and opened his arms as if embracing the new him. "We were in an illusion, Ardemi," Bradley said in a dim tone. "An illusion of greed and selfishness; selling our very souls to fool the masses. Isn''t it better to do the right thing for once?" Vase Ah Linиж concurred with a deep nod, "I must say, each of us was once an aspiring reporter from Nижa Island, but we fell into the abyss of greed, only climbing our way out after so many yearsбн It really is invigorating to bring truth to the world!" . Ardemi was about to pull his hair out. ''How could four old foxes that did their utter best to get as much money to manipulate the news whenever possible, turn into such honest reporters!?'' he screamed to himself. Before he could continue, Goji blasted him with some cold water: "Today marks a new year and you begin it with such fury, I must say, your position as the Chief Executive Officer of the World News Agency ought to be reconsidered." *Bang!* Ardemi''s fist slammed onto the pristine wood that belonged to the wide table, sending cracks out. The man glared at the other four with bewilderment and roared, "You want to remove me from my position!?" "Indeed, perhaps a replacement is in order. I hear a young fiery reporter blazing his way through a plethora of news, what was his name again? Morgans?" Linиж mused. Bradley lowered his teacup with a smile and approvingly commented, "Such resolve, I must say, he reminds me of my youth." . Ardemi could not help but take a few steps back, his hands shaking from the thought of being fired. "You can''t do this to me. I started this companyбн You know how much I sacrificed!?" Yet his words were met with blank stares. "Oh, Ardemi. Please, don''t make this more difficult than it has to be," Bizивrrиж calmly stated. "We will announce it in the New Year''s paper tomorrow morning." The soon-to-be ex-CEO gritted his teeth as he saw the eyes of his superiors. Though technically they were of equal rank, a unanimous decision was beyond his authority. He could only growl in anger and waltz out of the room, leaving the Four Directors alone. . Goji scoffed at the man''s actions. "Such weak tolerance, and even worse character, to think such a man held the position of Chief Executive Officer for so long, how distasteful." Bradley cleared his throat to address the others once more. "It is truly wonderful that we were able to snap out of our greed and bring truth to our papers, the New Year marks the revival of our creed as reporters!" "Cheers!" The four clinked their teacups, gulping them down with bright smiles. Goji was joyful enough to utter some revolutionary words, "Perhaps, just maybe, it''s time we step out from the umbrella of the World Governmentбн" бн [Outside] "I can''t believe this, those Four old dogs are gonna get all of us killed!" Ardemi roared out. His thick boots dug into the insulated floors of the World New Agency HQ. The cold seeping in from the corners of the hallway was entirely extinguished by the seething fury of Ardemi. He then reached for a snail in his breast pocket. "Puru," "Puru," "Puru." "Katcha~!" "It''s me, Ardemi." The voice on the snail came right away: "Speak." The ex-official of the WNA nodded with subservience, "Commander, it failed. The Directors have ousted me, I don''t know how, but they seemed to have turned over a new leaf!" "..." The snail narrowed its eyes in deep thought. "That is indeed bad news. We of CP-10 cannot fail any longer. Lord Xerxes had made that much clear," the voice replied. "Ardemi, no, Agent Demi, return to base, we cannot act too loudly just yet due to the Reverie but that doesn''t mean we can''t do anythingбн" "Yes sir!" ---------------------------------------------- [Meanwhile, in the Underworld] The news of Black Fish Barro''s death had already made Underworld headlines. The channels under his control had become turbulent, with previous contracts threatening to cut ties with the King of Shipping''s entire industry. However, a new player entered the fold. Even the other Emperors were caught off-guard as they heard of the new so-called King of Shipping that had taken over Barro''s Empire with great haste. Tens of bodies of bold spies were hung off the docks of the island, fresh crimson blood dripping down their broken corpses. Such a loud display showcased the iron fist the new King ruled with and it made its point. Naturally, where there was such chaos, there was also Cipher Pol. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. . "Commander, should we try and take down this new King?" a masked agent asked. The words echoed in the dull room, reaching the ears of the other man present. He had a tribal mask on, donning a fully white attire. Standing nearly twelve feet tall with an imposing and mysterious figure. Unlike the failures of CP-10, this group was far more efficient, they were CP-0! "This new player''s actions are calculated to showcase an iron fist to announce their ascension as the newest Underworld Emperor," the man slowly uttered. "Barro was weak but his Empire was quite vast. If this new King can take over so fast, it shows their strength. For the time being, do everything in our power to weed out the identity of this Emperor." The head agent cupped his chin over his mask and murmured to himself. "She calls herself ''Fulcrum'', I wonder in which direction she will tilt the balance of the Underworldбн" He then echoed a recent piece of information, "A Grand Banquet to invite all the ill-named personnel of the Underworld, it''s ambitiousбн Perhaps it can be of use to the World Government." ---------------------------------------------- [Flower Capital, Wano] Toki was currently mesmerized by closening Capital, a deep-rooted connection budding in her heart. "Shall we enter?" a voice brought her out of her reverie. She beamed a big smile and nodded with an, "Umm!" бн Entering Wano, the bright sun bathed the area with its warmth while the pleasant breeze made one feel at home, the chirping birds adding music to the ear. The two made their way through the streets that were lined up with commercial stalls and markets. However, some people could not help but be drawn to the two ''guests''. Toki was able to fit right in with her short pink kimono, even Damien had thrown on a simple black yukata to seem inconspicuous, though it did not work for everyone. Some distant eyes had locked onto them, watching warily; Wano did not take kindly to foreigners. . Toki was too lost in absorbing the culture, going from stall to stall, breathing in her hometown''s air and purchasing a few items. The currency was not complicated. Naturally, Damien had borrowed all the cash from the bandits from earlier. Silver, gold and platinum are what they used. бн Time passed. The two visited many places. Damien was also interested in the traditions of Wano, after all in his previous life, he had seen a lot of Japan through anime, and it was interesting to see it through the lens of Wano. Dining on some meat stew, aka oden, drinking their custom sakиж and wasabi mix. The two sat together at a public table with an umbrella to provide shade. Although they sat at the side of the street, they ended up garnering some stares. ''If I remember correctly, Toki''s daughter from the original timeline, Hiyori, was the most beautiful woman in Wano so I suppose her mother would also earn worship,'' Damien thought, feeling the lost eyes of a large line of men locked onto the gree-haired girl beside him. What the pirate ignored was the effect of his own charm. Damien, who brought an exotic flair from the outside world with his distinct hair and pirate demeanour was also quite the look for single and married women alike. . "Tch, no one told me not to bring my wife to the Capital today, she''s entranced again!" a man in a blue yukata annoyingly snapped. "Last time it was that damn troublemaker, and this time it''s this man!" These words were uttered in quite a few gatherings as they tried to pry away their wives and daughters. *Clatter* Though soon a giant man arrived with some smaller personnel. "Boss-Hyo, that''s them," a man whispered. He spoke to the big man with flaming blue hair and goatee. He was bare-chested, fully displaying his blue tattoos with pink petals on his shoulders; quite the appearance. [His Image (in Discord)] . The man who was esteemed by the people made his way over to the duo. His giant frame cast a wide shadow that enveloped them. "Greetings, strangers," he calmly said, examining the two foreigners through his yellow sunglasses. Damien looked up while taking a bit from a piece of chicken. He gulped it down, bone and all. Amused by the attention granted to him. "We appreciate your welcome," he said, standing up. Toki wiped her mouth with a napkin, gently placing it onto her empty plate and stood up as well. . The giant man narrowed his eyes and introduced himself, "My name is Hyogoro, are you two perhaps from beyond our land?" His words put everyone nearby on guard. Shing! Damien felt the tense atmosphere, alongside the unsheathing of tens of weapons, namely katanas. "We are guests." Hyogoro squinted his eyes at the young intruder, unsure of the situation. After all, such a calm disposition was either indicative of a fool or someone confident in their ability. "..." Toki stayed quiet, choosing not to interject. The silence left the air sharp and budding with danger. . Damien directed his hand toward Toki and spoke up, "My companion hails from Wano, we are here for a visit." "Wano is a closed country," Hyogoro answered with a heavy voice. "Leaving and entering the country is a dire crime." Toki bowed her head in the tradition of a greeting. "Please don''t be at odds, Hyogoro-san. My name is Amatsuki Toki, my parents told me they once belonged here." "!!!" The statement brought quite a reaction from the people. The name-drop was enough to bring them back to some deep history of Wano. Hyogoro became even more wary as he loudly questioned, "Amatsuki!? They were wiped out nearly four decades ago by the heinous Kurozumi Clan! Wano is indebted to them; how dare you try to use their name!" *Shing!* He then unsheathed his sword and slashed down without waiting. The blade was sharp and aimed at her throat, slicing through the air with a powerful buzz. *Clang!* *Vvooo!* Strong winds erupted from the sudden collision and sent the nearby spectators flying as they retreated to cover. Hyogoro''s men were also forced back dozens of meters, their sandals digging into the ground, leaving a trail. One man was able to wince through the chaos and the result left him shocked. "He blocked Boss-Hyo''s sword with one hand!" The others also gawked in astonishment. "Hmm!?" Hyogoro''s blazing eyebrows shook as he felt his blade immobile, he could not help but jump back five meters. Another impasse arrived, leaving the swordsman glaring at Damien''s unhurt hand. "Perhaps you want to talk things out a little, Mr. Yakuza Boss," Damien calmly uttered, his crimson eyes locking onto the much larger opponent. He did not mind fighting, but beating up a man as respected as Hoygoro would end his goal of attaining Ryuo without complications. "..." Hyogoro hesitated, then wrapped his blade with powerful Haki. "I drew my sword, we can talk after you force me to sheath it." *Woosh!* He then jumped ahead, bringing the weapon down with much more force than before, sending out howling winds. *Fwwm* Damien''s left palm was clad in thick Haki as he met the blade. Boom! A far more powerful blast of air shot out in all directions, ripping the houses and buildings from their fasteners and taken to the sky. The very ground trembled as the samurai nearby tried their best to hold their balance. "There''s no way Boss-Hyo would lose!" they exclaimed. Bam! Another explosion went off as the Yakuza Boss'' attack failed and forced him to retreat. "Damien-sanбн," Toki muttered with some hesitation and self-blame. "Never mind that, looks like I have to be a pirate and take what I want!" This time, Damien took the initiative, rushing ahead with little care for defense. He spun in the air, directing a roundhouse kick onto the enemy. The black sword met Damien''s shin and vibrated incessantly. "What monstrous power!" Hyogoro cried out as he was pushed back. "Die, intruder!" "We Samurai don''t fear you, we''ll cut you down together!" Tens of yakuza members and even random people came in between the two, pointing their swords at Damien. *Fwwm* Haki shone brightly as quite a few of them exercised impressive Armament Haki. "Don''t get in my way." Damien''s words came with a repulsive explosion of powerful and overwhelming weight. It befell the men as their very brains felt like exploding, completely overturning their consciences. White foam bubbled out from their mouths as their bodies fell one by one, thudding onto the earth below. The fifty or so men all fell unconscious. . Hyogoro winced in shock, returning to his feet. A sense of heaviness pervaded his mind as he gazed back at Damien as he heard the enemy''s next words. "Since you Samurai drew your swords first, I can kill you without any fault to myself, right?" The Yakuza Boss could not help but glance at the destruction caused by the casual attacks of the intruder. ''Such a powerful man wouldn''t lieбн'' he thought to himself. Hyogoro then stared at the quiet Toki. "Perhaps I was too hasty," he slowly said, stabilizing his heart. "I will put my all into the next attack, spare the others with my life!" . "One-Sword Style of the Flower: Flaming Hair of Holy Rage!" . [A/N: That''s a canon attack; I didn''t come up with the name.] Hyogoro shot out from his position, his blade once again swimming with Haki. *Purrup* However, what was surprising was that the sword was wrapped in a purple bubble. The gently-flowing Haki began to gather and cover the weapon. Damien smirked at the usage of Advanced Armament Haki, excited to meet the attack. "Excellent Haki!" The pirate also rocketed out, this time his hand boiling with pulverizing red energy. The very advent of the crimson energy brought on a grizzly noise that came from the shredding of air. . "Fury Road!" . The fist caught fire that only furthered the intimidating attack and blasted through the air unto the coming sword. Clang! However, out of nowhere, the two met another obstacle. "!!!" Damien''s eyes widened as he felt a sword meet his fist halting it in mid-air. Hyogoro also froze as his blade was stopped by someone, bringing their soon-to-occur collision to a sudden stop. . The pirate glanced at the old man who had arrived, standing barely four feet tall (1.22 m). He had an aged face, probably in his eighties. Hyogoro seemed quite surprised, "Master!" "Hyo-brat, how many times have I told you not to be so hard-headed," the old man scolded with a sharp voice. He then turned to Damien, "Young lad, I apologize for my student." The Sin Incarnate did not answer, simply watching as the old man walked in Toki''s direction. "Young lady, may I see your katana," he softly asked. Toki paused for a moment before nodding and removing the blade at her waist. . The short old man traced his wrinkly finger over the crescent moon symbol adorned over the scabbard with a lost look. "This crest does indeed belong to the Amatsuki Clan." The aged eyes fell onto the green-haired girl once again, "I didn''t expect a descendant to still be alive to this dayбн" Hyorgoro and his aides, and even the people of Wano remained quiet, letting the old man continue. He looked up under the shadow of his long, white eyebrows and directed his words to the two, "Guests from the outside seas, would you please follow me? The Shogun would surely like to meet you both." To Be Continuedбн Chapter 63: The Flower Capital Damien was amused by the events that had unfolded. Going from the evil intruder to the guest of the Shogun was not the script he imagined. The old man guided them over to the Shogun''s manor, drawing eyes as they went. Along the way, the short senior made some small talk, "Young man, I must say, your strength is quite incredible, that wasn''t even a hint of your true power, right?" Damien eyed the small geezer, "Rahaha, and you''re one tough old man with that Ryuo." The words drew a dry laugh, "My name is Shimotsuki Raizen, I''m just an old man soon to die. But I''m glad to see that such incredible people exist outside our island; truly wonderful." The man seemed lost in his age, senile even. Meanwhile, Damien seemed a little annoyed by a passing thought, "You know, I spent two entire minutes of my life choosing this yukata to fit in and yet you and that Hyogoro found me out immediately." Raizen chuckled, "Your demeanour, your eyes, your confidence; it screams of a stranger, perhaps you meeting a lost Amatsuki descendant was truly fateful." бн [Shogan''s Manor] It was large yet simple in appearance. Wooden tatami floor with simple paintings hung on the walls, a mix of landscape art and traditional drawings. At the center sat a man on a fluffy pillow. He had dark hair and a small beard growing out of his chin which split into three prongs and a long, thin mustache which pointed upward on each side. "Greetings, I am Kozuki Sukiyaki, I hope our Flower Capital is to your liking," he said in a stoic voice. [Sukiyaki Image (in Discord)] Damien nodded while Toki bowed her head, "It''s nice to meet you, Sukiyaki-san." At the same time, the pirate felt some prying eyes from all directionsиCready to strike at any moment. The air itself was sharper than a sword. ''Ninja?'' Damien thought as he sat down before the Shogun. "May I have your names?" Sukiyaki asked. "Einar D. Damien." "Ahem, I''m Amatsuki Toki." She was sitting quite upright, emanating a noble atmosphere, one that Damien could care less to mirror. Instead, he looked as if he was seated in a way that he could enter a battle immediately, leaving no opening; a habit borne from the harsh reality at Hachinosu. . Sukiyaki did not seem to mind as he addressed the girl, "Young Amatsuki child, as the Shogun of Wano and the head of the Kozuki Clan, I welcome you back to Wano." The words brought a bright light from Toki''s eyes as she returned a joyful smile, though the turn of events did leave her confused. "Um, Sukiyaki-san, can I know why you are so respectful to my surname?" The esteemed gentleman leaned back a little, his body sinking further into the cushion. His eyes shone with a hint of nostalgia recalling a distant past. "Around 40 years ago, a nefarious clan, the Kurozumi, tried to usurp the Shogun''s seat as the Shogun at the time, my father, had no suitable heirs," he began explaining. "The Kurozumi were one of the six powerful clans, and succeeded in assassinating the other heads, of which one was the Amatsuki Clan." The words brought sadness to Toki. She, with the Time-Time Fruit, was only four decades too late to meet her fellow clansmen, a fraction of the eras she had visited. . "However, by miracle, I was born and their plan was foiled," the Shogun sighed. "Unfortunately, your Clan Head had died by then, all the while the Amatsuki''s samurai also fell to slow down the Kurozumi. The time they bought my father was what saved us, we are in your debt." He then looked at the girl with some confusion. "I however am unsure of your existenceбн" Raizen, who was sipping on some tea, interrupted, "Lord Shogun, the Amatsuki Family had a faction that lived outside Wano. I take it that this young lady is from said faction." Sukiyaki "ahhed" in understanding, nodding along. Meanwhile, Toki felt a little bad. ''How would they react if they knew I was actually born many centuries before their own fathers?'' the girl thought. . Sukiyaki then studied the only real foreigner in the room and gave an approving nod. "I must say, if my foolish son was a tenth as capable as you then perhaps I wouldn''t be so ashamed of him." "Where is your son?" Damien asked with a hint of curiosity. Sukiyaki looked to the distant window, "I exiled him from the Capital, I hear he made it to Hakumai with some no-good brats at his side." The Shogan felt more embarrassed after the answer and turned back to the green-haired girl. "Ahem, Toki, if you have any wishes then please say so, I will surely do everything to fulfill it in the name of my father!" the man voiced out his desire to pay his debts. "Sukiyaki-san, I wouldn''t be able to make it here if it weren''t for Damien-san," she smiled in return, "please extend your kindness to him instead." The Shogun nodded while stroking his beard. He turned to Damien once more and gave him a questioning look. Damien saw the puzzle pieces fit into a satisfying and convenient picture as he put forth his request, "Before I met Toki, I planned to come here to learn your techniques of Ryuo." Sukiyaki raised an eyebrow, "Of course! It''s no problem at all." He then turned to the geezer, "Raizen-dono, I will leave him to you." "Very well," the aged man agreed. "Young man, come find me tomorrow, I will train you in Ryuo as you request." Damien smiled, nodding as a thank you. They continued with some small talk until bringing the conversation to a conclusion. Sukiyaki sent his aides to take Damien and Toki to their rooms. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. бн [The Following Night] "It''s a cozy room," Toki said as she walked through the wooden halls. They were sent to a guest room in the Shogun''s estate. After Oden''s departure, it was practically empty anyways, The only thing Damien found odd was that Toki and he were placed in the same room. . The girl had put on a simple green kimono, cleaning up. Toki then went around the room, setting up the beds in a traditional manner while humming a soft tune. Damien watched from the side, watching her set a pair of pillows on the adjacently-placed beds. "You know, Toki. Most girls would be uncomfortable sleeping in the same room as a man," the pirate said with a wry smile. The girl tilted her head and quipped back, "Isn''t it normal to sleep with people you trust?" She then drew the curtains to a close and blew out some candles, bringing a peaceful darkness into the room. Damien shrugged, lying down on his futon which was actually two separate beds put together to accommodate for his larger body. "..." A silence fell under the peaceful night, nothing but the sound of soft breaths. "How do you feel about Wano, Toki? You''ve finally come here after so many centuries." "Hmm, it is more beautiful than my mother told meбн I wish she was here too." There was a slight pause. "Even though I know she would be glad I could see it myself, I can''t help but think that no one from the outside world can ever see this beautiful place; it''s a shame." She regretfully sighed, "It would be nice to open Wano''s walls." Damien opened his eyes as he heard her comment, "Wano is safe because of its isolation policies. If they opened their borders, both the Government and Pirates would flood it; it''s a huge pile of gold." Toki''s voice came but this time with less spirit. "...Then, Damien-san. Will Wano hide in the shadows of its walls forever?" The words evoked a chuckle from the pirate: "Hehe, I have great plans for Wanoбн" The words laced with ambition may provoke fear from others, though it only elicited a giggle from the girl lying barely a foot away from him. ---------------------------------------------- [The Next Morning] Damien''s eyes opened up after a nice rest. He took in a deep breath, stretching his legs. However, at the last second, he felt a weight on his chest. His eyes glanced down and saw a glob of green over his shoulders, and chest. "Faint breaths went off as the girl was in a deep sleep. Damien''s movement awakened her. She slowly got up and wiped her eyes. "Good morning, Damien-sanбн" бн [Later that Day] Toki had decided to stay in the library, going over the many history books documenting the special events of Wano. The people here were quite erudite in their literacy and academics. Most of them relied on self-education via these books, granting the girl easy access to her home island''s rich history. She even learned of Oden. Four years ago, he committed some ''shameful'' antics of kidnapping women into his harem that even led to a Harem War in the Capital, embroiling many male citizens and even the Yakuza. One year ago, the death of a man by the name of Katsuzo occurred, leading to his funeral. Though the infamous Oden appeared and used the man''s cremation to cook up some stew. And not too long ago, he slew the Mountain God, around the same time of his exile. бн Damien left the estate, leaving Toki to her devices. The warm sun hit his face, gracing him with Vitamin D. The pirate made his way through the Capital, bringing in some surprisingly positive commotion from the people. The "foreigner" who was invited to the Shogun''s Manor was now viewed in a light of respect and admiration. Even those who turned their swords at Damien just yesterday, came and apologized, offering food and money as compensation. Suffice to say, they were an honourable society. . It took Damien some tens of minutes to reach his destination, much to the credit of some young children who guided him here. It was a small dojo in the Yakuza part of the Capital, away from the main populace. He saw some swordsmen who greeting him, to which he returned a nod. There were many such men inside, eating, chatting, and training; a rowdy atmosphere. Damien made his way through the main area and into the top floor, eventually reaching Raizen''s hall. *Creak* The wooden doors slid open, leading to an open area. The pirate looked to the side and saw the bulky Hyogoro, who seemed to have been drinking some tea, stand up and now his head. "Damien-dono, please forgive me for my hasty actions yesterday." The apology was answered with a wave of a hand, "Don''t sweat it." His casual words resulted in a wry smile on the Yakuza Boss'' face. He tried his best to kill Damien and was casually forgiven. He couldn''t find any words to speak further and took his leave. The Sin Incarnate waited a little while before hearing some distant steps. *Creak* The door slid open once more and Raizen''s tiny figure waltzed in, his long white eyebrows dancing at every step. "You''re here, young man. Very good," he said with a content tone, "let''s begin right away." He then pulled up two wooden posts stuffed with straw. "Ryuo," he began. "It has the meaning of ''flow''. It requires you to transfer all your spirit energy across your body and into the location you desire, but it cannot be forced, especially when its caster is not calm." Raizen then placed his hand a few inches away from one of the posts. "With this, you can direct it as you please." *Fwwm!* He demonstrated it as his arm turned a pristine black. *Purrup* A blue bubble of gentle energy then flowed out of the old man''s heart and warped around the armoured arm, behaving like a fluid. *Fwooo!* A soft wind blew as Raizen directed the energy unto the straw post, though remaining a small distance from it. The wooden post was still untouched, though it cried out in pain. "..." The Haki was reined in and it seemed as if nothing had happened. That was until Raizen then unsheathed one of his swords and slashed down with a swish, revealing a cross-section of the post. Damien narrowed his eyes as he saw it all unfold. The post''s outer structure was undamaged, though inside, all the straw was obliterated and torn apart! "Ryuo allows for internal destruction when mastered, a fearsome power when against the toughest foes," Raizen finished. He then glanced at the much larger guest and said, "Show me your current mastery." Damien nodded. *Fwwm* He stood up and clad his left arm in a thick coat of Haki. Bam! The fist collided with the post which felt the full brunt of Damien''s power. It took but a moment for it to be eviscerated into innumerable pieces from the sheer force. Raizen hummed from the side. "You''re technique is bordering on Ryuo, but lacks understanding of the word ''gentle''." Damien lightly coughed as he heard the words. Raizen examined his new pupil''s eyes and opted to convey the main idea. "You must be shapeless, formless, like water. When you pour water into a cup, it becomes the cup. When you pour water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. When you pour water into a teapot, it becomes the teapot." "Water can drip and it can crash. Become like water and learn to make your strength flow." Raizen demonstrated once more, doing it slowly and with great calmness. Boom! The same post was once again disembowelled as its outer structure remained solid. Damien slowly nodded and began the training under Raizen''s supervision. ---------------------------------------------- [During the Evening] The Sin Incarnate had returned to the room. Raizen was a good teacher, but he was old and unable to help Damien for too long, only pitching in every here and there. Upon returning home, he was greeted by an erratic Toki. She had gone through dozens of books, though still unable to find something. She saw her housemate arrive and stood up, "Damien-san, welcome back." Toki then brought out some snacks and drinks for his arrival. The two ate some lunch, eventually leaving a Toki that seemed like she wanted to ask something. "What''s up?" Damien asked while nibbling on some bread. She looked up with seriousness. "Damien-san. I want to be more usefulбн I don''t want to stay home and waste time, I want to help." Damien eyed her determined glance and could not help but chuckle, "Well, apart from your interest in these books, you''re still training in Haki and your powers every day. You don''t exactly give yourself time for other stuff." He thought over her schedule. When Toki was not reading, she was training in Observation Haki or her Time-Time Fruit. Naturally, Damien''s training routine for her was not exactly forgiving. However, his words only led her to stubbornly shake her head, swinging her green hair to the sides. . Damien looked around and found an interesting topic. "Well, how about this?" Toki looked at the book''s title: "The Basics of Herbs and Medicine." "Your powers give you domain over time. Your kind nature isn''t suited for heavy combat either. So, have you thought of becoming a doctor?" The girl tilted her head, tapping her chin in thought. "Hmm, my powers can certainly restore wounds by greatly increasing their healing, though I''ve never really tried it." Damien brought up an issue before she thought too much, "You can''t just heal the entire wound otherwise it will wither away." "Rather, aim at the very blood cells and expedite their healing: encourage hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodelling of the injury." However, after his little advice, he noticed the girl was lost. "Umm, Damien-san, I''m not that well-versed with it," Toki said with slight embarrassment. Damien coughed, forgetting that basic biology and recovery were not exactly common knowledge in the seas. . "Well, that''s where you begin. Once you understand how the body works, I''m sure your powers can turn a wound that would take months to heal and finish in moments. But then again, it''ll take some time." He waved around the basic book of biology written from the perspective of Wano. He recalled taking the Intro to Biology course in grade 10. It was not exactly difficult, it''s just that there was so much memorization! Toki''s hand jolted as she grabbed the book and held it in her embrace, "I''ll do it!" Damien smirked at her declaration and finished his meal, bringing a start to a rather monotone training arc to come. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 64: The Styx Passage The giveaway for the custom Supreme Sword ends today, join now or forever hold your peace! https://discord.gg/aJHHHPvb6q

"Hey, Boss Indra, you sure about this guy?" a burly man asked. He stood around 18 feet (5.49 m) with explosive muscle and a bare chest, sporting a red mask. Although his massive frame addressed the far leaner pirate, it carried a tone of respect and subservience. They belonged to the Fourth Division of the Rocks Pirates, currently being headed by the ''Evil Omen'' Zenora Indra. . The dark-skinned pirate was in the process of beating up a recruit. One that had come to Hachinosu to hunt for some bounties but was cut down by Indra''s sword. A cloud of dust blew about the region of downed buildings and barren soil. They were at a corner of Hachinosu, home to the worst of the worst. "Unlike the other treasure-eyed scum, this one had some merit," Indra briefly explained as he examined the unconscious man. Majin, the swordsman''s first recruit, was not the brightest, to say the least. "Oh, I see. Well, why don''t I pummel him some more to break his spirit?" Indra looked up with dull eyes, shutting the man up. "He wants money, he can get it under our Division; it''s a fair trade." Their words were fuel for the downed man as he looked up with great difficulty. His eyes burned with refusal, refusal against death. The man had fiery red hair that was messily scattered from the excess blood. A thin stubble and athletic figure. "Y-You!" he cried out in desperation. Bang! Indra slammed his foot down without mercy, shattering the ground right next to the broken man''s face. The boot was enough to leave a deep imprint, yet the red-haired man did not even flinch. "Majin, make sure he doesn''t die," Indra ordered. "I want him alive." The massive man hummed while tossing a bounty poster to the ground. It read the name "Ignio Kaen" with a reward of 150 million berries. The face printed matched that of the near-dead bounty hunter below. . "Ara~ You''re going around making a mess of Hachinosu," a soft voice resounded in the area. Indra glanced at the woman and slightly nodded in greeting, "Commander Shakky." The smoking woman seemed annoyed by the reply: "You aren''t as cute as Damein-chan, why so serious?" The words went in one ear and out the other in Indra''s case; he simply turned away. *Puff* A white cloud exhaled from the woman''s mouth as she examined the fallen hunter and took out her pistol. Bang! A green bullet shot through the air and nailed Kaen between his eyebrows, snapping his head back. "Ah! You crazy woman, what''re you doing!" Majin roared out, rushing on ahead. Yet he was stopped by a vice-like grip on his arm. "Your intelligence quotient isn''t advanced enough to think things through, stand down," Indra ordered. . "...Ugh!" A cry went off as the near-dead Kaen slowly stood up, the cuts and bruises all over his body began to heal and wash away. "What the hellбн?" Shakky winked at Indra, "Damien-chan probably doesn''t need corpses as his subordinates." Indra nodded in his form of gratitude. "What subordinate? I never agreed!" Indra cared little for his resistance, giving him a single statement: "You can go around hunting whoever you want, just do it as another fodder under the Fourth Division''s banner from now on." Kaen scowled at his options but deep down he knew it wasn''t a bad deal. Ultimately, he chose to rein in his disagreement and remained quiet. . Meanwhile, Shakky smiled at the harmonious display. "You are an interesting guy, Indra. You match Damien-chan''s nature of going around wreaking havoc for the things he wants." She lifted her fingers and counted: "North Blue Massacre, ''Black Arm'' Zephyr Disarming, G-4''s destruction." The words brought the attention of both Majin and Kaen, recalling the name of the recently risen powerhouse. Shakky then tossed around a fresh newspaper. "Just this morning came the news of the immediate dismissal of Ardemi, the now ex-CEO of the World News Agency." She puffed another cloud of smoke and murmured, "I don''t know why but I feel like this is his hand as wellбн" Indra narrowed his eyes at the piece of news. "The Commander does as he pleases, I''m just here to complete my orders of recruiting a handful of muscle," he calmly replied. Shakky snorted, "What a boring man. Hmm, I guess this island is pretty stale without him. So much trash gathering here." The woman put aside her thoughts and met the eyes of the swordsman once more. "I wonder what mess your boss will make now..." ---------------------------------------------- [An Island in the New World] "Gurarara!" "Wahahaha!" An extremely sharp naginata shone in the hands of a man with a white mustache as he clashed blades with another man with unique facial hair. "I''ve heard of a lot of ''D.'' making waves, show me what you can do, Roger!" "Wahaha, come on, Newgate!" Booom! *Rumble* A cataclysmic clash echoed all over the island, sending out shockwaves as it reduced the nearby lands to rubble and dust. The friendly greeting between the pirates had only just begun. ---------------------------------------------- [Unso Island] Within a large hall with sky-high ceilings were forty seats lined in neat rows. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. A red carpet adorned with intricate designs was placed beneath the table and chairs, spreading to the ends of the area. Expensive and regal paintings and tapestries hung down the walls, emanating with rich design. Tens of people walked in and took their designated seats, their bodyguards stood by the walls, each ready to jump into action. Of the forty seats, six were visibly more grand, standing much higher than the rest. The King of Warehousing, Aizen Ward. The King of Fortune, Du Feld. The King of Drugs, Elo N. Muskato. The King of Smuggling, Nelson Vacuum. The Queen of the Pleasure District, Stacy. All the major and minor seats had filled up except for the host, the one that sat at the head of the table. Even with the fresh supply of expensive wine and snacks by the hands of servants and maids, the people grew impatient. . "The host is late, how uncivilized," Vacuum blurted out past his cigar. "Perhaps there is some trouble," Stacy elegantly commented, playing with her long orange hair. Muskata, who donned a fancy attire, was not as patient as her, "To gather us here and make us wait, this new King of Shipping is bold!" *Creak* Their argument came to an end as the tall doors opened once more. A few people walked in and the bald Ebi stood in front with a bunch of goons. They then stood on opposite sides, welcoming their new boss. Soft steps echoed as a lithe figure appeared. The body was feminine with a concealed attire. The face was covered in a black visor-like mask and donned a hood, wholly hiding the face beneath, emanating with mystery. Some of the less important men widened their eyes, a hint of greed churning in their hearts. "What a hot figure, the new Shipping Emperor looks quite inviting," a mafia boss said as he licked his lips. "Lady Stacy might have a competitor!" Their faces turned into rabid dogs as if seeing a fresh bone in the yard. . The lithe figure soon sat at the head of the table, ignoring the comments. Meanwhile, Ward gnashed his teeth and smashed his glass of wine to the floor, shattering it to bits with a bang. "You''re this Fulcrum!? You think you can summon us while hiding under a mask?" The young Du Feld was equally irritated, "There is honour amongst the Underworld! How do we know you''re not some marine spy?" Though his words received an odd reception. "Du Feld, didn''t you kill your daddy for your seat, why are you talking about honour?" Muskato said, puffing on two cigars at once. Stacy giggled at the scene, attracting the attention of the hungry dogs below. Yet the environment was soon flooded with tense air as a chain of explosions went off. Boom! Bang! Boom! Tens of bodies fell to the floor, a powerful force descending on them. *Creak* The hall groaned from the added pressure as wide craters appeared under the dozens of men. *Click* Hundreds of guns cocked in bullets as chaos seemed to arrive. Though they all soon fell to the floor once more, their eyes popping out from their sockets. Ward looked around in shock, then at Fulcrum. "This is your doing isn''t it, what are you up to!?" Stacy''s teasing demeanour warped into speculation as she studied the vertical forces raining down. The purple energy brought a striking thought to mind. "Is it the Gravity Fruit?" the redhead muttered. Meanwhile, the masked woman glanced at Du Feld, her right palm pressing down to showcase the eruption of the force. "You were worried about spies, weren''t you? That''s all of them." She then dramatically closed her palm. *Pop* Their bodies exploded in a pathetic display, dyeing the hall a fresh coat of crimson paint. "..." Muskato and the rest looked around with some trepidation. "Spies?" Ward questioned. Fulcrum gestured to Ebi who handed out a report outlining the dead scum and their affiliations. Many were marine spies, while quite a few came from distant Kingdoms, some even Cipher Pol. . Fulcrum then elegantly placed her hands on the cracked table. "I didn''t invite you all here to fight, I invited you here for business," she explained through the screen-like mask. The words evoked some morbid curiosity from the others. The minor players effectively remained shut while only the Underworld Emperors seemed to have any weight in this situation. Seeing no further interruptions, Fulcrum had Ebi pass out a bundle of paper highlighting the main goods to be sold. Each Emperor got a special goodie for their respective trade. Modern drugs for the King of Drugs. Motorized boats and ships for the Kings of Warehousing and Smuggling. Modern insurance traps for the King of Loans. And powerful aphrodisiacs for the Queen of the Pleasure District. Beyond that, Fulcrum also gave out some of the blackmail Barro had prepped for the Marines'' side to calm them down a little. . Within moments, their faces were quite pleased after going through the detailed plans, enough to warrant their attention for this new Emperor. "A welcome surprise," Stacy said with a vixen-like smile. Ebi gulped as he saw Queen of the Pleasure District lick her lips in Fulcrum''s direction, almost as if trying to seduce her. All the while Muskato was lost in the chemical makeup of the products, smiling at the thought of people incessantly coming for more and more drugs that would only kill themselves. The others were just as satisfied. "I must say, I didn''t take you for an architect of our trades," Nelson Vacuum stated. "The devil''s architect." Fulcrum did not take their empty words at heart, rather bringing up the next order of business. "This was just the appetizer, the next thing I want to put forward is a trade route that I''m sure will interest you all," she said with an inviting tone. The words drew the attention of everyone in the room. Though as always, the voice was distorted, credit to the metal mask. . "The biggest problem in the way is the Navy. They hold the paths that will guarantee the fastest and most cost-friendly routes to move our goods." "Knowing this, they heavily tax and control the goods being moved. Though deals are reached for them to allow our materials to be brought in, it is very strict and not so cost-effective." She allowed her words to sink in before continuing with an entrancing tone, "There is one path they cannot control, a route even outside the domain of everyday pirates: The Calm Belts!" "We know that little!" Du Feld remarked. "But the Calm Belts are the home of endless Sea Kings, our ships won''t stand a chance!" The thought was shared among the others as well. *Thunk* Fulcrum tapped her finger on the table to regain their attention. "What if I told you I have a way to ensure safe transportation through the Calm Belts? A passage where no marine or pirate can get in your way," she offered. Seeing the razor-sharp focus of the others, the assassin finished her pitch, "Sea Kings rule the belts so I will use Sea Kings to transport the goods." "!!!" Ward was the first one to jolt out of his seat. "You have such a thing!?" he thundered. Muskata, however, was not as easily enthralled, "There is no such thing! Even the Government doesn''t have a way of traversing the Calm Belts, let alone controlling those hungry beasts." Fulcrum shrugged, "Aбн companion of mine can make it possible. I cannot prove it to you here, but you will need to take my word for it." "..." The statement plunged the room into silence. On one end was a woman who had given them some quite handy tools to further their shady trades. On the other hand, there was the sheer impossibility of the solution presented to them. . The Emperors did not speak, though some semi-known mafia bosses made their thoughts clear. "It''s ridiculous, we cannot trust the words of a person hiding behind a mask. Who knows that perhaps she is under the World Government, trying to dig their claws into our business and removing us from the board!" "I agree, this doesn''t smell right at all!" Another one stood up with a thirsty look, "I say we kill her here and split the Shipping King''s Empire for ourselves!" "A ''companion'' who can master the Calm Belt?" a well-known mafioso asked in a mocking tone. "I haven''t heard something so ridiculous in a while!" The demeaning words echoed in the halls as more and more people stood up in disagreement. Though they seemed to overlook the clenched fists of the woman sitting at the head of the table. "Acting all mysterious, Ha! "Sorry, young ''Empress'', maybe in your naive eyes you have been played around by someone pulling your strings." The once calm and collected Fulcrum''s voice turned sharp as she heard the disparaging comments, not about her offer, but rather the insults aimed at her unknown companion. "Don''t run your mouths!" The words were wrapped with a furious tone, stretching to the edges of the spanning hall. "Augh!" The man who spearheaded the insults was the first to fall to his knees, foaming at the mouth. The others who had put across their disagreement also felt the same force overwhelm their mind as they were forced to the ground one by one, losing their conscience. "..." "W-What happened?" Ebi said out loud, blinking frantically. "I''ve never seen her powers do that one beforeбн" While the lower members had fallen into further disarray, the Emperors had their thoughts. "That wasбн!" "There''s no doubt about it!" Ward and Mukato sat up a little, narrowing their eyes at the display. Stacy smiled wider, exposing her perfect teeth, "Things got more interesting." Du Feld stayed quiet alongside Vacuum. . Fulcrum turned away from the spectators and once again addressed the true decision-makers of the shady seas, her voice dripping with authority and determination, "The Government''s grip on the world has stifled your freedom for far too long. Don''t you wish to carve out your own path to power?" Her voice was inviting, mixed with a tinge of distortion which drew the other emperors. "Well, how about a test run with simple goods?" she suggested. "If you''re satisfied with the goods, then we can gain a true monopoly over the entire Underworld." Ward''s mouth twisted into a smile as he looked at the young woman with newfound appreciation. "I must say, you are far more daring than I would have imagined." "Very well, Fulcrum, you have my approval." Muskato nodded in agreement, "Seconded." "I don''t mind bringing in girls from all over the seas for a cheaper price," Stacy smiled. Du Feld nodded as well. Vacuum closed the vote with a thought of his own, "If you can back up your words with results then it seems that we will be working very closely from now on." Fulcrum nodded, an air of satisfaction surrounding her tone, "Very well, the ''Styx Passage'' will open up in a few days, connecting the Outer Seas to the Grand Line. Sea Kings will arrive on your islands and receive your exports." . The Banquet closed after a hefty buffet with exotic meals. Such meat was from the highest quality Sea Kings, something only Celestial Dragons can get their hands on. Regardless of what went down, one thing was certain: a new King of Shipping had risen, one far stronger and with far more influence than any previous one. An Underworld Emperor whose pull in the shady dark sea would surely take the hidden forces by storm! To Be Continuedбн Chapter 65: The Meito [Two and a Half Months Later] [Land of Wano] The pleasant weather of the Flower Capital was ever-welcomed. The cheerful citizens enjoyed their day, busy with their own devices. Birds chirped about, breathing in the fresh air of the unpolluted land. One such bird soared at great speeds, making its way to the Shogun''s Estate. *Chirp* it announced itself. The blue-coloured bird then flew through a wide window and further on in. Its sharp talons maintained its balance as the winged animal sat on a young man''s shoulder. *Tweet Tweet* Joyful chirps came out from its beak as it was pleased by the finger scratching the top of its head. "Let''s see what you have for me," the young man spoke, grabbing the scroll of paper strapped to the bird''s leg. Damien, who was the man in question, unrolled the paper and went over the contents. As per Wano''s isolation, he needed an outside source to keep up with the chaos booming in the outer seas. The main points outlined in the report could be summarized as such: 1. Black Arm Zephyr''s return with a sea prism arm. His first act of business was pummeling a Supernova of the seas. 2. The Rocks Pirates absorbed Herja''s Angelic Fleet and recuperated their losses. 3. A Clash between Whitebeard and Gol D. Roger that lasted two days and two nights. 4. The Grand Banquet of the Underworld that saw the rise of the new Emperor, the rumoured user of the Gravity Fruit. 5. Reverie faced delays. . "Quite the haul," Damien muttered. "And it looks like Zephyr is back in business, good," he said with amusement. He then looked at the fourth piece of news and mused, "Gravity Fruit? Is that what you''re using to mask your powers?" The smokescreen released by the new King of Shipping was followed by a hefty reward. -----< WANTED >----- < FULCRUM > < ''Devil''s Architect'' > < ?? 500,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ---------------------------- "Half a billion berries, I guess the government is relying on the shady rats to take her out before she does more harm to the chaotic balance of the Underworld," Damien deduced. . The last matter was special. The year 1484 had begun for around two and a half months now. By tradition, the Reverie happens every four years at the start of March, lasting a handful of days. However, it was now mid-March. "Looks like Morgans got some insider knowledge," Damien said as he read a small note at the bottom. {The current state of the world, stemming from the actions of the Rocks Pirates and the Amethyst Kingdom Crisis has led to some problems. It is highly probable for the Reverie to be further delayed and/or altered. The World Government cannot find the resources to escort every Member with appropriate levels of confidence in their safe arrival.} Such news brought a smile to the pirate''s young face. "Rahaha! Looks like Kong is probably pulling out his hair trying to balance out his forces to accommodate both the rampaging Rocks Pirates and the Reverie." [A/N: Luffy landed at the beach in Kuri, Wano on March 3, 1524 (date revealed in Vivre Card #1257). The Reverie happened and ended within a week or so of that date; I extrapolated these details.] . The Sin Incarnate then put away the papers and sent the bird out. He then stood up, embracing the warmth of the Flower Capital. The door creaked as he left the famed building, making his way through the Capital. The people were once again quite honoured by his appearance, giving out fresh foods and clothes. Some parents even came with the wish to wed their daughter(s) to Damien, which he had to politely decline. For whatever reason, the people of Wano had accepted some interesting facts. For one, Toki was hailed as the most Beautiful Woman in Wano, carrying the rich genes of an extinct Noble Family. Her gentle smile and elegant demeanour had won the hearts of both men and women. Though none approached her as they saw Damien as her "assumed partner". Added to the rumour of him being from outside Wano, it truly brought him quite a lot of appreciation. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. бн "Yo, Raizen-sensei," Damien greeted as he walked into the dojo. The old man was cooling his teacup with some dull breaths in hopes of not burning his tongue. "Damien-boy, you''ve already learned everything I can teach," he admitted. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" The pirate sat on his knees, though his height eclipsed that of the senior swordsman. "I''m here to ask you about weapons, I need one fit for myself," he explained. Raizen raised an eyebrow, nodding in understanding. "Wano is the best place for such requests, after all, we pride ourselves on our craftsmanship." He continued after taking a loud sip of tea, "Have you put any thought on what type of weapon?" Damien nodded, turning his attention to the sharp swords mounted on the walls of the dojo. "Not a katana; my powers are far too destructive to work in tandem with such a long sharp edge." "I want something robust, something that will fully concentrate both my Haki and pulverizing ability to its full potential." Over the previous months, Damien had explained the idea of Devil Fruits, which also allowed Raizen to give him thoughts on aligning Ryuo with his powers. *Slurp* The old man once again took an annoyingly loud sip of his tea. "I see. Well, regardless of any such design, I''m sure our artisans can make what you desire. However, the real question comes down to the quality of the metal used to forge it." Damien was intrigued, "You mean like the Meito (Famed Swords)?" he asked. Raizen returned a nod. "The Meito are priceless weapons made by world-renowned blacksmiths. There are The Twelve Supreme Grade Blades, the Twenty-One Great Grade Blades, the Fifty Skillful Grade Blades and the Grade Blades." Raizen continued, "A Great Grade weapon can also be brought to the Supreme level by turning it into a Black Blade (Kokuto). But since you are not a swordsman, this is not a possibility." "If anything, a weapon for you is rather difficult." Damien raised an eyebrow at the comment. "To hold both your Ryuo and destructive sorcery, I suggest that it''s best to forge the weapon rather than using one of these known weapons," the old man advised. "Most of the famed blades were made to be held in the hands of a certain wielder. Anyone outside of that image can never fully showcase their full potential." He then went to a small drawer, fiddled about with some scrolls, and handed two of them to Damien. "This one documents the current known Meito, see to it as you see fit. Though for now, I suggest you pay a visit to the Northern Region of Ringo." Raizen stroked his long eyebrows in nostalgia as he directed his pupil, "The cemetery there houses dozens of famed swords, and even a relic of Wano that we all revere with our hearts." "Study the relic and understand it. It is currently in the realm of these Supreme Blades, you will know what I mean then," he said. Damien took the scroll and aired out his curiosity. "What relic do you mean, old man?" Raizen''s eyes then seemingly glowed brightly in reverence at the thought of said relic came to mind. "It is a sword that rests beside its wielder, the one whom it was crafted for. His duels over hundreds of years ago shook all of Wano as he defended us from the invaders of whom you call the World Government." The words shocked Damien. Raizen grinned past his aged teeth and proudly declared, "He also used this blade to slay a dragon. It is named ''Shusui'', used by the Sword GodбкShimotsuki Ryuma!" ---------------------------------------------- [A While Later] Damien reached back to his room while reading one of the scrolls. ''Sibyl, list the swords with this scroll and factor in my knowledge of them as well,'' he inwardly said. [Alright, here it is.] Her words were followed by a green display opening up in his mind. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Meito Index] Saijин ин Wazamono (The Supreme Grade Blades) In the order of their creation. . 1) ''First Blade'' Ace. Type: Cutlass. Current Wielder: Gol D. Roger. Location: The New World. . 2) ''Molten Blade'' Mokushiroku. Type: Katana. Current Wielder: Rocks D. Xebec. Current Location: Death Valley, The New World. . 3) Murakumogiri. Type: Naginata. Current Wielder: Edward Newgate. Location: The New World. . 4) ??? Type: ??? Current Wielder: ??? Location: ??? . 5) ''Cursed Blade'' Shodai Kitetsu. Type: Katana. Current Wielder: Plausibly in the hands of Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro of the Five Elders. Location: Pangaea Castle, Mariejois. . 6) Yoru. Type: Oversized Kriegsmesser. Current Wielder: None. Location: Yozora Island, Paradise Sea. . 7) Sacred Blade'' Tenmei. Type: Katana. Current Wielder: In the possession of Pryde D. Sol. Location: Superbia. . 8) ??? Type: ??? Current Wielder: ??? Location: ??? . 9) ''Damned Blade'' Konton. Type: Katana. Current Wielder: ??? Location: ??? . 10) Enkинyari. Type: Spear. Current Wielder: ??? Location: ??? . 11) Yakuza Kasen. Type: Cane Sword. Current Wielder: ??? Location: ??? . 12) ''Misery Blade'' Shinsei. Type: Two-handed Sword. Current Wielder: Vitalius Shaw. Location: ??? . [A/N: Only 4 of these weapons are canon. The other ones are original and will come up eventually throughout the fic. Weapons (4), (8) and (11) are left as placeholders.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< "Even after all my studies, I only was able to uncover so many names, added to the scroll''s details, it''s still incomplete." Damien did not think too much of it, after all, it was not likely that a perfect weapon was out there that would be ideal for his powers. *Creak* The door slid open, halting Damien''s train of thought. "The most beautiful woman in Wano has arrived," the pirate teased. "Damien-san, I told you to stop bringing that up," her embarrassed voice replied. Damien''s smirked, while his eyes traced down and fell onto the books in the girl''s hands. Biology, Microbiology, and Pharmacology. Toki had been inhaling the knowledge over the past few months, much to her enjoyment. . The red-eyed pirate nodded and then tried something out of impulse. He opened his palm in the girl''s direction and actively turned off his strong vitality via Life Return. *Purrup* Meanwhile, a red bubble was wrapped in the other''s hand''s index finger and whizzed ahead. *Swish* A clean cut from Damien''s finger and across the palm, drawing fresh blood to drip down and onto the wooden boards below. Toki knew his intention and sat down. Her soft hands grabbed Damien''s wounded palm. She closed her eyes and concentrated her powers. The Sin Incarnate examined the wound as it was soon flushed with a soft, green light. His sharp eyes and mastery over Life Return allowed him to pick up on the very cells that seemed to work dozens of times faster. Blood stopped escaping, flesh regrew and the wound was healed. "Andбн done!" Toki said with a bright smile and shining eyes. Damien wiped the blood and indeed, the wound had fully closed; good as new. . However, the confidence in Toki''s voice dropped as she muttered, "Though your cells are far beyond what''s written in these books if it was someone else, I''m afraid it would take much longer to heal the wounds." Damien didn''t allow her to continue as he flicked her forehead. "My cells may be quite vigorous, but they are also more complicated than anyone else. If you can mend my injury then I''m sure it''ll be just as fast for anyone else." He gestured at the stack of books, "For now, just focus on the more complicated injuries that dig into the nerves and sensitive areas of the body." Toki nodded without interruption like a child, all the while massaging her red forehead. . Damien then switched the subject, "We''ve been cooped up in here for a few months now, I''m going to Ringo to study the revered Shusui, you coming?" Toki''s eyes brightened as she clenched her hands in excitement. "Of course! I haven''t been to Ringo yet!" Her earlier enthusiasm for exploring the entirety of Wano had returned. Damien nodded, expecting the answer from a mile away and he resolutely said, "Then let''s get going." To Be Continuedбн Chapter 66: The Legendary Shimotsuki Damien and Toki made their way to Ringo, slowly leaving the borders of the Flower Capital. Thankfully, unlike most girls, Toki was not the type of woman to take seven different suitcases for a few days-long trip, thus they were able to leave right away. The duo had been given a small scroll that documented the words of the Shogun, granting them full authority to pass through any region of Wano. *Neigh* The steeds proudly whinnied, charging to the far North, pulling the carriage carrying the two guests. Along the way, Toki could not help but chime in. "Ringo has a heavy wintry climate and it is always snowy," she introduced the region. "It is said to be so cold that people buried there do not decompose, and their bodies are preserved, something known as ''Eternal Grave''." The girl went off in an attempt to show off her knowledge of her home island. "Over a decade ago, Ringo was a barren and uninhabited land, but under the rule of the current Daimyo, it became livable and prosperous. What an amazing person!" She clapped her hands in delight at the current reality of Ringo. . Damien hummed, though he remembered the one thing that Ringo was known for. "The unforgiving cold grants it an ideal place for the dead, I believe Hyogoro called it the ''Northern Cemetery''." Toki nodded, though her eyes were drawn to the slowly whitening ground as the snow had begun to appear. "Since the bodies can be preserved for hundreds of years, it is the resting place of fallen samurai, along with katanas they have carried since birth as grave markers." Damien thought it was quite poetic. The very sword they perfect throughout their lives accompanies them beyond death. "Unfortunately, such a place is forever plagued with grave robbers," he commented. Toki frowned at the thought, but she could not refute it. "That''s terrible, stealing a Samurai''s weapon after their death is beyond shameful! Thankfully I''ve heard that the current Daimyo is very strict on the graveyard''s care." Damien nodded in agreement while playing around with the Shogun''s scroll. If not for this, his carriage would probably be cut apart the moment they neared the burial site. *Fwooo* White vapour was soon forming at their breaths; the cold slowly seeping into the rickety carriage. Damien did not feel any discomfort, but that couldn''t be said for the other person inside. . He gently placed his right hand on the walls of the carriage. The air seemed to shudder as Damien''s arm took on a gray tone with white cracks popping out. *Rrrrr* The wooden planks creaked, previously they had hardened quite a lot due to the cold, yet now they began to slightly expand, losing their coldness. Toki took in a breath, feeling the lost warmth return. "Damien-san, did you do something? It''s so cozy now." The young pirate raised his hand as it returned to its original appearance, though it had a layer of frost formed over it. *Crack* The pirate flexed the muscles in his right arm as the icicles shattered apart. "I just deprived the carriage of its coldness, it beats wearing a thick jacket inside, no?" The words seemed to fascinate the girl as she heard of such an ability. "Devil fruits never cease to surprise me!" she excitedly said. "I wonder just what other amazing things exist in our world." ---------------------------------------------- [Twelve Hours Later] The late evening had gone by. A bright moon graced the cold and barren land of Ringo, bringing about an icy chill. Any normal person would turn into an ice sculpture in moments if exposed to such temperatures. *Clack* *Clack* Yet in the silent cold, a thumping noise resounded. Two vigorous steeds ran through the fresh coat of snow that had blanketed the ground. Even under the chill, they seemed relaxed; bred to conquer any climate. Soon they and the carriage they hauled arrived at a small settlement. A few guards stood in the way of the charging steeds, their blades ready. *Krrr* The horseshoes dug into the dead soil below the snow and came to a stop. The carriage wheels were frozen and lacking grip, taking nearly a minute for the entire vehicle to come to a halt. Meanwhile, guards surrounded the carriage, ready to strike if necessary. . The frozen doors then opened. A warm air that felt blazing hot in comparison to the chill of Ringo met the faces of the guards. Their bodies sang in delight, though they reined in their surprise and examined the two possible intruders. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. "Hmm?" Their gazes were met with a piece of paper with a black stamp in the shape of the Kozuki Crest, easily distinguishable even in the current snowy conditions. The swords were returned to their sheaths with a click while they bowed their heads. "Please come with us to see the Daimyo," they announced in unison. Though one looked up with some confusion. He saw the green-haired girl had thrown on a warm and cozy jacket alongside a hood and mittens, and yet the young man was only wearing a casual yukata. "..." They chose not to ask as the guest seemed unbothered by the chill, instead, leading the way in for them both. Damien and Toki also took the chance to breathe in the surroundings. The tundra-like geography was a huge change compared to the pleasant Flower Capital. However, the small village had its charm. бн They were soon brought to a decent-sized building that took on the appearance of a Japanese design, nothing out of the ordinary in Wano. [Image (in Discord)] Small fires lit up the nearby area. Walking in you''d see the same thing. Torches were lit with a small flame while a large fireplace was used to heat up the indoors. A man with an imposing presence sat on a cushion, a few scrolls before him. It seemed that he was in the process of writing a report with his inked brush. He had a pronounced nose and dark blue hair that was somewhat spiky in the front and gathered into a large, bushy bun at the back. Sporting a stern expression with sharp eyes. Two swords leaned on the table before him, unassuming yet within hand''s reach. "Welcome to Ringo, guests from afar," he said with a deep yet welcoming voice. "My name is Shimotsuki Ushimaru." Toki gave a curt bow as she met the Daimyo. "Thank you, my name is Amatsuki Toki." Her companion simply replied with a single word, "Damien." [Ushimaru Image (in Discord)] . The swordsman nodded without saying much more, he seemed to be a reserved man. Damien, however, could not help but narrow his eyes in thought. Ushimaru looked very similar to a certain directionally-challenged moss-headed pirate. ''Looks like Zoro has a strong relation to Ushimaru and possibly even Ryuma as they share the same surname,'' he deduced. "Ushimaru, I''m here to study the famed swords of the fallen Samurai," Damien frankly said. The Daimyo nodded, "Very well. The dead are a reminder to all of us Samurai that our rest will come one day. We direly protect their mementos; their very weapons are a source of Wano''s greatest history." He then turned his head to the hallway nearby. "Onimaru, take them to the Cemetery." At the drop of his words, a small fox with a flame-like mane and tail ran out. He ran straight to Ushimaru''s hand, asking for a pet. The Daimyo acquiesced to his beloved pet, giving him a rub; its fiery tail went side to side. Toki seemed quite enthralled by the fox as she could not help but ask, "Wow! I''ve never seen such a magical creature beforeбн" Ushimaru smiled as if reliving some memories. "He is a komagitsune, a very rare fox that I was fortunate enough to encounter in my younger years." [Onimaru Image (in Discord)] Ushimaru repeated his words, "Go, lead them to where they wish to go." бн [The Northern Cemetery] Thousands of graves. Rows upon rows, column upon columns with neatly arranged plots for every burial. A weapon, whether katanas, swords, scythes, glaives or machetes, any weapon conceivable, could be found at the head of every grave. It was both peaceful and lonely at the same time. *Vvooo~* The bitter chill left everything in relatively pristine shape and quality, to the point where the blades themselves have yet to go dull. However, every passing wind would be sliced apart in a symphony of melodies. It was as if the blades were singing in memory of their wielders! . The fox ran through the max of graves, carefully not stepping over any of them, but rather around them. It was obvious the mammal had great intelligence. Damien and Toki followed closely. It took three minutes to reach a grand burial site and It was far beyond anything nearby. A giant obelisk stood tall, not a single ounce of frost on it. Large kanji were printed upon its body, reading out three sentences: [Here rests the greatest Hero of Wano.] [A man revered for slaying a dragon and protecting his home with his black blade.] [The Sword GodбкShimotsuki Ryuma.] Under the plaque was a simple grave and embedded as a gravestone was a katana, Shusui. Shusui was a black blade that had a distinct reddish-purple reverse wave hamon pattern. Its scabbard lay flat under the glorious blade. The exposed sharp edge was constantly cutting the air around it with a soft hum. [Shusui Images (in Discord)] Toki was enraptured by the beauty of the blade. Meanwhile, Damien was trying to listen to its voice, though was unable to hear anything; Shusui had gone silent over the years as if resting with its master for hundreds of years. "A Black Blade has had its user''s Haki seep into its very core over endless battles, raising its rank even further. Therefore it can be considered to rival a Supreme Grade Sword," Damien concluded. He traced his index finger over the flat part of the blade, sending in his own Haki to see the very make-up of the sword. ''It''s just like my Black Bones, I wonder what kind of a monster Ryuma was to achieve such a result,'' he thought. . Damien was also quick to understand what Raizen meant. Every sword was essentially created for a specific user, allowing them to fully release the weapon''s potential. Though it seemed that good enough swordsmen like the future Zoro could do the same after enough training, it probably was not possible with Damien as he was no swordsman. ''As far as concentrating my powers, it would be a waste if my weapon couldn''t display its might; it has to be perfect,'' the Sin Incarnate thought with conviction. He clenched his hand, almost as if envisioning the very weapon in his palm. Regardless of the method, he needed it soon. The good news was that he was in Wanoбн the land of artisans! The answer lay in this very country, he just needed to look around a little more. бн Damien and Toki eventually made their way back to the Daimyo''s residence after looking over many other graves and weapons. "Good boy," Damien said as he petted the fox. Onimaru gave out a dull whine in enjoyment. "Onimaru is quite picky with letting others touch him," Ushimaru''s deep voice resounded. "I thought I was the only one he would allow to touch him." Damien stood up and smiled, "I''m good with most living things." They then walked back into the main hall and took their seats. . "Ushimaru-san, are you by any chance related to Lord Ryuma?" Toki asked from the side. The man returned a nod. "Ryuma is my direct ancestor," he answered. "It''s quite the name that my sister and I had to live up to." Toki brought out a book and began to take notes as Ushimaru gave a small list of his fellow relatives. It turned out that Usimaru''s sister, Shimotsuki Furiko, had left Wano recently to see the outside world. "Though leaving the borders of Wano is a grave crime," Ushimaru admitted. "She called this place her prisonбн I could not help but relent to Furiko''s request and even helped her depart." A look of shame and ambivalence arrived on the weathered swordsman''s face and he looked to the floor. The image of a young woman with long blue hair came to mind, forcing Ushimaru to shut his eyes. "I wouldn''t even know if she''s still alive..." . Toki smiled at the man''s worry, "I have seen both the beauty and the flaws of the outside seas. All my life I imagined Wano as a paradise." The girl shook her head, "As beautiful as Wano is, it also has its flaws." Subconsciously, Toki glanced at Damien and bloomed with a bright smile. "Maybe Furiko-san also wanted to explore the outside world, you should not feel ashamed for breaking her chains." Ushimaru heard the candid words and widened his eyes. "Usha-haha! You certainly match the grace of the Amatsuki Clan!" бн The party of three then enjoyed a small yet fulfilling meal under the cozy walls of the building. Ushimaru liked drinking so Damien brought out some of his favourite alcoholic beverages to convey the taste of the outside world. After the hearty meal, it came time for the pirate''s true purpose. "I take it you got what you came here for?" the slightly drunk swordsman asked the pirate. Damien nodded, though with a hint of uncertainty. "Ushimaru, since you come from the Sword God''s clan, do you have any clue on where and how I can craft a quality weapon?" The Daimyo nodded as if expecting the question. "If you seek a proper craftsman then I suggest you ask my distant cousin. He is a Daimyo as well and has a large array of knowledge when it comes to weaponsmiths." Damien was drawn into the words, awaiting the answer. "He is the Daimyo of Hakumai. They call him ''The Hedgehog''бкShimotsuki Yasuie." To Be Continuedбн Chapter 67: A Samurais Welcome "He is the Daimyo of Hakumai. They call him ''The Hedgehog''бкShimotsuki Yasuie." The figure of a cackling old man came to Damien''s mind, a product of the Smile Fruit that plagued the people of Wano. "We''ll take our leave then, " Damien said, standing up. "Thank you for your help." Ushimaru stood up as well and nodded in return, "Your horses have been fed and ready; farewell." бн [The Next Morning] It took a good eight hours to reach Hakumai which was located North-East of the Flower Capital. Unlike the snowy landscape of Ringo, Hakumai was much more pleasant. It fashioned an autumn-like environment with many maple-like trees that were perpetually orange and yellow. The roads were decorated with colourful homes and buildings, showcasing the usual curved roofs. [Hakumai Image (in Discord)] A carriage had recently arrived at the very front of the Daimyo''s building. The scroll was printed with the Kozuki crest and further stamped with Ushimaru''s stamp, it was evident that the guests were quite significant. The guards were exceptionally welcoming, even choosing to introduce the novelties of the region to the inquisitive woman onboard. ... Damien looked at the distinguished building flying the banner of Ringo in the autumn wind with some interest. Toki was ever-lost in the change of scenery from what she had felt from the boisterous capital to the cold yet tranquil Ringo, and now the colourful and hearty Hakumai. "Uhm, welcome, guests! Yasuie-sama is waiting for you!" The two glanced down to meet the small servant. He was quite timid and servile at first glance, playing with his hands as if afraid to reach out. "Aren''t you too young to be a servant?" Toki asked. The boy sheepishly smiled, doing his best to remain calm; hunched over, toothy smile, closed eyes, all the qualities of someone faint-hearted. "Not at all! Yasuie-sama took me in as a servant, my name is Orochi!" He bowed quite far, his puffy purple hair hiding his face. Damien inwardly scoffed at the two-faced boy who was stemming with vile thoughts and had the air of a snake. [Orochi Image (in Discord)] "Lead the way," Damien firmly said, not too interested in entertaining the servant. "Y-Yes, right this way!" бн A man sat before a wide table. He had a blue afro, some facial hair and a round face of age thirty. Donning a red kimono with a sword to his hip to showcase his stern nature. "My name is Shimotsuki Yasuie, the Daimyo of Hakumai," he stated as he greeted the seated guests. [Yasuie Image (in Discord)] Damien nodded at the man. Toki took the lead to introduce both of them, bringing to light the ''intruder'' aspect of their arrival. Though Yasuie was a staunch supporter of the Kozuki Clan, naturally he had his thoughts too. "Amatsukiбн no wonder Ushimaru was so open in his letter," the man commented with a look of intrigue. "What can I do for you?" Damien was about to speak until an ear-rattling yell resounded through the entire town. "WHERE IS HE!?" "I''VE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU, COME OUT!" It was evidently a male yelling at the top of his lungs. Every word reverberated through the region as distant rumblings shook the earth below. Yasuie face-palmed while Orochi disappeared to hide somewhere, leaving Damien and Toki being forced to go outside and see what had happened. . It did not take long to see the huge trail of dust following a far show nearly 200 meters away. The trail spanned nearly a kilometer away; the person en route was quite energetic, refusing to slow down whatsoever. The man at the center of the cloud of dust leaped over toward Damien, a wide grin etched on his face. He then squatted down while grasping the two swords at his hips. Boom! The ground below the man cracked as he shot across the air, leaping over entire buildings. Shing! The blades were incredibly sharp, cleaving the very air from their simple removal from their sheaths. They were directed up and back as if readying to be slashed down. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. "I''VE HEARD OF YOUR TALES ALL OVER WANO! YOU SMELL LIKE A BEAST!" His face was further warped with a wide smile as he tightened the muscles of his arms, fueling his blades with Haki. . Damien gazed at the shadow in the air which was bubbling with pristine usage of Armament Haki. *Fwooo!* The air howled as the man rocketed through like a shooting star, blasting straight at the pirate. *Fwwm* A dull beat escaped Damien''s body as both his arms were wrapped in a thick coat of Haki; they glistened a bright purple glint, armoured up. The man in the air chuckled, bringing down the twin swords in a blazing arc. BOOM! The immediate impact of the twin blades clashing onto the crossed arms of the pirate was momentous. The collision of the masterful Haki unleashed incredible amounts of devastation. Copious amounts of air were shaken up as tornado-like currents were birthed from the exchange, alongside a rumbling of the earth below. *Tremble* Cracks and crevices appeared all over the land right in front of the Daimyo''s Estate, spreading further and further out. The attacker felt his body slowly lose momentum; his blades running dry and unable to break through his self-proclaimed challenger''s defense. "Wahaha! My name is Kozuki Oden, the exiled son of Lord Shogun! I''m glad to finally meet you!" Damien heard the energetic roar and saw the striking smirk of Oden. "You have quite the interesting interpretation of a Samurai''s welcome." The words provoked a chuckle from the Noble Son of Wano as he retreated from his frozen position. This also gave Damien a chance to examine his attacker. Oden was a large and very muscular man of towering height, standing twelve and a half feet tall (3.82 meters). He had long, wild hair, black in colour, that was gathered into a large, flat, circular plane at the top. The bright orange kimono was quite eye-catching, though not so much as his imposing and wild presence. [Oden Image (in Discord)] The swordsman clenched his grip over his beloved blades: Enma and Ame-no-Habakiri, both Meito of impeccable quality. [His Swords Image (in Discord)] "..." No words needed to be said as he shot forth once more, bringing about bold and swift attacks. Clang! Boom! Bam! Each flurry of hits was met with the immovable wall that was Damien''s Haki-clad arm. Each collision would leave sparks in the air as their Haki was quite masterful. . "Hehe," Oden grinned, once again jumping to the sky. He twirled around, running the centripetal force in his favour and slashed down both his swords in a vertical descent. BOOM! A familiar shockwave burst out in all directions, unsettling the integrity of the entire nearby area. The buildings around them had already begun to cry out in failure. Oden did not waver, instead, he raised both swords in the sky, pointing away from his body. "!!!" Though before he could even think to execute his attack, his stomach was met with a powerful punch. "Gahh!" he grunted as the air in his lungs was forcefully expelled from the fist digging into his liver. The towering samurai was shot through the air, his orange attire leaving a bright trail. He crashed through three separate buildings before coming to a stop. *Clatter* Loose debris shook under the man''s denial of his condition, stepping out from the dust. He unloosened a chain of coughs while wiping away a trail of blood. "What the hell was that!?" he questioned himself, remembering the punch that arrived the split-second where he could not react. . ""Oden-sama!"" Two young voices bellowed out in the direction of the fallen buildings, laced with concern. The two young men ran through the debris, looking to find their master. "Wahahaha! Kin''emon, Denjiro, stay out of this! That guy is awesome!" Oden paid no mind to his retainers, once again rushing straight toward Damien, his sandals clanging over the cracked soil below. On his way over, he crossed his right arm over his face, directing both his swords antiparallel to his line of sight. "Oden Two-Sword Styleбн" *Purrup* The stream of Haki was soon directed to the weapons, though this time with a completely new coat, one bubbling in a gentle red colour. Oden''s speed suddenly increased to the point where the naked eye could not keep up. . "Paradise Waterfall!" . Damien saw the coming attack and in return, raised his left hand. *Purrup* The already dense Haki was once again covered, though this time swelling with a visible, red bubble. Satisfied with the application of emission, Damien slammed his right foot into the ground to gain leverage and smashed his fist at the coming attack. BOOM! A grand explosion overtook the shaken Hakumai, this once far greater than the previous ones. *Vvoooo!* The rippling waves of shock and raging winds were enough to pick up and sweep away the spectators, taking them to the sky! The ground below was eviscerated, leaving dust and pebbles in the wake of the clash. Oden''s face twisted into a stubborn scowl as if trying to put every ounce of his strength in. His mighty attack was met with a relatively relaxed punch which was enough to fuel him with endless spirit. *Crack* The air shattered under the raging Ryuo that was emitted from both their attacks, slowly taking Oden away with them. A casual voice soon broke out, one that overshadowed the raging torrents of wind. "You know, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." The words echoed in Oden''s ears as he felt the overpowerful Haki sweep him away. The powerful current had begun to seep into his arms and chest, damaging it from the inside, and creating a lot of internal wounds. "Augh!" he roared out, though his tenacious spirit wanted to continue, his body could not help but be shot back once more, this time with far greater velocity. Boom! *Clatter* Bang! The Kozuki heir rammed through building after building, wall after wall, obstruction after obstruction; unable to stop. BOOM! A distant rumble soon went off as the trail of dust had gone from the Daimyo''s Estate to the borders of the village. ""Oden-sama!"" the two men yelled out, chasing after their disappeared master. бн Damien relaxed his arm, calming his Haki down. He was quite pleased with his first real test of the newly-attained Emission! Though he recalled his setting and turned to the dusty Daimyo, "Yasuie, apologies for the mess." The samurai reputed as the Hedgehog shook his head, turning to the long tunnel of man-shaped holes. "It''s alright, Damien-dono, this is not the first time Oden has caused such trouble..." Toki was also just as surprised as she remarked, "The exiled son''s tales underestimated his natureбн No wonder Sukiyaki-san was tired of Oden''s antics." She took out her little journal and jotted down some words. Yasuie then gestured to his men to start the cleanup, at least by examining the injured first. бн "So tell me, what brings you here?" Damien once again sat with Toki, sipping on some tea. "Ushimaru directed me to you, I''m here looking for a weaponsmith to create a blade for myself," he said. Yasuie nodded, recalling the overwhelming power he had been shown moments ago. "I would send you to our best craftsman open for orders, though I doubt they can properly grant you a weapon worthy of your power. However, there is one manбн" Damien glanced at the man''s frown as he seemed lost in thought. "Someone troublesome?" Yasuie gave a wry smile and admitted, "There is one old man. He is the best of the best. A direct descendant of the ones who crafted many renowned swords." The Daimyo then shook his head with a defeated sigh, "His age far outnumbers anyone in Hakumai, probably even Wano. Though very stubborn, his skill of smithing is beyond doubt." Damien hummed at the explanation. He visualized a senile and grumpy old man who did not listen to anyone, busy with his own devices. Meanwhile, Yasuie continued, "He is also the mentor of Shimotsuki Kozaburo, the man who crafted two of the Twenty-One Great Swords: Wado Ichimonji and Enma!" "Oden, who you just met, is the current wielder of Enma. I''m sure you can imagine the skill of the man who trained the craftsman responsible for such a weapon." . Damien deeply nodded with a hint of surprise, "I''ll find a way to convince him, where is he?" Yasuie shrugged his hands, not going to talk Damien out of the meaningless endeavour. "You can find him to the far North of Hakumai; he lives alone and prefers it that way," the Daimyo answered. "His name is Shimotsuki Katsuyoshi." To Be Continuedбн Chapter 68: A Meaningless Endevour? Damien was at the edge of the town, an empty yard with old rickety planks lying about. Dirty windows, cracked glass, rotten wood and newspapers from decades ago. *Knock* *Knock* Just the banging on the door let out painful howls that would lead one to be concerned about structural collapse. Silence. "Old man Katsuyoshi, you in there?" *Knock* *Knock* "Are you still breathing or did you croak in your sleep?" *Knock* *Knock* Alas, a voice returned. "Who are you, brat? Are you a spawn of one of my old flames? I ain''t paying for your tuition!" The voice was old, almost ancient. *Knock* *Knock* "Scram away, kid! No respect for the old with all that bangingбн You annoying squirt!" Damien felt it was quite funny that old people tend to get mad twice in a row, their voices oscillating. "I wasn''t sure if your hearing was still working so I didn''t hold back," the pirate yelled past the frail door. "Cheh, what do you want?" "I want a sword forged for myself, can you do it?" The voice was not amused as no reply came. Damien smirked, "Never mind then, I''ll just take my business of creating a Supreme Grade Blade elsewhereбн" He turned around to leave, only to hear some distant footsteps near the door. *Creak* The door slowly opened, the hinges barely holding its weight as they let loose a sharp squeal. "Hmph, you''re a few centuries too young to bait me, kid! Trust me, ain''t no one on this big blue planet making you a blade of Supreme grade." Damien turned around to see the man and gawked. "Damn, old man! I almost mistook you for a walking corpse!" Katsuyoshi pointed his skeletal finger at the pirate with a look of anger. "Brat, I''m still in my early 180s!" he roared back. Damien eyed the three-foot-tall man (0.91 m) with some intrigue. He looked like a dwarf, with a thick nose and bush eyebrows. His beard ran from his face and littered onto the ground, probably uncut for decades. Katsuyoshi wore dull, gray clothes that even hooded his head. The same dullness was matched by the perpetual scowl that dimly lit his aged face. [Katsuyoshi Image (in Discord)] . "Well, old man, no one else can make a Supreme Blade, including you?" The words resulted in an audible scoff from the living fossil. "I can make anythingбн I just lack the proper ingredients." His tone grew sour and annoyed as if he had been holding onto the anger for years now. "What if I can get my hands on these ingredients?" Katsuyoshi looked up, his tiny frame was barely the size of Damien''s knee, forcing him to look comically far up. A mocking expression overtook the wrinkly scowl as he fired back, "If they were so easy to attain, I would have made twenty Supreme Blades by no-" *Snap!* "AHH! MY BACK!" The old man cried out in pain, crouching to the ground. Such a sight left Damien deadpanned. "..." Katsuyoshi regained his breathing as he looked up once more in difficulty, "Hmph, had I the ingredients, I could forge a Supreme Blade with one eye closed and one hand tied behind my back!" He stood up with shaking hands and glared at the young pirate with a sharp look, a look that left Damien surprised. "I refuse to die before I''ve done it!" Boom! Damien narrowed his eyes as he felt the rush of air burst out from the dying old man, echoing through the decrepit area. *Squawk!* A flock of pigeons resting on a nearby tree fall to the ground, white-eyed, completely unconscious. Damien lightly smiled, looking at the old man with a new light. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! "Heh, did death just turn around and let you be till you fulfill that ambition?" Katsuyoshi smirked, though his wrinkly face made it look quite disturbing. "Kokoko! Death was still in its mother''s womb when I was waving the hammer!" The perpetual frown on the old man''s face warped into a that of pride. *Crack* "AHH! My knees!" He fell once more, reeling in pain. "..." Damien hummed at the old fossil, thinking over his previous declarations. "Just what are those ingredients that are so impossible to get?" he eventually asked. Katsuyoshi, who was blowing on his knees as if to calm them down, ended up almost blowing his false teeth. "We have the best metal in Wano and yet no one can forge a Supreme Blade. Not due to lack of talent but lack of materialsбн I''ve made too many trashy swords trying to forge a Supreme one now!" He gestured his head to the side where a large bin sat, covered with a heap of dead leaves and dust. Damien walked over and opened the old bin and the sight left him with a wry smile. "Trashy, was it?" The pirate felt it was comical that these swords, which seemed just as sharp as the average Great Grade Sword, were labelled as rubbish. They were fine pieces of work that would probably sell for tens of millions of berries yet Katsuyoshi did not seem to see it that way. "Even the named Twenty-One are just replicas of the original Twelve Supreme Blades," came the old man''s voice from behind. "Failing to recreate their Supreme glory with our feeble materials." He sat down on the ground, drowning in self-pity. "A thousand years ago, a bright light crashed into the planet from the heavens and the ore found at the site was labelled as ''Heavenly Rocks''." Katsuyoshi continued, "The master weaponsmiths at that time used it all to birth the blades now called the Supreme Grade Blades!" "Any derivatives of these Twelve were then broken down to the Great Grade, Skillful Grade and Grade levels," he finished. Damien was a little unsatisfied as he refuted, "So no matter what, you can''t bring about any new Supreme Weapons without those rocks?" The old man exhaled a heavy sigh. "That''s right, the only other way is to take a Great Grade Blade and turn it into a Black Blade, effectively promoting it to Supreme Level." Damien nodded, naturally such an occurrence happened with Ryuma but it was not a possibility for him. "I''m no swordsman that specializes in blades." Damien then lifted his hands, unleashing a few torrents of pulverizing energy. The crimson energy took the old man''s attention as Damien went on to say, "I need a powerful weapon that can fully harness this volatile power." He then held it out for Katsuyoshi to study. The dwarf shot up as he ran up to the hand as if returning to his lost youth. *Krrrr* He tapped the frenzied energy as if tinkering with it, while also testing its power with some loose stone and metal. "Hmm, hmm, a very interesting ability you have here, a normal weapon wouldn''t suffice." He scratched his flakey chin in thought. "An irregular blade that can be used both to slash and slam with, one capable of fully transferring this power." He brought out a stick and started drawing some designs on the soil below. *Scratch* He worked at rapid speeds as the odd-shaped weapon soon came into being. A long staff-like grip that allowed for a two-armed hold, a longsword body and a hilt that diverged into two elongated blades in the shape of a pincer. The blades were not smooth, but rather jagged, almost as if to tear apart the flesh they were lodged into for maximum damage. "..." Damien watched in silence as he looked over the result. ''For a guy who specializes in katanas, he can truly come up with some interesting designs.'' Katsuyoshi patted his hands together, ridding them of dust. "Kokoko! If you add in your little sorcery while I forge the blades, it should be able to seep into the metal and make it highly harmonious with your powers!" Damien nodded at the words as the fossil continued, "The wood of the staff portion naturally needs to be Adam''s Oak." Bang! Katsuyoshi traced his eyes back to the unannounced guest and gulped at the sight of the bundles of wood that the guest had summoned. "Your sorcery is more impressive than I thought, why don''t you help me move some of my century-old furniture?" Damien rolled his eyes, "Get back to the weapon." The master weaponsmith scoffed, though returning to the design. "The wood will do if anything, it looks even better than I rememberбн maybe I have gotten a little oldбн" Damien was not surprised as the wood he had unveiled was not regular Adam''s Oak. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Adam''s Oak {Refined}] [Wood from the Treasure Tree Adam.] [Strongest Wood in the seas.] [Deprived of all impurities and imperfections.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< The wood had been ''refined'' by Damien''s deprivation powers, removing any problems and allowing it to be quite literally perfect. . "Listen up, brat. I find your powers interesting so I can use the finest metal in Wano and this beautiful wood to make you your weapon! Once it''s done, you can consider it to rival Twenty-One Great Grade Blades!" Such words may be music to most people''s ears but to both Damien and Katsuyoshi, they felt lacking. However, the reality of the situation had brought the latter to his knees over the past dozen decades. He glanced at the ambitious young man in front of himself and advised, "Don''t get lost in meaningless endeavours, kid." "Don''t worry, as long as you wrap it with enough Ryuo, I''m sure the blade will be more than enough for you!" the old man said with surprising levels of reassurance. Damien silently nodded, still not wholly relenting to the impossibility of taking the weapon one step further. Though Katsuyoshi did not see that emotion, if anything he found something interesting to make so he was lost in thought, as if dreaming to make this new weapon even better than his past ones. "Come back in a week, I need to ready my tools and my tired bones for the coming work!" The man pulled up one sleeve, showing thick and pronounced muscles brimming with strength. Katsuyoshi flashed a grin that showed his decaying teeth; some embers of his ambition were still burning bright. бн Damien left the dingy old hut, lost in thought. ''Sibyl, any thoughts?'' She replied quickly. [Well, if those rocks exist in space, I''m sure they aren''t common. You could venture to space or train a Gravity-Fruit User to attain them, though it probably won''t be fast and would take a decade or so.] Damien shook his head, he did not have a decade, he barely had two years! God Valley could happen within twenty or so months, or at the latest, thirty months. . He walked past the warm streets of Hakumai, slowly returning to civilization brimming with life and spirit. The pirate sat under the shade of a tree that seemed to dance from his presence, the greenery below growing stronger. Damien was a perfectionist in his previous life, and that property had carried over. Though a Great Grade Weapon may work while Haki was used to make up for any structural incapabilities, he still prefers the best of the best. бн "A way to attain things well beyond the geography of this world," he murmured in thought. Suddenly, a lightbulb lit up. "Maybe that will work," he recalled a little goodie he found in his previous endeavours that may solve the problem. *Vrooo!* The air warped around his open palm as a brown fruit appeared. It had a swirl-like pattern over its body while the stem resembled a weighing scale. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< Balance-Balance Fruit (Heikин Heikин no Mi)] [Paramecia Fruit | Special Type] [Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars] [Allows the user to freely switch anything of equal value. Making them an All-Conserving Human.] [Expanded: the trade can be anything material or metaphysical. As long as equal-valued material(s) and/or characteristic(s) is/are traded, the exchange will hold.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [A/N: Balance Fruit Image (in Discord)] Damien''s eyes flashed with a crimson glint, hiding a flood of thoughts that could remedy his dilemma. "A meaningless endeavour..." To Be Continuedбн Chapter 69: Shifting Scales The Balance-Balance fruit would enable its user to ultimately attain anything as long as item(s) of equal value was traded. [You only have two tokens left, Damien,] Sibyl cautioned him. "Rahaha! Those tokens are like money, worthless if they aren''t used. It''s better to make up my mind and go for it rather than to rethink every single choice." Damien pondered about the strict nature of the token and added, "Plus, both the Deprive fruit and Balance fruit are fitting auxiliary abilities." Damien''s lax expression soon sharpened as he thought over something. "On top of that, the Balance fruit can also be a contingencyбн" [What for?] "..." Before he could think any further, a booming voice echoed through the surrounding area. "Damien!" Loud footsteps went off as a towering samurai walked toward the pirate with a wide grin and wild nature. "Oden, you here for another beating?" The man replied with a thundering laugh, not considering any of it. He had arrived with both his retainers, Denjiro and Kin''emon. The former was quite skinny donning a yellow kimono, sunglasses and a blue ponytail while the latter had spiky blond hair and a blue and yellow kimono. [Their Images (in Discord)] . "Wahahaha! A samurai who fails to get up after a loss is nothing but a disgrace to Wano!" Damien rolled his eyes and saw an annoying future. "Stop reaching for your swords, I can read you like a book." Oden paused, he looked down at his hand that was moments away from moving to unsheath his blades. "Youбн Can you see the future?" Damien smirked, "Not only can I see you charging at me, but I can also see you being shot back all the way to the Flower Capital with a punch of mine." The Samurai laughed in the face of the threat, "Wahaha! Good, I want to see the look on Lord Shogun''s face when I crash into his mansion!" Though his mind switched interests disturbingly fast. "Say, I heard you come from outside Wano, is it true!?" The man''s face was bright in smiles, waiting in expectation and excitement. Damien started walking to the Daimyo Building once more, with Oden trailing him. "That''s right." The words filled the exiled man with fire as he declared with anticipation, "Good! Take me with you when you leave!" "Oden-sama!" the two retainers gawked with fear; leaving Wano was a capital offense! Damien turned his eyes to the grinning fool and scoffed, "I refuse." ---------------------------------------------- [Later that Night] Damien and Toki had been given a grand room for their stay. The girl was busy in the history of the region, leaving Damien alone. He sat on a cushion, playing around with a brown fruit. "There''s no time to hesitate; let''s do it." Damien then brought out a golden token, holding it in his left hand while the fruit was in the other. *Crack* He crushed the golden coin-like item as it burst out in a golden spectacle. The shiny mist swirled around Damien''s hand as he then grabbed the fruit. The energy surrounded the Devil Fruit as it was slowly drying up. It took but a moment till the item was sucked up, leaving behind an ordinary fruit, devoid of any design or swirls. The golden energy soon returned to Damien, flooding its way to his heart. Damien deeply sighed while a ding went off in his mind. [One {Fruit Ability Transfer Token} has been used. The token has materialized into the following ability: ] [{Equal Exchange} иC Grants the auxiliary ability to exchange for anything as long as item(s) of equal value are given in its place.] Damien absorbed the details of the power, it was fairly simple. He then willed some thoughts together that, with the help of Sibyl, created an interface of sorts in his mind. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< {Equal Exchange Menu} [X = Y] [Please input the X value and the System will generate the required items to most efficiently exchange for it.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< Damien understood the concept and pitched his thoughts. *Ding* >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< {Equal Exchange Menu} [X = Ore needed to craft a Supreme Grade Blade.] [Loadingбн] [Loadingбн] *Ding* [Items required for exchange have been calculated.] бн [Exchange Offer #1: Requires 5 Great Blades.] [Exchange Offer #2: Requires 2 Great Blades that have both become Black Blades.] [Exchange Offer #3: Requires 3 Great Blade & 1 Great Sword that has become a Black Blade.] [Exchange Offer #4: Requires 4 Great Blades & 4 Skillful Blades.] [бн] (A/N: I rewrote ''Great Grade Blades'' as ''Great Blades'' as it was a mouthful to say "Great Grade Blade" every time.) >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< The list went on for dozens of offers. The idea was simple, as non-Supreme Meito were considered failed replicas of Supreme ones, if brought together with appropriate quantity and quality, they could be traded for the desired ore. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. "One Supreme is equal to five Great Blades while one Great Blade is equal to four Skillful Blades," Damien concluded. The dilemma that plagued him was so simply resolved. It was a good day! ---------------------------------------------- [The Next Day] It was time for breakfast. Unfortunately, it was crashed by a certain someone. "*Munch* Damien, *Munch*, why won''t you take me, *Munch*, with you?" Oden unloaded a barrage of questions, lacking any manners. Damien disliked talking while he ate so he simply ignored it. бн After the meal, Oden finally received a reply, though in the form of a question. "Oden, how do you see the current Wano?" His face scrunched up with irritation, "A prison! Leaving these borders is my life''s goal!" Yasuie, who had remained quiet, suddenly grew angry. "Oden, you fool! You are the son of the Shogun and the future of Wano! How can you be caught up in such childish thoughts!?" The young Samurai scoffed in return, "Uncle, don''t try to convince me out of it! I''m already exiled from the Capital, I want to see the outside world!" . Kozuki Oden at his current age, simply put, was a failure as a leader, unbothered by his home. However, his future excursions would change that, though ultimately it would be too late. "If tomorrow a huge fleet of pirates were to arrive at Wano, what would you do?" Damien questioned. "Will you use the opportunity to escape your ''prison'', or will you stay and protect your home?" Oden was about to refute but Damien did not plan to stop. "Wano is a beautiful paradise for many. However, it bears great resources and is a natural fortress; a perfect place for a powerful pirate to conquer." The Sin Incarnate continued, "Many centuries ago, the Sword God Ryuma protected Wano''s borders from its attackers, but do you think the current Wano can do the same?" *Tut* Damien placed his empty tea cup down, opting to drink some sakиж instead. The crimson pupils locked onto the silent Oden and examined every shiver on the swordsman''s face. "I know it''s your dream to venture abroad, but first, you should consider the safety of Wano otherwise you will lose it faster than you can imagine." The words took everyone, Yasuie, Oden, Denjiro, Kin''emon, even Toki, into a reverie. Wano was powerful, very much so. But they were also ignorant of the fantastical reality of Devil Fruits. Centuries of isolation had left them susceptible to well-coordinated attacks. . Damien then gave the aspiring pirate a small grin, "You can hear its voice too, can''t you?" "!!!" Oden''s eyes widened as he heard the question and made an audible gulp. "Y-You can hear it too?" Damien nodded, "Wano''s voice is calm, but for whatever reason it feels like it''s harbouring great secrets. These walls won''t protect you forever." Boom! He then shot a burst of Conqueror''s Haki, sweeping at the ex-Noble. "You''re entirely ignorant to the conniving voices in this very building; open your ears!" Damien''s words echoed in Oden''s mind, every syllable ringing within. The Voice of All Things was something they both shared. It was not hard to observe the overarching emotions of others. Oden did as told: he opened his mind to the whispers of the world. "..." He could hear the critters and crawlies nearby, deciphering their thoughts. However, he also heard another voice plagued with vile thoughts and insecurities, originating from a small room in the Daimyo''s Estate. Oden, who had his eyes closed, could not help but show a scrunched-up expression as he heard the hidden snake-like existence. It was slippery with dangerous teeth, much like a snake waiting to pounce. But it leaked a voice of betrayal and endless greed. "That voiceбн" Oden woke up. He shot up from his position, running to the far side of the manor. Yasuie was about to chase after him, but Damien gestured to him to remain seated. "There''s a parasite in your home." The daimyo was a little confused but gave his guest the benefit of the doubt. бн "O-Oden-sama! Pl-Please let me go! I-I haven''t done anything!" a pathetic voice cried out. The main party watched as Oden threw a weepy, purple-haired boy onto the center carpet. "Uncle, I don''t know why, but this kid is harbouring a lot of hatred in his heart, it''s creepy!" Yasuie squinted his eyes, glaring at the boy. "Y-Yasuie-sama, please! Help me, I-I''ve served you for a year and am deeply grateful for everything you''ve done for me!" The Daimyo then glared at Oden as if demanding him to explain further. At that time, another voice went off, "Yasuie, both Oden and I can hear the Voice of the Universe," Damien said. "It''s telling us that this kid holds deep malice for both you and all of Wano." """Voice of the Universe?""" Even Oden was not sure what his ability was, joining in on the unanimous question. Shing! The exiled prince broke out his swords, pointing at the little snake''s throat. "Orochi, who the hell are you?" Yasuie seemed quite angry though he reined it in as he still looked at Oden as the next Shogun. The quivering snake, on the other hand, was shaking like a baby. Snot dribbled out from his wide nose and tears swamping out from his eyes. "O-O-Oden-sama, I-I-Iбн!" The wild aura being released from Oden was enough to force the teenager into a severely shocked state, unable to form words. Damien stood up and grabbed Oden''s shoulder, pulling him back. . Yasuie shot up as well. Glaring at the three. Eventually, he gazed at the messy servant, "Speak up, Orochi, I''ll allow you to tell your side." Orochi gulped, slowly inching to the exit. *Thud* Though his body collided with the duo of Kin''emon and Denjiro who had removed their weapons as well. The influx of such hostility made Orochi run to the nearest source of lightбн Toki. He tried crawling to the girl who was originally shining with kindness and warmth but was met with cautious eyes. "Damien-san wouldn''t say such things without reason," the green-haired girl firmly stated. "Your best choice is to be honest." Instead of bringing relief to the boy, the words made him angry. The weak and timid appearance was overtaken by eyes filled with malice and pure hatred. Orochi looked around, every exit blocked, and exploded in his fury, "Y-You! I had to live through hell because of Wano! All because of my grandfather''s actions! I won''t be hunted down like a dog any longer!" Boom! With his vicious comments, the boy erupted with a vile light. His body began to grow and transform. Thick, reptilian legs took over his limbs as his body grew larger and larger. *Fwooo* His neck elongated like a snake as seven other separate heads sprouted from his chest, totalling eight. Orochi''s body took on a dark green colour as serpentine faces appeared at the top of the heads, forming a fearsome spawn. A hydra-like beast, the Yamata-no-Orochi! [Image (in Discord)] "Gufufufu! I''ve wanted to kill you all!" Each of the heads soon shot out in different directions, their maws widening to devour the others whole. "What a monstrous creature!" Kin''emon reacted as he slashed at the head. Yasuie drew his blade as well, taken aback by how things turned out. Oden growled, "Orochi, your slimy snake always gave me the creeps, I''ll cut you apart!" . "Oden Two-Sword Style: Samurai Great Spirit!" . His Haki-clad blades shot forth at the collection of heads, slashing and cleaving them one by one. *Thud* *Splutter* One by one, each of the heads fell, beheaded. Blood shot out from the open throats as the beast roared out in pain. "Auughh!" Orochi''s body thumped to the floor, reappearing as a feeble boy once more. *Shing!* A thin cut appeared on his remaining head, threatening to chop it off at any second. The boy frantically waved his hands, as if asking for mercy, "Stop! Stop! I-I surrender, please!" Oden snorted, unfazed by the cries for help: "Speak, who are you?" Orochi gulped, his Adam''s apple touched the edge of the blade while some droplets of blood leaked out. "M-My name is Kurozumi Orochiбн." Yasuie''s eyes widened as his body started glowing in anger. "No wonder he is so vile at heart, Semimaru, that bastard who sought to take over Wano decades ago is his grandfather! The same man who killed the heads of every other Major Clan but the Kozuki!" "Kurozumiбн," Toki muttered, recalling the tale Shogun Sukiyaki had told. The story concluded with her entire lineage being cut in Wano by the hands of the traitorous Kurozumi. Damien saw her anger spark for the first time, watching the turn of events from the side. . "Why are you here?" Oden continued the interrogation. Orochi began tweeting like a bird as he felt his life on the line, "I-I want to be the Shogun of Wano, to make those who hunted me down since my birth into my dogs! I am owed that little!" Denjiro, who had disappeared to check Orochi''s, soon came out from the back carrying a sack of items. The thick bags hit the ground as the contents leaked out: bars of gold. "That''s the gold Orochi accused Oden-sama of stealing!" Kin''emon declared. "You bastard, you tried to turn Yasuie-sama against us!" "P-Please spare me!" Orochi cried out as the blades got closer to his head. "I''m just a kid!" Oden scoffed. "When I was your age, I was carving rivers to help the drought-ridden Flower Capital so that the people had fresh water to drink!" ''And flooded it,'' Yasuie thought to himself, recalling Oden''s exploits. *Swish* Not even the air was forgiven as the two swords slashed down and decapitated the enemy, the fat head of Orochi spinning off. Blood dyed the ground, as the fallen body could only twitch in the final embers of life. "..." A momentary silence arrived as the beast-like body of Orochi remained immobile, dripping with fresh blood as it seeped into the wooden floorboards. The emergence of the hydra-like creature had already left the Estate with shredded wood and ripped walls. . Damien''s heavy boots walked across the bloodied floors as he reached down and placed his hand on the beheaded Orochi. "A waste of a Mythical Fruit, I''ll give you a better user," Damien muttered under his breath. The extended arm turned gray as white fern-like patterns appeared, shining brightly. The body began to twitch, almost as if it was feigning death, under Damien''s powers. Not long after, a purple fruit with a lime-green stem was pulled out. [Fruit Image (in Discord)] Damien tossed the fruit up and down, then pocketed it away. Regardless of the outcome, Orochi was a hundred percent dead. . The pirate''s intimidating eyes fell on the others, leaving his final piece of advice, "There''s no way this fool could hatch such a plan, he probably has people helping him." It was a shuddering thought. The same clan that almost took over Wano a while back was close to rejuvenating itself right under the nose of a Daimyo. What they didn''t know was that Damien long knew the identities of the other snakes hiding in the gutters, planning the fall of Wano. Such pieces of information he chose against unveiling just yet. At the end of the day, he was a pirate, not a saint. . Oden sighed as he eyed the corpse. "Damien, I owe you thanks for opening my eyes, or my ears in this case," he lightly chuckled. Though his seriousness warped into a gleeful smile. "So, can you take me out of Wano now?" The words resulted in a giggle from Toki, a sigh from Kin''emon and Denjiro and an audible facepalm from Yasuie. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 70: Forging History "Oden!" Yasuie roared out as he heard the familiar words uttered by the rebellious Samurai. "Wahaha! I''m kidding, Uncle, don''t slash at me!" the exiled boy yelled as the blade shot at him. "I get it now, I''m not ready to go and leave Wano defencelessбн that rat Orochi was a wake-up call." Oden, who had a brash and bold nature, also had enough smarts to put two and two together. After all, Orochi must have had a lot of outside help to grow under Yasuie for over a year while completely escaping the eyes of the Samurai and Ninja who were known for their stealth and surveilling nature. A budding threat at the root of one of the major regions of Wano and no one knew about it. . Oden then looked at Damien with some thought, "Why are you helping me so much, have you decided to take me from here? Very good!" The pirate rolled his eyes, slowly becoming immune to Oden''s minuscule brain cell count. "Didn''t you hear me, Wano is a pot of gold everyone will chase after. Naturally, I will too." "..." The frank words drew the eyes of everyone. The pirate returned a grin and had little desire to hide his intentions. "A turbulent event will happen soon and it will unleash the beasts onto the world in no time, even Wano won''t be spared. I need my cards prepared and this land will be one of them." Though his tone shifted to a slightly unimpressed one. "That aside, I suggest you fix yourself up. Wano is weak right now. The Samurai are clustered; the experienced ones are getting older and the younger ones have no contact with outside threats." "On top of that, your Ninja failed to spot a grave threat like the Kurozumi while allowing chaos to thrive in Kuri." The pirate''s face grew more and more disapproving as he finished his critique, "All in all, Wano is a mess with their only heir apparent running around like a spoiled brat." Oden backed up, taking in invisible arrows to his chest, flopping on the floor under the volley of the stray bullets. Kin''emon and Denjiro grumbled at the words of their homes being referred to as trash. . Damien glared at the dramatic Oden and thought to himself, ''I guess Kaido''s arrival is what sharpened Wano to a decent force, but right now they''re too used to peace.'' "Do yourself a favour and mend your bond with your father. Fix up your country and realign its forces," Damien advised. "Only then do you have a chance of changing the isolation policy for the betterment of Wano." The exiled son remained quiet for a while, swamped on the floor, rethinking his life. "Hmm, Lord Shogun won''t take me back; I''m not the type to live under all those tiresome rules and traditions!" Damien returned a shrug, "You don''t have to, just mend your ties and, well, rein in your unruliness a little. If anything, you can bring the country together and take over under your father''s guidance." "Oden," Yasuie nodded from the side," if you tell the Shogun about the Kurozumi survivors, I''m sure he will favour you." Toki clapped her hands, pleased with the way things were going. . Oden slowly stood up, "Okay, okay! Stop! I need some air to absorb all that information!" *Whizz!* He dashed out of the room and into the busy streets of Hakumai. His two retainers tailed him down, leaving three people at the estate. "That boy," Yasuie muttered with a thin smile, "he''s a little slow but it seems there''s a budding flame in his eyes that wasn''t there before." бн [A Week Later] Days went by as the time for the appointment with Katsuyoshi had come. He had arrived at the decrepit house. *Knock* *Knock* "..." "Oi, old man, if you''re gonna croak, do it after my weapon is forged!" *Creak* The door slid open with a loud thwack and the hinges tore open from the force as the door frame fell apart. "You brat! Look what you did! Now I''ll have to get some lumber and fix it all, you damn kid!" He doubled in anger once more as his very beard seemed to rise in fury. Damien cleared his throat, "Alright, my bad. Don''t burden your heart with all that blood pressure." Katsuyoshi snorted, "I can''t die till my ambition is fulfilled; death can wait like the brat he is!" Damien found the grumpy man funny, unable to hold in his chuckle. . "Well, are you ready?" the senior swordsmith questioned the pirate. The pirate hummed as he looked at the worn-out bin outside the house, "Say, old man, are you gonna use those swords over there?" Katsuyoshi trailed his eyes over and saw the bin and replied with a look of distaste, "Hell no, the only thing they''re useful for is scratching my back." Damien smirked and walked over to the bin. He opened it and was met with the shine of the masterfully crafted weapons. The pirate''s hands went through the stash of dozens of weapons, choosing the best of them. бн A few moments later, five swords lay on the cracked soil below. Each had also been Deprived of any minuscule dust and rust and brought to perfection. . Katsuyoshi waddled over, "The hell you up to, you unruly squirt?" Damien didn''t answer, he simply extended a palm to the five swords. ''Complete the exchange,'' he ordered Sibyl. *Vvooo~* The {Equal Exchange} ability fired up as the blades soon hovered in the air with an ominous shiver. A light brown hue fell on the barren lawn as the blades were freed from the handle and guard of the katana. They began to spaz in the air, uncontrollably trembling. *Poof* And they were gone. "..." You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Katsuyoshi blinked at the display, wiping his tired eyes as if thinking he was in an illusion. The light brown light shined once more as a purple brick of ore appeared. Boom! It slammed into the ground, leaving a crater behind. A bright gleam glistened from the heap of metal, shining dully in the autumn sun. "Boyбн this!" Damien walked up and traced his fingers on the chunk of metal. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Universellium Ore] [An ore that had crashed in the One Piece world 1000 years ago and eventually used to craft the 12 Supreme Grade Meito.] [Enough for 1 weapon.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Ore Image (in Discord)] Damien smiled with contentment, greatly pleased with the result. Though his body was soon shoved to the side as the feeble Katsuyoshi jumped onto the ore, hugging it with all his might. His hands dug into the ore so much that blood dribbled out from under his weathered nails, "T-This is it! I''ve waited so long for this! A hundred and eighty yearsбн my wishes have been answered!!!" His wrinkly hands traced the metal as if hating the idea of letting go. Tears fell from his fossilized face, a deep sense of fulfillment emanating from him. . "So, old man, can you do it?" The words brought the weeping swordsman out of his reverie. Katsuyoshi jumped down and ripped off his shirt, showing off thick and firm muscles; ten-pack abs and a shredded body built over a century of manual labour. "KOKOKO! Brat, I don''t know how you did it, and I don''t care how you did it. just wait, I''ll make a weapon worthy of carrying the weight of the heavens themselves!" The declaration came with a resounding boom of energy that shot out in all directions, bringing the birds above and animals scurried about, to the ground, unconscious. . The living fossil led Damien into the smithy that had been fixed up and ready to be fired up. *Crackle* Katsuyoshi lit the flame and added some reagents that riled up the blue fire to great proportions. A spanning pot was prepared right above the flame, causing it to glow a blazing red. *Purrup* The boiling heat began steaming as the moisture in the air evaporated, leaving a sizzling-hot cauldron. Damien threw in the Universellium Ore at Katsuyoshi''s command. A wave of heat burst out that was hot enough to melt human skin. It took but a few moments to melt the solid ore into a liquid as the blue flame below continued its ravaging heat. "..." Katsuyoshi watched with hawk-like vision, examining the ore as it got to the desired level. "Now!" He moved fast as lightning, tilting the pot to the side, allowing the molten metal to flow into a previously prepared mould. *Szzzz* The air cried in agony as the heat caused an absurd amount of water vapour to materialize, blanketing the room with its foggy nature. Katsuyoshi was not bothered; his bronze skin was long immune to such heat. He instead watched with great attention while the liquid metal filled up the mould to its necessary levels. He moved around a metal prong that distributed the metal into every small crevice, ensuring it reached every nook and cranny. бн Two hours passed as the mould was filled. Katsuyoshi then grabbed two large hammers and went on a frenzy. Clang! Boom! Thwack! Bang! Clang! Boom! Dozens of rhythmic explosions echoed through Hakumai. They resounded every three seconds, loud enough to awaken the dead. "What''s going on?" "Is it the final hour?" "It''s so loud!" Thousands of people scrambled outбкsome panicking, some curious, some fearful. "Calm down, you all!" Yasuie declared as he knew of what was to come. His eyes could not help but be drawn to the huge cloud of smokey air on the distant edge of the region. "He actually got old man Katsuyoshi to work, but this ringing is a little too much!" Clang! Boom! Thwack! Bang! The unforgiving sound shook the town to its very roots. *Rumble* "The heavens are angry!" a zealous old man cried out. The others looked up and saw arcs of lightning spawn in the clouds above. Thunder crackled, further amplified by the constant clanging. бн Damien narrowed his eyes, rapidly sending out particles of Pulverizing energy to break apart into electricity. It seemed the very hammer striking the metal was enough to light it with plasma, and naturally heat. The walls of the smithy had melted away while the loose electric charge was swept into the air, creating a thunderous cloud above. It was no heavenly phenomenon, rather, just a build-up of electrons. Katsuyoshi breathed heavily, though he did not stop for a moment. His hammer had already melted away, forcing him to bring out twenty spare ones. Clang! Bang! Boom! бн Oden, who was sleeping under the graceful wind, was awakened by the crazy situation. "What the hell is going on!" He scrambled to his feet, reaching for his blades. "Huh? Enma, Ame-no-Habakiri, what''s wrong with you two?" he muttered. The trusted weapons his seniors had gifted him were trembling. Every famed blade had sentience, the higher their quality, the higher their level of intelligence, showcasing the unique situation''s effect on Oden''s weapons. He looked at the huge plume of smoke headed with a furious cloud and exclaimed, "Amazing! That''s where Damien went, looks like I''m late to the party!" бн Similar things happened all over Wano. The ones with famed swords were reacting to the creation of a new blade. While the general public was awakened by the distant clanging that echoed all through the country. Hyogoro, Raizen and Sukiyaki, all were taken to their feet. "What is it?" The question was shared by most as the cloud of smoke and building storm were far too sudden and out of the ordinary. бн Even Ringo, a land far North of Wano, felt rhythmic tremors. In the cold building of the Daimyo, the very wooden floor seemed to shake. Ushimaru could not help but unsheath his blade, "What''s wrong with you?" he asked the quivering blade. "Is it that young man? Looks like he fulfilled his wishes." бн Clang! Hakumai continued to shake while Katsuyoshi hammered away. "Almost done!" he declared, though his eyes were still glued to the hot metal. The sheer crimson light was bright to the point that it could blind the average man. "Get the handle," the swordsmith ordered Damien. The pirate looked to the side and saw the long wooden handle made from Adam''s Oak, polished and durable as a mountain. Damien gently placed the handle into its designated area near the bottom of the blades; meanwhile, Katsuyoshi fitted the handle in place and added the necessary joints to ensure it would not come loose. He then picked up a new hammer and went at it again. Boom! Clang! Bang! The blade was soon complete, much to Wano''s relief. BOOM! A final explosion graced the region as the banging calmed down. . "Now, brat! You got a minute before the blade wakes up, add in your sorcery with Ryuo!" Damien did not need to be told twice. He placed his hand on the blade ripe with flames and electricity. *Purrup* A current of pulverizing energy channelled out from his body, through his arm and into the blade. At the same time, a bubble of gentle Emission Haki was inputting itself into the blade. The Ryuo opened a path for the pulverizing energy to seep into the blade. *Bzzzz* The ground began to shake as the blade rejected the energy. Damien did not stop, rather, he increased the input of Devil Fruit''s power. Second by second, the warped metal began to shake loudly as the crimson energy seeped into its very molecules, attaching itself to every atom. The purple blade was soon transformed into a blazing red colour as it inhaled the energy. *Fuuuu* Crimson mist formed as the excess fruit power formed gaseous collections of destruction. . Katsuyoshi could no longer stay near, his body was soon ringing with the tiny particles of destruction leaking out, forcing him to leave. His three-foot frame waddled out from the destroyed house, meeting a tired Yasuie. "Old man ''Yoshi, what''s going on!" The fossil couldn''t care less about the mayhem as his eyes remained glued to the ruined smithy, "Hedgehog-brat, just watch, a true treasure is about to be born!" The nearby Samurai who had arrived were also taken aback by the words. "Oi, Oi, old man fossil, is Damien in there?" Naturally, the words came from Oden. "Hehe, I''m going in!" As if to confirm his brash nature, Oden jumped ahead into the plume of volatile red, his curiosity taking over. A grin of pure glee was glued to the exiled noble''s face as he felt the collection of hellacious energy. *Fwooo* Yet his towering frame was soon halted. "Whaaaat iiissss goooing oonnnnnn!!!?" Oden''s words were all jumbled up as his body was frozen in the air, a green halo surrounded his body like a shell. "It''s better you wait here, Oden-san," a soft voice came from the side, originating from a green-haired girl. Toki eyed the plume of smoke and warned, "Damien-san doesn''t want any interruptions, please stand back!" Yasuie narrowed his eyes onto the girl''s arm which was encircled with a green ring, "I underestimated the Amatsuki girl, to think she also has such powerful sorcery from the outside world!" he muttered in shock. At closer inspection, it was evident that Oden was not necessarily frozen in the air, rather, his body was greatly slowed down, barely moving an inch at a time. BOOOM! An explosion shook the earth. Cracks appeared all over the surrounding land, leaving dozens of people to lose their balance. "What now?" Kin''emon muttered in the wake of the boom. Hundreds of people stared at the origin of the smoke as they felt the air change. Toki released Oden who fell to the ground with a thud, his swords trembling louder and louder. "Wahahaha!" the samurai laughed, glancing up from the floor with burning eyes. "That guy got an incredible weapon!" The onlookers watched as the air grew sharp and a howling wind broke out. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* Rhythmic steps resounded under the shadow cast by the smoke and slowly but surely, a silhouette was visible. "бн" Silence pervaded as the figure cleared up. Damien''s familiar stature was seen as he held up a mighty weapon with his left hand. A wide shadow was cast under the blazing blade. Yasuie gulped at the sight of the newly born weapon. It had a dull staff-like handle that was connected to the body of a great sword. It was beyond an orthodox blade; the metal body held together a thick blade which coiled around and formed a pincer-like edge with seething red mist emanating from the dreaded weapon. Katsuyoshi looked at the spectacle, unable to stop his tears of joy. The man''s olden voice resounded the region, filled with emotion and pride, "There it isбн the Thirteenth Blade!" The sun was perfect at noon, shining a single ray through the hellish cloud above and onto the pirate grasping the violent weapon. A few words escaped the pirate''s mouth as his eyes were locked onto the pulsating blade, "You will be ''Ryushi'' meaning ''particle'' as you render everything to dust." The weapon responded with an audible hum, emanating with tyrannous spirit, declaring its birth to all of Wano and the world beyond. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 71: A Fruit Worth Cultivating [Room of Authority, Mariejois] "What''s the matter, Nusjuro?" an Elder questioned his bald colleague who suddenly paused in his duties. The bald man could not help but reach for his treasured blade. Shing! A sharp whistle went off as the glorious blade was unsheathed. "My Shodai Kitetsu has never been so erraticбн something has happened!" The other Elders also straightened themselves in their seats. "Could it beбн?" Saturn muttered. V. Nusjuro clenched his teeth, "A thirteenth blade was forged!" ---------------------------------------------- [An Island in the North Blue] A dinghy sailed across the calm seas of the North Blue and featured an unconventional shape with a whimsical sail and subtle carvings, set against gently rolling waves under a bright sky. A lean and lax man lay across a simple dinghy, sailing past a wealthy island. His rather lanky frame covered the entire vessel; his head leaning on one end and his feet on the other. At his side was a heavy double-edged blade, one which was impossible to wield in one hand. It featured intricate dark patterns that gave the appearance of etchings or runes, overlaid with a subtle red glow reminiscent of embers. However, its glory was entirely masked by a dull layer of rust and dried blood, making it seem rather worthless. "Oya?" The man looked past his messy white hair and toward the large blade with a hint of intrigue. *Brr* *Brr* The weapon was vibrating as if receiving a phone call. *Tut* The man placed aside the giant canister of alcohol next to a few barrels of more of the fine liquid and flashed a grin. "Vahaha! Looks like there''s still some romance left in the New World!" ---------------------------------------------- [An Island in the New World] "Captain Roger, why''d you stop drinking?" They addressed the mustachioed man at the center of the party. Roger traced his fingers along his companion in battle. The blade pulsed in return. "My Ace is feeling lively, hehe, let''s party some more!" ---------------------------------------------- [Back to Wano] Damien examined the rugged and wild nature of the weapon in his grasp. The staff-like handle, the longsword body and the pincer-like claws that formed the blades that were perpetually blazing red. It was unlike a spear, sword or glaive, with the capability to strike, slash, stab and smash. "You will be ''Ryushi'' meaning particle, as you will render everything to dust." A soft hum drummed out, almost as if the blade was alive! And it truly was. "It won''t be long before the world sees you in your glory," the pirate whispered. In response, he felt a gentle rumble in the blade, almost as if it was excited. . "Damien-dono, is that, by any chanceбн?" The pirate in question looked at the shaken Daimyo, however before he could answer, something else happened. *Rumble* A bolt of lightning struck a tree nearby, igniting it immediately. Rain fell copiously as the storm above had grown violent. The howling winds returned as they threatened to take the others into flight. . Damien looked up at the gigantic cloud. Arcs of lightning visibly crackled, ready to rain hell below. "Run!" "There''s no escape!" The pirate clicked his tongue, "Show me what you got, Ryushi." Damien pointed the clawed edge to the ground, raising the blade diagonally downwards. His arm muscles flexed as the weapon pulsed with the crushing energy. *Vvooo!* The pirate slashed across, arcing the weapon to send out a crimson burst of energy that ripped the air to shreds. It was violent and volatile, one wrapped with the essence of pulverization. Boom! The storming cloud cried out as the thunder exploded into a bright spectacle, blinding those below. The collection of static charge and moisture was dissolved away and cut up into sizes far smaller than the eye could see. "..." Peace returned as the huge cloud the size of all of Hakumai was utterly dismantled. The bright rays of the sun graced the earth once more, bathing the panic-struck spectators with warmth. "Just one strike of that weapon and the entire thunderstorm is gone!" "Is this the power of a god?" Damien twirled the blade in circles, leaving a crimson trail behind. Boom! A strand of pulverizing energy leaked past the weapon and carved itself into the ground, shattering it apart. "I didn''t even use my Devil Fruit ability, it seems Ryushi truly absorbed my power and made it its own," Damien muttered. "It''s hard to rein it into control, It''ll take a while to get a hang of," the pirate told himself, The damage done to the nearby land was a bit of a problem, after all, he couldn''t be doing that on a ship and risk capsizing. . However, a booming voice soon brought him out of his reverie, drawing eyes from every corner of Hakumai. "KOKOKOKO, FINALLY I HAVE DONE IT! I HAVE FULFILLED MY AMBITION AND CAN FINALLY DIE WITHOUT REG-" Thud. Katsuyoshi was declaring his heart out with a spanning grin until he suddenly fell to the ground, dead. Nearby personnel confirmed that the ''Divine Blacksmith'' Katsuyoshi passed away at the age of 182 after forging a Supreme Grade weapon. бн Damien personally held the funeral of the old man. Summoning everyone at Hakumai to attend. It was a celebration! Katsuyoshi told death to wait until he was done, and now he was. Tears would only bring dishonour to a man who died without regrets! Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Yasuie also arranged a transport to take his coffin to be buried along with the greatest heroes of Wano at the Northern Cemetery, next to the grave of the Sword God Ryuma! ---------------------------------------------- [The Following Night] Damien had spent time learning his weapon. Ryushi was born under the embrace of his pulverizing fruit power. It practically became a generator that could create that very energy itself. ''Pulverizing Blade'' Ryushi. It was an intrinsic quality of the weapon. Some swords could ignite into flames, while a few churn with electricity, in the same light, Damien''s weapon could generate pulverizing energy naturally. "Oh, amazing! Let me try that weapon too, Damien!" The excited voice came from the gleeful noble son, Oden. His eyes shined bright as he expectantly looked at the pirate in front of him. "Sure thing," the pirate said as he threw the treasure blade over. Oden reached out, grabbing Ryushi by its handle. He oohed and ahhed, swinging and slashing, "It''s terribly well-balanced!" he commented in admiration. Though his excitement dialled down with a hiss as Oden felt the pores of his skin get dug into with some minute power. "The hell!? Ow, ow ow!" Oden could not help but drop the weapon as he blew on his hands. "It hurts!" *Fwooo* He breathed heavily onto the hands that had begun to bleed, the pain drilling into the nerves and shaking up his central nervous system. . Damien picked Ryushi up who gave a dull hum, almost as if angered by swordsman''s boldness to wield it. It even pulsed with a red light, washing away the oily fingerprints. "Oden, come with me to the Flower Capital, I will help you clear your name," Damien said. The samurai made a ''yuck'' face as if throwing up at the thought of meeting his father. Meanwhile, Kin''emon and Denjiro sighed as they wiped away the blood on their master''s hands. "Oden, you didn''t just come here to try out my weapon, right? Just admit it that even a man as crass as you can feel accountable for his actions." бн Darkness has arrived over the Daimyo''s Estate. "Yasuie-san, have you dispatched your men?" Damien asked the Hedgehog. The Daimyo returned a nod, "I released the Samurai of Hakumai to trace down and eliminate the Kurozumi survivors." He then placed three wooden sticks with names etched onto them. They read: Kurozumi Kanjuro. Kurozumi Higurashi. Kurozumi Semimaru. "Our historians were able to trace these three down the Kurozumi Clan, they are distant relatives and just their births are documented. It seems they were able to escape from Wano." Damien was surprised by the intel. It seemed Wano did have quite the system of tracking their own. "Since you are aware of their exploits into the seas, you should be wary of the possibility that they hold Devil Fruit powers." Oden and Yasuie both paused in thought. "Sorcery from the seas, indeed," the Daimyo nodded. "Though I recall you stated they have a weakness?" Damien smiled, "Mhm, there is a certain mineral in Wano itself that can help you contain these threats. I intend to talk more with your Shogun on this matter." Yasuie nodded once more, "I see, I''ll leave it up to Sukiyaki-dono then." ... Time came to an end as the five left for the Flower Capital, under the grace of the moon. The carriage had been vastly expanded. Pulled by six fully-grown horses capable of surviving terrible conditions. Oden was even taller than Damien so naturally their transportation had to accommodate it. . It was around four in the morning. Denjiro and Kin''emon had fallen asleep and were sprawled over the floorboards, their feet in each others'' faces. Toki was reading a book on Pharmacology, enjoying her studies. Oden sat in the corner, drinking some sakиж. "Hmm, I still prefer swords, carrying that big thing around looks troublesome," Oden frankly commented. He patted his treasured swords that meekly fit within their scabbards. Damien turned toward Ryushi who gently lay before him and in the space between the two. "Perhaps you should rethink that." His words came with a flick of the wrist and the weapon was soon enveloped in a crimson bubble. *Krrr* Sounds of pixelation went off as the mighty weapon shattered into innumerable shiny particulates, gently floating in the air. Oden''s jaw dropped as he saw Damien wave the countless pieces around after they finally formed a ring over his left middle finger, one with a detailed black dragon design coiling around a red gemstone. [Ring Image (in Discord)] "How pretty!" Toki commented, seeing the gem glisten under the lanterns of the carriage. "Hmm, looks like Ryushi has a bit of an ego too," Damien muttered, tracing a thumb over ring that pulsed with heat. Bang! Oden stood up, banging his head on the ceiling, and sat back down while sporting the bump on his dome. "No one told me that weapons could do that!" Damien shrugged, "Just a little thing I found out when I was training for Ryuo. Hehe, my powers are more than just destruction." "Since Ryushi was configured with my powers, naturally I can mould it as I wish." Oden gulped at the information, "Wait, so you can turn it into any weapon you wish?" "Yeah, be it a traditional sword or a warhammer, I can make it," the pirate nodded. "Though I''m not a weapon master and have no intention of shifting through tens of them." "it is cooler than your knives, no?" The Samurai looked to the side, somewhat annoyed, "I wish mine could do that tooбн" *Buzz* *Buzz* His words sparked the anger of Enma and Ame-no-Habakiri who violently shook in fury, forcing Oden to calm them down with some cheap words. . After that episode, he turned to the girl. "Also Amatsuki woman! I almost forgot you froze me in the air, what was all that!?" Toki put aside her book and tilted her head. "Hmm, well, since time flows at a certain rate, I figured out how to slow it down," she casually replied. "I read that there were always grave worries of people bleeding to death from uncontrolled hemorrhaging and infection so slowing them in time helps a lot!" Damien leaned his cheek onto his fist, thinking over a discussion from a month ago. It was when Toki brought the idea of ''freezing'' wounds in time while he made a few connections to physics. Time was considered the fourth dimension and flowed at a fixed rate of 1.0 spacetime units. It brought Damien to a thought: ''Toki''s Devil Fruit allows for positive time manipulation, so as long as she shifts time between 0.0 and 1.0, she can effectively slow down time.'' . Oden frowned, rubbing his head in confusion. "Slowing down time is messed up and it made me feel so woozy!" Damien nodded in agreement, "It''s certainly a little broken." Toki heard the compliments and smiled back, "Anyone with high enough Haki can break out of my powers but at least I can help keep things under control!" бн [Eight Hours Later] The morning sun graced the lands of Wano. The warmth brought joy to the horses as they arrived at their destination. "I didn''t think I''d return to the Flower Capital so soon," Oden murmured as he breathed in the familiar and homely air. The people took notice right away. "Damien-sama is here!" "Lady Toki always looks bright." Yet their words warped into invisible arrows instantly. "Who are those three refugees that struck a ride with them?" "Damien-sama is really generous, giving a ride to the homeless inside his carriage!" "We of Wano should learn such benevolence!" The exiled son''s face slumped, almost melting off under the dozens of fingers being pointed at him. "Oden, the foolish man, is back! Hide your wives and daughters!" . However, Damien also got off the transport and drew away the attention once again. "At least Lord Damien seems far more responsible than that troublemaker." "The guest from afar is more charming, I wouldn''t mind if my wife spent a night with him." "He''s worthy of the most beautiful woman of Wano!" бн Oden almost fell to the ground, all the while Denjiro and Kin''emon wanted to shove their heads into the dirt like ostriches. "Looks like your reputation precedes you," Damien said as he gave him a friendly slap on the back. Toki, on the other hand, seemed to have heard some other comments and subconsciously glanced at the leading pirate. It was quite a dramatic arrival. бн [Shogun''s Manor] Sukiyaki stared at the five people in his office. Toki sat to Damien''s right while Oden and his retainers sat to the left. "Damien-dono, welcome back," the man said with a thin smile. He side-eyed his ''son'' who grinned at the scowl of his ''father'', "I didn''t expect you to bring back suchбн loud company." Sukiyaki sighed, thinking about a different story, "By any chance, were the recent ''unusual'' events over Wano caused by you?" Damien nodded and casually answered, "Oh right, the late Katsuyoshi forged me a Supreme Grade Weapon so it caused a bit of a ruckus, but nothing too bad." "Ah, I see. You got a Supreme Weapon." "..." The Shogun blinked. He turned to the side and looked at Toki who smiled in some confusion. He then turned to the Captain of the Ninja Forces, Kaka Shi, with the same look. He then returned to Damien. "Youбн Did you say a Supreme Grade Weapon?" "That''s right." "What!?" Sukiyaki gulped, hoping to calm his heart, "You know, I''m somewhat of a swordsmith myself." "I crafted Sandai Kitetsu and Ame-no-Habakiri of Twenty-One Great Blades," he explained. "They were modelled after the Nidai Kitetsu that was made by my ancestor, Kotetsu. Though to bring about a Supreme Weapon is well beyond my imagination." He rubbed his temple, recalling the old Shimotsuki man who had recently passed, raising his respect for Katsuyoshi to the level of Ryuma. Sukiyaki finally sighed, proceeding to address the elephant in the room. "May I know what Oden is doing here?" The prized son chuckled, "What''s this, Lord Shogun won''t even regard his own blood? Wahaha!" The Shogun frowned, he did not enjoy Oden''s company. "Sukiyaki, I brought this fool to help clear his name. You see he uncovered a ploy by some surviving Kurozumi Clan Survivors that wanted to kill you and take over Wano," Damien casually answered once more. "Ah, I see. So you found some Kurozumi Survivors who wanted to take over Wano." "..." "What!?" Another conversation came up. "So you''re telling me that the Voice of the Universe helped you find those Kurozumi scum, that sounds familiarбн I recall my father once telling me about that." "That''s right, Oden can also hear the voices." Sukiyaki nodded, cupping his chin, "Oh, my estranged son holds the power to listen to it?" "What!?" "..." This time, Damien spoke up first. "Sukiyaki, I brought him here so that you give him another chance, he may be dim-witted, a no-good fool and surely not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he does have some use." The Shogun resolutely nodded at Damien''s words, much to Oden''s chagrin. "What do you propose?" This time, it was Toki who chimed in. "I think Kuri is a good place to start," she offered. "It is the single region that is swamped with the ill-bred and unfortunate folks, I think Oden-san will fit in quite well." Sukiyaki nodded in thought. Oden felt a volley of invisible arrows pierce his chest as he heard the incessant barrage of casual insults. . "I don''t know, Oden tends to ruin all my hard work, how can I be sure that he doesn''t make Kuri even worse?" This time, Oden stood up, pointing his finger out. "Lord Shogun, the Flower Capital is too restrictive for me, I will just take all the Nobles'' wives and do it myself if you don''t send me to Kuri with your blessing!" The words brought seething anger to the Shogun who cracked the brush in his hands. "Fine, Oden! As the Shogun of Wano, I will send you to Kuri to reform the lands and fix all the wrongs! I don''t want any of the thugs and the criminals remaining before you ever think to return here again!" Sukiyaki declared. Oden smirked triumphantly, "I wouldn''t want it any other way!" The two began bickering back and forth, Denjiro and Kin''emon trying to calm them down. A task they failed at. Toki giggled at the side: "They get along quite well." Damien slightly smiled, "Hmm, perhaps Wano does have a chance of becoming a future Superpower." Toki clapped her hands in thrill, "I hope Wano can truly one day open its beauty to the rest of the world." Though under Damien''s lax expression was a more calculated one. The pirate narrowed his eyes, thinking to himself, ''Wano is truly a fruit worth cultivating, but I need to wait till it''s fully ripe!'' To Be Continuedбн Chapter 72: Embracing The conversation with Sukiyaki went on as planned, eventually reaching a new topic. "So this ''sea prism stone'' can inhibit those who utilize these Devil Fruits you mentioned?" Sukiyaki asked for confirmation. Damien nodded, "That''s right, and Wano is home to huge deposits of such ores. There''s a good chance that you have already used it in your metal products without even knowing of its power." Sukiyaki understood the concept and found it quite useful. "I see, so it may be of great use for the other Kurozumi Survivors in the area, if anything, we can use it to ensure their sorcery does not escape our eyes." "I take it that such an ore is quite valuable to the outside seas?" Damien nodded, "For sure, just about anyone would want to get their hands on Seastone, including myself." Sukiyaki raised an eyebrow at the last part. "As per your aid, naturally we can provide you as much of this ore as you need, Damien-dono." The pirate smiled, accepting the gift. "I will send our miners to locate the ore, we can talk more about it later." . Beyond that, there were some small things to be addressed, though it concluded the day with both sides leaving satisfied. Oden alongside his retainers, left for Kuri right away, preferring those warring lands over the calm Capital. бн Leaving the office, Damien ended up meeting an old man. "Raizen-sensei, been a while," he greeted the short old man. "Looks like you got your wish for that weapon, though you nearly gave me a heart attack in the process with that ruckus you caused." Damien returned a wry smile, "Well, it wasn''t my intention. If anything, I will probably need your help to become more fluent with the weapon now." The old man nodded, "You''re welcome to find me tomorrow. I too wish to see the might of a Supreme Blade." бн The tranquil capital had welcomed news of a powerful blade being forged by the late Katsuyoshi, hailing him as a hero all over the land. Damien''s Ryushi was also officially inducted into the Meito Records by the Shimotsuki Clan, signed by Sukiyaki and Ushimaru. It was a truly historic moment for the Land of Samurai. Under the veil of the joyful capital was the immediate deployment of the more hidden forces under the Shogun. Sukiyaki had sent out all his Ninja and top samurai to scour from the Capital to the edges of Wano in an attempt to find the remaining traitorous Kurozumi. бн [Later that Night] Darkness had arrived at Wano, and most of its people were now asleep. A calm atmosphere fell at the Capital, all under the Shogun''s Estate. "Have you enjoyed yourself here so far, Toki?" Damien asked the girl leaning on the balcony rails with her hands. She breathed in the fresh air, not averting his gaze at the bright moon that had arisen. Damien stood behind her, their height difference had grown somewhat closer. She had already reached a respectable 8'' 7" from the highly nutritious diet of the Calm Belt Sea Kings (2.62 m). "I enjoyed Wano a lot, Damien-san. There was a time when I thought reaching here was nothing but a dream," she whispered into the veil of the night. Damien took in the gentle breeze. "Hmm?" though he soon found a weight resting on him. Tracing his eyes down, he saw the green-haired girl leaning the back of her head onto his chest. "I feel at ease around you, Damien-san," she murmured. "I haven''t felt this comfort since I began my journey over seven centuries ago." Toki turned around, looking up at the silent pirate and continued, "Through all those years of travel, seeing the worst of humanity, visiting Wano was the only thing that kept me going. I held onto that desire, blindly jumping through epochs." Toki''s bright eyes reflected her deep desire to make that wish true, locking on Damien''s crimson ones. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. "You brought me home," she stated with a heavy voice. "I know you have your reasons for helping Wano... but I''m really glad you did. Now I just want to wait for the day where this land can freely and safely open its walls to the rest of the world!" She then gave her usual shining smile, "You said you would do it and I believe you... I also hope to stay by your side to see it happen!" The passionate words echoed in the empty room, further amplified by the silence of the night. . Damien turned his gaze to the bright moon as if yearning for the starry heights. "One day, I will put up my own flag, one that will reign across the seas," he mused. "I need reliable members on my ship." He then turned to the enthralled girl, "I welcome you aboard as my ship doctor, Toki." The joy on the girl''s face was evident as she felt that her remaining goal within reach, though distant, was no longer an impossibility. She could not help but laugh at the happiness she felt. At that moment, another emotion entered her eyes as she glanced at Damien. The girl narrowed her eyes, almost as if to study what she was seeing. "..." "Damien-san, can I ask you something?" she suddenly asked. "Go ahead." The green-haired girl was rather frank with her question, "Are you afraid to love someone?" The question brought the pirate to a halt, catching him off-guard. Toki blinked in thought, "I called Aurora-san in the past few months and she warned me that it wouldn''t be too long before I... fell for your charm." "She said that it would be easier for me to break the walls in your heart than for her. I wasn''t sure what she meant then but now I do." "So are you afraid to love someone, Damien-san?" "..." Damien could not help but breathe out a dull breath. Aurora''s confession over three months ago had unveiled a few scars from his past. The pirate lightly sighed before locking eyes with the green-haired girl and airing his thoughts. "When I was seven years old," he began, drawing Toki''s attention, "my mother, alongside everyone I had ever known, was slaughtered within moments. It came out of nowhere, destroying every fabric of my reality." Damien subconsciously clenched his fists in the images flashing through his mind, his strong memory made it far worse. Toki wanted to speak but was silenced by the young pirate''s gaze. "That was the first time I felt such weakness. I laid in a dry well for hours, staring into the abyss with nothing more than my mother''s final words echoing in my head." He exhaled once more as the room fell silent. *Vvooo~* A quick breeze graced the two as Damien continued. "Ever since then, I decided to grab my destiny with my own two hands; driving my entire being to focus solely on that goal. Marines, pirates, it didn''t matter; I wanted to claw my way up no matter the cost." "I thought I had moved on from that night... but I guess it still left behind its scars." Dozens of memories rolled by once more, spanning from his mundane yet disastrous life to entering the hellish One Piece world of its most hellish era. The months spent living in the abyss of Hachinosu, surrounded by the worst humanity could offer. Hearing the deafening cries of slaves and prisoners being played with and tortured, day in and day out. . "I thought I finally became true to my nature as the Sin Incarnate... living amongst the scum of this world. And then I faced Enigma where he conjured an illusion of her again..." The pirate''s voice lightly trembled, a moment of weakness he hadn''t felt in a long time. He subconsciously looked at his left palm which shook in memory. The same hand he used to strangle his mother. "I know she wasn''t real but... it didn''t make it any easier." Damien''s path to power began at the death of his mother, though it came at the cost of the thick wall surrounding his heart. The pirate noticed some tears in the girl''s eyes, waking up from his reverie. "To answer your question, Toki," he slowly said, feeling her sympathy. "I''m not afraid to love someone, I''m afraid to lose the one I love." "..." Toki wiped away tears as she felt a new side of Damien. She beamed her usual smile once more, this time, reaching out to grab the young man''s hand. Her actions caught his attention, pulling him out of his memories. "Such a big world can''t be explored alone, Damien-san. If you continue your journey alone, it will run you mad." She tightened her grip to drive her point and continued. "I''m the daughter of a proud Samurai, he raised me to be a strong woman. My mother taught me to be kind and faithful to my husband," she explained. "Love is not a weakness, it makes life worth living." "Over the centuries, I lost that strength, but you helped me regain it. So let me help you this time around." Damien heard her heartfelt words, unable to look away from her bright green eyes. A certain understanding dawned on his mind, forcing him to take a breath of fresh air. At the same time, he echoed a few interesting words, "Husband? You sure do move fast." Toki lightly coughed, trying to mask her embarrassment. . Another breeze came and went, bringing clarity to the Sin Incarnate''s eyes. "I can see why Aurora was relying on you to ''open my heart''," Damien muttered. "It was quite convincing." He paused for a moment before repeating some familiar words, gazing at the moon once more, "Gather those who you can trust with your life. Marry a beautiful girl. Treasure them deeply for they will be your greatest strength." "Those were my mother''s last words, at first I thought they were something to worry about a long time later." He returned his gaze to Toki, who quietly listened. "Looks like my mother knew of my future troubles all those years ago," he couldn''t help but admit with a wry smile. Toki smiled in return, lightly laughing, "She sounds like a wonderful person." Then she felt Damien''s hand trace up from her chin and onto her cheek, she closed her eyes and leaned into the warmth. "It''s been in the back of my mind since Aurora brought it up," he said, looking at the girl. "But you should know that we pirates are greedy." The Sin Incarnate waited a moment and got no reply, feeling a form of affirmation in the silence. "Toki," he muttered, "if we do this, you''ll be stuck with me forever from now onбн" The girl finally opened her eyes, feeling Damien''s breath lean closer to herself. "Then it''s good that I have the power of time on my side," she softly answered, returning a playful smile. Damien could not help but smirk in return for the bold answer. Toki closed her eyes as Damien met her with a kiss to seal the deal, finally losing the final few chains that locked his heart away. "..." They both were lost in the loving moment, their exchange grew heated as the seconds ticked by. A soft gust of wind boomed as Toki was swiftly lifted off her feet and into Damien''s grasp. Toki yelped as she was carried into the room, the balcony doors closing in their wake, "D-Damien-san, isn''t this too fast?" she quivered, a hint of both nervousness and anticipation lingering in her tone. The pirate plopped her onto the bed, giving her a grin. "It might be the tradition of Samurai to wait and formulate everything out but we pirates are impatient by nature." The girl could not give out any rebuttal as a scene of passion fell in the grand room. No matter what, it was going to be a long night. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 73: Times of Disorder Both Chapters 72 and 73 were released together, make sure you did not accidentally skip the latter.

[Four Months Later] [An Island in the Grand Line] "They''re here! Get the goods ready!" "Roger!" Dozens of people scrambled at the port of a suspicious island. They each looked both distinguished and wily. Donning black suits as if a code to appear elegant. "Ward-sama will kill us if even a single package goes missing, at least with the new channel, it''s practically impossible to happen." A man by the side also chimed in, "Yorororo! The Styx Passage has brought us so many options that we are hardly even satisfying the demands in time!" "Seirahaha! Even the World Government looks jealous of our business!" бн A man overlooked the entire exchange. Tall stature with a full-black suit and tie to match his dark hair and stubble. He was an Underworld Emperor: The King of LoansбкAizen Ward! "Business is really goodбн too good," he thought to himself. "Raawr!" A giant Sea King soon appeared at the port, boasting a giant backpack-like crate strapped to its back. The men quickly ran around, filling the beast''s inventory with their goods. Five other Sea Kings also appeared, each with the same device to their back. "Controlling these weaker Sea Kings to transport contraband through the Calm Belts, I wouldn''t believe it if I hadn''t seen it with my eyes." Ward''s dark eyes scanned the beasts readying to swim away. "I wonder how the Government will respondбн" бн [Unso Island] The once glorious Fish Tank had been destroyed; a new building taking its place. Not only that, the entire island that was once littered with filth and disease had been entirely terraformed. The once proud Fish Tank had been demolished only for a new grand structure to be built. Nearby land was set to match the overall design, all under the massive white pyramid where the main headquarters of the Shipping Magnate stood. It was both grand and gargantuan; white, polished stone was imported from some shady channels for its outer, sleek look. A circular door that spanned at least fifty meters in diameter was built to welcome any guests. The structure was given the name of the "Tomb of Storms". [Pyramid Image (in Discord)] . It had been over half a year since the death of Barro, and the rise of the new King of ShippingбкFulcrum. The profit count had exploded under the new Emperor''s rule to the point where it was enough to warrant the attention of some special characters. The terraforming of Unso Island was an indicator of the success that had been achieved, much to the envy of the nobles around the seas. бн [Hell''s Peak] At the very top of the pyramid was a room with huge windows spanning dozens of meters across, wide enough to observe the entire island. The contrast between the shady Underworld and such a majestic stronghold was uncanny. The interior was incredibly pure and majestic. It had white marble flooring with equally white walls that formed the triangular tip of the Tomb of Storms. A semicircular staircase of a few steps led up to the seat that controlled the Empire of Unso Island. [Peak Image (in Discord)] . A single, dark figure looked down past the spanning glass pane at the masses of people scrambling to fulfill their quota. The lithe figure belonged to that of a woman, standing nearly ten feet in height. The reflective mask wholly hid her face, further accentuating the mystery of who was within. Though under the majesty of the grand hall was a tense atmosphere, all due to the uninvited guests present. They donned a full-white attire, poise and distinguished. The classy and formal clothing came with their masks of various designs. Naturally, they were Cipher Pol ''Aigis'' Zero! "Fulcrum, we simply come bearing the words of the World Government," the head agent reported. "We were sent to investigate the rather interesting method of transporting your goods through the Calm Belt." "I''m sure you''ve come to understand that such a revolutionary route is beyond your abilities. It is in your best interest to share your methods with us." The calm voice hid the underlying warning that came from the masked man. The five other agents beside him were just as tranquil. "..." Fulcrum slowly turned away from the giant window and onto the bold guests. The agents'' reflections peered back at them through the black mask. Months of residing in the shady waters of the Underworld had skyrocketed the woman''s confidence in dealing with such things. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Are you threatening me?" The head agent exhaled a deep sigh as he felt the waves of pressure ripple through the illustrious halls. "Conqueror''s Haki," he muttered under his breath. "As expected of the one who brought such change to the Underworld." "However, you must surely know that the New World, especially in these times of disorder, is swamped with dozens of Conquerors. Can you survive their onslaught?" Fulcrum remained silent for a few moments. Even leading the agents to believe that their words had quite an impact. Though under their false beliefs, they simply heard a light chuckle. "Hmm?" the head agent frowned under his mask, trying to decrypt the situation. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* Fulcrum calmly walked to the main throne-like seat that sat under the grand window overlooking the island. "Perhaps it is the World Government who is overreaching their hand," the distorted voice resounded. "From what I know, your entire structure has been hit quite hard since hell broke loose in the New World from the death of two Overlords, further amplified by the mayhem at Amethyst Kingdom." "The Reverie which had been postponed for over three months now has finally been finalized," the mocking voice stated. "Now it is a ''Remote Reverie'', one that is conducted through transponder snails linking every one of the fifty members." The information caught the agents off-guard. Their breathing hitched momentarily, naturally, it was quite the confidential news that had yet to be sent out. The visor-like mask remained as indifferent as before, echoing out the slightly robotic woman''s voice. "You think you can come here and make demands when your very own summit of stability has to be thrown aside? You have no resources to waste on me." Some senior members under Fulcrum were also present, watching from the side. Revelling in the glaring pause of the menacing CP Agency. The masked agent sighed, reining in his previous demeanour. "..." "Very well then. Perhaps we can reach a profitable agreement." Fulcrum did not respond as if telling the man to continue. The CP-0 Agent went on to say, "The Five Elders would like to impose tariffs on the goods being brought into any nation under the World Government. Your route has led to an influx of arms, drugs and blood money that is throwing the economy of many kingdoms into chaos, it cannot continue," he finished. "What do you propose?" Fulcrum questioned. The agent cleared his throat and answered. "We want you to bring the other Underworld Emperors into an agreement. We, the Government, will legally allow their goods to arrive in aligned countries, within certain bounds. In return, we receive a portion of the profits." He paused for a moment before continuing, "Beyond that, the Navy will be given access to your Styx Passages to transport resources and materials." . The Underworld existed by bringing in all the goods through smuggling routes. They paid a huge sum of money and time to illegally bring in all the materials, but with the Styx Passage, this was no longer a problem. If anything, the increasingly strict measures being imposed by the countries had been a nuisance, and the recent spike in wealth would surely soon plateau. "I can agree to your tax but there is no way I will allow for the latter condition." The agent hesitated for a moment, opting to think. "I''m afraid the Five Elders are adamant of both conditions." The man raised his hands as if to show a helpless expression, one that Fulcrum paid no mind to. "Then that brings our discussion to a close." The agent seemed uncertain and defeatedly uttered, "We will take your words to our superiors." "..." Fulcrum watched in silence as the six figures disappeared from the hall in an instant. . "Boss, their words weren''t bad, it will surely bring in more profits!" Fulcrum looked to the side and saw the bald man approach her. She shook her head, "It''s not enough." Though her tone became slightly annoyed, "I told you not to stand in front of the window, your head reflects too much light, it''s unsettling." The man grasped his hairless dome and gave a wry smile. "I can''t help it, I was born with no hairбн" [A/N: Keep my wife''s nameбн] . However, he stopped speaking as Fulcrum gave a quick statement that wholly diverted his attention. "Ebi, you''ve worked quite well these past months." Fulcrum reached to the side and brought out a piece of treasure from the darkness of her armrests. The man gawked as he saw the item fly through the sky and into his handsбкa dark-coloured peach with swirls. "Boss, thisбн!?" "Consider this a reward, now go." Ebi gulped, clenching the Devil Fruit tightly, he bowed his head and ran off and the room was emptied momentarily. бн Fulcrum sat in the bright sun''s rays. Her dark attire left quite the contrast with the shining white architecture. "Puru," "Puru," "Puru." "Puru," "Puru," "Puru." "Katcha~!" "Yo, Aurora." The girl removed her mask and hood, allowing her silky hair to cascade down. The purple eyes gleaming at the figure mimicked by the snail. "Damien, they came as you thought. Cipher Pol is very interested in the Styx Passages." "Rahaha! Of course, they are. Though with their resources spread thin, there isn''t a single thing they can do to challenge the Underworld," the voice on the other end of the phone replied. Aurora nodded. "Aside from that, are you sure about giving away that Devil Fruit? It''s a very rare power." "It is indeed rare, but right now you also need some decent personnel to hold the Underworld in chains," the snail responded. "Plus, the ability isn''t all that powerful but it''ll go a long way in controlling the unruly ones of your Empire." The fruit was sent on behalf of all the other Underworld Emperors as a token of gratitude to ensure better future relations between each faction. . The snail conveyed the grin of the person on the other side of the phone. "You''re worth more than just doing these mundane tasks, as for that Ebi, what was given can also be taken away..." Aurora smiled. Though paying no mind to the latter words but rather to Damien acknowledging her worth. She then turned to the matter at hand, "Cipher Pol will probably return with a new deal and less patience." The snail made a nodding gesture as it continued to speak, "I''m sure they will, alongside many spies and rats from other nations; be careful." "As for the Government? I need you to add some more fuel to the fire." The snail''s expression turned disdainful as it uttered, "Make them beg." Aurora narrowed her eyes as she heard the words. "Use the contact I connected you with, she will make things a lot easier. I''ll see you soon." Aurora nodded and bid farewell to the voice, dialling another number. She thought over her new order and reached an idea. "Puru," "Puru," "Puru." "Katcha~!" The snail woke up once again, linking the two people on either side. "Ara~! I didn''t think I would get a call from you so soon," The snail took the shape of a woman with a tuft of short black hair, smoking a cigar. "I''m always amazed by the connections Damien-chan manages, it seems he''s quite close to you, young Underworld Empress." "Tell me, what do I owe this pleasure?" Aurora lightly cleared her throat and addressed the person on the other side of the call, "I have information that may interest your Rocks Pirates." "Oh? Go on." Aurora leaned toward the transponder and answered, "It''s the latest route of the Heavenly Tributes from ten Kingdoms under the World Government." ---------------------------------------------- [Pirate Paradise of Hachinosu] "Katcha~!" The call ended as the snail went to sleep in the hands of the black-haired woman. Shakky, the Black Death, stood up from her seat and walked out of the room, a thin smile on her face. As she walked by, the nearby pirates all moved out of the way. It was apparent that she had made quite a few examples of some scum to achieve such notoriety. The woman made her way through the humid street that had turned red from blood, reaching a large mess hall. *Gurrup* Sounds of munching and devouring foods echoed through the area as a massive hulking body sat at the center of the room. His mouth was like a vacuum that sucked up all the food before him while drinking tens of liters of sakиж in the process. . The pirate who seemed quite grumpy looked to the door and saw Shakky walk in, "Hmm, what do you want, woman?" "Are you still annoyed that Linlin and Shiki didn''t take you to the Angelic War?" The beast of a pirate humphed, not amused with the subject. Shakky cheekily smiled, waving a piece of paper, "I found something for you to do~" Kaido, who was naturally the sulking giant, was attracted to the intel and reached out. His massive hand pinched the paper by its corner, barely able to read tiny letters. "Sink each of these targets and retrieve their goods and you can be granted the position of the Seventh Division Commander." Kaido shot up from his seat, his hands clenched into fists. "WORORO! Damien has been headlining everything for a long time, now it''s my time to turn the world upside down!" He picked up his trusty spiked club and ran out from the hall, leaving dull tremors in his wake. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 74: The Old World [Flower Capital, Wano] Four months had passed since the awe-inspiring birth of a new Supreme Weapon. Damien and Toki had been in the country of Samurai for seven months now. Clang! Bang! Metal slammed into metal as the shrieking noise bellowed out. A sharp katana slashed onto the clawed edge of Ryushi, evoking a thundering explosion. The ground trembled under the collision as the Haki collided. BOOM! A short shadow flew across the area, landing on his feet. "Pah! Growing old is annoying!" The senior samurai twirled his treasured sword and shuttled through the air, slashing his weapon into the massive shadow of his opponent. Boom! The metal clashed once more, sending out waves of wind that swept up the nearby loose terrain; the already damaged land was further hurt. Raizen''s eyes sharpened as he saw his halted blade. He used his tiny frame to jump around, using the dust and loose materials to create openings to drive his weapon forth. The man was beyond impressive: jumping and spinning in the air, displaying the agility of a person many decades younger! Clang! Damien slashed down the weapon with his left hand and was deflected. Using the momentum behind the parry, he let go of the handle, grabbed it with his open right hand in a reverse grip and stabbed forth. The old enemy saw it coming and used the very tip of his blade to essentially bounce off the pincered edge of Ryushi, effectively using it as a boost to lunge ahead. *Shhhh!* The air howled under the shaped katana that was all but inches from its adversary''s throat. Yet there was no collision. "!!!" Raizen''s eyes widened as he felt Damien disappear and reappear above, swinging the mighty weapon down. BOOM! The clawed edge of the blade acted like a hammer, crashing onto the floor and sending out spanning ravines and torn lands under its weight. "You''re awfully fast yourself," the pirate muttered, noticing that his enemy had flickered to the distance. "Your power is well beyond me even with your observation senses turned off," the old man muttered. "Try this strike!" Raizen jumped into the air as petals of Ryuo shuttled down from his arms and into his blade in a blue bubble. . "Old Man One-Sword Style: Crescent Moon Senior Slash!" . The geezer brought down the blade onto his opponent with everything he could muster. What met him was the odd-shaped weapon''s body that resembled that of a great sword, working in defense. BOOM! The Ryuo failed to do anything significant, falling apart against the integrity of the opponent''s weapon. Raizen grunted, clicking his tongue from the failure. "Haaah, I''m tired," he murmured, sheathing his katana in acceptance of his failure. "Rahaha! You''re a lively old man, Raizen-sensei. That Ryuo of yours blocks my ability to change Ryushi''s shape mid-battle." The dust cleared as the towering body of the young opponent was unveiled. Damien twirled Ryushi, leaving crimson arcs in the air. *Fwooo* The blade howled as it was shattered into pieces, soon reforming around Damien''s finger as a ring. . "You''ve mastered that weapon beyond what I can teach, I''m afraid any further mastery will come from true combats with your life on the line." Damien nodded as he traced a finger over the red ring. "This should mark my time to leave Wano, old man, thank you for everything," he said with some nostalgia over the past months. Raizen smiled, his wrinkly face looking at Damien as a grandpa. "I''m glad to have trained a user of a Supreme Blade, I hope you can show the world its might!" Damien smirked, nodded, and left after bidding farewell. бн ''I''ve mastered Emission Haki to quite a high level, but it leaves another power to be desired,'' Damien thought. He was naturally talking about the Infusion of Conqueror''s Haki! Something only the very top of the top could ever use. "Unfortunately Conqueror''s Haki can''t be trained by my usual methods, I''ll need to grasp the power under another Supreme King," he muttered. "I died a little too early but I''m sure with Kaido as his teacher, Luffy would have learned it well." Damien recalled the feeling of Ryuo. Emission was the gentle flow of Armament Haki, while Infusion was raging rapids of Conqueror''s Haki; opposite in nature. бн [Shogun''s Estate] This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. "Toki, you''re here too," Damien said as he sat next to the green-haired girl sitting before the Shogun. She just beamed a gentle smile at him, the distance between them had grown very close. Across the couple was Sukiyaki, playing with his mustache and slowly nodding. "Hmm, reminds me of my time with my late wife, how youthful," he murmured. However, his expression turned somewhat sour, "The maids and guards during the night have told me of many dull cries they hear through the wooden boards, it can''t truly be ghosts... I hope your rest hasn''t been too disrupted." Damien nodded, "Our room is further away but perhaps you should exorcize the estate before it gets out of hand." Toki poked Damien with her elbow, maintaining her smile while trying to hide her burning face. Sukiyaki broke out into a hearty laugh. "So you have come to bid farewell? All of Wano will miss both of your presences," Sukiyaki said with some regret. "After all, we owe you quite a lot." Sukiyaki then unfurled a scroll, giving a summary, "News came from Kuri, it seems that troublesome boy, Oden, actually did as he said. He transformed the war-waged Kuri into a fully-fledged region!" His face was covered with a wide smile, evidently quite glad. "You seem very proud of him, Sukiyaki-san," Toki said as she heard the news. The Shogun coughed, clearing his expression, returning to that of an esteemed noble. "He even reached out to the other Daimyos, I suppose the boy has woken up from his foolish desire to run out of Wano." Damien thought it was funny that Oden was probably hastening everything so that he could leave Wano soon. Sukiyaki raised his hands into the air and exclaimed, "I''ve granted him the title of Kuri''s Daimyo! I sincerely hope that boy can come around to become the next Shogun!" . The proud father then looked down and expressed his thanks in a way Damien approved. He took out a small box containing some goodies and presented them. "I wasn''t sure how to thank you for all your help, but I hope this is at least the first toward repaying our debt to you." He took out a bright red apple with yellow swirls and placed it on the table. "I have heard of your sorcery coming from these fruits, my Ninja found this some months back, I hope this can come in use to you." Damien raised an eyebrow at the sight of the Devil Fruit. He inspected it and recalled the ability from his past studies, "Human-Human Fruit иC Mythical Model: Adam." Toki tilted her head in confusion, "Like the first man in the stories?" "That''s right," Damien answered, "the fruit can bring its user to their greatest potential: sharpening their instincts, bodily systems, and overall learning capabilities. If anything, it can turn a worthless man into an alpha male." Damien nodded to the Shogun, "I accept your gift." Sukiyaki twirled his beard with a smile, "Very good! Aside from that, I hear the young Amatsuki heir is quite interested in Wano''s history, so I have something that may interest you as well." He then stood up and began walking to the corridor, gesturing for them both to follow. бн "I didn''t know this area existed," Damien murmured as he arrived at the basement of the castle. Toki nodded while examining the area. "It''s only natural, this area is strictly for those of the Kozuki Clan." Sukiyaki said as the three were introduced to the large room made with brick walls. A single pillar stood at the side, bearing most of the weight. Toki walked over to a stand and admired the things on top of it. "These are Kokeshi Dolls! You have quite the collection," she said while looking at the human-faced totems. Sukiyaki smiled proudly, "It is a secret hobby of mine, these majestic dolls hide a lot of our history." [Image (in Discord)] Damien, however, was entranced by another object. A giant blue cube, naturally, a Poneglyph! Sukiyaki turned to the side and seemed quite shocked, "Can you read the text?" "I can''t read it," Damien replied, still glaring at the stele. "But I can hear it." The Shogun blinked and recalled a thought, "Is it the Voice of the Universe?" "Partly. The Voice of the Poneglyph comes from the one who carved in the message. I''m quite attuned with nature, allowing me to hear the contents even more vividly than other users of the same power." [Image of the Area (in Discord)] "..." Toki and Sukiyaki waited as Damien spanned his hearing, taking in the voice. "What is it, Damien-san?" Toki asked with some curiosity as she saw the pirate''s frown. Damien turned to the Shogun with a questioning look. "Sukiyaki, this records the past of Wano. The Old Wano. Alongside the terrifying weapon hidden away under this very castle." The Samurai slowly nodded. "Well, I was going to read you the Poneglyph anyways so it is alright for you to know." He then looked at both of them and explained. "You see, more than seven and a half centuries ago, Wano was quite different. I don''t know much, but I know that our land was near sea level; near the bottom of the very falls you climbed up to reach here." Damien''s eyes widened as he heard the news. Sukiyaki did not stop, rather he opened up a small hatch in the ground, revealing a staircase. "The Kozuki Clan were the ones who carved those stones in the Void Century. Since you can hear their voices, it isn''t wrong to show you the entire truth that I am aware of." He then walked down the mouldy staircase, the other two following behind once more. бн "Here it is, the other stone of Wano." Damien sighed as he looked at the familiar cube. "This one is red?" Toki said with some curiosity. [Image (in Discord)] "A Road Poneglyph," Damien muttered. Meanwhile, the Shogun spoke up, "I''m aware that you are aiding Oden so that he can one day aid you. I believe it won''t be a mistake to reveal it all to you." He then looked at the giant stone and continued. "For whatever reason, Wano was eventually wholly encased in towering walls in the Void Century; the Old Wano remains intact as the rainwater created the sea surrounding today''s Wano. I know not why, but these walls are also what hide the very weapon you brought up." "The Ancient WeaponбкPluton!" A tense atmosphere suddenly arrived, one born from the older man''s many years of combat experience. The once giddy Sukiyaki turned dignified, meeting the bold pirate''s eyes with great speculation, "Do you wish for it, the weapon of mass destruction?" Damien smirked at the Shogun and shook his head. "The Void Century is full of unexplained truths. If Pluton was locked behind Wano''s walls, it wouldn''t be easy to bring out. Beyond that, even if I got the weapon, I don''t have the power to keep it." Sukiyaki nodded with a sigh of relief. "Indeed, to remove Pluton would come at the cost of our walls, shredding our greatest defenses against the outside world. To unleash an Ancient Weapon is akin to starting a world war." Damien tapped on the red stone, "I''m going to keep a copy of the Road Poneglyph." The Shogun nodded, "Of course." ... Damien pocketed a folded piece of paper, content with the day''s discovery. The three of them made their way back to the main office, seating themselves down. "I have readied the first batch of Seastone for you, Damien-dono," the man stated. "It will be ready for you when you leave." The pirate returned a nod. "Sukiyaki, if possible, I would like to begin a channel to export the ore." The Shogun seemed interested, though also wary, "If it is as much of a treasure as you state, I fear it may attract unsettling attention." Damien waved his hand, "Don''t worry, it will be a secure channel." "You see, I have a certain connection to the Underworld. I guarantee that the buyers will remain oblivious to the source of the goods." "Though Wano is self-sufficient, I''m sure there are many things in the outside world that can further help you develop both your economy and defenses." Toki, who was quietly listening, connected the dots as the figure of a young assassin came to mind. Sukiyaki slowly nodded, "In that case, I''m sure we can reach an agreement. Do contact me with one of those magical snails you talked about." Damien nodded, leaving with Toki for the time being. бн [Later that Night] The two had returned to their room as night fell. "So we leave tomorrow?" Toki''s soft voice questioned. "Yeah, it''s about time." He then smiled at the girl, "Are you going to be homesick?" Toki shook her head and reached for Damien''s hand. "I''m ready to go with you, Damien-san. I''ll be by your side." Damien took the green-haired girl into his arms as the familiar night dusked the horizon. "You know, Aurora said something similar to me a while back, I didn''t know how to accept it then, but I do now." Toki leaned into Damien''s chest, embracing the warmth. "Hmm, Aurora-san deserves happiness too, I''m sure she can find it with you." Damien was a little surprised by her comments, "You know, most girls would be against the idea of sharing their partner." Toki looked up, her bright eyes smiling at her lover. "I was raised in the ancient traditions of Wano, it wasn''t odd to see a man with multiple spouses." Though her face warped into slight unease, "Well, there is a limit to it." Damien heard the sharp tone in her voice and returned a wry smile, "Don''t worry, I don''t have any plans to go picking up every girl around the block." He kissed her forehead to reassure her as the darkness crept in from the open windows, a quiet night fell and surely tomorrow would be eventful. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 75: Departure [The Following Day] It was barely five in the morning when Damien woke up, leaving Toki to sleep some more. Simply put, she was a little tired after their nightly ''exercise''. He did a morning routine, rethinking everything he had gained over the past seven months. ''Sibyl, bring up my stats.'' [Here you goбн] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Einar D. Damien] [Age: 18 years, 5 months, 19 days] [Height: 11'' 6"] (3.51 m) [Status: Thriving] [Devil Fruit: Pulverize Pulverize Fruit (Advanced Mastery)] [Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars] [Weapon: Ryи▒shi of the Supreme Grade Series] [Ryи▒shi Combat Arts Comprehension: 37% б№] [Notable Characteristics: Black Bones (III), Fishman-Hybrid*, Seastone Resistance] [Skills: Titanic Recovery, Titanic Vitality, Evolvable Anatomy, Voice of All Things, Will of D., Rokushiki, Life Return (Advanced Mastery) б№, Deprivation, Equal Exchange] [Haki: Observation Haki (Nigh-Grandmastery) б№, Armament Haki (Advanced Mastery) б№, Conqueror''s Haki (Nigh-Advanced Mastery) б№] [Strength: Bottom Tier Yonko] (*Note: {Underwater Breathing} and {Underwater Maneuverability} have combined into the Fishman-Hybrid bodily characteristic.) >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< Before even diving into any specifics, it was obvious to Damien that his height was finally coming to an end of its growth; he had only grown three inches in the past seven months! Surely, he would probably hit another inch or two before plateauing in that department. "Though much like my height, my strength doesn''t seem to have grown much at face value," Damien chuckled to himself. In truth, the only thing he upped was his Armament Haki, though progressing to the tippy-top of the other two, it was not enough to boost his strength. . "Bottom Tier Yonko can be considered the level of Fujitora and Ryokugyu, perhaps even Oden at the time of his death," Damien calculated. The truth of the matter was that Damien was not the protagonist. Where Luffy could reach an unimaginable leap in strength, going from being a fodder to fighting against Emperors in two and a half years, Damien needed considerably more time. After all, if you could beat the protagonist of a Shonen Series, then obviously the author was simply writing a wish-fulfillment novel. . Though Damien''s expression soon turned pleased as he saw a certain skill. He looked down at his arm as exercised said skill. *Krrr* At his command, the very pores of his skin let loose bursts of tiny pockets of air as the skin warped and squirmed. It moved as if it had a mind of its own, moulding about at Damien''s will. Soon it diverted and opened up the flesh below. The vessels halted momentarily as no blood flowed out as the very veins, arteries and capillaries obeyed Damien''s thoughts. His gaze had fallen upon something that could be considered an anatomical anomaly. "So that''s how my bones look," he muttered. The pristine black bones shined a purple gleam. The Haki had seeped in almost entirely, reaching the cusp of the marrow itself. "With this level of Life Return, perhaps once my Devil Fruit catches up, I can bring the theory of cellular manipulation to light." The skin squirmed once more as each layer of flesh reappeared, covering the treasured bones once more and bringing them back to their original appearance. *Grumble* Damien felt a pang of hunger. One look at the sun revealed that it was nearing six in the morning. He went back to the bed and examined the sleeping Toki. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Amatsuki Toki] [Age: 18 years, 1 month, 8 days (~791 years old by date)] [Height: 9'' 1"] (2.77 m) [Status: Healthy, Sore] [Devil Fruit: Time-Time Fruit (Advanced Mastery) б№] [Fruit Rating: 7 Stars (Ultimate-Class)] [Skills: Paper Body (Kami-e)] [Haki: Observation Haki (Intermediate Mastery) б№, Armament Haki (Initial Mastery) б№] [Strength: Pseudo-Yonko Commander б№] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< Damien was quite pleased with Toki''s progress. Though her strength was practically completely dependent on her devil fruit, it was not exactly her fault. Ultimate-Class Fruits require a lot of mastery and it would be foolish not to put most of her training into it. ''Once Aurora is done with the Seastone Pendant, I''ll have Toki use it next,'' he decided. . Though at that moment, perhaps by Damien''s examing gaze, the girl woke up. She wiped her eyes while giving a light yawn. She smiled at Damien who was watching her and responded, "Good morning, Damien-san." Her bright face slightly frowned as she felt sore in some places. She traced her hand near the area under her belly button and peaked at Damien. "At this rate, I will be pregnant soon," she whispered. "No, you won''t," Damien casually said, "I used my powers to deprive the sperm cells of their potency." He realized his bluntness the moment he finished his words. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. *Fwooo* The pirate appeared at Toki''s side, running a hand through her green hair. "I know you want to bring back the Amatsuki name and I do want you to have my children, but right now is not the time to bring them into this world," he gently told her. Toki returned a thin smile and raised her chin, asking for something to complete the apology. Damien acquiesced and gave her a passionate kiss. бн [Later] Damien and Toki went through the Flower Capital for one last time, enjoying the festivities that were put into place by the people upon hearing of their departure. A celebration befell the nation''s capital as people of all ages came out to play along. It was a bountiful event. Until it wasn''t. . "Gun Modoki!" . An X-shaped stream of energy soon scurried across the streets, shredding its way to the tall pirate that stood in its way. Damien sighed, a wave of irritation plagued his face as he saw Oden rush at him with Ryuo-enhanced swords. The people fell into a panic as they felt the ground-shaking explosion follow suit. The unstoppable stream of energy was abruptly halted as the Samurai at its helm was caught with a single hand. *Purrup* Said hand was bubbling with familiar red Haki, though more dense and powerful than that of the attacker. Damien, who withstood the attack, narrowed his eyes at the opponent before him. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Kozuki Oden] [Age: 19 years, 5 months, 12 days] [Height: 12'' 6"] (3.82 m) [Devil Fruit: None] [Haki: Observation Haki (Intermediate Mastery), Armament Haki (Advanced Mastery), Conqueror''s Haki (Initial Mastery)] [Strength: Middle Tier Yonko Commander] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< While Damien was easily holding off Oden, his trusty retainers arrived. """Oden-sama!""" Damien knew that Oden had taken over Kuri a few years earlier in his canon version, but it seemed that the future Akazaya Nine, or technically Eight, would still reach him somehow. As of now, three of them had gathered, arriving at the area where Damien and Oden were. They stopped a few dozen meters away, too weak to go further. Toki, who was watching nearby, was a little surprised as she saw the newest addition to Oden''s retainers. "That isбн" she muttered while looking at the samurai who was big in all three dimensions. A figure they had met over half a year ago. "It''s you, woman!" The massive Ashura Doji roared out as he pointed his weapon at Toki, "I''ll regain my lost dignity now!" Boom! Boom! Boom! His massive weight drummed on the earth, loud enough to make animals falsely believe an earthquake was imminent. "Ashura, no!" Kin''emon tried to stop him, but the former gang boss did not stop, charging at Toki who looked petite compared to his size. "Take this!" He slashed down a Ryuo-flooded blade, roaring his heart out. Toki was not fazed by the size difference, instead, she exercised her powers in a brilliant flash of green. . "Clockworks: Chronostasis." . Ashura, who resembled a furious bull laying waste to the earth below him, abruptly paused in mid-air. A dull boom went off as the built-up momentum and inertia from his massive frame exploded around him. "Whhhaaaattttt thhheeeee hellllll!?" Every word came out at incredibly slow speeds, even his pupils moved at snail''s speed, his very mind unable to process what was going on. All he saw was a huge, archaic clock swarming with mystical green energy that stood behind the young woman. Its arm was ticking on, barely having crossed the first five minutes. [Image (in Discord)] . Oden, who was still trying to use brute force to make Damien move, failed to do so. His face popped with veins as he put every ounce of strength into another push. Unfortunately, his large frame was soon sent flying into a row of buildings, taking them all down with him. Damien seemed bored as he gazed into the dusty pile of debris that hid the body of the new Daimyo of Kuri. He did not have to wait for long before a declaration resounded. "No matter what, I''ll make you at least take a step back before you go!" The young Samurai shot out from the fallen mess, blood dribbled out from his mouth which he cared little for. However this time, Oden did not go right at Damien, instead he jumped into the air, trying to gather as much momentum as possible. "I''ll put everything into this one!" Oden''s arms popped till they looked as if they belonged to a wild beast, his eyes sharpened to that of a predator and his body surged with vigorous Haki, flowing out uncontrollably. He gave out a thundering roar as his prized swords were soon clad in the potent Emission Haki. A chaotic wind surrounded the warrior, showcasing the concentration of Haki and brute strength. . Damien couldn''t help but give Oden some points for his insanity. To applaud his efforts, he went on the offense. "Hmm," The pirate narrowed his eyes and dug his feet into the ground, forcing cracks to form. The light crouch of his knees generated enough potential energy to send dull tremors through the earth below. A deep grumble resounded as the Sin Incarnate''s body suddenly shot to the skies, leaving a black trail from his coat behind and the wails of the air. . Kin''emon and Denjiro gulped as they saw the pirate soar upwards, fearing the outcome, "Kin-san, Oden-sama will still be alive after this, right?" The blond man next to him did not respond but rather watched apprehensively. In the two seconds it took Damien to reach the sky, Oden was readyбкhe gave out a final war cry as he shuttled forward, his blades held before him. . "Oden Two-Sword Style: Paradise Totsuka!" . It was the same attack he used to inflict Kaido with his only scar for decades. Though it lacked the edge from the future, the attack was certainly reaching a level far above what the current Oden should be able to exhibit. *Vvooo!* The air howled as the ruby-like ring on Damien''s middle finger warped into a current of crimson energy, forming into Ryushi. Immediately, both Damien and his weapon exploded in pulverizing energy. The volatile strands of energy were so thick and dense that they began to transform the very particles in the air into awkward compounds and impossible molecules, shaking up their chemical makeup. Utilizing Moonwalk, Damien rushed toward the coming Oden, his body flooding with the familiar reddish energy belonging to Wano''s Ryuo. *Vvoosh!* The people below thought it to be an act of miracles as they saw the red trail that seemed to cut through the very clouds. It was bright enough to momentarily dim the afternoon sun; dulling the brightness with a blood-red hue. [Image (in Discord)] Explosions went off in the form of sonic booms, leaving Oden to feel a threat to his life. . "Ryushi Combat Arts: Crimson Comet!" . Boom! The spectators could not help but look away from the bright light originating from the collision. Beyond that, their very bodies were flung into the air from the torrents that had appeared. *Rumble* Black lightning rained from the sky as the howling winds carried on from the exchange. However, it did not last long. "Ughh! Not again!" Oden''s burst of Haki was swept away like a blade of grass in a hurricane; his body lost control from the Emission Haki and Pulverizing Energy drilling into his body. His conscience disappeared as the Samurai was shot like a shooting star, blasting off again into the distant horizon. . Damien casually landed on the shaken-up earth below with a thud, watching as Oden''s body disappeared away, blasting off again. "Damien-san, will he still liveбн? He is a Daimyo now," Toki''s soft voice arrived in his ears. The pirate cupped his chin in thought, "Well, I got a little carried away." Which was followed by a shrug, "But he''ll live, maybe a handful of dozen broken bones, one or two collapsed lungs, nothing some ice couldn''t fix." Toki absently nodded, her current medical experience gave a rather different diagnosis but she went with Damien''s words. . ""Oden-sama!"" Kin''emon and Denjiro ran behind the distant star, hoping to find a living Oden. Meanwhile, Damien tapped Toki''s shoulder while gesturing at the frozen Ashura Doji. "Oh, right." Toki let the overgrown samurai loose and he fell to the ground with a loud bang. "Ugh," Ashura Doji groaned, shaking his head. He looked at the distant two retainers and chose to retreat, "I''ll deal with you two later!" . Damien, who enjoyed the change of pace, felt some eyes nearby. "Hyorgoro, thanks for keeping the people safe." At the drop of his words, a giant shadow fell from a building nearby, it was Hyogoro the Flower. "No problem, I''m sure the Daimyo of Kuri will come forward to pay for the damages in full," the gang boss responded. "I will also take this time to bid you both farewell." Damien nodded to him while Toki returned some kind words. . All in all, it was a fun day for Damien as they officially left for the edge of the country. It took some hours, but they reached it. "Is that the ore you talked about?" Toki asked as she saw the giant pile of metal. Damien nodded while waiting for the person hiding about to arrive. *Whizz!* At that moment, a black shadow fell in front of the pirates, bowing to them both. "Lord Damien, you may recall me, I am Kaka Shi, the captain of the Shogun''s Oniwabanshu," the silver-haired man introduced himself. "The Shogun sent me to ensure you pick up the seastone. I apologize for the delay, I was held up by a black cat that had stopped in front of me." Toki giggled at the masked Ninja who stood before them. "No worries," Damien said, though his mind seemed to remember a hazy image of a certain character. "Would you like me to slice it into a more manageable size?" the ninja offered. Damien shook his head, gesturing to the Ninja to move aside. Instead, the pirate raised a hand in the ore''s direction. *Fwooo* A dull wind whistled as the uneven pieces of ore disappeared for a moment, and perfectly cut and equally sized bars of metal appeared. They were neatly arranged in perfect rows and columns, much to Damien''s satisfaction. Kaka Shi''s jaw hidden in the mask seemed to drop as he saw the sorcery that had just happened. "Damien-san is a bit of a perfectionist," Toki whispered to the Head Ninja. *Fwooo* Another burst of wind went off as the ore was soon taken into Damien''s inventory, storing it away. The usage of the Balancing Fruit did well to please Damien''s slight OCD, exchanging an uneven pile of things for a neater one. . "Let the Shogun know that I''ll soon call him on the snail I left to talk more about the Seastone trade." The Ninja bowed his head as he saw the two jump on a small boat that had magically appeared. All the while some Koi fish attached themselves to said boat, drifting the pirates back down the way they came. Damien''s trip to Wano had finally come to an end! To Be Continuedбн Chapter 76: Logia [Six Days Later] [Mortem Island] A young boy with curly black hair, wearing a button-up blue shirt, was currently tossing a few atlas stones of a few tons in weight, juggling them. He heaved a dull yawn, opening his mouth wide enough such that his eye mask almost rolled down onto his face. Boom! The balls of stone fell to the ground, loosely tossed aside. "A-ra-ra! What''s gotten into you?" His question was directed toward the tree that stood tall by his side, though as of now, it began to shift and shake, almost as if reaching out to the distant horizon. Kuzan, who felt the dull rumbling all around him, knew immediately what was to come. "It''s been so long... he finally came back!" The boy exploded into cold air and rocketed toward the makeshift docks below the cliff he was at. *Krrr* The air was frozen as the chilly young male arrived just in time to see a boat heading toward him. Kuzan unconsciously gave a cheery laugh as he waved at the vessel, the air freezing around his arm. бн "Yo, Kuzan, been a while." The boy looked up and saw the familiar face that had matured a little since the last time they met. The previous mild irritation he had disappeared as he saw a fist reaching toward him. Their knuckles clicked as the two greeted one another with a fist bump. Another person walked off the boat, this time, a woman. She wore a new kimono that was primarily white with blue wave-like patterns on its lower half and along the end of its sleeves. A blue band ran across her midriff, further tightened by a red rope that also held onto a katana. [Clothing image (in Discord)] "Kuzan-kun, you''ve grown taller!" Toki slightly leaned down and gently ran her hand through the boy''s curly hair. "Of course, I''m almost nine years old!" the boy announced with some pride. He now stood at a minuscule 7'' 11" in height (2.41 m), though it was obvious that he had quite a lot of height left to grow into. бн The trio made their way back to the heart of the island, much to the appreciation of the vegetation along the way. Kuzan was a little jealous of the singing birds and dancing greenery, the same wildlife that could not wait to dine on him, which were now cherishing the few moments Damien''s foot was near them. бн A little while past, Toki had excused herself to go prepare some special delicacies for the ice-boy. He could eat just about anything but had a strong attachment to dairy milk and coffee. "Ahem," Kuzan cleared his throat and said, "Last I recall, you said you would teach me some special techniques if I impressed you enough." "Did I say that?" Damien, who stood across from the expectant boy, played dumb. Kuzan raised his index finger, as if to educate the pirate, and quoted, "Your exact words were, ''If you impress me enough upon my return, maybe I''ll let you in on some new techniques with your devil fruit.''" Damien''s face warped into a smirk at the cheeky reply, "To think the boy that''s usually laying around like a couch potato has such a sharp memory." "Though you have yet to impress me." Damien flicked his fingers as if to taunt the boy, a trick that worked wonders. Kuzan smiled as his body shattered into shards of ice, disappearing with a chilly wind. The pirate raised an eyebrow as he felt the presence behind him. . "Ice Time Capsule!" . Within moments, a wave of ice was unleashed, shooting on ahead at Damien. It left a trail of chilled earth in its wake. Damien watched with interest as he felt both his legs freeze immediately, all the while the chill spread up and through his chest. Soon, his entire body was frozen. Kuzan wasted no time and crossed both arms, sending another attack. . "Ice Ball!" . It was a thick current of pure frost. The ice horizontally screamed onwards and met Damien''s rigid body. A giant sphere of ice remained, the Sin Incarnate frozen at its core. "A double freeze ought to hold him for enough secondsбн" . "Ice Block: Partisan!" . *Creak* Four sharp spears of solid ice spawned at the drop of the words. They shone with light-blue luster, reflecting a chilly glint. *Fwoo* *Krrr* The projectiles shot out ahead and a freezing sound followed as the air in the atmosphere froze alongside their trajectory. Boom! The ice sculpture in the middle exploded into countless bits of ice. The over-eleven-foot-tall statue sent out a cloud of dust that froze from the concentration of the cold. Each fine piece of ice shined from the warm sun, creating quite a glittery spectacle. "..." Kuzan heaved a cold breath in the form of white vapour, watching from afar. His eyes narrowed at the silhouette that appeared at the center of the dust storm. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "There''s more where that came from!" he declared, picking up a few pieces of grass. . "Ice Saber!" . A quick exhale and the floating blades of grass became an actual weapon, held in the boy''s hand. He did not wait for the dust to clear, instead, Kuzan skied across the floor, his feet mounted with a pair of ice skates that closed the distance between the two. The two blades left an elegant trail of his movement, matching that of a master ice skater. He jumped up, evoking a dull boom from his momentum, and slashed at the dark shadow. *Shatter* Kuzan clicked his tongue as he felt the glacial blade explode into innumerable pieces with a single point of contact. ''Is his skin made of metal?'' The boy was about to retreat until a large hand shot out from the cloud of dust, tightening around his throat. "Ugh!" Kuzan groaned as he felt the vice-like grip that held him in the air; no amount of effort could free him. "Show me more." The boy heard Damien''s voice alongside the two glowing crimson pupils from the clearing dust. He gulped, though not backing down. "Hmm?" Damien squinted his eyes as he saw the boy begin to release frost from his hands, followed by the creaking of the ice. It took moments before the entire section of the forest nearby was met with the brutal cold, freezing the vegetation as if it were hit by an ice age! Kuzan grinned and did something interesting. Instead of trying to free himself, he reached out and grabbed Damien''s arm and began to freeze it in place. "Try this one!" Damien heard the cocky words, alongside the extreme coldness that exploded out from the youth, far beyond anything before. It was arctic cold! *Hiss* The sound was that of a gas leaking from its container. Kuzan was breathing out a chill that began to turn the very air blocks of ice. "!!!" Damien''s crimson eyes trailed up to the sky as he felt the rumbling, a storm was coming amid Kuzan''s attack! Within a second, the skies that had suddenly darkened began to pour a copious amount of rain. It fell to the point that it resembled buckets of water being thrown down from the heavens themselves. . "Ice Block: Hailstorm!" . The cold air Kuzan had just released forced the water to instantly freeze. Each blob of water hardened like glacial ice, falling at faster speeds. Kuzan concentrated and began to use his coldness in more accurate ways: creating a cold wind that funneled toward him like a tornado. Each shard of thick ice was nearly five inches in width, thousands upon thousands of them! Boom! Bang! Boom! Kuzan smiled as saw the white cloud of frozen vapour explode as each shard hailed onto the Sin Incarnate, burying him in the flurry of extreme ice. бн Around fifty meters away, bits of ice began to materialize into the body of a young boy. Soon, Kuzan had fully reformed, his eyes glued onto the target of the hailstorm before him. It was incredible. The entire portion of the forest, fifty meters in radius, was frozen solid. The once vibrant greenery had become a tundra! Icicles hung from the crystalline trees, the soil was white and shiny, and some unlucky birds had been frozen in midair! There was a certain serenity found in such frost. [Icy Aftermath Image (in Discord)] . Kuzan pumped his fists and exclaimed, "Hehe, it took me almost a whole month to freeze that storm; I had it prepared just for you!" Unfortunately, a calm voice brought him out of the delusion, "You supercooled the air down here, pushing the warmer air up above and unfroze your stored storm, melting it." The ice boy was unsurprised by the lax voice; his eyes traced the voice and found the dark shadow behind him. "The cold turned the water to hail and into that icy attack of yours... consider me impressed." Kuzan heard the praise in Damien''s voice and returned a cheeky smile. "As much as it hurts for me to say this," the Logia user muttered with an ambivalent expression, "that thebo- thermbo- turbodynamics book was pretty useful!" . Damien chuckled at the lazy kid''s admission and gave him a love tap. *Bam!* "Auggh!" Kuzan fell to the ground, clutching the pulsing dome that rang like a gong. The Sin Incarnate blew on his fist as if to polish it. "The technique I spoke of will help you overcome attacks, even like this one that was used with Haki." "!!!" Kuzan, who was in the process of rolling as if he were on fire, froze. The boy shot up from the ground, ignoring the big bump on his dome and locked onto Damien with bubbling anticipation. In return, the pirate showed him a finger. *Fwwm* Damien covered it with Haki and tapped it onto Kuzan''s forehead, slightly poking at him. "Now, concentrate your intangibility toward my fingertip in contact with your forehead." Kuzan did so, closing his eyes and thinking of the single point. "I''m going to remove my finger and poke once more. Within the opening, I want you to materialize yourself away from that single point of contact." "..." Damien let his words sink in for a moment, enough time for the boy to fully remember the exact placement of the finger. The Haki-clad finger then was removed. *Fwooo* A chill went off as Damien saw the boy''s forehead begin to swirl into a blue vortex. Nodding at the sight, the Sin Incarnate proceeded to poke on ahead once more. "..." Kuzan, whose eyes were still closed, felt a dull warmth come near his forehead, spiking the thoughts in his brain. His body naturally diverged at the point of contact, slowly opening up. "Now open your eyes." Kuzan did so, peeking out. His dark pupils widened as he saw the finger in place as it was before, though this time, he did not feel it at all, even though the finger was inside of his skull! Damien smiled at the sight and explained, "Logia users can be countered with Haki, anyone can attest to that. However, the best users of these powerful fruits can also counter this very weakness by elementalizing around Haki attacks." "My finger clad with Haki should technically blow your brains out, but it doesn''t; you''ve reformed your forehead around the finger, essentially overcoming it." He finished by saying, "Once you are familiar with Observation Haki, this should become far more usable." . Damien recalled a scene from the anime: when Kuzan, or more correctly, Aokiji, was against the future Whitebeard. While being stabbed through the chest by the Emperor''s glaive, Aokiji was able to ignore the attack by simply materializing himself around the glaive. [Image (in Discord)] . "Awesome!" Kuzan, who felt the power of the technique, could not help but feel joy. The moment he lost his concentration was the moment his powers broke, reforming his brain back. "Idiot." Damien''s eyes flashed red in Observation as he foresaw the boy''s head explode like a watermelon from the finger lodged into his brain, pulling back in time. Kuzan, who had no idea what happened, was met with a flick of the pirate''s finger, sending him ten meters back, crashing into some frozen trees. . Damien ignored the boy who had disappeared, leaving a trail of broken trees, instead focusing on the mess in front of him. "He''s not even nine years old and he changed the forest into a tundra, this concentrated frost will stay for months to come." A wry smile spread across the pirate''s face, "Logia are true monsters, let alone in the hands of future Admirals." He then raised his hand toward the frozen circle. The hand turned gray within seconds while a white fern-like pattern emerged. . "Equilibrium Restoration." . The white light shined brightly in a pulsating pattern as if sucking up the frost. It took barely ten seconds before the tundra returned to normal temperatures, the ice nowhere to be seen. From a scientist''s eyes, the condition of the region was ideal with standard temperature and pressure, an impossible occurrence amongst natural order. Damien clenched his frosted arm, reining in his ability, "That''s better." ---------------------------------------------- A storm had built up a few days before the arrival of the Sin Incarnate at Mortem Island. One caused by the pirate himself. [Sabaody Archipelago] A bright sky, pleasant winds yet masses of people left perplexed. "I can''t believe it!" a citizen of the archipelago exclaimed. "The Government had to hold the Reverie over Transponder snails due to the threat of the pirates!" Another group of men chimed in their thoughts: "Who would have thought, for the first time in history, there is such a threat to their rule-" "Shhhh! Don''t speak too loudly, idiot!" The man then whispered a warning, "My cousin''s aunt''s brother''s daughter''s dog''s father''s owner''s nephew told me that their babysitter went missing after talking about the situation to some kids!" "Yeah, yeah, I heard a similar story in the pub just last night, it''s crazy!" бн Many conversations were going off about the recent topic that swept the masses. The World News Agency, which had regained quite a lot of popularity by now, released the official announcement of the alterations made to the Reverie. It came down to a few points found in the TL;DR section: - Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Reverie of 1484 will be held remotely. - All fifty members will be sent secured snails to ensure absolute privacy and confidentiality. - The Remote Reverie will be held in three weeks. Author: Morgans. Naturally, something as official as the World Summit being forced to be held in such an odd way garnered attention. It was not hard to connect the dots that due to the threat of the pirates in the New World, the World Government had to take this path. But of course, they did not want the people to know too much of the situation so they opted to dub it as ''unforeseen circumstances''. бн Not only did this news spread like wildfire, it even reached the ends of the world such as the Four Outer Seas. Many Nations and their people were graced with the bombastic headlines that would surely go down in history, or will it? бн [A Snowy Island in the Grand Line] The news also arrived on an inconspicuous and eternally cold island. However, its few residents were not overly keen to read the news as another event was currently taking place. A dull shack stood at the base of a mountain. A woman, who was nearly out cold, was seen pushing to her wit''s end within the said shack. "Waaaaah, euuuugh!" Slowly but surely, a large child was birthed, much to the woman''s contentment. An old lady cleaned the newborn, placing it into the mother''s hand. *Creak* A man with broken teeth and scruffy black hair watched from the side with great emotion. His odd-shaped body made him stand out though the stench of booze pushed away any curious eyes. "What will you name him?" the woman asked, through her eyes stuck on the boy. The man leaned in, tracing his finger on the child''s wrinkly cheek. "Teech," he answered. "Marshall D. Teach." To Be Continuedбн Chapter 77: Mood Swings Kuzan eventually found his way out from the crumbled terrain, dislodging himself from a sea of broken trees. *Krrrr* Creaks and cracks resounded in the area as the broken shards of ice reformed into Kuzan''s broken head, fitting back together like puzzle pieces. It took a little while for him to fully regain his bearing, though the dull ache was overshadowed by Toki''s yell regarding the food that was prepared. He dashed through the forest, leaving a trail of frost in his wake. бн Damien was already there, about to sit down near the huge stump-turned-dinner table. Ignoring Kuzan, he turned to a purple imprint on the ground, "Looks like we have another guest." A purple flash went off with a bright flare as a human silhouette emerged from below. "Aurora-nee is here too!" Kuzan alerted the others, though it was obvious enough. His eyes drifted to the woman covered in a tight black attire that fitted quite well. The mask that was once there had been removed and showcased the silky purple hair that fell down the woman''s shoulders. Upon arrival, Aurora looked around the familiar lands with a hint of anticipation. Her eyes were drawn to the towering figure of Damien who was watching with a smirk. *Vvooo* Her body became fluid-like, warping through the air and reappearing in front of the pirate. "Damien!" She was about to get close but hesitated and halted a meter from her target. "..." Damien looked down at the newly appeared Aurora with a look of scrutiny. ''She''s grownбн in multiple ways.'' The thought was not uncalled for. It seemed the girls in One Piece tended to grow in multiple dimensions after a timeskip. However, the thoughts vanished as he saw the slight hesitations emanating from the girl. Obviously, Aurora had no idea how to proceed from her current position. Damien reached out and ran his hand through her hair, feeling the soft and silky texture, something that left her stunned. "You made it in time for lunch; we''ll talk afterwards." He then took his seat before the table, leaving Aurora in a state of confusion. The assassin looked to the side and saw Toki smile at her with a slight nod as if communicating in some special language. бн At the table, Toki had prepared a large array of dishes. A mix of Western food Damien imparted to her alongside some of Wano''s best foods. Kuzan also got a double whammy as he guzzled a jar of his favourite drinks while embracing the warm soup of the stew from the Land of Samurai. The lunch took on a vibrant atmosphere, one further amplified by the flora and fauna nearby. бн [A While Later] The evening had arrived, though the sun was still high in the sky. The orange sun cut through the clouds as the warmth fell upon the island below. The party of four sat in a circle around a fire, eating marshmallows. Damien began a quick spiel, "I''m sure you saw the news, the Reverie had shifted to a remote version due to the threat of the New World and the latest tragedies that occurred at the worst time." Kuzan snickered at the side, knowing full well who the culprit of said tragedies was. "It will begin within three weeks, and probably last a week. In other words, we have a month where the World Government and the Marines will be able to tend to the seas once more." He then looked at the reserved Aurora. "You''ve done very well in the Underworld, too well, even. I''m sure that Cipher Pol will redeploy once again after the Reverie; they will find their way to your door." He wolfed down the marshmallows before continuing, enjoying the taste. Aurora, who was on his left, slightly nodded. Last time she had turned down the Government, it would be a fool''s thought to not expect them to return. Damien''s eyes sharpened as he glanced at the blazing in front of him. "They will probably try some shady things, I''ll come with you to make sure they don''t get too out of hand." Kuzan, however, was left deflated, "Can''t I come as well?" Damien glanced at the downed boy and shook his head. "Sorry kid, it''s not the right time for you. For now, focus on your studies and training." He felt a little bad for the boy and made a quick compromise, "We need to restock some clothing and items; go shopping with Toki when I leave, but make sure not to showcase your Devil Fruit." Kuzan, who got a little sick of the same atmosphere for over a year, rejoiced at the news that he could leave, even for a little while. . Toki smiled from the side and said, "In the meantime, I''ll focus on perfecting my knowledge of medicine and human anatomy." She also held up a metallic pendant, "This makes me feel quite lightheaded but since you said it''ll help, I''ll put it on." Damien nodded, naturally, the pendant was the same once he used to attain his Seastone Immunity and had just taken back from Aurora. They then kicked back to relax, gulping down the smoky and tasty marshmallows. ---------------------------------------------- [Hachinosu] "No, no, you ran over my plants, you estи▓pido!" a pirate voiced his anger. He was of a very small stature with dark hair and a signature thick mustache. The recipient of the anger was an eighteen-foot-tall burly masked man who seemed somewhat ashamed. "My bad, I can''t help it, I thought they were broccoli plants which gave me the urge to ruin them!" The much, much shorter man heaved an annoyed sigh while brushing a plot of plants to the side. At that moment, another pirate arrived. He stood at exactly eleven feet in height (3.35 m) with dark hair and dark skin, donning a black vest. The tribal marks running over his open arms left quite a wild nature to emanate. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. His appearance brought the two arguing pirates to their feet in salute. "Droga Pablo, did you prepare the goods you promised to equal your worth?" The calm yet sharp tone caused the awfully short man to gulp, "Se?or Indra, I have them ready!" Zenora Indra, who was naturally the one at the front, watched without giving any reply. He saw as Pablo hustled around, bringing forth a handful of vials. Each was barely five inches in length, carrying a different liquid per vial. "Sleeping, steroids, painkillers, epinephrine, hallucinogens, you name it, I can concoct it!" . Indra grabbed a red vial that supposedly contained the adrenaline and clicked it into a small syringe. "Majin." That is all he said before stabbing the medical instrument into the burly pirate''s red forearm, diverting all the fluid into his body. The towering Majin did not feel anything, leaving him confused. "!!!" Then, however, his eyes widened as he felt a strength coursing through his veins. "Majajaja! I feel like I can break this island!" Bam! His muscular fist suddenly slammed onto the earth below, leaving a wide crater in its place. Cracks soon spread out in a circle around ten meters in diameter, slowly but surely shattering it apart. . Indra gazed at the tiny pirate standing at a weak 5'' 6" in height and expressed his satisfaction, "Not bad; the Commander will be pleased by your craft. For now, find a way to use these potions at long range." Pablo placed his hand on his chest and bowed his head, "Sик, se?or!" The swordsman then turned away, this time to the rampaging Majin who was going around, punching trees and vegetation in light of his newfound power. Of course, it was temporary, but it was worth quite a lot in times of war. "''Find someone adept at working with narcotics,'' is what he asked. Hopefully, this Pablo will fit that bill," Indra muttered, recalling his recent orders over the snail phone. . "!!!" However, at this moment, an anomaly arrived at the Fourth Division''s Main Base. Indra, the acting Commander, turned to the side and felt the heavy presence. The atmosphere sent a chill down the pirate''s back as he took upon a solemn face. The tension sucked out the colour of the surroundings, birthing an ominous breeze. Shing! The famed blade at Indra''s hip was unsheathed, evoking an airy screech. He stood tall, locking eyes with the giant threat who had deigned to come to the Fourth Division''s corner. "..." "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma!" The shrieking laugh and evil cackle were more than enough to plunge the average man into the fear of death. "I guess it was true that Damien''s right-hand man has been recruiting some pirates under his flag!" Indra narrowed his eyes, his breathing was calm alongside the grip on his weapon. He simply glared at the woman, ready to fight if needed. Boom! Majin, Pablo, and the now-awake Kaen arrived. They each were rather apprehensive, after all, the enemy bounty exceeded even that of their Commander, over two billion berries! . "Charlotte Linlin, what brings you here?" Indra questioned. The menacing woman stood just shy of 29 feet in height (8.80 m), more than double that of Indra. A sword was held in one hand while a miniature sun and cloud hovered around her, each with human faces etched onto them, grinning end to end. Linlin''s grin stretched far, with a hint of savagery, "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma! Of course, I''m here to collect the seed that''s owed to me!" The giant woman leaned in, a single string of a bikini held her cleavage, practically spilled out, "It''s been over a year now, tell me, where''s your leader?" Indra heaved a dull exhale as if preparing his body for a fight. "..." "Hmm? Refusing to answer? Let''s see how long you last!" The woman, without any wait, slashed down the giant sword with great momentum, giving birth to screeching winds. *Clang!* An ear-rattling boom went off as the shockwaves were strong enough to shatter small hills to dust! The sheer weight and power of the woman were imparted onto Indra''s single blade which creaked loudly. "Ugh," Indra grunted as he felt the overwhelming weight of the strike. Yet his wolf-like eyes remained sharp. He eyed the enemy''s point of contact on his blade and shifted his grip by the slightest of degrees. "Huh!" Linlin stumbled forward, a consequence of her weight. Using his smaller size, the male pirate dashed up into the air without wasting a second. . "One Sword Style: Beautiful Death!" . Linlin widened her eyes as she saw the massive image of a peacock appear in the sky, spreading its glorious wings. "Kaaaa!" The bird shrieked as it befell the giant pirate, smashing its talons and razor-sharp feathers forward. Indra''s sword slashed down from the sky in tandem with the peacock, thundering upon the Evil Spirit. *Vvooo!* The torrents sent out from their collision were enough to take the three spectators off their feet and into the air. "Damn, that crazy woman, I want to burn her alive!" Kaen bellowed as his fiery red hair danced wildly under the powerful winds. Majin''s large body landed nearby, Pablo, behind him. "Don''t get in Mama''s way." "Huh?" Kaen looked to the side and saw a young boy with a broken face, his hands warped with a white, sticky fluid. Near the magenta-haired young lad were a few other teenagers, each ready to attack in a symphony of colourful abilities. They ranged from candy to boiling heat and a giant genie. "Cheh, how can a woman have so many brats!" ... "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma! That wasn''t half bad!" a voice echoed past the cloud of smoke. Next came the giant sword, cleaving at the dark-skinned swordsman with a horizontal motion. It was a simple yet mind-numbing strike. "Ugh!" Indra felt the heavy weight as his own blade dug into his shoulder from the awkward angle of the attack, sweeping him off his feet and shooting him across the region. With a resounding boom, he landed on a nearby hill, erupting with a cloud of dust and sand. . Big Mom grinned, revelling in the chaos. "Nice one, Mama!" the cloud laughed. The living sun beamed a matching grin, "Everyone who stands in Mama''s way gets thrown aside!" However at the last moment, the two personifications of disasters turned shocked, ""He''s still up?"" Shing! Suddenly, the dust storm was cut apart as the figure of Indra walked out, his right arm dripping in blood. The pirate''s wolf-like appearance became wilder, the composed demeanour still present. "Pablo, give me a shot of adrenaline." Indra did not have to wait long until a tiny red vial was thrown across the sky and into his hand. Linlin watched with an impressed smile and allowed him to do as he pleased. "Oh?" Her grin turned even wider as a chuckle leaked out at the sight of Indra. She saw the man open up the vial with a pop and poured the contents onto his swordбкan even coat of the crimson liquid at the very tip of the blade. He then pointed it toward his thigh. *Swish!* The tip of the blade pierced ahead and into the flesh, allowing the red liquid to be absorbed into the muscle. The burst of strength and stamina echoed through Indra''s body as he stood in defiance to the menacing Big Mom. . "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma! You''re as crazy as your Commander!" The entranced woman opened up her free hand as if calling for something. "Here I come, Mama!" *Crackle* The gray cloud in her hand turned dark and stormy, crackling with lightning and thunderous spirit. "Here, I''ll name this attack after you!" . "Indra!" . [A/N: Indra is the name of the Hindu God of rain and storms.] Linlin roared as the attack materialized into a huge bolt of blue lightning that thundered on forth at the much smaller pirate. Indra did not falter; he weaved his blackened sword in a soft yet precise manner, almost as if to grab the incoming lightning. *Krrrrr* The dance went down at lightning-fast speeds, collected the electrical charges in the air and wrapped it around his blade, which was further locked in with dense Armament Haki. Indra''s weapon, Kyoran, was now crackling with countless purple arcs of volatile electricity. . "One Sword Style: Dance of the Dead!" . He gave Linlin no chance to think as he shot forth with the lightning blade in hand, slashing and swiping at the woman. His dark figure shuttled through the skies, lighting the dull evening with bursts of blue and purple. *Whizz!* *Vvoosh!* *Fwooo!* The dark figure swished all around the massive woman, cutting and slashing at incredible speeds without any mercy. "Ahhh!" Big Mom shrieked as she felt the dozens of slashes hit her from all angles. The blades were swelling with the electricity produced by Linlin''s attack, enough to leave cuts on her thick skin! . Indra never lost focus, aiming at the tendons and ligaments of the woman, under the bicep, behind the knee, and at the nape of the neck. Each burst of electricity left the mountainous Linlin numb, causing her to lag in place. "How annoying!" The Titan grew angry and unleashed a flurry of Conqueror''s Haki that swept away everything nearby. *Boom!* The pink burst of energy dissolved all electricity and liquified the cracked earth below. Black lightning fell from the sky, forcing far-away pirates onto their knees. . "Damn," Indra muttered, feeling the Haki digging into every pore of his skin and tossing him into the sky. Thud! The swordsman landed on his feet, ignoring the cuts and gashes over his skin and locking eyes with the woman. "!!!" Before he could react, the giant woman appeared in front of him at breathtaking speeds. Her rather open body, sporting a single pink bikini, was cut with dozens of thin cuts. Orange-ringed eyes flooded the land with a curtain of darkness, bathing the Fourth Division''s Headquarters with an ominous sight. . "Life or Slave!" . The proclamation came with a burst of Haki, gnawing at the mind of the sole victim. "..." Most people would melt under such eyes of the gargantuan woman, yet it failed to draw much of a reaction from Indra. The glare abruptly warped into intrigue toward the calm swordsman, "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma! You really don''t fear death, do you?" Indra raised his Haki-clad blade and gave a sharp reply, "Fear only gets in the way." Linlin grinned past her white teeth, "Hehe, what a handsome man!" "It would stain my name to kill you here... I''ll wait till Damien comes back to take his seed!" Charlotte Linlin took her leave immediately after her words, not caring to look back. The squad of teenagers jumped away from their respective duels and followed behind their mother. ... "What a crazy woman!" Kaen muttered from the side, his brain still stinging from the shriek of Haki. Majin''s burly arms burst out from the donut that trapped him. "Uhmm, I could be wrong but her belly seemed quite bloated, I am jealous of those who can fight on a full stomach!" Indra, who had sheathed his weapon, could not help but correct him, "If I''m not wrong, she should be pregnant." "Not just one, but probably three of them in thereбн" "Espera un maldito minute!" Pablo cried out, dropping his cigar. "Her crazy mood swings were from pregnancy!? Just what the hell is wrong with that woman!" Indra shook his head. His eyes fell onto his hands which subconsciously trembled. ''Her Haki is leagues above mine,'' the swordsman thought before clenching his aching hands into fistsбкanother reason for the swordsman to keep up his game. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 78: A Dangerous Game [Twenty-six Days Later] The Remote Reverie, the first of its kind, had been successfully held and concluded. The World News Agency had released a simple summary of the events that had unfolded in the World Summit: - Worries regarding the plundered Heavenly Tributes. - Rampant pirate sieges throughout the Grand Line. - High mortality rate of Marines in recent years. - Updating the World Threat Index. - Changes within the Underworld. There were many unknown variables in the latest Reverie, leaving people around the world perplexed and worried about the times to come. Yet many found comfort in these troubled seas, most with ill intent. ... [Tomb of Storms, Unso Island] Fulcrum''s brilliant pyramid had caused quite the storm after being unveiled. Though at the current moment, at the very top, Hell''s Peak, a purple flash lit up the room. Near the white marble floor was a purple imprint, most would see it as a decoration, but now, it had begun warping with energy. The flash went off for a good thirty seconds before two humanoid silhouettes were apparent, one male and the other female. "Your Aether Anchors are even more convenient than I remember," the young man stated. The almost-entirely cloaked woman shook her head, "Unfortunately, I can''t seem to place more than five anchors, no matter how far my fruit progresses." "Ha, if you could keep bumping that number then I''d get jealous." . The man then scanned the area, breathing in the surroundings. Huge area with a triangular structure held up with pristine support. Giant windows on all sides of the main seat to view the Empire below while inviting the warmth of the skies. Primarily white, polished and well-kept. "I see your taste in dижcor is still fancy," he casually commented. The girl seemed a little embarrassed, "Well, you said to make it fit for a king." Damien shrugged, "I didn''t say it was bad. It simply looks different from what I''d expect from an assassin." The marble pillars, the sleek architecture, the expensive dижcor, it was all there. Indeed, fit for a king. . Aurora then walked to the left side of the room behind the throne, looking out the giant window that overlooked the island. "I remodelled the island to be fit for defense against naval attacks. The walls are lined with cannons and watchtowers. Transponder snail jammers litter the roads, blocking enemy chatter when needed." She pointed at different buildings, introducing them to Damien. "After the huge influx of wealth from the Styx Passages, it did get a little turbulent. Many masked attacks hit the shores, hoping to get a hint of how the Sea Kings were controlled, though it bore them no fruits." "From what we could understand, these attacks were either from smaller pirates or ambitious mafias, nothing directly linked to other Emperors." Damien smirked, hiding a scoff under his breath, "They probably want to test the waters, using proxy forces." Aurora nodded, agreeing with the statement, "They don''t fear the forces of the island, but they fear the one behind the Sea Kings'' subservience." Damien hummed, "They are right to fear." . He then turned to the side, looking at the Main Docks where the entire Sea King depot stood. It was where they came to rest and receive orders, even now a few beasts had left with such orders. Naturally, all these Beasts were of the lower kind. Damien''s Haki and connection to nature allowed him to control the lower-level Sea Kings into his bidding, and they fulfilled it with great desire. "It seems that your deputy has put things under control," Damien mentioned, his eyes shining in Observation. He noted the rather inconspicuous humanoids that moved the goods while keeping a strong watch on the premises. The guards were essentially roboticбкwholly focused on their duty to an unnatural extent. Aurora walked next to Damien with silent footsteps and followed his gaze. "His Devil Fruit ability is as you said, powerful in the sense of its ability to control the unruly and the scheming." "бн" The two remained silent for a moment, gazing at the empire before them. "We have company," Damien muttered. He glanced to the far back of the chamber and onto the solid steel gates reinforced to hold up against explosives. As if on cue, dull knocks echoed through. Three gong-like rumbles to announce their presence, while also patiently waiting for permission to enter. . Aurora waved her hands across her face, magically donning her mask and hood, concealing her identity. She glanced at Damien with a question, "Should I allow him in?" Damien thought for a second before reaching back onto his Regal Coat and grabbing a magically-appearing hood. He pulled it up and over his head, wholly covering the upper half, leaving nothing but darkness visible below. . Aurora did not ask any further, willing her Aether powers to unlock the gate. *Creak* The heavy gates bellowed a dull tune, opening the path for the person outside. The man outside entered with his head lowered to showcase his subservience. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. However, what awaited them was something truly odd. "Uhhh..." The surprise in his eyes was apparent as his gaze fell on the two people standing before the white throne. Aurora, now Fulcrum, broke the silence. "This is Ebi, though after gaining his newfound power, he took on the name of ''Nekrиоs''." She gestured at the bald man donning the dark clothing. He stood around six feet tall with a bright bald head, donning a brown shirt over a black turtleneck. . Nekros, previously Ebi, came out from his reverie. His eyes bounced from his boss to the person next to her. "Bossбн Big Boss!?" He looked like a lost pup, unable to distinguish his master. "..." Nekros took a deep breath and matched the gaze of his boss'' boss. "Umm, I, I apologize for barging in!" The shaky voice alongside the quivering eyes was more than enough to show the deep-rooted fear in the man''s eyes. "You''ve worked under Fulcrum for around nine months now. She has relayed your loyalty to the Empire to me, keep up the good work," Damien answered, amused. Nekrиоs gulped, swallowing his fear and quickly bowed his head. "O-Of course!" A part of Nekrиоs told him that the man in front of him was also responsible for the Devil Fruit that was given to him, furthering both his admiration, gratitude and fear. . Though at that very moment, Nekrиоs recalled what he came here for, "Bosses! It''s the Government!" he exclaimed. "They sent agents to negotiateбн" Fulcrum unconsciously looked toward Damien while Nekrиоs also made an audible gulp. A while ago, Fulcrum threw the Government''s "mercy" back at their faces. With the Reverie over, they finally had resources available to put stricter measures into place. . Damien whose face was hidden under the hood smirked, having an idea of what was to come. He turned to Fulcrum and gave her a quick answer, "You''re the Underworld Emperor here, do as you wish." The hooded pirate then took a few steps to the left side, casually leaning on a marble pillar. "..." Fulcrum heaved a dull exhale. It was obvious to her that this was the final test. Within seconds, the reticent nature of Aurora was locked away, replaced by the Underworld Emperor who had moulded an Empire in the past eight and a half months. . *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* Quiet steps went off as the King of Shipping took her place on the silvery throne. The halls of the Tomb of Storms gave off a brilliant luster, dawning quite the contrast with Fulcrum''s dark and mysterious attire. Nekrиоs watched it all happen, his eyes brightened as he felt the tension disappear. ''If things go wrong then a Buster Call would be the least of our worries... but I know she can do some impossible things!'' the main thought, clenching his fists. "I''ll call for them." He then took out a snail and gave an order. бн The three waited for a moment until a few rhythmic steps echoed through the halls. Six figures slowly arrived, oddly enough, they travelled at the same pace, even though there were six of them, the sound of their footsteps made it seem as if it was a single person. Nekrиоs moved to the throne''s right side, standing in wait as the head agent leading the white-clothed squad gave a curt bow. "Fulcrum, we meet again." Though the man subconsciously turned to his left before falling back onto Fulcrum. "I hope you returned with a more profitable exchange." The head agent nodded, though instead of answering with words, he did so with his actions: the man gestured to an agent by the side, giving way to a few tools. ... It took barely ten seconds before CP-0 had set up a projector and its screen in front of the white throne. To top it off, a large projector snail was placed on a stool facing the screen, and one camera snail toward the throne. "The Elder will speak to you directly." The agent then flicked on the snail as it shot out a projection from its eyes. "бн" Nekrиоs felt a little tense once more, after all, the screen soon became that of a bald, bespeckled old man carrying a stern look. "I take it that you are the new King of Shipping who appeared out of the blue and brought forth the mess of the Underworld." The man had a calm yet icy voice that carried an air of superiority. Fulcrum paid no attention to the scorn on the man''s face and replied, "One of the Five EldersбкThe Warrior God of Finance: Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro." [Image (in Discord)] . The Elder narrowed his eyes but did not immediately reply. "Our agents relayed your reluctance to cooperate with the World Government. You took advantage of the Reverie but now it has passed, tell me, what reason do I have to grant you any further mercy considering your ability to manipulate Sea Kings?" Fulcrum signalled to Nekrиоs instead of answering the Elder. The man knew what to do and spoke to his transponder snail, "Kaiser, bring them in." Nusjuro frowned at their actions while the CP-0 agents stood ready as they saw what came next. *Clink* *Clack* The atmosphere grew more tense as a pale man walked in, holding heavy chains. Their rattling was the only sound resounding the area as they pulled two dozen other men in. They were dressed in rags, their faces hollow of emotion. The single chain keeper walked on ahead and plopped the prisons in a row before the Elder''s snail. . "What is the meaning of this?" The Elder thundered. Fulcrum shrugged, "A few rats under your intelligence agency that we caught snooping around. Though not as stealthy as those of Aigis Zero, they were sent by your Government." "You should know of my policy on spies." "You!" the Elder scowled at her impudence, though the next actions took things to a new level. Kaiser, the man holding the chains, moved. He pointed both his arms out, straining the muscles. *Shaaa* *Krrr* Grizzly sounds erupted from the man as his arms buckled and exploded. Sharp, white bones protruded from Kaiser, forming blades. Before the agents could respond, the man slashed forth, sending a white spike of bony mass followed by red. *Splatter* Fresh blood burst out from the two dozen agents in a fountain of crimson glory. The heads slammed onto the pristine floors, dyeing them with a new coat of paint. "How dare you!" Nusjuro''s voice was laced with anger, reaching the ears of CP-0. The six men took placeбкsome reached for their weapons while others were wrapped in dense Haki and masterful Rokushiki. "!!!" An agent was about to move until he felt a shadow fall upon himself. He turned back to see a monstrous creature standing before him. The other agents too were alerted as they gazed at the beast before themselves. It was humanoid, reaching a height eclipsing them all; five meters (16'' 5"). The creature donned Egyptian clothing, leaving his brown-coloured upper chest bare. He had pointed ears, with the face of a jackal. A staff was held in his left hand with a black ball of energy hovering at its tip. . "Arise!" . The crude words bellowed out from the creature as they echoed the halls. They did not seem to carry any power to the living, yet were compelling commands to the dead. What followed brought shock to the agents as they saw the dead two dozen people get up with an ominous blue coat of energy. It did not take long before the Agents were surrounded by their dead colleagues. "The intel was true," an Aigis Zero agent murmured. "Fulcrum''s top deputy got his hands on a Mythical Zoan Fruit." "Dog-Dog Fruit иC Mythical Model: Anubis." [Image (in Discord)] . Nekrиоs, now in his Zoan form, gave a menacing grin. He waved his staff, delivering a commandment to the fallen. One of them shot ahead, attacking an Agent. Boom! The arisen was thrown back into the wall with ease. Though even with a kick that could shatter his spine, the arisen got up without difficulty, rushing at the agent once more. "They have vast stamina and endurance!" A brawl broke out as the two dozen arise, each swimming with blue energy, began an attack and pushed hard onto the six agents. The incessant resilience of the enemies was damning. Every time they were thrown back, they would get up without difficulty and rush back once more. Seeing the assault, the Head Agent raised his left leg. *Fwoo* A current of air was soon wrapped around it, ready to slash on out and end the farce. "Tempest Ki-" "!!!" His battle-ready demeanour froze midair. Though his face was hidden behind the mask, the eyes were still visible. Some say the eyes were the windows to the soul, and the head agent''s eyes were filled with trepidation. He hesitantly turned his head to the side with a look of dread and saw the hooded figure glaring at him. Two red pupils and a crimson mist leaked out from the darkness of the hood. A foreboding feeling eclipsed his instincts; he felt being stared at by an apex predator. [Image (in Discord)] . The brawl continued as the agents were slowly overpowered, forcing Cipher Pol onto the defense. Nekrиоs smirked, this time he fuelled in Haki to his staff, the black ball at its helm began to swirl like a black hole. The two dozen arose and gave out a dull growl. *Fwwm!* Their blue energy coat changed colour to that of a deep black shade. Their bodies grew faster, stronger and tougher, rejuvenating their spirit. "Augh!" an agent cried out as he was lifted to the sky. A white bone blade protruded from his chest, now red in colour. His entire body was held up above by the very attack. Kaiser, who was now covered in sharp spikes of his own bones, joined in as well. It was not long before another agent fell dead, much to the Elder''s dismay. "Enough of this." Fulcrum never broke eye contact with the aged man, finding joy in the old man''s anger. "I am all but moments away from ordering a Buster Call led by an Admiral to reduce your meager empire to dust and lock you up in Impel Down for the rest of your natural life!" As if to cement his threat, the old man raised a golden transponder snail to the screen, one with the power to essentially erase any island out of existence. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 79: Saints and Sinners The "Buster Call" was the strongest Marine military action possible, performed only under special circumstances. Its simplicity of bombarding its target with a salvo of cannons and continuing till nothing remains was frightening. Ten warships, twice the size of normal giants, usually led by five Vice Admirals and thousands of troops. If needed, an Admiral could naturally lead the charge as well, though that would only further cement the inevitable destruction of the target. . Fulcrum gave no visible reaction to the ultimatum and simply responded, "That would be a mistake." "The Reverie may have passed and yet your grasp on the world has changed not one bit," she bluntly stated. "The Heavenly Tributes that fund your operations are running dry while thousands of Marines are killed in action by the monsters of the New World." These words alone brought a scowl to the Elder''s face. Fulcrum went on to say, "We both know that things have only gotten worse for the very balance you try so hard to maintain; It would be in your best interest to put away your threats and compromise with me." The calm and collected words echoed throughout Hell''s Peak, bringing a cease-fire to Aigis Zero, Nekrиоs and his arisen, and Kaiser. "бн" A brief silence pervaded the chamber as the Elder''s expression returned to that of indifference. His sharp eyes scanned Fulcrum for any little twitch, looking for a single weakness to exploit. . Alas, it resulted in a light sigh. "You play a dangerous game," the man calmly stated. "Very well, let us talk." The man lowered the golden snail, meanwhile, the CP-0 agents returned to the screen''s side, uncaring of any wounds or their fallen comrades. . Finally, the Warrior God of Finance leaned into his seat and gave a quick run-down of the matter at hand. "The New World is in a constant state of flux; the balance we had procured with the Order of the Three Overlords has been ripped apart, leaving Sol and Rocks as the Rulers of the Seas." The Elder''s voice turned spiteful as he spat out, "We of the World Government have taken a hit due to the latter''s reckless attitude and habit of breaking taboos." "So you need a safer way to transport your resources and goods," Fulcrum finished the Elder''s words. Nusjuro nodded slightly with a hum. "With access to the Calm Belts, we can achieve a reliable route for said transportation, something in your hands." The old man could not help but narrow his eyes at the masked figure of Fulcrum. "We will grant you the choice to be our liaison for the Underworld. You will give us free transportation through your Styx Passages, allowing us to move both resources and Heavenly Tributes safely and securely." The Elder then went ahead to put in a final condition, "Though you must disallow all transportation of goods to any criminal ranked at the top of the World Threat Index!" . Fulcrum shook her head, the light shining off her visor quite brightly, "Breaking all agreements with those monsters is akin to poking a bear. They don''t mind attacking your Heavenly Tributes, what chance do we have?" "бн" Nusjuro did not respond, but instead took a sip of his tea. He then looked at an angle where his eyes were hidden from the flash of his spectacles as he laid a new idea. "In that matter, we grant you full support in taking over the Underworld." A brief silence arrived before the man continued. "With the power of the World Government at your side, I''m sure you can fulfill your little conquest. Any goods moved under your name will be exempt from any checking or patrols. No Kingdom under our banner will pay you any trouble nor attention to your actions, granting you free reign over the Underworld." . The deal echoed through the glorious chamber and even brought a grin to the likes of Nekros. Going from working at the side of Barro to making a deal with the Supreme Authority of the World was truly incredible. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. One would say it was the highest honour of a sinner of the seas. "Rocks." The name uttered by Fulcrum drew everyone''s attention. Nekrиоs audibly gulped while even the well-trained Cipher Pol Agents felt the need to take a deep breath. Hell''s Peak was quickly plunged with cold air while the endless sunlight dulled awayбкthe ghost of Rocks was ever-haunting the world! . Meanwhile, the eyes of Fulcrum, under her blank mask, trailed to the far left of the room and fell upon a spectator. Seeing a nod, she elaborated, "The Styx Passages will be closed for only the Rocks Pirates, allowing goods to be moved to all other pirate crews." "You want us to aid you in strengthening our enemies?" Nusjuro scoffed in return. The woman shrugged, "Your true enemy is the Rocks Pirates. By cutting deals with them, I am already standing at the edge of the plank." "Trade agreements with other pirates like Pryde D. Sol will remain." The Elder glared at the masked person, imposing another pin-drop silence onto the room. Slowly but surely, he spoke up, "Very well." "The deal stands as long as you keep the Underworld in control and your route away from Rocks, we do not need any more disruptions outside the mess in the New World." . Damien, who casually stood at the side, felt a little amused. The deal had a striking resemblance with that of the Seven Warlords that would take place in the futureбкthe Government granted certain privileges in hopes of maintaining some form of balance. Though, unlike the Warlords, this time they were a bit more desperate. . Fulcrum brought her hands together, evoking a resounding clap, "It was good doing business with you, Mister Nusjuro." The Elder remained stoic as the screen flickered into darkness, bringing the call to an end. "Katcha~!" The Head Agent from Aigis Zero took away the transponder snail and slightly bowed his head, "Then we will take our leave." Nekrиоs blinked as he felt the tension disappear, feeling somewhat confused. . At the same time, Fulcrum got up from her seat, walked down from her seat and stood eye-to-eye with the shrouded Damien. Before speaking, she glared in the direction of the two other men. Nekrиоs quickly nodded and left with Kaiser, leaving the two alone. *Sss* A soft hiss went off as Fulcrum removed her hood and mask, dissolving it into purple light and allowing her hair to cascade down. The unveiled young woman lightly smiled, "You wanted the Underworld at your beck and call, now you have it. With the Government''s support, it''s only a matter of time." Damien also removed his hood and studied the girl''s eyes. The purple gem-like pupils carried a mix of excitement and fulfilment but were missing some the Sin Incarnate wanted to see. "YOU have the Underworld at your beck and call, I''m just the hand behind the curtain." Aurora froze for a second and saw the crimson gleam of her companion''s eyes. A few memories flashed through her mind: arrival at Unso Island, taking down Barro and grabbing his Empire followed by nine months of growth in the shady sea of the Underworld. The girl leaked a smile before lightly nodding toward the pirate. . Damien hummed at the newfound look in Aurora''s eyes before turning to the spanning window once more and staring at the horizon. "As long as the threat of Rocks exists, the Government will favour you. Just be ready for when that threat is eliminated." Aurora''s eyes widened as she heard the words. "Do you think that Rocks will fall? Even a man as strong as him?" Damien sighed and turned to the girl, "Though the pirates control the New World, the rest of the seas have always had one master: The World Government. Rocks is just the first true threat they faced in a long, long time." The thought brought a frown to the girl''s face, her thoughts easily readable. The pirate smirked and waved aside her concerns, "I''ll be fine. For now, just concern yourself with the mess of the Underworld." "After all, with the support of the saints, the sinners thrive." ---------------------------------------------- [Room of Authority, Pangaea Castle] Bright halls, fresh breeze, elegant architecture. Such words could describe this very room that commanded the entire world. The air alone was soaked under a coat of authority. . "Nusjuro, don''t you think you gave too many incentives to that Fulcrum?" The Bald Elder glanced to the side and met his colleague''s gaze. The one who spoke was Saint Jay Garcia Saturn, the Warrior God of Science and Defense. "Perhaps that was true in our previous chat with the new Underworld Emperor... but now we face too many shortcomings in terms of funding and resources." He tapped his sword on the ground with some frustration, "The constant wars in the New World demand a great increase in Marine''s Forces, which, when added to the stolen Heavenly Tributes, has created many problems." "The power we grant Fulcrum can always be rescinded, but the problems that plague us will only exacerbate; now we can gain an edge by placing a tighter lid around Rocks'' resources." Markus Mars, the Elder with the long beard, chimed in as well. "Yes, it has been around a year and a half since the Rocks Pirates began their assault on the Heavenly Tributes, month after monthбн those insufferable scum!" Shing! Nusjuro unsheathed a part of his treasure blade, his face reflecting off the lustrous weapon. "Beyond that, we need more intel on the Styx Passage. From what we know thus far, Fulcrum has a close aide with the ability to control Sea Kings to transport goods across the Calm Belts." The visibly youngest of the Five, Saint Shepherd Ju Peter, shared his worry, "Indeed, it is quite resemblant to the Ancient WeaponбкPoseidon!" "..." The name drop summoned a deafening silence in the room. . Mars traced his hand through his beard, not fully agreeing, "Poseidon should not have awakened yet, it is far too early." "Rather, it should be the doing of a Devil Fruit instead." Ju Peter nodded at the thought, "An ability or not, it can influence the game of thrones. We should use the agreement to uncover the secrets to the Calm Belts as soon as possible." Nusjuro agreed, as shown by his action of sheathing his blade. *Clank!* "I concur. Leave it to Xerxes to handle, we should return to the matter of Rocks." The final Elder yet to speak, the one with the bushy mustache, Saint Topman Warcury, spoke up, "Rocks himself has disappeared, yet the likes of Golden Lion, Evil Spirit, Whitebeard and the Sin Incarnate continue to display their chaotic tendencies." "Even that apprentice, Kaido, has made his name during the Reverie, a total of nine Ships carrying the Heavenly Tributes were laid waste by him! To break such taboos at the time of the World Summit is akin to challenging our authority!" Saturn heaved a sigh, "At least the remaining transport should be secure, that is, as long as that man doesn''t act up nowбн" "He bears the name of ''D.'' and is unruly by nature," Ju Peter said. "I hope Kong can straighten him out lest he disappears under the fog of war." The scornful words were laced with threat and opposition. The same thoughts were shared by the other Elders as well, bringing their tense discussion to a conclusion. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 80: One Punch [An Island in the New World] "It''s bad, the Marines have us surrounded!" "Bad? Sounds good to me, I''ll kill ''em all!" "A Rear Admiral''s liver and kidney go for sky-high prices nowadays, keep them coming!" бн A vast group of impatient pirates stood on a small, arid island in the New World. The air was dry and rusty, smelling of metal. Perhaps the metallic particles deposited into the soil that made it perpetually red were responsible for the smell. The sky was the same; dull and robbed of any brilliance. Such an atmosphere seemed to have forced life away, leaving it as a den for pirates. Only now, it was surrounded by marine ships! . "WORORO! Finally some fun!" The wild voice naturally belonged to a beast. He came in the form of a massive and burly pirate, brimming with power. "Kaido-san, it''s not just any marines it''s Vi-" "Get out of the way!" The Hundred-Beast pushed past the annoying rats, rushing toward the shore, each step covering dozens of meters and ringing the rusty earth like a drum. Kaido''s mission was to take the final Tribute that had escaped his grasp but ended up falling seemingly into a trap, much to his delight. If he accomplished his mission then he would become the official Commander of the Seventh Division! ... Boom! Kaido''s ginormous size, around twenty-three and a quarter feet (7.1 m), left a striking image for all to see. "WORORO! Who wants some!?" He bashed his spiked club onto the earth, leaving a crater that continuously spanned with cracks in all directions. His unruly appearance lit a fire in the eyes of the pirates at his command, all 3,000 of them! "Kill ''em all!" "For the gold!" "Take their women!" бн Thousands of scum roared out in greed, rushing ahead to the shores, waving their weapons. Boom! Bang! Thousands of gunshots went off as they unloaded a volley of attacks in the direction of the marine fleet. Unfortunately, they brought a gun to a cannon fight. Dozens of cannons flew across the sky, exploding onto the masses of pirates. Blood rained as bits and pieces of flesh dyed the ground a fresh red; a grimy scene. "Augh!" "My leg!" "Euugh!" "Aahhhh!!" бн Kaido paid no mind to the dead fodders, instead, he pointed his darkened club at the person before him. The marine had short hair and a marine coat draped over his shoulders. He wore a matching beige suit and hat, with the hat covering his eyes in a shadow. An empty scabbard was at his hip, the blade in his hand. "Surrender yourself, Hundred-Beast Kaido." The menacing pirate laughed it off, replying with his weapon instead. Boom! The ground quaked as the giant club bashed the ground, leaving behind a crater with no victim. "Hmm?" Kaido looked up at the brown shadow which had flickered above. . "Tempest Kick." . A bright arc of energy slashed toward the beast, slicing and dicing past the air and eliciting a sharp hiss. Kaido looked unamused and made no effort to defend himself. *Krrrr* The attack grazed the skin, creating sparks as if metal was cutting into metal. "Hehe," Kaido grinned and leaped from the earth, his weapon held behind him. . "Ramei Hakke!" . The explosion of purple lightning added to Kaido''s brute strength and created quite the spectacle as the club inched near the Marine. *Wzzz* Kaido appeared twenty feet in the air, his weapon crackled with lightning but unsure of his target. "Tch! Damn Six Powers!" A calm voice echoed in the giant pirate''s ear, "Shave." The marine reappeared in the sky, his body floating above. . "One-Sword Style: Justice Embryo!" . Kaido simply saw a bright flash by the time he turned around, right before being nailed in the chest by the needle-like attack. "Augh!" The infamous pirate leaked some blood from his lips as his massive body slammed to the earth below, resulting in a thunderous explosion. ... Meanwhile, the salvo continued as the pirates of the Seventh Division were killed in cold blood. The Marines made it obvious that taking prisoners was not a priority! If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Savage cries erupted as the thousands were massacred, leaving few dazed men for the time being. "WORORO! That stung!" Kaido shot out from the pit his body had created, clawing his way out. He saw the gash on his chest, then looked to see the marine in front of him. "You''re the Marine Supernova that he hand-picked, you''re strong!" The young marine saw the little damage, narrowing his eyes. He was about to ready another attack before a shadow landed in front of him. Boom! Kaido grinned like a mental patient, his skin tingling with excitement. What followed was a boisterous laugh that even put the constant salvo of cannonfire to shame! "Bwahahaha! You crazy brat made quite a mess!" The dust cleared as the two marines now stood next to one another. "Step aside, Bogard! Let me humble this brat!" The marine named Bogard was Garp''s right-hand man. A quiet and reserved person, but considering his position, he was naturally quite skilled. [Bogard Image (in Discord)] . Bogard did not reply, instead, he simply utilized Moonwalk to land on the lead ship with the dog figurehead. "Hold your fire, the Vice Admiral has it under control." At his command, the half-dozen marine ships immediately halted their bombardment, leaving only some residual smoke to puff out from their numerous cannons. "WORORO! Take this!" Kaido''s kanabo club once again was bathed in the purple lightning, crackling in its volatile nature. . "Raimei Hakke!" . The advent of the beast was enough to bring about a purple dawn in the region. The sheer strength of the attack left the ground to crack and crumble in its wake. BOOM! A dull explosion echoed out, reaching the ships at sea while uplifting the water into tidal waves. Kaido, who had halted in mid-air, frowned. "Huh!?" Kaido frowned at the result. The mace spanned nearly 20 feet in length and thick in its breadth, had been put on hold by Garp! To add salt to the wound, a single finger actually stopped it! . Kaido growled as he saw the sole finger coated in the red bubble, refusing to accept it. Garp raised an eyebrow, commenting at the flickering shadow, "He''s quick for a hulking fellowбн" The Vice Admiral gave out a light chuckle as a giant shadow dawned over him. . "Divine Thunder!" . A thunderbolt fell in tandem with the spiked Kanabo, slamming onto Garp. "Your Haki can materialize lightning, not bad!" The Hundred-Beast weighed at least 10 tonnes (~11 US tons). The crashing attack exponentially increased the sheer momentum of Kaido, yet it was all stopped mid-air by Garp''s casual hand. Woosh! Suddenly, the marine flickered out of vision, forcing Kaido to fall to the ground with a bang. "Grrr!" Kaido growled in anger, looking around yet to no avail. However, his Observation spiked as he felt a presence above, far, far above! . "What the hell is he doing?" the pirate gazed upward and into the sky, seeing a cloudy silhouette. The Vice Admiral''s voice followed, echoing in Kaido''s ears, "Kong-san was very adamant about teaching you a lesson, so here it is!" Kaido''s eyes widened as he felt the power of the marine explode. *Crackle* He saw black lightning fall from the skies as pulses of Haki spread in all directions. The calm weather turned turbulent as ominous howling winds descended. Distant marines had begun to withdraw from the shores, fearing getting caught in the coming mess. "..." A foreboding feeling surged in the Hundred-Beast''s mind. All of a sudden he visualized the faces of Whitebeard, Shiki, Linlin, Roger, and Rocks. The sheer bubbling strength in the air left his skin tingling. "I won''t go down that easily!" Kaido raised his club but it was simply too late. It was like raising a rock against an incoming mountain. All the pirate saw was a purple burst of light before darkness took overбкtwo words echoing in his ears as the giant pirate was completely overwhelmed: . "Galaxy Impact!" . It was sudden and immediate. The rusty ground that was once solid and dense was obliterated. The few buildings nearby collapsed as earthquakes spawned in. Huge waves of water were born at the shore, resulting in tsunamis. The single punch from Garp spanned over a half-dozen kilometers in radius, turning everything within into dust and debris. The island went from an ominous silence to a thunderous explosion hidden under the veil of mystical colours borne from the Vice Admiral''s Haki. It resembled the final moments before the death of a star. бн [Five Minutes Later] "Puru," "Puru," "Puru." "Katcha~!" "Ahemбн You have reached Garp, I can''t answer the snail right now, but if you leave me a message, I will return your call in a few decad-" "Garp you bastard! I know you''re on the line!" the snail roared out in fury. The man holding the device could only laugh. "Don''t yell so much, Kong-san, it''ll gray your hai- oh wait, it''s too late for that, Bwahahaha!" The burly marine slapped his thigh while devouring a packet of rice crackers in the meantime. "..." The snail was quite visibly seething in anger, fury leaking from the twitching eyes. Considering who answered the call, it could only force itself to calm down. "Haaaah, you are a piece of work, Garp." Kong, who was on the other side of the call, sighed, "Did you take care of it?" Garp returned a thumbs up to the snail, "Of course! Though I might have overdone it a tadбн hehe!" Bogard, who had appeared at the side, shook his head. "''A tad?'' You nearly sank the islandбн" The marine duo stood under a huge cloud of smoke and dust, hiding the ruined island''s misery. Kong, on the other hand, seemed satisfied. "Good, the Five Elders were quite rigid in the assignment, he is alive, isn''t he? Take him to the Science Unit, they''ll take it from there." Garp swallowed a handful of crackers and gave a casual salute as the operation came to an end. ---------------------------------------------- [Unso Island] "Is the ship ready?" Nekrиоs humbly nodded at the hooded figure. His subservience was quite loud as he led the two VIPs to a vessel on the hidden shore of Unso Island. "The ship was made for the Celestial Dragons, we did a little makeover though. It goes by the name of ''The Kraken''!" Nekrиоs introduced the ship that spanned a good thirty meters. It had three, black sails with the image of a Kraken holding two swords. A golden tentacled beast was made as the figurehead, a spear protruding from its mouth. Dozens of cannons lined the sides, ready for warfare. "Not bad," Damien patted the bald man''s shoulder. A gesture that lit him up like a Christmas tree. . Fulcrum walked onboard, the pale Kaiser, the Bone-Bone Fruit user, was also present and stood on guard. He bowed at the two and moved off, leaving the bosses at the deck. "Nekrиоs, keep things at bay." The man looked up at the masked woman and nodded a few times, "Of course, Boss!" She then waved her hands and a burst of purple followed as newfound horizontal forces began to both steer and power the ship. It sailed off in no time. . "Where to?" Damien looked at the distant island, took out a log pose and tossed it over for the girl to examine. The male pirate smiled at her tinkering, after all, it was a bit different from other compasses. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Universal Pose] [Can be used as a log pose, or eternal pose for an indefinite amount of uses.] [NOTE: Eternal pose configuration requires previously being on the island in question.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< It was one of the seven gifts from the previous System User, something Damien had used a handful of times. For now, the location locked in it was that of a remote snowy island in the middle of nowhere. ---------------------------------------------- [Fooljack Peaks] [Room of Directors] A meeting of the Four Directors was being held at the News World Agency Headquarters. Chad Bizивrrиж, Newman Bradley, Vase Ah Linиж, and Markus Gojiбкthe Four Heads of the Agencyбкwere discussing something rather important. "Gentlemen, the time has come," Goji started it off. Linиж nodded from his seat, "Indeed. I have had enough of the lies, the fabrications, the deceit! It''s time we split away from the Government!" Bizивrrиж slammed the table in vigour. "Finally! I could barely breathe here, this room that decided all those disgraceful news headlines to be sent out; it''s time we relocate while being under a new agency as a whole!" Bradley hummed in satisfaction. "Very well, my fellow brothers in News, I will now propose the World News Agency Withdrawal Act to exit the World Government''s grasp! It is already signed by six Reverie Attendants and dozens of other Kings. It simply needs our signatures to put it into action." The man waved a sheet of paper and passed it along. бн It took but a few moments before it was signed by all Four Directors! "Very well!" Bizивrrиж smiled. "We have reached a unanimous decision to leave the hands of the Governmentбкno longer shall we spread lies and deceit!" The four men nodded with enthusiasm as they felt their hearts and ambitions work in unison to their decided result. Surely the actions of today will bring about a revolutionary change to the world! To Be Continuedбн Chapter 81: A Pricey Failure The Directors felt their blood surge at the thought of bringing back authentic and objective news to the people. They rose from the sea of amateur reporters to showcase quality content that allowed them to reach the very top of the news food chain. Such a development was not luck, rather it was from their united deep-seated desire to share truth to the seas. Alas, greed consumed them, the abyssal hunger to have more was exploited by the Government, turning them into corrupt politicians. Yet by God''s grace, they had the chance to turn over a new leaf; with all those negative emotions deprived of them, they can now truly fulfill their long-lost goals. бн [Three Days Later] [Sabaody Archipelago] It was a normal morning for the people of Sabaody. They did their early morning rituals and walked out to a beautiful day. A routine followed by most was picking up the morning paper by eight in the morning. Such a thing was done by Jenga, a blue-haired youth who had come on an internship to work at a shipping factory in the Archipelago. *Crinkle* The black-and-white paper was opened up, leaving the headline within eyesight. Jenga, who had a granola bar in his mouth, couldn''t help but spit it out due to his disbelief, "Oye, Oye, this is a pretty big thing!" The bolded words read: {A THIRTEENTH SUPREME BLADE HAS BEEN BORN?} His colleague, Leone, was also blown away. "No way! The Twelve Supreme Grade Blades have always been tied to legend, unable to be forged for centuries, and only wielded by the strongest the seas could offer!" Jenga shook his head and pointed his finger at a row of text. "Look, one of the Top Threats on the World Threat Index known to wield a Supreme Sword also corroborated the news!" He read through another passage of text and commented, "Even the Land of Blades has confirmed it!" Leone gulped, "Supreme Blades go for billions of berries! If a thirteenth one was forged, just who has it?" An older man who heard their thoughts could not help but pitch in, "Brats! You forgot the real question: if the original twelve stayed supreme for centuries, just who out there can forge them!?" бн Such a news, though not 100% certain, did bring in quite a storm. Swordsmen from all over the seas felt a prayer being answered. After all, who would not want to have their own weapon forged, let alone at the level of a Supreme Grade Blade? Thousands of such men set out trying to trace any leads or news about its possible wielder, hoping to get a quick buck. Meanwhile, the smart folk looked for the person responsible for crafting the weapon in the first place! . "Hmph, these idiots think that those Famed Swords can be used by anyone? Don''t make me laugh! If anything, they should hope not to come across anyone who wields such blades!" These words came from a sword enthusiast missing an arm. Such thoughts were shared across the top pirate crews and even Marines who practiced the blade. It even reached the ears of a reclusive man in a small village of the East Blue! People, boys in general, found swords to be quite cool. Such news would surely bring that man''s romance to light! It was not enough to rouse much chaos, but it did go a long way to add some spice to the seas. ---------------------------------------------- [Fooljack Peaks] [Cipher Pol 10, Main Base] A man sat in a simple room, donning a black and white attire. He was in talks with a transponder snail. "Ikras, I hope you know that this is your final chance. For the sake of us both, go and cleanse the World News Agency." "The Reverie has passed and opened up our resources, those Four Directors have exceeded their worth by constantly publishing articles without consulting the Governmentбкit''s time they pass away from natural causes." The seated man nodded to the snail which had a wild appearance with a golden mane of hair, sporting large scars and a missing eye. "Yes, Lord Xerxes. I will do it right away." "Katcha~!" The Chief of CP-10 Ikras stood up and walked out of his office hurriedly. "Commander!" Dozens of agents dressed in black and white also appeared, each standing in salute. "It''s time to cleanse the Agency HQ; contact our people inside and find the location of the Directors." Though before he could move further, a fellow agent interrupted him. "Sir, today is the semi-annual blizzard, all our comms have been down since morning time." Ikras narrowed his eyes, "That blizzard happened to take place todayбн" He then looked at the agent reporting the weather, "You! Did the Directors happen to hold a meeting recently?" "Yes," came a quick reply, "all Four Directors came together for an hour-long discussion just three days ago, the same time they commissioned the news for today." . Ikras felt a foreboding feeling, "Has there been any activity near the docks of the island?" "We cannot say, sir. The snow is more brutal than usual, all our scanners and cameras have been compromised." . At that moment, another man showed up. It was the ex-CEO and CP-10 agent, Ardemi! Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. "Commander, I say we go in blind; I have a bad feeling about this." Ikras thought for a second, "What is the outside temperature?" Ardemi examined some numbers and answered, "It''s -111 degrees Celsius (-168 буF) with three percent visibility." Ikras heaved an annoyed sigh, "Bring all our members that have mastered Haki, the rest will wait till the storm lifts." Dozens of men soon rushed out from the base, nearing the Agency HQ. Due to the horrid storm, it was nigh-impossible to navigate without sufficient Observation Haki. бн [Half-Hour Later] The agents soon entered the staircase leading to the main floor of the News Agency HQ. Though they could not help but freeze in a stuporбкthe usual noise and clutter was nil. The overpopulated zones were void of people; it was dead quiet. Ikras'' face grew livid, "Cover every floor, I want to know where they went!" бн "Commander, it''s not good. They''re gone, all of them!" Ardemi reported with a mix of shock and fear. Ikras rubbed his forehead and cursed, "I don''t get paid enough for thisбн" "Huh!?" His eyes which were once droopy in grim thought soon turned sharp. He looked at the center of the room where a young woman had arrived, seemingly out of nowhere. "You ar-" . "Nihility Storm." . Boom! What followed was a flash of purple as all types of forces were thrown out from her body. Compression, tension, torsion and shear forces all befell the room, spanning throughout the entire base. The agents could not even utter anything but growls and groans as their bodies were subjected to all the stresses. Some twirled into spaghetti, some were crushing into pieces while others stretched to the point where their bones shattered and muscles ripped. Blood splattered everywhere the very base began to collapse, inviting the blizzard in. "Augh!" Ikras cried out as his limbs were obliterated, leaving behind a slowly-stretching torso. His ribs were under opposite pulling forces that were slowly opening up his very core! His desperate eyes looked at the girl standing over his broken body. "You''ll pay for thiиC Euugh!" Copious amounts of blood exploded in all directions. Some shot toward the attacker, though oddly enough, each droplet simply passed through her body and became a mass of purple energy. Bodies littered the floor as the storm soon arrived, burying the massacre in a blanket of white. бн [At the Docks] It was the location where the supplies for the two bases came through. Though it is usually empty, there happened to be one magnificent ship here. Clamouring to the ship were dozens of people with thick jackets, some laced with ambivalence and trepidation. They had travelled down a pre-determined path laid with a special type of mineral that lit up during heavy snowfall, allowing them ease of passage. "Looks like our Star Reporter came through; I don''t even feel the cold with this jacket!" a refined man exclaimed. It was Marcus Goji. "I just hope we can outrun CP-10." The worries were shared by not just the Four Directors, but all of their attendants and subordinates who were also present. . Though in their moment of apprehension came a casual reply from the ship in front of them, "Don''t worry, you''ll be fine." The Directors looked up simultaneously and saw the towering silhouette aboard the ship. "Are you young Morgans'' aideбн?" They could not see the person''s face as it was concealed with a hood and further masked by the storm. However, the tall body, dominant stature and imposing presence easily attributed him to some kind of powerful person. "Well, something like that. Get on board, I''ll take you to your new headquarters." The Directors did not ask any more questions; scrambling onto the ship. . Meanwhile, the unknown helper suddenly burst out with an indomitable spirit. *Boom!* There were waves upon waves of sheer weight and dominance pulsing out. It lasted but a moment, but to the ones affected, it was an eternity as their mind clogged, their knees buckled, and their very conscience shattered. *Thud* Around twenty or so personnel fell unconscious, their mouths foaming. "This!?" The Directors quaked in some confusion and fear at the display, opting to ask for an explanation. "They were spies from the Government." The hooded figure waved his hand, gesturing to the others to get on board. . Damien, who was naturally the one at the docks, glanced at a tall mountain in the distance. *Rumble* It was very slight but the ground below seemed to tremble and an avalanche was born; under the storm and now the tsunami of snow, there would be no survivors. A natural disaster at face value, nothing unusual considering the circumstances. "Looks like this CP-10 wasn''t much of a threat, probably a bit stronger than the CP-9 of the future," he concluded. And the thought seemed to hold as his own shadow warped. Seconds ticked on as a dark figure jumped out from the darkness, bathed in swirling, alien-like energy. ---------------------------------------------- [Marineford] [Fleet Admiral''s Office] Kong, the Fleet Admiral, had a few good days in the past little while. The Reverie went as planned. The Five Elders had calmed down due to the deal with Fulcrum, allowing a reliable route to deliver much-needed resources and supplies to the branches in the New World. After a gruelling few years, the Fleet Admiral could finally have a seat and drink some tea in peace. *Slurp* Kong''s favourite green tea. "Puru," "Puru," "Puru." Kong''s tranquil expression warped into annoyance. He gazed at the ringing snail and heaved a hopeful sigh, "It could be good newsбн" "Katcha~!" "This is Kong." The snail''s face turned into the beast-like appearance of a man whom the Fleet Admiral was not a great fan of. The voice of the marine turned plain and monotone as he followed with a: "What do you want, Xerxes?" "Kong! I need you to dispatch an Admiral immediately!" The dominant marine narrowed his eyes and chose to overlook the demanding tone, opting for caution. "What happened?" The snail seemed equally annoyed, though with added gloominess, "It''s Fooljack Peaks, just moments ago all the Vivre Cards of CP-10 burned up; no one remains!" "What!?" Kong shot up from his seat, his eyes carrying a look of surprise, "how could that happen!" The snail shook its head, expressing Xerxes'' thoughts. "I have no clue but we both know how bad this could be. For the both of our sakes, send someone right away!" Kong hung up the snail, dialling another number. "Basara, you have Raito with you, go to Fooljack Peaks posthaste!" бн The response of the Marines and even Cipher Pol was immediate. They used the newly attained Styx Passage to move an entire fleet headed by an Admiral. Their haste was justified, after all, he who controlled the news controlled the people! In this era of untold chaos and unprecedented violence, the one thing the Government could not afford to lose was the faith of its people. And the first wave of Marines arrived soon. бн "How long has it been since their cards burned out?" The question came from the ever-stern and solemn Admiral of the Navy HeadquartersбкBasara! Even under the unforgiving blizzard, the man''s dominant brown attire was void of any precipitation. He gazed at the tiny attendant in front of him as their fleet landed on the snowy island. "B-Basara-sama, it''s been seven hours now!" The Admiral huffed a dull breath, feeling unease. "S-Such a response is quite fast!" the attendant spoke out, hoping to calm the air. "We''ve already surrounded the island, I''m sure whoever is responsible will be cauиC" "Fool!" Basara spat out. "For someone to overpower an entire Agency in mere moments, seven hours is far too late." The grim truth fueled the rage in the Admiral as he mobilized his Mountain-Mountain Fruit to span the entire island. *Rumble* The jaws of the marines nearby dropped simultaneously as they saw the once jagged and brutally cold landscape of never-ending mountains begin to churn like liquid. It took at most five seconds before the island was transformed into a flat and level plane; the entire mountainous Fooljack Peaks was terraformed by the wave of a hand! Not only was it flat but the compression of mountains upon mountains of snow and ice had tattooed itself to the ground, leaving behind a disastrous beauty of unnatural proportions. [A/N: Before and After Basara.] Consequently saving weeks upon weeks of investigation. . A dull sigh interrupted the silence, heaved from Admiral himself. "Put the island under strict quarantine, shoot down any ships that dare to enter," he ordered. "Have the Global Health Department send personnel to eradicate any prehistoric viruses released from icy mountains that I flattened." Basara then slowly began to walk away to his ship. "..." Meanwhile, the dust and snow thrown up had begun to settle, and in the flat and now endless plain left behind was nothing but a few dozen pieces of human remains, marking the end of CP-10 by unnatural causes. "I will report the failure of the mission to the Fleet Admiral myself." The soldiers nearby could only quickly salute, still lost in the fear of power, scrambling to complete their newfound mission. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 82: Big News! [Room of Authority, Mariejois] The Five Elders were beyond angry. A fat stack of paper laid before their elegant table. Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, the Warrior God of Finance, had already gone through the fine print. "I thought that Basara''s call on their escape was dreadful enough, and yet we got an entire legal document alerting us that the World News Agency has officially withdrawn our grasp, using the Free Media Act!" Shing! A sharp blade was unsheathed from its scabbard as it cleanly cut the air within a room. "That Act existed to reassure Reverie Members that the world had an objective source of news, and now it''s biting us in the back!" Saturn rubbed his temples, stating the other part of the intel, "Copies of the document have been sent to major Kingdoms of the Reverie. Since it was somehow previously signed by six Members, it has caught flame fast!" Marcus Mars, the Warrior God of Environment, clenched his fists as he read a few names. "The King of Dressrosa." "The King of Prodence." "The Lord of Darkshade." "The King of Ashgar." "The Crown Prince of South Fire." "The Ruler of Alabasta." "Even The Council Elders of Nижa have reached out in support of the decision." Ju Peter sighed, "We''ve been caught off-guard; it will be a pricey failure." "We should discuss how to remedy it," Warcury, the Warrior God of Justice, suggested. However, Nusjuro shook his head. "The Reverie is fresh in people''s minds. I''m sure they are releasing the news as we speak. In the name of the democratic relations of the World Government, we have no choice but to stamp our approval." "..." Though his eyes sharpened to that of a razor, "However, it is imperative to know how they escaped with such haste. If there is collusion with any criminal or enemy to the Government, then we surely cannot let them persist." Saturn leaned back in his seat, interlacing his fingers in deep thought. "Cipher Pol 10 has been wiped out and we lack the resources to revive it. I suggest we turn CP-9 to conduct intelligence gathering and attempt to infiltrate their ranking. Worst comes to worst, we will let a puppet control the flow of news." Ju Peter nodded in agreement, "Indeed, our hands are tied, while CP-9 does their job, it would be in this ''liberated'' News Agency''s best interest to remain in our favourбн" Mars placed the papers on the table, agreeing with his fellow Overseers. ---------------------------------------------- [Somewhere in the Grand Line] "I didn''t expect that an Underworld Emperor would aid us in our freedom," Goji, a Director, uttered. He, alongside his colleagues, were all left shocked at the appearance of the masked woman, a figure they had seen only in the very news they sent out. "Regardless of your aims, we are truly grateful for both your help," Linиж genuinely said. The other three all slightly lowered their heads in gratitude. Nearby, Damien could not help but smirk under his hood. After depriving the Four Directors of their deep and dark vices, it seemed they had also forgotten their memory of the entire encounter due to their 180-shift of their very conscience, taking it to be a grace from god instead. . Fulcrum nodded at the four older gentlemen and conveyed the thoughts Damien had left her with: "We''re here, a safe and secure island within the Calm Belt. You will be able to freely spread the news without worry." The three dozen workers saw the small island in the distance, standing afloat on the tranquil sea of the Calm Belt. It was located in the Belt that bridged Paradise of the Grand Line to the East Blue. A tiny island, barely 500 hundred square kilometers in area. Due to its isolated nature, it has thrived in the mellow climate of the Calm Belt, blooming with life and vegetation. "This is Mystik Island. I will arrange any supplies you need through my channels," Fulcrum stated. ... The ship soon docked, letting everyone reach land. Waiting for them were some familiar faces. "Kwahahaha! The gang''s all here!" The Four Directors heard the young and childish voice and felt quite glad. "Morgans, our little star, I see you''ve set things up!" Bizивrrиж exclaimed. The others nodded in relief as they saw not only a well-sized building but also a small group of young reporters, led by the bird-boy, Morgans. The albatross grinned, spreading his feathery arms as if welcoming the future. "This place will be our new Headquarters, I''ve already finished the big news for tomorrow, awaiting your approval!" Bradley hummed and nodded his head, "You have it." Goji also agreed, "We''ve already made a lot of negative impact on the news world, if anything, we will let you step forward and take this agency when you''re experienced enough." "Until then, spread the major news stories with your name and skills, I''m sure it''ll be in your hands soon enough," Linиж said as he patted the star reporter''s shoulder. бн [A Little While Later] The Four Directors and their trusted workers began to set up in the main building. They had to wire up and ready all their equipment for adequate usage. All the printing machines and devices were already here, credit to Fulcrum''s entire system. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. After the initial restructuring of the World News Agency, Morgans was well-reputed by the Directors, turning him into a young star back at Nижa Island. It garnered him the admiration of the class of young reporters he had brought with him. бн In a small storage room, there were now two people. A towering pirate, facing the celebrity reporter. "Looks like you turned this place into quite the HQ." Morgans, the young albatross, smiled sheepishly, "Kwahaha! I didn''t know you had the new King of Shipping under your command, it really is Big News!" . Damien sat down on a large wooden box, glancing at the excited reporter. "How are the seagulls squadron I gave you, trained enough yet?" Morgans nodded as his beak went up and down, "Delivering the paper through birds, hehe, it''s truly to my liking." He spread his wings, showcasing his joy. "Be ready, Cipher Pol will try to track their movements," the pirate warned, "make sure they fly high enough." Morgans saluted with his feathery arm, "I got it, I wouldn''t ruin the single chance of bringing my dream to reality!" The confidence drew a nod from Damien; although Morgans was very young, he did have a great talent in these things. "When they can''t find you, they will contact you. Convince the Directors to give leeway to the Government; stay on their good side to the point where they aren''t actively looking to destroy you," the Sin Incarnate advised. Morgans solemnly nodded, "Aye aye!" "Then go and print the Big News, it''s time the world knows what happened!" ---------------------------------------------- [The Next Day] Upon a ginormous ship in the New World sat a single woman, peering into the horizon. She smokied away on a cigar, humming a tune. However, her attention was soon diverted when she heard a clutter of noise approaching. "Hmm, Amber? What is it?" Shakky, the Black Death of the Rocks Pirates, asked. Amber was Shakky''s right-hand gal when it came to her news channel which boasted eyes and ears everywhere around the globe, with almost instant delivery of news. "It''s today''s headlines, it''s pretty big!" Shakky unfurled the newspaper with a hint of lethal curiosity. "Yare yare, how could this even happen?" бн [At a Well-Developed Island of the Grand Line] "Hey, what''s that?" a man pointed at the sky. His homeboy squinted his eyes and was left shocked at what was coming. "It almost looks like a swarm ofбн birds?" "Run or you''ll be caked in their shit!" A good portion of the crowd ran to shelter, while some could only scratch their heads at the odd event. "Wait," a man murmured, his voice getting louder, "they''re carrying newspapers!" "The seagulls also have hats on!?" [Seagull Image (in Discord)] As the lambda of birds came above the people, they suddenly released the scrolls of paper within the grasp of their talons, letting them loose. "It''s today''s news!" a woman exclaimed as she saw the details. "''World Economy News Paper''? Did they rebrand themselves?" Though she could not help but widen her eyes at the headline. The astonishment was due to be sent out to practically anyone to everyone and it detailed a single point, [NEWS WORLD AGENCY DIRECTORS PASS THE WITHDRAWAL ACT TO EXIT FROM THE WORLD GOVERNMENT AND TO BECOME FULLY AUTONOMOUS!] [Author: Executive Reporter, Morgans] "..." "T-This is big news!" Some agreed with the words, while some did not care. However, the true critical thinkers were left with apprehension, "I can''t believe the World Government let their news channels looseбн Or did someone outsmart them?" These comments were shared through the upper members of Kingdoms and Nations. Even the top-level pirates thought so. The news spanned throughout the globe via tens of thousands of seagulls. From the Outer Seas to Paradise and even to the New World, the bigger powers were left utterly gobsmacked. The news channel of the world had completely turned around! бн Under the hail of newspapers within this very island was an inconspicuous duo. The younger of the two read through the papers, exclaiming, "This news has Big Bro Damien''s name written all over it!" He had curly black hair that was pulled back with an eye mask. Beyond that, he had a white shirt and black jacket while sporting bright turquoise pants and sneakers. [Drip Image (in Discord)] . The boy waved the front page at the purple kimono-wearing girl to his side. "Hmm, yes, Damien-san did say something about the News Agency, I didn''t think it was this big though," she murmured, tapping her chin in thought. Naturally, the duo was Toki and Kuzan. The young boy was, as always, enthralled by the changes brought to the world stage by his older friend/hero. "To celebrate this victory, I will reward myself with an extra three hours of sleep!" Toki smiled at Kuzan''s statements. She was currently carrying a boatload of shopping bags, each filled with many, neatly-folded, pieces of clothing from a vast array of themes and time periods. . "Hey, hey, young lady, why don''t I carry those bags for you?" a haughty came from the side. It was a middle-aged man with medium-length black hair which converted his eyes. The guy had a slight grin while reaching out to grab the Toki''s shoulder. Though before he could entirely grasp it, he felt a numbness pervade his palm. "What theбн?" the ruffian muttered, looking at his hand. "!!!" However, his surprise soon turned into despair as he saw the skin start to change colour, going from a healthy peach to a grayer tone. "Huh, w-what did you do to mиC Aughh!" The man fell to the ground as he felt his arm start to fall apart; the skin wrinkled up and lost its elasticity, and the bones that were hidden under the muscles began to become more prominent while the nerves themselves corroded away. Toki looked back at the shaken man and said, "That looks bad, you should get it checked." The man gulped as he saw a woman return a warm smile, if it were not for his arm''s condition, he would have thought it was a smile that a caring teacher would give to encourage their students. . Kuzan shook his head, clicking his tongue in disappointment. "That''s like the twentieth guy trying to hit on Toki-nee, they really have no class like Big Bro Damien." Toki did not seem bothered and she casually said, "It''s okay! I left them with a little warning, such bad habits aren''t good for the children around here." Kuzan saw the gentle smile and gulped to himself, deciding not to misbehave in front of the aspiring doctor. However, his unease warped into yearning as he saw an item for sale in the busy streets. The boy paused, his eyes shining bright like a diamond in the sky. "Hmm?" Toki traced the boy''s gaze and gently said, "We can get it if you want, your birthday is in less than two weeks." Kuzan blinked, "Oh, right." He recalled the date, it was September 9 and his ninth birthday was in 12 days, on the 21st! . Toki strolled into the shop and purchased the prized item to which Kuzan smiled childishly, jumping on board. After all, it was a bicycle! "I will name it, the ''Ao Chari!''" (blue bicycle) Toki tilted her head, a little confused: "But it''s green?" [Ao Chari Image (in Discord)] Kuzan did not respond, instead, he hopped on the brown leather seat, tracing his hands along the golden handles. The green-haired girl gave up, opting to continue walking back while the soon-to-be nine-year-old rode beside her. ---------------------------------------------- [Mystik Island] The Kraken had been prepared to leave; its two occupants set it to sail. With a wave of Fulcrum''s hand came an influx of force, pushing at the sails to direct the ship forward. Both were now unmasked, feeling the air from their motion at sea, gently pushing through the current-less Calm Belt. Damien sighed in satisfaction as he heard a ding in his mind. [Operation Nexus has been updated.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Operation Nexus] [ Find the World News Agency Main Base - ??] [ Find Replacement President - ??] [ Bring the replacement under control - ??] [ Have the Agency exit the World Government''s Grasp - ??] [Time Limit - 1486] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< Alas, it was completed within the desired timeline. ''Though it needs quite a while to cement its position, probably bending for the World Government for some time,'' Damien thought about the new Agency. Morgans was still young and would not take over W.E.N.P. for the next little while. . Closing the notification, he instead glanced at the girl leaning on the railing of the Kraken. "What are you smiling to yourself about?" Aurora looked at Damien, subconsciously fixing her hair. "Well," she lightly smiled. "I just found it funny how you have a hand in everything that concerns the Five Elders." "Hey, it''s nothing personal." The pirates'' conversation soon died out as their eyes were grabbed by the serenity of the Calm Belt. The gentle, parting sea. The distant chirps of birds. The lack of breeze. Without a doubt, it created quite the contrast with the twisted and unforgiving weather of the New World. "бн" The tranquilly reminded Damien of realityбкHachinosu unveiled to him the degree of evil a man could commit and the Calm Belt opened a window to the limitless nature of the One Piece world. His eyes soon fell on the quiet girl at his side. He saw Aurora''s honest gaze locked onto the mellow horizon, enraptured by its infinite beauty. He heard her heartbeat was calmer than ever, almost as if she was breathing in the peace and quiet. ''Spending almost a year in the Underworld must have left its marks,'' Damien thought. . The pirate''s face warped into a slight grin, almost as if he had thought of something on the fly. He suddenly got up and reached for the wheel and decisively turned the vessel away from the Calm Belt. Aurora woke up from her reverie and watched with some confusion. All the while the Kraken begin to exit their safe passage and into the Paradise Sea. Damien smiled back at her and gave a teaser, "Let''s go on a little adventure." The girl blinked, acquiescing to his little impulse. "Where to?" The Sin Incarnate turned to the horizon, tinkering with an Eternal Pose that appeared in his hands. The device read a single location: "JAYA." To Be Continuedбн Chapter 83: To the Heavens "Jaya?" Aurora echoed in a confused voice. "Isn''t that just a small, lawless zone without much significance?" Damien just smiled, "Not exactlyбн It''s only a few hours away now, rein in your curiosity till then." бн [Two and a Half Hours Later] The Kraken soon arrived at the spring island of Jaya. From above, it resembled a jagged U-shape; but if turned sideways, it seemed more like the jaw of a skull. [Jaya Island Image (in Discord)] Mock Town was the only urban area in the whole of Jaya. Despite its resort-like appearance with healthy trees and well-built infrastructure, it was considered a lawless town where all sorts of pirates gathered away from the Marines or the World Government''s reach. [Mock Town Image (in Discord)] . "A few nameless pirates," Damien scoffed as he felt the prying eyes from afar, "let''s go." The two walked off without hiding their appearances. As per Damien''s analysis, Mock Town was littered with some rag-tag groups of scum, most of them enjoyed bullying the few that wanted to run away from the frightening Grand Line and return home. The despair of realization that Reverse Mountain was a one-way entry made Mock Town a prime spot to raid them. Naturally, the newcomers from the Outer Seas were just as much of a delicacy. . "Let''s rob them!" a young, lanky pirate commented as he saw the two. His senior, fashioning a gray goatee, had a different thought. "I can''t put my finger on it but they look familiar," he mused. "Hmm... it''s better to gather some more intel before rushing that ship." His buddy nodded, "That''s right, only two kinds of people would leave such a luxurious ship unattended: ignorant fools or something monstrous." The younger pirate could only reluctantly nod, his eyes still greedily stuck on the Kraken, completely unaware of the sure death he dodged. ... Damien and Aurora made their way through the pirate-infested town. Most of them steered away. After all, the two were quite large. Aurora had capped off at a towering 10'' 5", greatly surpassing the average height of the people of Jaya. Whereas Damien stood around eleven and a half feet, around a foot taller than Aurora. [10'' 5" = 3.18 m; ~11'' 6" = 3.51 m] In addition to their stature, there was an air of eminence around the duo. Aurora, who had lived in the Underworld and overlooked a budding Empire while partaking in politics with shady Emperors, had also taken a more intense demeanour. Damien, on the other hand, had begun to give off a certain vibe that simply made people question their ill intentions, aiming at their survival instincts to flare up and turn back. Unfortunately, it was not unlike some muscle heads to overestimate themselves. . "Brra-gwa-gwa-gwa-gwa!" The laugh was thunderous and hearty with every ''r'' being rolled with great passion. "I''ve sailed the seas for decades and there hasn''t ever been a single sucker I couldn''t rob!" Damien seemed bored as he glanced at the man who stood around 3-foot 9-inch (1.14 m). "I''m Marja ''the Squat'', captain of the Squatting Pirates with a booty of 44 million berries!" Aurora''s face showed impatience and was mere moments from silencing the fodder. That is until an overpowering burst of energy exploded out from Damien. Boom! She winced as the waves of terror rippled out from her companion, rushing and raging out like a caged beast that was finally let free. The red and black pulses of volatile pressure expanded from the near-center of Mock Town and began to spread out in all directions. Fifty meters, five hundred meters, five kilometers; the sphere of Haki spanned continuously, reaching the ends of the island, bathing everything with its dominance. . The sound was jarring. It started with a light hum, much like a dull alarm. However, the sound turned sharper and sharper, reaching a threshold before exploding into an echoing screech which could shatter eardrums. Aurora, sighed with discomfort, seeing the people nearby begin to fall unconscious as their very bodies were swept away into the air. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Thud! Bang! Thud! One by one, everyone fell, their mouths foaming and their eyes rolling back into their skulls. It was not just the pirates, but the few workers and residents; they all fell unconscious. [A/N: Each Conqueror''s Haki user has a signature Haki sound. I uploaded Damien''s version on Discord.] "..." Damien glanced to the side and saw the girl, stuck in motion and grabbing her ears. "I was a little surprised when I heard the tales of the new Underworld Emperor possessing Conqueror''s Haki," he commented with a slight grin. "Looks like you''ve learned quite a lot while running the Empire." Aurora, shook her head, trying to regain the full faculties of her mind, "I didn''t realize it then either, but your version is a lot moreбн overpowering and volatile." Damien narrowed his eyes in thought, indeed, he was quite near the greatest application of the dominant Haki type, but not entirely there. "Conqueror''s Haki is found in one in a million people. Even with 10 billion people worldwide would result in at least 10,000 users." The pirate looked around, seeing the mess he had caused. "Though I''d say there''s a far higher chance of inheriting it if you come from a family of Conquerors." . The purple-haired girl''s curiosity peaked as she muttered in thought, "My grandfather led a revolution and founded the Amethyst Kingdom..." Damien nodded, unsurprised, "And now you rule the Underworldбкit makes sense for you to awaken it." The girl was left to think some more following the explanation. "With that logic," Aurora spoke up in an inquisitive voice, "wouldn''t the Celestial Dragons'' have the greatest chance of awakening it?" Damien paused in his steps. "..." "Well, there is merit to that thought," the pirate muttered with a wry smile. "Rahahaha! Unfortunately, most of those golden turds could care less to tap into that dormant spirit." The thought left the Sin Incarnate shaking his head with some amusement, imagining all of those Astronaut-suited pigs throwing their Haki around like kings. бн Time passed as the duo made their way to a tree with a speculatory gaze. {You''ve been here for centuries, have you seen any relics on this small island?} Aurora watched with some curiosity as she saw Damien direct the question to an aged tree. The old and brittle tree that looked as if it was about to collapse at any moment, suddenly exploded with vitality, shaking in its bark. "..." Damien nodded as if conversing with the greenery. Aurora could not help stifle a giggle as she saw Damien''s serious expression borne from chatting with the tree. {Lead the way,} he soon commanded the tree, which obeyed hastily. The grass and bushes cleared a wide route, leading to a vast forest. бн [Twenty Minutes Later] "Another Poneglyph, wow," Aurora muttered at the sight of the moss-covered blue stone. Damien squinted at its sight, spanning his hearing. The Voice of All Things did not necessarily perfectly decipher the Ancient Script, rather it gave a rough outline. The same reason why Roger needed Oden to translate the scripture. However, the ability manifested in all users differently. For example, Roger could hear it well, enough to hear the voices of non-living things. Oden and Momonusuke had a finer hearing, even above Luffy who seems to only hear living things like Sea Kings. [A/N: Roger did use the VoAT to procure Big Mom''s Road Poneglyph but in my eyes, it was to simply write down its text rather than to translate it, letting Oden do the fine work.] . Damien, on the other hand, combining his Voice of All Things with his great affinity to nature and talent for Observation Haki, allowed him a very strong translation ability, even word-to-word. "What does it say?" Aurora asked from the side, her curiosity piqued. Damien hummed, closed his eyes and gave a summary. "An Ancient Race, the Shandorians, fled their distant home to settle here, in Jaya. They used to be one of the more powerful societies on the Grand Line, but their city of Shandora was invaded during the Void Century by the Twenty Kingdoms. Their people were ravaged, leaving a small tribe, called the Shandia, behind." Aurora did not speak, a little blown away by the information. "This pirate-infested land was once sought by the Creators of the World Government!?" Damien slowly nodded, "Yes, their wealth and/or power must have been quite mouth-watering to invite the Twenty to their turf," he commented. "What happened to the ones that lived, the small tribe?" Damien smiled at the curious girl, "The stone doesn''t document this part, but I know that said tribe was sent to the heavens." "..." Aurora drew a blank, "The heavensбн?" Damien was not surprised by her reply, choosing to give a quick response. "It is one of the reasons I brought you here," he smiled at the girl. "I recall you were quite yearning for the freedom of the skies, so I''ll take you there now, to the Sky Island!" Aurora''s eyes widened, the violet pupils visibly sparkling at the information she received. . Damien turned his sight to the far sea and made a quick decision. "Well we could ride the Knock-Up Stream that should burst in a week or two," he then glanced at the girl and suggested, "or, you can use your powers to fly us up." Aurora did not need to be told twice: she directed a palm to the ground as the familiar purple energy squirmed out, encasing them both. *Rumble* A dull tremor blew out as a circle of earth went around the two like a ring. *Creak* The ground separated as the block of earth began to float up, the repulsive forces shooting it to the clouds above. Under the eerily silent Jaya, the two soon disappeared, leaving behind an island of unconscious people. бн [Ten Minutes Later] "Sky Islands really do existбн" Aurora was lost in the sea of white around her. The fossilized clouds were dense and lacked water vaporous qualities. The two now stood near a giant star-shaped gate. A huge column of clouds was behind it, leading to the city far above. A middle-aged woman sat by the gate, "Hello, my name is Amazon, welcome to Skypiea." It was the same woman the Strawhats would meet, just a lot younger. "You must pay th-" She could not finish her sentence before Aurora''s unrestrained excitement knocked her out, leading the two to shoot on forth, the rock still beneath them. They entered the milky-white road and shuttled on ahead. ---------------------------------------------- [Back at Jaya] "Gather up the unconscious criminals, be wary of the ones responsible for this." The words graced a row of soldiers, all donning white sailor uniforms. "Yes, Vice Admiral!" The man nodded, sending his men off. "Vice Admiral Zap," a Rear Admiral called out, "we have an identification on the two perpetrators." The marine handed two sheets of paper, each with a sketch drawn onto them. Zap examined the faces, his eyes widened, forcing out an audible gulp. The Vice Admiral reached into his pockets, pulled out his snail and warned, "Do not engage if you find an enemy; keep your distance while your transponder snails remain within reach!" . At the side, a few criminals had woken up. They grasped their skulls, still feeling a throbbing headache. "Why did that marine scramble after we described their faces? Aren''t they here straight from G-8, what can make these guys afraid?" A veteran marine scoffed, "You idiots don''t even know who you almost messed with, here, look at theseбн" The marine tossed two posters at the men, bounty posters. The youngest of the three, the recruit, could not help but shake in his shoes. His jaw nearly dropped as his blood pressure jumped sky-high. The young lad''s breathing hitched as he recited the data: "A-Amethyst Aurora, Bounty: 430,000,000 berries," "E-E-Einar D. Damien, Bounty: 1,987,600,000 berries!" Thud! He collapsed to the floor, his face warped in fear. The other two looked at each other and heaved a heavy sigh of relief, wiping their brows. One of them eyed the veteran marine and questioned, "What''s gonna happen to us now?" The marine scoffed as he saw some hope in their eyes, "We came here after a half-dozen informants and undercover marines all went offline simultaneously. You think I told you all that information to clue you in?" He pointed his rifle at the three and yelled, "Get on your knees with your hands raised!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 84: Invincible I have also started posting on Fanfiction.net.

[Skypiea] Skypiea was located on a gigantic mass of fossilized clouds known as an Imperial Cumulus. The cloud wandered around the skies near Jaya and happened to be so dense that it managed to blot out sunlight almost completely, instantly darkening the portion of the Blue Sea where it floated by and giving the impression that nightfall had suddenly arrived. The people who resided here had small wings on their backs, though they were mostly for decoration. The daily life of sky people revolved around the use of Dials, which normally were not available in the Blue Sea. As opposed to the "berry" of the rest of the world, they used "extols" as currency. The first area reached was Angel Island for those entering through the Heaven''s Gate. ... [Few Hours Later] Just a while ago, the Sky Island welcomed two uninvited people from the Blue Sea, their lack of wings being quite the indicator that made them stand out, that was without considering their tall nature. The two, however, were not bothered by the occasional curious stares as they made their way through the region. Angel Island sat on an island cloud, the main area of residence for the Skypieans. [Image (In Discord)] . Damien and Aurora were quite interested in all the specialties of the island, trying out their crafts. "Welcome, all the way from the Blue Sea," a calm voice called out. "Heso!" The two were greeted by a near-six-foot tall man with long hair and a beard. He was accompanied by a group of Skypieans, welcoming them with their "Heso" callouts. "I am Gan Fall," the leading man introduced himself. The male pirate glanced at the group donning the angel-white clothing. The two pirates gave their names in a relatively straight-up tone, wiping away any hidden tension. . "The God of Skypiea, it''s quite a high title," Damien commented. Gan Fall shook his head, "I only recently took upon the mantle, I have much to do." "We came seeking the island floating in the sky, it''s really amazing!" Aurora muttered, her usually quiet demeanour was momentarily gone. "We weren''t alerted of your arrival," the man muttered in slight alarm. "Oh that... your gatekeeper was asleep so we continued our entrance," Damien casually answered. "..." Gan Fall sighed at the situation while a part of him felt that it would be wise to be hospitable to the guests. "Come with me," the man relented, putting on a fake smile, "this is a rare time of peace here." He walked on ahead, taking the two toward a path far away. Many guards surrounded them, Gan Fall''s Divine Squad comprised Skypiea''s elite, while the God''s Guards were the policing force. "Where are we headed?" Aurora questioned, trailing behind the man. "To my residence in the Upper Yard, above the Holy Land," Gan Fall answered. бн [Later] In the distance was the giant beanstalk that shot up from the ground to far skies above, disappearing from eyesightбкa signature sight of the region where Damien and co had arrived. "There''s soil hereбн" Aurora muttered. They arrived in the Upper Yard, stepping on the earth below. Gan Fall nodded and addressed the young woman, "One of the reasons it''s called the ''Holy Land'' is because of the Vearth that is abundantly present." Damien nodded the side, his memory of the location was decent, unfortunately, he was one of those people who droned off at the deeper information given in the anime for Skypiea. [Upper Yard Image (in Discord)] . While admiring the island, the Sin Incarnate could not help but take a deep breath. "The air here is incredibly clear," he muttered, sensing the warmth around him, "the trees and greenery have thrived from minimal human contact and the thinness of the atmosphere." Not only did they thrive, but the trees also grew to colossal heights, dominating the view. Gan Fall lightly smiled at the comments and felt some relief toward the peaceful guests. "We need to ascend further up, let''s take a shortcutбн" The angel-man took out a whistle and blew into it. *Wheeee* The high-pitch screech echoed through the Holy Land, slowly dying out. "..." "Kaw!" A few moments later came the cry of a giant bird. With a wingspan of around twenty meters, the bird was quite glorious as it landed before the party with a resounding thud. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. "Hop on!" The Divine Squad stood guard as the three got on the mammal and soon flew off into the sky. . Aurora leaned to the edge of the saddle, enjoying the view of the island. As the bird shifted its path, an epiphany fell upon the purple-haired girl. She subconsciously leaned toward the edge, seeing the island begin to resemble something. "Damienбн" The pirate did not speak, instead, pulling out a map of Jaya. He held it in front of them both, aligning it. "The shape of Jaya from over three centuries agoбн was a skull!" she exclaimed. Damien silently nodded. Blue Sea''s Jaya had the shape of a jaw while the Upper Yard was that of a skull missing its jaw; a puzzle-piece fit for a complete skull. Though there was another missing link, one of the skull''s eyes was void. "But it''s missing one piece," the girl muttered with a tinge of curiosity. бн [Twenty Minutes Later] They had made it to an Island Cloud that hovered over the Upper Yard, Giant Jack, the beanstalk, going through its core. "This is God''s Shrine, my area of residence," Gan Fall said as he showed the two foreigners the building before them. It was not large, just a single-story building with an open section that had a grand seating area, presumably for the reining God. More of the Divine Squad were visible as they stood nearby, their spears in hand. Quite a few of them looked battered and bruised, their faces tired. . The three took their seats with Gan Fall at the head of the shrine and Aurora could not help but ask, "You mentioned a rare peaceful time, what did you mean by that?" Gan Fall heaved a sigh and explained, "Skypiea has existed for a long, long time, ruled by the Skypieans." "Over 350 years ago, however, a new land suddenly arrived here, the Upper Yard. It was a magical place with endless vearth... but it was visibly in ruins after some kind of war." He turned toward the guests, "I''m sure you know what the God of Skypiea at that time wanted to do with this newly-arrived Upper Yard." Damien beamed a smirk, his pirate instincts activating, "Lay their claim over it, of course." Gan Fall slowly nodded with some fatigue and regret. "However, the newly arrived island wasn''t empty, it was the home to a small tribe called The Shandia, led by a fierce warrior named Kalgara. At the sight of their home being claimed by others, a war began to reclaim it." With a heavy voice filled with remorse, he finished, "And that very war continues to this day, lasting nearly 360 years!" "..." Damien narrowed his eyes at the words, feeling the God''s helplessness. "The Skypieans and the Shandians were related, no? Both marked with wings on their backs," he asked. Gan Fall lightly hummed, "From the text passed from previous Gods, there were three races that once lived in a single place: the Skypieans, the Shandia, and the Birkans; all winged people." Aurora was quite intrigued by the information and echoed the question in her mind, "The same place?" A reply came from Damien before Gan Fall could answer. "The Moon." The God of Skypiea paused in his seat, looking at Damien with shock. . Gan Fall regained his composure, "Yesбн indeedбкthey hailed from the Moon." Aurora''s purple eyes shined bright, looking up to the sky, only to meet the shrine''s ceiling. ''Skypiea arc must have been a lot more important than I imagined, a pity that I died before it was truly expanded upon,'' Damien sighed to himself. Gan Fall then cleared his throat, "Since taking my position as God of Skypiea, I have only a single goal: to end the war between the Shandia and Skypieans!" Alas, he felt a little embarrassed. The man dryly laughed, "Enough about me, I don''t want to bore you anymore, you are welcome to explore as you wish." "My people may be wary of outsiders but we are kind folk." He then clapped his hands as trolleys of food arrived with Skypiean delicacies. бн [A Few Hours Later] Damien and Aurora headed to a certain location. It was the other major reason why he came to Sky Island in the first place. The moment he touched down at Skypiea, he had sensed a faraway land with a small population. "Keep heading southeast," Damien told the girl as she used her powers to float the rock under them forward. . "So the text we read about the Shadorians were a people built up of the Skypieans, Birkans and Shandia," Aurora thought out loud. "The Shandia are engaged in war with the Skypieans over the Upper Yard, but how come the Birkans live in such a recluse area?" Damien felt her curiosity and returned a question of his own, "What do you think would prompt an entire species to flee from the home on the Moon to come down here?" The girl thought for a moment before leaking a wry smile. "My father taught me a lot of history and the number one thing for any form of conflict was resources." She looked to the infinite sky, imagining the moon, "Up there, all alone for who knows how long... their resources must have gone dry." . "Look at you connecting the dots," Damien chuckled. "That''s right, they all fled down here while the Shandia were stuck in Paradise for centuries, the Skypieans and Birkans were up against one another." The pirate narrowed his eyes as they neared their destination, "I guess we know which of the two races was superior." ... Their casual conversation went on and soon they arrived at a tiny land sitting on an island cloud. It was quite small and the architecture was rather ancient, far before today''s standards, even that of Skypiea''s standards. The pillars were marked with ancient scripture and symbols, detailing some history. ''This must be Enel''s home island,'' Damien thought to himself. ''Which means that treasure should also be hereбн'' . Aurora studied the land and quietly examined the people in the distance. "Unlike the Skypieans and the Shandia, Birkans'' wings point downward." Damien nodded at the observation, "Keep a low profile, they may not be as welcoming." бн [A While Later] Night fell as the two pirates continued to scour the island. It seemed that the Birkans did get a share of the greenery of the Upper Yard. It did not take long for Damien, who was well-connected with nature, to find an imposter in a fruit forest. "Bingo." Aurora, who was at Damien''s side the whole time, followed his gaze to reach the treasure, "A Devil Fruit?" she muttered. The Sin Incarnate raised his hand and all the while the very branch that held up the fruit began to shake; it moved as if it was alive, releasing the stem, consequently releasing the fruit. The odd-shaped fruit landed in the palm of the pirate''s hand, its myriad of blue was quite the sight. "This alone makes this trip worthwhile," he muttered while tossing the priceless power up and down. The fruit had a pyramid-like base that grew into a crown at its apex. It was mainly dark blue, while sporting light-blue spikes at its center. A similar coloured swirl pattern also fashioned the upper part. [A/N: See Author''s Corner for more details.] Aurora''s interest was piqued as she saw Damien, the same guy who threw a Mythical Zoan at her lowly subordinate, looking at this fruit with great satisfaction. The Sin Incarnate smiled at her curiosity, granting her the answer, "The ''invincible'' Logia: the Rumble-Rumble Fruit." "The same fruit that had gone missing for over 150 years!?" Damien nodded, holding the fruit up to his line of sight. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Rumble-Rumble Fruit (Goro Goro no Mi)] [Logia Fruit] [Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars] [Allows the user to create, control, and transform into lightning at will, turning them into a Lightning Human.] [Expanded: Considered to be the invincible Logia as it boasts the second-most destructive and second-fastest Logia, all within one power.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< ''Sibyl, if I translate this power into my own, what will I get?'' [As your Tokens can only transfer auxiliary abilities, you would at most gain an intangible, lightning body.] Damien wryly smiled, ''Forget I asked.'' He then pocketed the ability into his Inventory muttering to himself, "Such a destructive power needs a worthy user." Aurora, who was also a Logia fruit user, could not help but agree. The Rumble-Rumble Fruit could be considered priceless. If eaten by a marine, it would birth an Admiral, if eaten by a pirate, then surely a new powerhouse would be born. . "Hmm?" Damien turned to the side, hearing the Birkan people move in a flurry. Aurora''s body began to swarm with the violet energy, ready to strike. "I didn''t think they would be well-versed in Observation Haki," she commented. "It''s called ''Mantra'' here," Damien added in a casual tone, "looks like we moved a little too close to their village." "Let''s go, a pacifist like me doesn''t like shedding blood meaninglessly." Damien began to walk back in the direction he came, leaving Aurora with a wry smile. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 85: Echoes of Shandora With the Rumble Fruit out of his mind, Damien could now focus on the other reason behind his coming here. *Fwooo* At the moment, the two of them were flying through the air on a large block of vearth, skimming through the blanket of clouds and enjoying the breeze. The Sin Incarnate saw Aurora standing, her eyes locked onto the endless white. He could not see her face as she was turned away from him, but he could sense the unrestrained delight in her mood. "You know, you''ve been dwelling in the Underworld for the better part of ten months, surrounded by the incessant gloom of that shady lifestyleбкit''s bled into your every move." His critical words echoed in the girl''s ears, drawing her attention. "That''s not true," she said with some deflection. Damien smirked at the situation, "You think I strung you along to Skypiea just to use your powers as an elevator? I did it because I remembered your fondness for the freedom that comes from the skies." Damien walked up and stood eye-to-eye with her, relatively speaking. He looked deep inside and saw every hidden light within the gem-like pupils. Aurora saw the prying gaze and subconsciously looked away, "I-Isn''t it better? I can control the Underworld through the shadows whenever you need." A slight hum escaped Damien''s mouth as he narrowed his eyes. "Looks like you, spearheading into the Underworld, built a confidence, not in Aurora, but in the mask of Fulcrum." He found it amusing, "Around ten months ago you declared you would ''open my heart,'' and now you can''t even be honest with yourself." "..." Aurora did not respond, evoking a sigh from Damien. "It''s Toki isn''t it." His words brought the girl out of her reverie. A slight silence arrived, only to be toppled by the whistling wind from their motion as they soared through the sky. A light sigh followed by an admittance. "Back on Yozora Islandбн Mina-san said that I would need to constantly attack your heart with warmth to get it to open up, it''s what she did to get Vlad-san''s affection." Her eyes were soon plagued with a complicated look, "When I went to Mortem Island and saw Toki, I couldn''t help but think of that warm and bright person." Damien remained silent, letting her continue. Aurora finally matched his eyes, "After I saw her again, ten months later, I saw how close she was with you and knew that Mina-san was right. B-But I couldn''t help to think that maybe Toki was the best for you considering how much she changed yoиC" *Snap!* The girl was about to drone onward before being awarded by a sharp flick of a finger at the center of her forehead. The stinging pain caused her to grab at the red spot, her previously emotional eyes now confused. . "Alright, I''m stopping you there with all that nonsense," he starkly stated. "Toki helped me realize that even if I reach the peak on the path to power, it wouldn''t be worth much if I couldn''t share it with those whom I treasure." Damien''s crimson eyes stared into Aurora''s purple ones, seeing the shaky character that had taken over. "She helped unshackle me from my inhibitions, but you were the one who shed light onto them in the first place." Damien read Aurora like a book, deciphering her recent changes. Fulcrum had become her alter ego, a vessel to fuel all her heart and conviction into, all under the desire to be of use to Damien. However, this left the confidence of the woman behind the mask to wane, retreating from her more selfish desires. All born from the bright existence of Toki who had become very close to Damien, dimming away Aurora''s darker presence, or so she thought. . The pirate felt that he could not easily change Aurora''s insecure emotional mind with simple words and opted for a different tactic. He slowly smiled as he thought of a method. "It''s not what you are which is holding you backбкIt''s what you think you aren''t." Damien then gave a simple order, "Even though I haven''t raised my flag, you are already a part of my crew. As your captain, I''m telling you to let go of those messy thoughts and start listening to that voice deep inside you; being selfish is not a bad thing." Aurora, who was moved by the previous words, felt taken aback. She saw the smirk on Damien''s face and heard his voice once more, "What? You aren''t going to disobey your Captain''s orders, are you?" And with that simple statement, the girl finally cracked a thin smile. "There it is, those eyes that I want." He grinned at the confidence that returned to the girl''s eyes, "Both you and Toki are important to me. All I ask is for your best, soon enough, you''ll take your rightful place as the Queen of the Underworld." ---------------------------------------------- [Midnight] A man, in his mid-twenties, stood tall amongst a mass of troops. They were on an island cloud, far beyond the scope of the Upper Yard, and therefore, the Skypieans. He wore a long robe while donning a wolf-like mask over his head, emanating quite a ferocious spirit. His face was turned to another man, though this man was mainly unclothed with only a simple band of grass around his waist, unveiling the many tattoos that covered large areas of his body. "Have they healed up?" The question was directed to not just the attendant, but the collection of warriors too. Each with dark skin and little clothing, their muscular appearance resembling that of warriors from ancient timesбкthe Shandia! They stood in a group before a giant stone statue of a warrior with long, red hair, tall and proud. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. . "Yes, Chief. Should we strategize an attack? They won''t see us coming." The man at the front who was naturally the leader, seemed hesitant. "Our people relayed that some foreigners of the Blue Sea have come," the Chief muttered. Another warrior near the Chief''s age walked ahead, his hand going to his chest as he declared, "First they throw around the title of ''God'', and now they let those from the Blue Sea onto our stolen land, it''s absurd!" The man''s anger was carried forward by the giant bazooka-like weapon in his hand. The young Chief was about to decide until his eyes widened, following his quick movements to ready his spear. "Who''s there!?" The sharp blade pointed at the area hidden in the darkness of the flora. The other warriors also pointed their weapons, ready to fire. "..." The moonlight cleared up, lighting the dark patch of cloud and therefore on the intruders. The Chief glared with a solemn expression, his mind firing, "To think someone was watching so closely and I didn''t know till he took a stepбн" His eyes were locked onto the sole person who was barely five meters away. "Chief, he must be from the Blue Sea, they found us!" The rockets cocked into place, seconds away from firing. . "I didn''t come here to fight you guys," were the only words that came from the intruder. "Chief! Our ancestors were slaughtered by people like him, we should kill him now!" The sentiment was shared between the other warriors, each filled with apprehension. "Rahaha! Many have said the same thing." Damien''s words were laced with a hint of oppression. Faint tremors rippled out from his body, swamping over the few dozen warriors. "Aughh!" "My head!" "Ugh!" The weight fell onto their minds, forcing their bodies to stiffen and fall to the floor, trying to ensure their survival. Even the Chief, who had been fighting since he was a child, fell to his knees; unable to rise. He could not do much but match the enemy''s eyes and try to find his purpose. "W-What do you want?" Damien returned a scheming smile, "You guys can''t win this war anytime soon. It will go on far beyond your lifetime." The hard-headed warrior named Vaper felt furious at the disparaging words, "We are ready to fight to get back our homeland till the end of time!" Damien hummed, not impressed by his words. Instead, he brought up something else, "Gan Fall, the newly risen God of Skypiean, is more diplomatic than any previous one. Haven''t you ever imagined life outside of the endless war between your tribes?" . The Chief seemed ambivalent as he questioned, "What can you possibly do?" "I can resolve your differences and bring an end to your war." The hardheaded Shandia spat out in disagreement once more, "People from the Blue Sea cannot be trusted! They only bring destruction to our folk just like they did over seven centuries ago!" Yet his words evoked a laugh from the intruder. "What of the man that healed your people of your sickness, the one who earned your ''great warrior'' Kalgara''s respect and gratitude?" Vaper''s eyes widened, "You know of Mont Blanc Noland!?" Damien simply nodded. "The City of Gold that he boldly advertised suddenly disappeared, what do you think could have happened to him?" The question earned no reply, just some complicated expressions. "He died a liar and a traitor, executed before his own people; forever a shame to his land and family." . The revelation brought anger to the Shandia, recalling their ancestor, Kalgara''s, respect for Noland. The Chief changed the subject to something more personal, "Why would you even want to help us?" The man''s words were laced with concern for his people, and what the dominant invader wanted from them. "I have use for battle-hardened warriors." It was a casual and blunt reply. "You want us to fight your wars!?" Vaper thundered past the heavy weight over his body. "I can bring you an era of peace, a life outside of the endless war that will go on for generations to come," Damien whispered like the devil. "Don''t you think that''s worth fighting for?" Vaper, with great tenacity, began to rise as Damien to his feet. Veins bulged all over his face as he roared, "W-We can win our wars ourselves!" *Drip* *Drop* Droplets of blood fell from the shaken warrior''s mouth, showcasing his spirit and defiance of Damien. "Rahahaha!" Once again, the Vaper''s heartfelt words were ridiculed by the towering pirate. "You!!!" "Oh, my bad, you really mean that don''t you?" Damien smirked. Though his joking tone shifted into a threatening one, layered with domineering might. "Just know this, I can eradicate every last one of you before the sun even has the chance to rise." The eyes of the young man reputed as the Sin Incarnate flashed a dangerous glint, sending an ominous breeze at the height of nighttime. "!!!" The warriors felt their hearts drop as a chill ran down their backs, leaving cold sweat behind. After centuries of war, they had developed instincts to know when their end was near, and right now, it was as if death itself was at their doorstep. . Damien raised both his hands in a helpless motion. "I''m a pirate from the Blue Sea; I have no desire nor any interest in being your saviour," he candidly stated. "If anything, as a pirate, I should be looting and killing as I wish." Though he paused. A look of amusement took over Damien as he saw the warriors stand up once more. Their breathing spiked alongside their heartbeat, though they still got up. Slowly but surely, they grabbed their weapons and spears. Even the more diplomatic-looking Chief had a look of steel as he aimed his weapon toward the sole intruder. "Even if we die, we will not die in a way that brings shame to our ancestors!" Damien grinned and pointed out his left hand, "Even if I can end you with a snap of my finger?" "..." The Chief narrowed his eyes on the hand directed toward the masses. He did not answer, rather he simply stabilized his breathing and prepared to fight. An action shared by the rest of the Shandia. The spirited morale, though false, brought great confidence to their eyes, something they took for granted. "Let''s test that resolve." With a resounding snap, everything went black. "..." "I, I can''t see!?" "W-What happenedбн my body can''t even feel the air around me!" "My ears went dry, w-why can''t I hear anything!?" "Augh!" "What is going on!?" The dozens of warriors fell into a panic as their warborn senses, sharpened over decades of fighting, were suddenly stripped away. Eyes and ears that could detect the slightest of motions, noses that could pick up a scent from kilometers away, all gone with the snap of a finger. . Damien watched as his ''Sensory Deprivation'' turned the warriors into headless chickens, scrambling around without any control, letting it play out for some time. *Snap!* "W-Whaбн" The Chief fell to his knees. The man''s hands reached to his eyes with bated breaths, trying to figure out what had happened. Vaper, who was currently the strongest Shandia warrior, had also fallen. His shocked eyes scanned the so-called pirate with a devastated look. "I like to think of myself as a reasonable pirate. Trust me, there are some messed-up people down there." "People who can fly, or give birth to natural disasters on whims, do you think you can contend against them?" As if to nail down his point, Damien gave a signal to someone. *Vrooo~* The Shandia looked around in a panic as the very darkness of the night began to warp and squirm; it took on life, churning into something with a conscience. "W-W-What is going onбн" They watched as their bodies were swarmed by the purple energy, pulling them off their ground and into its darkness. Their world turned upside down as they were thrown around like ragdolls and played around as if they were toys. . Vaper, who hated the feeling of weakness, picked up a spear from one of his companion''s hands and shot it at the figure of a woman with all his might. *Vrooo~* He was left dumbstruck as the razor-sharp weapon shot right through the attacker, passing without difficulty. All that remained was a gaping hole, soon flooded with bright purple sparks, almost like distant stars as they reformed the ''injury''. "Should I kill them?" Damien shook his head and the aether immediately calmed down, releasing the warriors. The Chief''s breathing was heightened, his heart unable to keep up with the constant shock. . "What do you want with our people?" he muttered. The man''s previous drive to fight had plummeted, not because of fear, but because he thought there was a chance of survival, a false thought. Damien nodded at his expression and gave a simple explanation, "Unlike most pirates, I don''t endorse needless death. I just need warriors ready to fight when the time is right. Maybe in a decade or so." "In return, I''ll bring peace to your war." The long timeframe was unexpected by the Chief as he subconsciously echoed his thoughts, "A decadeбн? A man of your ambition is willing to wait?" Damien smirked, "What do you know of my ambition?" "I''ve seen men like youбн but unlike them, you have strength beyond my imaginationбн," the clan leader admitted. Aurora, who had materialized beside Damien, chimed in as well, "You should take the deal. The Skypieans and the Shandia hail from the same place, a civil war never ends well once outside forces intrude." Vaper disagreed as he pointed out his finger, "They stole our land! Our home for over seven centuriesбкyou want us to peacefully lay down our arms!?" His confident voice was laced with emotion and anger borne from his deep desire to take back his home. But it was met with disdain from Aurora. With a single thought came an influx of overwhelming force, befalling the lone warrior. "Aughh!" "The Skypieans are stronger than you," Aurora blandly spoke. Her eyes recalled the war which plagued the Amethyst Kingdom, "Only the strong can claim what is right and what is wrong." Vaper''s hand dug into the soil below, grasping it as if to continue defying his weakness. *Creak* His ribs cracked from the added weight, forcing him down. All that remained was his hope which bled away within moments, quieting him down. . Damien grinned and placed his hand on the girl''s shoulder, taking a step forward. "This conclusion may not be what you or your ancestors would have hoped, but at least your children can grow up in peaceful times, lighting your long-lost glory of Shandora." His words ended there, though leaving a sole thought in mind, ''A glory that the First Twenty had to unite against to extinguish.'' To Be Continuedбн Chapter 86: A New Era [Dawn] "Let''s go, I''ll take you to Gan Fall." The Shandia had time to prepare, every one of them going to meet the Skypieans at first light. "It will take at least half a day to get to the God''s Shrine," the wolf-helmed Chief interrupted. Damien did not answer and instead gestured toward the girl at his side. *Crack!* The Chief looked around to see cracks form on the solid cloud beneath them. His shock could not factor in as a large portion of the island cloud was plucked from the ground and taken into flight as per Aurora''s wishes. "We''ll be there in twenty minutes." [Chief Image (in Discord)] бн [God''s Shrine] Gan Fall sat at his seat, reading up on some reports. Yet a sudden chill birthed a foreboding feeling in his heart. "Kami-sama! I-It''s the Shandia, t-they''re here to attack us!" Gan Fall shot out from his seat, rushing to see a darkness approach. "They don''t have the ability to perform such feats, it must be our... guests." His lead guard was sullen, "Should we prepare to fight?" "..." Gan Fall ran through a few thoughts before deciding, "Ready the guards, though I want to hear them out first." Moments passed as the mobile cloud shuttled toward the Shrine, clicking into the island cloud itself. The Shadia onboard were ambivalent on how to proceed. Their instincts told them to attack, but one look at Damien and Aurora brought them back to reality. ''We are offerings to his desires,'' the Shadia Chief helplessly thought to himself. ''I hope he is more like Noland than the ones who came to exterminate us centuries ago.'' . "Yo, Gan Fall," Damien remarked, waltzing onto the Shrine''s territory. "I take it you''ve met the Shandia Chief before." The Skypiean God met the eyes of the Chief and slowly nodded. "I appreciated your hospitality from earlier," Damien stated in a firm voice and went on to reassure, "I will not repay it with bloodshed." His words did not carry any threat, rather as if they were between old friends. Gan Fall sighed and gestured to his men to lower their weapons. "People of the Blue Sea are quite the charactersбн" бн [Ten Minutes Later] The God''s Shrine had become a potential battlefield. Shandia warriors stood on one side while the Divine Soldiers were on the other. Vaper was at the front of the Shandia, his eyes glued to the Skypieans. The lead guard of the Shrine was just as critical, his weapon in hand. The only reason they did not charge one another was due to the meeting between the three top dogs. Plus, there was a towering and quiet young woman who sat at the edge of the Shrine, watching their every move. . [Inside the Shrine] "Just like that?" Damien nodded, "I know you''ve sought to end the war but were unable to do so due to the social conflict between the two sides. Well, now you have that chance." Gan Fall felt things had changed way too fast, making it hard to believe. Meanwhile, the Chief drank pumpkin juice at the side and waited. "If it means achieving peace," the Skypiean God began, "I do not mind commanding my people to stop. I don''t want this war to be the fate of our children." He then candidly addressed his enemy, "The Upper Yard may be returned to the Shandia, in return we hope for pleasant times to come between our two races." Such a simple conclusion was a mind-bending thought for the Chief. He lightly sighed, pushing aside the memories of burying hundreds of his fellow people in this war. Was their reluctance in his heart? Yes. But he lacked the strength to refuse. . "Shandia will strive for peace," he finally answered, "I also hope we can reach good tidings with the Skypieans." *Twack!* Damien clapped his hands, pleased with the outcome. "Such a peaceful resolution always warms my cold heart. It really is a beautiful thing." He then stood up and walked out from the Shrine. "..." Once bitter enemies, the Shandia Chief and the Skypiean God, were both now looking at one another with disbelief. The centuries-long war had been resolved within moments and it was absurd in all ways possible. . Meanwhile, Damien made his way outside. "Hmm," he mused, glancing at the clouds above that were pierced by Giant Jack, "Aurora, take us all up." Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. The girl nodded. She raised her hands to her side as the aetherial energy burst out from her body. The violet mist streamed out, reaching from the center to the edge of the island cloud that held the God''s Shrine. The others could not even factor in what had happened before the entire cloud began to move, a huge influx of forces pushing it up the beanstalk. бн "What''s that!?" The cry was shared by the others as they saw darkness afar. "There shouldn''t be another Island Cloud up here!" Gan Fall and the Chief were blown away as they saw the floating cloud. Their surprise deepened as they saw the bright light reflect from the rising sun. "That shineбн could it be!?" Vaper muttered. The Chief was just as blown away. His eyes teared up as he saw the giant bell that matched the tales of his predecessors. "The Shandorian Golden Belfry Bell is actually right here!?" Vaper lost his anger from before and was left with nothing but tears, "The Light of Shandora still burns bright!" Thud! Damien landed on the cloud, his boots sinking into the white ground. He faced the gargantuan bell made of dense gold that spanned dozens of meters. [Bell Image (in Discord)] "Incredible," Gan Fall muttered in shock. The Chief nodded, silently watching as the pirate walked up ahead and turned to their two races. . "You''ve been fighting one another for over three and a half centuries now. Today will mark a new era." Gan Fall, who was still hesitant, finally let go. A deep breath later, he walked up and stood tall in front of the Skypieans. "Chief!" Vaper called out, his eyes harbouring hatred for the Skypieans. "Kalgara fought to his death to protect our people and our way of life," the wolf-masked man answered. "Kalgara''s final wish was to protect our land till Noland could return. Since he has died as well, we can only hope that one day his descendants can find us." "What makes you think they are out there?" a warrior questioned. The Chief, Shahem, smiled at his fellow Shandia. "You are Kalgara''s descendantбкI''m sure there will be those who carry Mont Blanc Noland''s wishes too!" . Shahem then walked forward until he stood side-by-side with Gan Fall. "You fulfilled your promise, Pirate from the Blue Sea." He slightly lowered his head and declared, "Shandia will fight for you!" Damien nodded at the man with the wolf helm, pleased with the result. Gan Fall thought for a second and gave his thoughts, "If not for you, the children of Skypiea will grow to know war, but not anymore. You are more worthy of the title of ''God'' than me." Damien raised an eyebrow, "You would offer me your entire nation just like that?" Gan Fall smiled, "Just like that." "Rahahaha!" the pirate laughed, "looks like people of the skies are also quite the characters." . The Sin Incarnate then turned toward the bell and walked up before its massive size. "Let the echoes of the Belfry mark this dayбн" A thunderous punch shot out, slamming at the thick golden bell, sending shocks through it. The clapper of the bell hit the outer shell, sending out a deep and dull sound that spanned the entirety of Skypiea. *Clang!* The residents of Angel Street all simultaneously looked to the sky as the deep echo resounded the streets. A silence pervaded, only interrupted by the revolutionary noise from above once more. They did not know what it meant but every one of them had a feeling that a great change was coming to Skypiea. . While the Shandia had started to accept their new reality, another scene was taking place, one with Aurora at its center. Her eyes locked onto the blue stone wedged into the bell''s base. "Poneglyph, just like the one at my island," she muttered. "Yes, another one." She turned toward Damien, who had appeared, and asked, "Are they worth all this trouble?" Damien smiled, "What do you mean?" "You wouldn''t go to so much effort to end a war spanning centuries just to get some warriors under you," she bluntly replied. "Hey, Hey, are you saying I''m not a nice person who wants to bring peace to the skies?" "..." Damien gave a wry smile as he heard no response from the girl, just a blank stare. "Ahem, well, let''s just say the Skypieans, the Shandia and even the Birkans have a strong connection to the truth behind the world." "In my readings of countless textbooks and pages of information, I came across another species that were hailed as ''Gods''," he explained. "They were called the Lunarians." Aurora narrowed her eyes at the name, unable to make any connections. "From what I read, these ''Gods'' inhabited the Red Line back in the Void Century. With the ability to create flames, donning black wings and having the strength and restorative capabilities true to their title of Gods." "Lunarians, named after the Moon itself," he concluded. Aurora quickly connected the dots, "And these winged people, all hailing from the Moonбн you think they''re related?" Damien shrugged, "Maybe, maybe not." "All I know is that the Shandorians alone were a threat large enough to have the First Twenty Kingdoms yearn for their treasures. Who knows, this investment might turn up quite well." He then grinned, "Plus, their wings may be a decoration, but what if they weren''t?" Aurora nodded, her eyes sparkling over the insinuation, "An aerial unit with centuries of battle trainingбн It would be a powerful force." . Damien then turned to the stone and knocked on it. "They are surely a special kind, Otherwise, why would they be given the location of an Ancient Weapon?" The information brought the girl to great shock once again, "A-Ancient Weapon!?" Damien closed his eyes and opened his ears to the whispers of the stone. "..." "It''s at a place we''ve both visited: Fishman Island." Aurora took in a deep breath, inhaling the barrage of forbidden knowledge. "If the World Government finds out abou-" "They surely already know," the Sin Incarnate interrupted, "but it''s not time yet. The Weapon comes in the form of a Mermaid Princess who can control Sea Kingsбкone that has not yet been born." Damien eyed the curious girl and shook his head, "It''s too early for Poseidon anyways, but you now know why the Government is so adamant about knowing about the Styx Passage." "...Right, you can control them as well." Damien chuckled, "Control is a strong wordбкI can only command the weaker beasts. The extent of Poseidon is far beyond me." бн [Later that Day] The news of the end of the war that had lasted around 360 years had graced the rest of Skypiea. It brought out some mixed emotions. The older generation who had lived through the conflict were unsure about it, while the younger generation threw their hands up in celebration. The people of Shandia had similar thoughts; however, under the mandates of their respective leaders, they could only swallow their unrest. Beyond that, one thing that had the Skypieans vocal was that Gan Fall had passed on the title of ''God'' to someone else, a foreigner from the Blue Sea! Damien, however, was quick to dismiss Gan Fall''s action, letting him and Shahem look over the future of Skypiea while he watched from afar. . "I am glad to have agreed to your words, Lord Pirate," Shahem spoke up. "The Skypieans have offered aid to help us reconstruct Shadora from its ruins. Even Nola, the ancient giant python, has come to protect our work." Damien recalled the humongous snake he had seen from above, nodding at the words. "It will take years, maybe even a decade, to fully incorporate your two races to truly become peaceful, but it''s a start." Shahem nodded, his eyes glowing with gratitude, "Yes. Though I do have a question..." Damien gestured to him to continue. "I know you mentioned the name of Noland, do you think his descendants are out there?" The pirate leaned into his seat, sipping the sakиж in hand. An image of a chestnut-headed pirate came to mind from his previous life. "The Mont Blanc Family lives, whether they can find their way here is up to fate." Shahem nodded, content with the information, and left right away. Surely, there was a lot of work for the two-winged societies to accomplish before reaching the level of cohabitation. бн [Nightfall] Damien returned to his room at one of the Island Clouds. Most of the Skypieans were still awake. Some celebrating, some rejoicing, some even looking forward to the future. The reconstruction of Shadora was put into order and expected to take a while. The red-eyed pirate was about to rest until he felt a shadow at the door of his room. "Come in," he called out. *Creak* The wooden door opened up, revealing the lithe figure of the young woman. "What''s up?" Aurora stood at the door frame, unmoving. Her eyes locked on Damien who was seated on the side of the bed, still by the doorway. She stared blankly for a moment before speaking, "Can I stay with you tonight?" "..." Now it was Damien''s turn to pause. He wryly smiled at the girl, "Looks like you gave up your inhibitions faster than I imagined." "Y-You said I should let go of my messy thoughts and be selfish," Aurora beamed a smile, her voice shifting into a shier one. Her gem-like eyes shone past the dimly lit room and were glued to Damien with great attachment. "Well, that''s about as blunt as I remember you being back at Amethyst Kingdom," Damien muttered. . The young man got up from his seat and walked toward the doorway and stood a meter away from the girl. "You know what happens when a girl comes to a man''s room in the middle of the night?" he asked with a thin smile. Aurora did not speak, though the ruddy cheeks gave away her false bravado. Ultimately, she didn''t move away, but rather, into the room. What happened next was forever hidden under the veil of the night. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 87: Fun [A Week Later] "Someone turn off the sunбн" Damien rubbed his eyes as the sunrays graced the room. The bright light that was intensified by the white surrounding clouds made quite the spectacle. Though the pirate did not need to sleep much, he could even go without sleep for two weeks, he preferred it anyway. Plus, some things went well when done under the curtain of the night. He looked to the side of the bed and saw the sleeping girl curling toward him. Her silky purple hair was scattered over the messy bed, fast asleep from certain nightly exercises. . ''Mom told me to marry a beautiful girl, technically she never specified how many,'' Damien mused to himself while freshening up. He looked at the reflection in the mirror. The familiar face which had matured looked back with confidence burning bright in the crimson pupils. The only flaw in his dominance was the faded scar above his eye, a reminder of his past weakness. It was around half a year away from his 19th birthday now. Nineteen years since his arrival into this world. ''I guess I have become quite handsome, must be from my mother,'' he told himself. Entering his twenties with respectable strength to go for it. ''Though the time to return to Hachinosu is near, and God Valley will sneak up just as fast.'' ---------------------------------------------- [Outside] "You''re up, Lord Damien," Shahem said with a smile. After the retrieval of their home island, led by the ringing of their treasured bell, Shahem was quite joyful. Even the loud Vaper had come to terms with what had happened. Under the influence of alcohol, he even proposed to his lover. It was a celebration throughout the Sky Island. . "Yo, Shahem, you look ten years younger with that frown gone," Damien said. The wolf-helmed man halted, "I''m only twenty-fiveбн did I look that old?" he asked with some weakness. Damien shrugged, letting the Chief wallow in his thoughts. They were at the God''s Shrine now, Gan Fall had arrived as well. "Lord Damien, it''s nice to have you here," he said with a smile. The pirate nodded and said, "We have much to discuss, let''s begin." . The three sat down, Damien at the front with the two leaders seated across from him. "Like I said before, I intend to leave Skypiea under both of your councils. As a pirate, I fare better on the seas than running a nation." He continued, "I know you aren''t fully content with fighting the wars at the Blue Sea, but peace comes with a price." Gan Fall and Shahem looked at one another and nodded, "We understand, our forces will prepare for combat." Damien, however, shook his head. "You aren''t at the level of strength to make such promises." His blunt tone left the two ashamed, though they could only choose to listen to what the pirate had to say. "I want every soldier training in Mantra, or as we call it, Observation Haki." He then handed the two a book, "This is a manual I borrowed from a Navy Base for both Observation and Armament Haki." Shahem saw the information on the Colour of Arms and recalled a memory of his own. "Armament Hakiбн The great warrior Kalgara used such techniques in his fighting, I didn''t know it was like this!" His eyes turned to worship of that memory as he called out, "He could even force people to fall unconscious with a burst of his spirit, I must admit, the Blue Sea is very advanced!" Gan Fall was just as interested in the manual, losing himself to the information. . While the two were reading through the book, another person arrived. It was a young womanбкher outfit featured a deep blue tunic with a distinctive geometric neckline and short sleeves. It was accessorized with a brown belt at the waist and paired with fitted, panelled leggings that blended into dark, knee-high boots. "You''re awake," Damien softly called out. Aurora hummed in the clothing she bought in Skypiea before plopping to Damien''s side, her gloved hands resting on her thighs. She leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes without care of the others nearby. Ever since that night, she gave up keeping any distance from her self-proclaimed soulmate. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. [Clothing Image (in Discord)] . The pirate smiled at the weight on his shoulder and once again turned to the two leaders, "I will send resources from the Blue Sea to aid you, in return, I will take dials." "Dails?" Gan Fall echoed in question. Dials were strange, mysterious devices which could store energy and matter. They were made from the remains of a particular shellfish, originating from Skypiea. Damien nodded, "Dials have great practical uses in the Blue Sea." "The Breath and Jet Dial for ships, the Flame, Flash, Heat, Impact, and Thunder Dials for combat. While the others for even basic communication and such uses." Both the leaders agreed without hesitation, "We will increase production to meet any demand." Damien smiled in satisfaction. "Good, Aurora will be responsible for all those transactions." The two leaders looked at the young woman opened her eyes and silently moved. She stood up, walked out of the Shrine and placed one gloved hand on the cloudly-white floor below. *Vrooo~* The familiar purple energy materialized from her hand, stamping a pattern onto the ground. "Aether Anchor." The purple flower inscription was made as the girl felt a tug in her Night Realm, opening up a bridge. Though restricted to five such gateways, the ability was unfairly convenient. . "Aurora can open up a doorway between her anchors, it''ll make our exchanges occur with speed and without difficulty," Damien explained. He now stood facing the two leaders with the purple-haired girl linking around his left arm. Aurora was the first to finally speak, "I will call the two of you for anything through the transponder snails I left you." The Sin Incarnate then raised a hand in goodbye, "Good luck, gentlemen." The aetherial woman then exercised her connection to the anchor that had just been placed and another one many kilometers away. *Kuru* The flower glowed in purple brilliance, slowly absorbing the two into the ground. This left the two leaders alone and with a single thought in mind: "Incredible." ---------------------------------------------- [Mortem Island] *Zzz* *Zzz* *Zzz* Rhythmic snores went off, resounding through the safe areas of the island. A young boy lay flat on the floor, his eyes covered with a mask, some drool escaped his mouth as he was fast asleep. Recently, he found a rather interesting-looking flower pattern on the floor and deemed it as his sleeping spot. Every day he would lay on top of it, feeling a comfortable warmth. *Zzz* His deep sleep was suddenly interrupted as he felt a heat build up on his back. "Hmm?" he grunted, half-asleep. "..." "Wahhhh!" A full-blown yell erupted as the boy''s body was bathed in the purple light, shooting him to the sky. Being woken up from a deep sleep, Kuzan did not even factor in the eye mask, simply thinking the world had gone dark. He flapped his hands like a bird while being graced with the sharp, cold winds of the Grand Line. "Woooahh!" He went around twenty meters in the sky before falling straight down, his mind slowly waking up. Boom! Like glass, the boy''s body shattered into innumerable shards of light-blue particles. . "Ugh, what the hell is wrong with this islandбн" The ice shards soon came back into shape, reforming the young boy''s body. He took off the mask to see the problem, "Oh! Big Bro, you''re back! Aurora-nee is here too!" The cranky boy forgot his irritation as he gave Damien a fist bump. "Looks like you found some things to play with," Aurora commented. Her eyes were locked onto a bicycle that was leaning on a tree. Kuzan smirked, "Hehe, look at this," he exclaimed. The boy ran ahead, leaving an icy trail behind. He grabbed his bicycle and pedalled hard, rushing toward the cliff. "Be careful!" Aurora said as she saw the boy run off the edge and onto the sea. The girl had visited the ice boy throughout Damien''s vacation, forming a strong bond with Kuzan. Seeing him jump into the damning sea left her alarmed. Damien stopped her with a tug, letting things play out. . The two watched as the ice boy''s bike hit the sea, but it did not sink into the depths! *Krrrr* The creaking of ice resounded as the water under the bike was frozen into a solid trail. Kuzan laughed to himself, riding across the ocean, leaving an icy design in his wake. "...He''s practically immune to the Curse of the Sea," Aurora muttered. Damien nodded, "The Ice-Ice Fruit may not pack the same punch as more devastative Logia like Magma or Lightning, but it is supreme over the ocean floor, one that nearly the entire world." Aurora nodded along the information, understanding full well the extent of the powers. . "Damien-san!" The pirate turned around from where he heard the exclaiming voice. He saw a green-haired girl carrying some fruits in a basket. She hurriedly placed it on a tree stump and ran forward. Damien felt the breeze as Toki fell into his arms, her green hair scattering about, letting him take in the fresh smell of spring. "I was only gone for half a month," he said with a smile, running his hand through the light green hair. Toki looked up and returned a bright smile, "Does that mean I can''t embrace you?" "I guess not." The green-haired girl leaned into the hug, wrapping her hands around Damien. Her smaller size allowed her to melt into his chest, a feeling she had grown to adore. However, at some moment, she peeked out to see Aurora standing a meter away. "Aurora-sanбн you feel differentбн" The purple-haired girl did not respond, instead, she reached out to hug Damien''s open arm as if to declare her trophy. "..." Toki''s eyes widened as she turned to the male pirate with an inquisitive glance. "Could it be that you twoбн" Damien slowly nodded. Toki turned to Aurora once more and saw her look slightly turbulent from the speculatory eyes. "I''m glad you found happiness, Aurora-san, you deserve it." "Thank you, Toki," the purple-haired girl warmly smiled. "..." A quiet moment passed as Damien was held in the embrace of the two young ladies. "Hey! You can''t do a group hug without me!" The booming voice came from the ice boy who had jumped out from the sea, looking hurt. He was still in the air, ready to whizz ahead. Boom! That was before a huge shadow exploded from beneath him with a gargantuan splash of seawater. "Rawr!" A colossal-sized Sea King opened its maw, eating the tiny boy whole. "..." Damien could not help but chuckle as Kuzan''s momentum fell quiet, the girls joining in as well. *Krrrr* The creaking resounded once more, leaving the Sea King to waver in trepidation. Its eyes widened in fear as it felt the frost overwhelm itself. Within ten seconds, the hundred-meter Sea King was frozen solid, a statue with ice thicker than a warship''s armour! "Damn fish, how dare you try and eat me!" Kuzan reformed onto the cliff from a stream of icy shards, looking at the frozen beast with an annoyed glare. . "I thought all the Sea Kings were under your umbrella!" he pointed at Damien with an accusatory tone. The Sin Incarnate shrugged, "I can control the weaker ones, but this one is more unruly." Kuzan gave him a look that he did not believe the words. "There are four classes of Sea Kings out there," Damien explained. "The Monster Class that you would find in the Outer Seas and through the Grand Line. The Colossal Class which are common ones in the Calm Belts." "Then there are the Leviathan Class and Titan Class. The one that just tried to eat you is of the former." Kuzan slowly nodded, "So you can command up to the first two classes?" "That''s right. Of course, I can sense the bigger ones out there as well, though unable to control them." Kuzan nodded, acting like a studious child taking in information. "Wait, does that mean you knew that Sea King was about to eat me this whole time!?" "..." "Well, yeah. Technically I even saw it happen ten seconds in the future." Damien then turned around and walked with the girls to the core of the island, acting like nothing happened. "Why didn''t you warn me!" Kuzan raced behind the taller pirate, trying to poke at him. "I thought it would be more fun not to." He then turned to the boy and grinned, "And I was right." Kuzan gave out a growl, jumping onto Damien''s back in an attempt to freeze him. "..." He tried for a good five minutes before giving up and going to bed all over again. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 88: Sorcery As the year 1484 began to wrap up, things only got more turbulent. The year thus far has welcomed many major events. It began with the Reverie which was put on hold for months. Ultimately, due to unforeseen circumstances, it was held remotely, over a transponder snail system. Much like a past Reverie which was done online, though it was due to a worldwide pandemic. The news that followed this online summit was even crazier, it came in the form of the successful withdrawal of the World News Agency from the World Government''s grasp. As the months went on from then, quite a few crazy headlines began to surface: A major player that led to the Reverie going remote, Einar D. Damien, was spotted on a small island in the Paradise Sea: Jaya. His arrival was marked with an event coined as the "Jaya Island Snooze" where every person on the island had fallen unconscious, credit to the Sin Incarnate. However, that event was nothing but a drop in the bucket with what followed. ---------------------------------------------- [G-5, The New World] Marine "Grand Line" Fifth Branch. It was the home of the Marine Base located in the New World, near the Red Line. It housed quite a few suspicious marines, all once criminals of their time, now serving in the Navy. It is said that the Marines of this branch were insane, cruel, and merciless people who stuck needles into pirates, fed them to sharks, or used them for campfire kindling. However, that also made them perfect to man a base near the start of the New World. Yet even with all these bad eggs in their batches, they could not help but scream in terror at what was currently taking place. "RUN! I-IT''S AN ISLAND!" "Where can you run? I-It''s too damn big!" "I didn''t sign up for this!" The marines cried out in fear as the colossal-sized land mass fell onto their base with a booming explosion, sending out a mushroom cloud that spanned hundreds of meters into the air. *Rumble* The impact alone was enough to shake G-5 to its core, shattering it to oblivion. A lone man floated in the air, smoking a cigar. A crazed grin etched his face as he viewed his craftбкthe Golden Lion in the flesh. "Hoh? A few survivors," he commented with amusement. "So tell me, what will you do about the second one?" At his question came another jaw-dropping event. A giant land mass, a small island, touched down from the skies, creating a sight out of a horror story. Shiki pointed his finger down and the island obeyed the command. BOOM! Another world-shaking explosion followed as the very core of the island cracked, splitting it into rubble. "Jihahaha! Have another one!" The same scene played out once more as the third mass of earth arrived, shooting toward the broken base below. The golden-haired man broke out into a menacing laugh, witnessing the island at the brink of sinking. . "Captain Shiki, it''s bad, Garp and Sengoku are here!" The Flying Pirate looked at the snail on his wrist which took upon the face of the pirate relaying the news with a frown. "бнGet ready to withdraw." He floated up into the sky, beyond the clouds and touched down on his ship. The funny thing was that his ship was not exactly a shipбн it was an island itself! It had a giant golden lion figurehead while sporting actual trees as the masts of the ship. The sheer size was enough to leave people quaking in fear. [Island Ship Image (in Discord)] бн The extent of the damage before the arrival of Garp and Sengoku was beyond acceptable. It left Kong enraged as he scrambled his troops to hunt Shiki down. Everything that went down was covered in an extensive report by the newly risen World Economy News Paper, under the pen of their star reporter: Morgans. Hell continued to break loose as the other Rocks Pirates'' top dogs made moves of their own: - Edward Newgate had sunk three Marine Warships as they came too close to Sphinx Island. - Charlotte Linlin had gone out of her way to scout out a chain of islands in the New World, her oldest ally, Streusen, was left there to terraform said island into a wonderland befitting the Evil Spirit. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. - Captain John was sent to collect resources now inaccessible through the Underworld, attacking any Nations in their path. Looting and burning everything in sight. - The survivors of the Valkyrie Pirates had completely been absorbed by the Rocks Pirates, under the hand of the Shakuyaku and Silver Axe. - Pitch-black thunderstorms had arrived, reaching out from the ever-spinning hurricane that housed Death Valley. A place which was synonymous with the notorious Rocks. - A few Super Rookies had made a name for themselves: Voyd Nomu, Henso and the strongest of the bunch, Agon. . What left the marine higher-ups even more panicked was that the Rocks was not the only ones making trouble. Gol D. Roger and his band of pirates had begun to journey to the final stretch of the New World! According to reports, they were headed straight for the end. On top of that, The last remaining Overlord, Pryde D. Sol, had also greatly increased his troops after the surging currents in the Underworld. His proud hand had started to stretch out of Superbia, taking down rival pirate groups and nations alike; he was surely up to something nefarious. ---------------------------------------------- [Fleet Admiral''s Office, Marineford] Bang! The newspaper slammed onto the desk, cracks stretching out. Boom! It lasted a mere second before the entire structure collapsed, cluttering into a mess. The doors shot open as five marines ran in. Three of them carried a brand new desk while the other two cleaned up the mess. бн Two minutes passed as the office had returned to its original appearance. "Damn Whitebeard, damn Linlin, damn Shiki, damn Sin Incarnate, damn Rocksбкdamn them all!" The mighty marine gnashed his teeth in anger, his eyes carrying it further. Boom! His arm smashed onto the desk once more. The wood creaked in pain, shattering into pieces once again. "..." "Replace it already!" he called out. The door burst open again, but a sole marine came in this time. He gulped at the sight of the mess and fearfully reported, "F-Fleet Admiral, we''ve run out of desks! T-There''s a global shortage of them!" Kong huffed in anger as his right fist smashed into the pile of rubble below. Boom! This time, the pieces were reduced to fine particles of dust. "бн" "I see, thank you for your prudence," he calmly stated, seeming almost humane. The low-level marine was shaking in his boots, muttering to himself, ''They really did it, they made the Fleet Admiral lose his marbles!'' "T-Then I will excuse myselfбн" The attendant disappeared faster than Kong could blink. . A deep sigh then echoed in the room. Kong rubbed his temples in frustration, "Tens of billions of berries in damages, those Rocks Pirates really won''t stop at anything to leave the New World in shamblesбн" "Breaking so many taboos, they really are testing the Five Elders'' patience," he muttered to himself. His eyes drifted to the bounties nailed on a board. Dozens of wanted posters. Each was placed in a pyramid shape, aligning with the World Threat Index. It was ordered through levels, the lower the level, the higher the threat. "Level One, with Herja gone, the number has dropped to nine, then why has hell broken loose even more than ever before!" Just in the past year, most of these threats had made their names heard, earning their place as the top threats to the peace of the seas: Rocks, Newgate, Roger, Linlin, Shiki, Sol and Rayleigh. "Thankfully the remaining two have some self-control," Kong mumbled. His eyes then drifted to the Level Two Threats. Quite a few big names: Scopper Gaban, Einar D. Damien, Kaido, Silver Axe, Captain John, Shakuyaku. The Fleet Admiral ran his eyes through the level but he ended up locking onto a single one. The paper furled about as the top marine tore it off, holding it in one hand. With a scrutinizing gaze, he thought to himself, "Sin Incarnate. You left a blaring mess at Jaya and disappeared for four months, just what the hell are you up to?" ---------------------------------------------- [Mortem Island] Three and a half months had passed. The date was December 31, 1484 иC New Year''s Eve. At the turbulent Mortem Island was a certain someone that the Fleet Admiral would love to get his hands on. The Sin Incarnate currently sat still on a thick tree stump, his eyes carried a mix of emotions. "With the constant rumbling of the New World, it is the right time to return," he told himself. He looked aroundбкMortem Island, the place he called home for a good portion of his "vacation". "It''s quite poetic to depart at the start of the new year," he decided. "I wonder how Indra is doing with the recruiting sessions." Damien slowly stood up, stretching his muscles. The towering pirate had reached a height plateau as he entered the final stretch of his nineteenth year of life. He stood at a respectable 11'' 7" (3.53 m), eclipsing quite a few of his friends and foes, yet being dwarfed by others. His body which was once scrawny and stick-like back at Renaissance Island, had become ripped with muscles, brimming with endless power. The imposing figure had garnered a certain air that would leave most nearby trembling in fear. Over the past few months, Damien had time to ponder on a certain technique, one involving his Deprivation ability. As it was from his Tokens, it could not be used to physically harm someone, rather it was to be used in a more inanimate nature. With this thought in mind, Damien began to experiment. First, he was able to deprive moisture from objects, by drying them up. He could also deprive a rock of its sturdiness, causing it to fall apart. Furthermore, he could deprive the very heat and pressure in the atmosphere to reach a desirable level. . With a look of curiosity, Damien brought out a Devil Fruit from his Inventory. It was a white coconut with feathery swirls all over it. "Since Devil Fruits reincarnate to the nearest fruit of the same type; the fruit itself is just a vessel to contain the power, one that can switch to a person when eaten." Damien held the fruit in his right hand as he conversed with himself, "If that''s the case, I should be able to do this nowбн" As his thoughts cleared up, the pirate unleashed a power from his hand. It took on a gray colour with cracks of white peaking out. The devil fruit began to shake and rumble, almost as if it was alive. Damien watched curiously as the fruit''s colour dried up, losing its cloudy whiteness. At the same time, silver energy began to leak out from the fruit and into his hand. бн A minute went by as the mystical coconut had turned into an ordinary, everyday coconut. Damien tossed it aside as his attention fell onto the energy sparkling in his hand. He then reached to the side, grabbed an inconspicuous rock and placed his right hand on it. *Fwooo* A dull wind cried out as the silver energy moved, rushing from its locked position into the mossy rock. Seconds went on as the energy was no more, leaving behind a simple rock in Damien''s left hand. "Hmm." A quick thought ran through the pirate''s mind, linking itself to the rock. Damien''s eyes flashed in a crimson shine as he foresaw the inevitable future, "Nice," he muttered. Time ticked on as his prediction turned into reality. The mossy rock, no different from any other rock, began to shake. Its hard surface warped and bloomed with two wings. A cute head popped out alongside a sea of white feathersбкa white carrier pigeon! The bird nuzzled into Damien''s hand, meeting its creator. The pirate smiled to himself, placing the rock-turned-bird on the ground and recalling the previous command. As expected, it returned to its original shape, an inconspicuous rock with no correlation to the avian from before. . "From what I recall, that rat Spandam will eventually acquire a sword that can transform into an elephant, probably a work of Vegapunk." He then tapped the rock, telling it to transform. And it did. The gray rock turned into a pigeon once again, showing off its feathery wings, "Then this is my version of ''feeding'' a Devil Fruit to an inanimate object!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 89: Destiny Unveiled "Huh?" Damien slightly groaned as he felt a stiffness in his heart. He looked at the rock-pigeon that had transformed by his touch and thought and continuously felt a slight itch near his heart. He let go of the avian as it returned to its rock form and came to a conclusion. "Looks like having items that have eaten Devil Fruits close to an ability user can cause the single fruit restriction to act up," he murmured. There is a simple law of Devil Fruits: a person may only eat one fruit, any more and they will explode. "Inanimate objects that have eaten fruits need to be ''commanded'' to transform by the holder, and if they are also a fruit user then it can get ugly." Damien narrowed his eyes, going over this unfortunate restriction. It simply meant that he could not simply feed Devil Fruits to his coat, shoes, weapon, and whatnot. . "Yet my auxiliary Fruits don''t do that..." A voice then arrived in the pondering pirate''s mind, [Those Auxiliary fruits tokens are picky for a reason.] Sibyl continued, [They demand non-damaging abilities because any other type of fruit would cause you to blow up; it''s akin to eating two fruits.] The explanation did well to fill some holes. "It''s almost like two kings in a jungle scenario... two fruits will repel one another till the host blows up," Damien theorized. "Whereas auxiliary fruits are passive in nature, coexisting with the more dominant powerбкmy Pulverize-Pulverize Fruit." [Essentially, yes. You can also say that inherently passive can be fed t-] Sibyl''s voice suddenly grew distant and gibberish, only for the pirate''s mind to be plagued with a sharp buzz. "!!!" It was a rather high-pitched squeak which forced him to grasp his head. "This again..." It was a familiar and annoying sensation that had plagued him for the past three months since his return from Skypiea. It began slow and distant but grew sharper and more pressing on Damien''s brain over time. According to Sibyl, it was a byproduct of his Observation Haki''s advancement. "!!!" The Sin Incarnate''s eyes shot open, feeling another surge of sensory overloadбкhis eyes were burning. The next thing he saw was bright lights emanating from everything living; grass, flowers, trees, insects, animals and so on were all shining a cold colour while all else was dark and grey. It was like seeing the world through a filter. [You need to calm down for it to settle.] The advice from Sibyl was quickly exercised as the pirate stabilized his breathing and ignored the throbbing pain. . Soon enough, Damien sighed a breath of relief, feeling the buzz calm down, meanwhile, the light from nearby entities also cleared up. Each beacon warped into symbols, words, numbers, strings of data, and arrays of information. Damien stared long and hard as the integers and letters scrambled around, shifting and piecing themselves together. "..." Time went on as the young man felt things clear up, from a hazy sheet of data to a clearer picture. He turned to the side, this time his eyes landing on a random tree. As he looked with more concentration and focus, the same thing happened once againбкthey were blue symbols and numbers, born from the voices of the living things. [Focus on a single living thing,] came the female voice again. . Damien lightly nodded before looking around only to lock onto an aging tree. Its voice was ever-present, but this time it was presenting another set of data which Damien perceived through his eyes rather than his ears. "Forty years, four months, six days, nine hours, twenty-four minutes, twelve seconds." He tilted his head in some confusion, trying to match the timer to the words floating around. "Till the tree dies?" "Plague?" He collected the data and formed a complete string of information. "Time till Death: 40 years, 4 months, 6 days, 9 hours, 23 minutes, 58 seconds." "...57 seconds бн 56 secondsбн 55 secondsбн" "Cause of Death: Infected with a pestilence that attacks a tree''s root." Damien''s eyes were still parsing through the information while a ding resounded his mind. [Observation Haki Mastery has reached the Grandmastery (I) Stage.] He hummed at the notification before speaking, "Explain it." Sibyl returned with an immediate answer, [Most people take their Haki to Advanced Mastery and halt, but the true masters can proceed into the Grandmastery Stage. When you enter here, it can lead to newer levels of Observation as it was for you.] [Grandmastery spans over three stages, each bringing its own advancements.] [From what I can compute, it seems you can now sense the fate of things around you. But it may not be only their end, but also the more meaningful instances of their life. A better name for it isбн] "Destiny Perception." "Convert what I sense into a more manageable form," he ordered. [Alright, test it on a more sentient creature.] Damien nodded, looking around. Alas, he met the eyes of a cute little fox clawing at a few berries under the shade of a tree. [Destiny perceivedбн] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. [Black-Clawed Fox] [Birth: 39 days ago] [Fate: Will mate with an Ice-Clawed Fox in 12 years, giving birth to three children.] [Death: Killed 39 years from now by a falling meteor pulled down by a Gravity-Fruit user.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< Damien blinked, "Well, it''s surely quite the way to go." He shook his head, not entirely sure how to use this newfound power. As it was a branch of Observation Haki, naturally it cannot be used against those with high enough Mastery. He then turned to a water snake and did the same thing. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Ancora Water Snake] [Birth: 4 years ago] [Fate: Will die without branching out his family tree.] [Death: Killed an hour from now due to a concentrated influx of force.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< "Oh?" Damien smiled in amusement as he felt something new once more. He remained stationary, though his mind spanned to the side. He could feel another sense. A presence, 60 meters away, discreetly moving through the forest. Damien could sense the emotions emanating from the entity. "Playful and cheeky intentionsбн Kuzan. I guess they are starting the final test." . "Ice Time Capsule!" . The childish voice resounded the sea of forests as it was soon followed by the creaking of ice. Leaves froze over; the ground frosted up; and the air shuddered from the cold. The towering pirate did not do much in defense, simply moving his left arm in a horizontal motion, as if swatting away a fly. Boom! The burst of ice was shattered apart, breaking into bits and pieces of reflective crystals which sparkled under the bright sun. Damien raised an eyebrow in intrigue as felt the presence disappear. "..." "There you are." He picked up a pebble from the ground and shot it at an inconspicuous tree. Boom! It exploded without much difficulty, though the rock continued, mowing through a dozen such trees. "Not fair, you said you wouldn''t use your Observation!" Damien lost the target once more, though he remained in the same spot since before. "I''m not using my Haki, I can just sense your uncontrollable excitement to land a strike on me." The concentrated emotions appeared once more, this time on a tall tree''s thick branch. What he could sense was excitement, cheekiness, playfulness, frustration. Every string of emotion looks for a moment of catharsis, though failing to do so. *Fwoo* Another tiny rock shot from Damien''s grasp, nailing down a portion of the forest into wooden debris. "Tch!" came an annoyed voice, disappearing once more. Thud! Damien was having fun messing with the boy, though soon another presence arrived. . He did not defend the coming attack which was quick to encover his body. "Oh? This is how it feels?" Damien muttered to himself. Though if one were hearing it from afar, it sounded a hundred times slower, almost as if the pirate was speaking in extremely slow motion! He was effectively frozen within a green bubble, rings spinning all around him. Soon came the scruffy young boy, shooting out from the shadow of a tree with a warcry, "This time I got you!" . "Ice Block: Avalanche!" . Damien remained frozen in time as a ginormous block of ice and snow befell him, its size was that of a giant hill! Kuzan uncontrollably grinned, his hands clenched with hope. *Purrup* His shadow shook about, soon materializing into the body of a tall woman. Another young woman arrived, gently floating the floor at a soft pace, taking her place beside the duo. Toki, Aurora and Kuzan watched as the widespread frost and ice brought a powerful chill throughout the region. White vapour exuded from the mouths as the tense air grew colder. . "That won''t be anywhere near enough," Toki said with a soft smile. Kuzan clicked his tongue, "I know that, but it feels nice to think I could do it!" "Kuzan, optimism is a good thing but delusion can be unhealthy," Aurora commented. The boy scratched his nose and murmured, "That hurts." Aurora did not reply, rather she simply opened up her palms and formed two purple daggers through the aetherial mist. *Zip* A sound of pixelation resounded in the region, prompting the trio to jump into action. In a fraction of a second, the scene of an ice age disappeared as it was crushed into finely cut cubes of dust in a crimson flash. The freezing chill was annihilated yet it felt that the air grew more frosty than ever! . Toki did not wait any longer and chose to attack. *Fwooo~* She opened up her small hand, gathering up the archaic energy that appeared with a freaky breeze. A small tornado of green energy roared into existence, slowly forming a distinct shapeбкa golden hourglass! "This will slow him down." [Hourglass Image (in Discord)] She raised the shiny device toward the area that was recently encased in ice. . "Sands of Time." . Her open hand was soon tightly closed, crushing the fragile hourglass. *Suuuu* The finely-grained sand within was slowly released, swarming on with an ominous glitter, reflecting off the warm sun rays. The other two watched as the tiny dust-like particles spread ahead, covering the land in front of them. Within moments, anything within the bounds of the sands was subjected to varying levels of time: some sped up, some slowed down, some practically froze while others shot through the air at great speeds! Kuzan pointed out his arms, spreading his frost to the air around him. . "Ice Block: Partisan!" . A total of six solid-blue spears formed around him. At his command, they soared on ahead, skimming through the air. Aurora watched the attacks go, releasing her ability as well. The influx of purple energy shot out, forming small portal-like constructs in front of the spears. Just like that, they disappeared. бн Damien, who stood at the core of the island, was feeling quite the ride. His body reacted in weird ways. When he moved his arms, they sometimes shot ahead while sometimes they paused in midair. One eyelid blinked rapidly while the other had yet to even blink. "Hmm?" His body reacted as he felt the shadows of the terrain around him begin to warp; darkness itself moving to suffocate him. *Fwooo* The air screeched as six spears shot out from all around him. One aimed at his side, one at his back, one from above, one from below while the other two came from the front. Boom! All six connected, exploding into a frosted mess. Two crimson pupils pierced through the icy fog, alongside a murmur, "A distraction to get close to me." His mind read the three concentrations of mass emotions that appeared around him. *Purrup* Like a fluid, his shadow squirmed. A lithe body shot out, holding two daggers and shooting for his throat. Damien met it head-on, letting them connect. Clang! It sounded like metal hitting metal. Damien''s skin held up strong as the blades failed to pierce, leaving the attack open. The pirate shot a fist forward, shooting at Aurora''s abdomen. Boom! The mighty fist stopped as it hit something else. Damien''s eyes fell to the side, seeing Toki use her time powers to form a shield, protecting her companion. "It won''t hold for a second hit!" she alerted the others. Damien did not stop, slamming another fist forth. *Shatter* Like glass, the time shield exploded into bits. However, what followed surprised Damien. His fist, which has the strength to sink a marine warship, was suddenly flooded with an influx of force. It came from underneath and aimed at his wrist. The force was enough to turn metal to dustбкall concentrated at Damien''s wrist. Boom! Like a gong, Damien''s fist changed trajectory and slammed onto his own chest, ringing it like a drum! The sound that echoed out was loud enough to send the animals into a panic. . "Ice Block: Pheasant Beak!" . A bellowing screech of a bird arrived with its light-blue colour, spreading its wings to charge onto Damien. [Attack Image (in Discord)] *Krrrr* Damien''s fist was still being dug into his chest, threatening to penetrate through. However, his other hand was free. . "Utter Ruin." . The mighty bird could only cry a high-pitched scream as it exploded from the torrent of crimson energy. From an ice sculpture to countless, tiny shards of ice. . "Nihility Storm!" . From behind came an explosion of vast forces. Damien felt his body being subjected to push, pull, shear, torsion and tension forces, each trying to turn him into mush. Kuzan did not stop either, willing his ice to dance to his tune. . "Ice Block: Hailstorm!" . With ease, he froze the water moisture in the sky, turning them into sharp blocks of ice. At his command came a flurry of solid rain, leaving craters from their fall and littering across nearly a kilometer of the forest. Damien eyed the troublesome forces, soon to be amplified by the ice. . "Desolation Zone." . An extinction order. Everything around Damien was suddenly brought to its knees. Vertical streaks of blackish-red energy fell about, crushing the very fabric of air into its pieces. The forces from earlier were overwhelmed and cancelled out. The forecasted hailstorm was withdrawn. All incoming attacks were nullified. "Ugh!" Kuzan was caught in the fray, sending his body to the floor. Damien''s eyes narrowed as he felt a dangerous attack from the side. He tracked the coming volley of green arrows, each swarming with archaic energy to age things into oblivion. . "Devoured Space." . A wide curtain of pulverizing energy was born, halting the volley. Toki, who watched from afar, huffed a sigh, "Not fairбн" She saw the green arrows crumble away and within seconds, the giant barrier turned into a weapon, shuttling toward the green-haired girl at great speed. Thud! Aurora landed near Toki''s side, a purple flower in hand. . "Oblivion Blossom." . The simple lotus spun in circles, drilling its way at the incoming volatile energy. Boom! The attack shattered into a loud bang. "He can do all this without using Observation Haki," Aurora sighed. Knowing the inevitable outcome of the battle, Aurora chose to try her best. Her body exploded with purple energy. Her long violet hair floated up, defying gravity. Her clothes lost their distinct darkness as they were overtaken by a coat of ethereal energy. *Vrooo~* Damien, who wanted the three to go all out, chose to pause as the world began to change around him. The earlier sunshine, the warm breeze, it all disappeared. The bright afternoon turned into darkness as the warmth of the day was robbed into a chill. "It''s quite a flashy move." The Sin Incarnate glanced up, seeing the young woman floating in the sky, bringing night to where there was once day. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 90: Zero Hour Aurora remained afloat, though her hands began to move. With a swift motion, she waved her arm in a swatting gesture. Damien''s eyes widened as he felt a huge stream of force shoot out from the endless darkness to his side. Boom! The turbulent stream of weight crashed onto his side, tossing him away. Aurora moved once more, this time waving downwards. . "Oblivion Press." . And much like before, the giant purple dome unleashed an oppressive force, nailing Damien to the ground. *Creak* Any normal man would have been crushed into powder with the sheer strength of the press. "It''s good training for my Black Bones," the pirate muttered, allowing the unprotected weight to crash onto his body. Though his actions appeared as opportunities for others. Kuzan, who had finally gotten up from the previous attack, returned his pain with interest. . "Ice Spikes!" . He cut the air with a slash of his hands, an equal amount of frost wrecking onwards. Damien, who was pressed to the ground, was soon poked as the giant spikes of ice dug into his back. Though even under the weight from the sky and the spike from below, it was not enough to cause any substantial damage. . "Nullity Rain!" . Toki, who stood twenty meters away, snapped at the bow in her hand, sending out a volley of arrows. They shuttled through the air, leaving cracks in the sky. Kuzan smiled from the sideбкthe moment he had been waiting for over a year had come! His eyes locked onto the frosted Damien at the center of the darkened Mortem Island as the dangerous arrows were about to hit their target. However, even in his greatest imagination, what followed was shocking. He saw Damien''s body which towered a good 3.5 meters, begin to release a molten-like energy source. *Purrup* The crimson torrents shrieked out, erupting like a volcano. Kuzan gulped as he saw Damien grow to 4 meters (~13 ft), with the pulverizing energy bursting without pause. The incoming volley was withered away by the breathtakingly corrosive energy, reducing the projectiles to dust. Damien''s figure was then clad in thick Haki, resembling armour. "Empyrean Release." The black and red creature gave Kuzan a crooked smile, running chills down his spine. . "Omega Beams." . The creature leaned forward as his furious eyes sent out two rays of utter destruction. The unstable energy zoomed ahead in its twinkly form, blazing through the air. Kuzan yelped at the spike of danger borne by the Haki added to the attack. He used the trick Damien taught him and elementalized his body around the beams. The twin beams ventured through and forth, allowing the young lad to effectively dodge them. "A-ra-ra, that scared me..." Kuzan sighed in relief, though his mind indicated danger. *Vzzzz!* He overfrosted himself, running in the opposite direction. The boy tried to sidestep, run zigzag, strafing up and down to stray from the chasing hell. "They''re like homing missiles!" Kuzan cried out. His frustrations echoed his desperate run, eventually reaching the border of the night dome. *Krrrr* The rays crashed onto the blanket of purple, cleaving right through and inviting sunlight. It was both a window of escape for the boy as he rushed on ahead, yet still being hunted by the stubborn attack. . Aurora, who was still pressing Damien with her forces, realized it was doing absolutely nothing. She clicked her tongue in thought, all the while continuously releasing her powers. The huge scar in the dome was flooded with aetherial energy once more, closing the gap and cutting off the invading light. "Toki!" The girl knew what was asked and did as needed. She waved her hands as a giant clock appeared behind her. . "Clockworks: Chronostasis!" . She too unleashed her remaining powers, all coming down onto Damien, wrapping him in a wide shell of green energy. "I''ve reduced his time constant to 0.0001 but it won''t last long!" Toki yelled, her worries reflected in the clock behind her spinning at incredible speeds, covering an hour every second. Aurora saw the frozen figure and knew it was time. She had a 12-second window. She grunted as the copious amounts of her fruit power followed her thoughts. Every ounce of her energy was spent as she commanded the giant dome to come down with her. The symphony of forces and stresses was ultimately tossed at the sole opponent. . "Oblivion Storm!" . The volatile mass of black and red curiously watched, enjoying the moment as the very island itself began to crush toward him. Forces of all nature imposed onto the 13-foot figure, all in attempts to do mass damage. BOOM! The scene that followed was apocalyptic. The darkened island shivered at its core under the influx of energy. Cracks formed in all directions, spreading through the mass forests of Mortem Island. The concentration of forces exploded in a blinding light, sending tremors throughout the region. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. бн "What happened?" Kuzan woke up. He looked around. *Creak* His body broke out from the mess he was in. He had escaped the unforgiving rays but to do so, he had to jump into the sea! "Thankfully ice floats on water," he dryly commented, shrugging off the huge block of surrounding ice. Then came the memory of the monster figure from earlier, sending a chill up the Logia user''s back, "That creepy form I saw in the papers, no wonder they call him the Sin Incarnateбн" . Kuzan jumped out from the sea, checking out the island. What came into his vision was jaw-dropping. "Am I still in the same place!?" His eyes examined the mess. All he saw was a battlefield that seemed to have gone through years of warfare. The forests had all fallen, crushed into many awkward angles. The desert and jungle areas of Mortem Island had been cracked and dismembered. The mountains had cracked, sending great amounts of debris into the ocean. Only the North End of the island was still the same, littered with snow-capped mountains and lightning cliffs. бн Kuzan carefully ran through the island, his body leaving a frozen trail. Alas, he met another living creature. "A-ra-ra~! Big Bro Damien, you look untouched!" He saw the pirate, now back to his original height of 11'' 7" (3.53 m), sitting atop a tree stump amid the hellacious ruins of the forests of Mortem Island. Said pirate locked eyes, glancing at the panting boy, "Logia really do have great survivability." "Wait, where are the two ladies?" Damien pointed to the side where the two girls lay next to one another, fast asleep. "They overdrew their fruit to press me down; it was a good attempt." Kuzan sighed, slumping onto the floor, "I don''t get it. No matter how hard we hit you, it doesn''t leave a scratch." Damien saw the defeated expression and hummed. He picked up a dead branch and held it in his right hand, drawing the lad''s attention. With his free left hand, he hovered his index finger an inch away from the stick. *Purrup* A current of crimson energy streamed out and into the branch. *Creak* Boom! It exploded into bits, raining into tiny splinters; what was truly surprising was the fact that the branch blew from inside to out. "Awesome!" Damien smirked, "Listen, Kuzan. When you meet a troublesome foe in the future who outclasses you with their Devil Fruit mastery and combat experience, then only Haki can help you find a way out." He poked the kid''s forehead, leaving him with a few words before walking away. "Haki?" Kuzan muttered, clenching his fists. бн [An Hour Later] Damien munched on some fruits as he saw the girls finally wake up. They wiped their eyes, sharing their confusion. Aurora was the first to realize as she sighed, "Looks like it didn''t work." Toki nodded, though she seemed relieved to see Damien unhurt. Their thoughts brought the young man''s attention as he turned to them, feeling their emotions, "Good morning, ladies." Kuzan lay on the floor next to him, one eye covered, murmuring a question, "Say, what happens now? The island''s all messed up." Damien raised an eyebrow, looking around. "I suppose it is." Ultimately, he seemed unsurprised by the wreckage, "Don''t forget, nature is an old friend of mine." Damien simply tapped the floor, sending in a pulse of his Haki. *Rumble* Kuzan jolted up, feeling the strong tremors. He gulped at the sight. "Wowбн" Toki echoed the words, marveling at the scene of the island changing shape. The wrecked trees and flowers awakened. Broken stumps were dislodged from their positions as thicker trees took their place. The scorched grass waved away its ashy look, giving birth to lush sights. The flowers danced as they tasted the touch of life. . Aurora was the first to speak after the miraculous display, "I heard from my spies that the World Government put aside the theory of two fruits and instead, classed it as some tribe-born ability, much like the Fishmen with their inherent nature in weaving water." Damien smirked at the thought, though not denying it. "My mother possessed a fruit power deeply rooted in nature," Damien explained. "It may sound crazy, but I was able to inherit bits and pieces of the ability." Kuzan "oohed", leaning into the story. "I thought you can''t pass on Devil Fruits to a child?" Damien shrugged, "It was a Mythical Zoan of the Dryad. She ate it at the very second of my birth." "Since Mythical Zoans carry multiple abilities, I was able to somehow ''inherit'' the ability to converse with nature itself." The pirate leaned back into a newly born tree, pondering his past. Seeing this, Toki slowly got up, walked up and sat next to him. She leaned her head on Damien''s shoulder, feeling his loss, "How did she die?" "..." Damien looked to the side and into the bright green eyes of Toki. He could also vividly sense emotions from his newly evolved Observation Haki. From Toki, he only felt compassion and love, even sadness. The male pirate returned a smile and explained, "She died to protect me, hiding me in a well while holding down an entire crew of pirates with her sickened body." Before continuing, he felt a tug at his side, Aurora was holding his hand, quietly listening to the story. Damien lightly exhaled and continued, "I heard her last breath through the cracks in the walls, but not before she gave her final lesson, hehe, she did everything she could to make sure I didn''t collapse from being alone." The picture of the white-coloured woman came to his mind, alongside that fateful day. "..." "What''s wrong Kuzan? There aren''t many times that you have nothing to comment on." He gazed at the young boy who seemed too quiet. "I''m just surprisedбн" "Surprised that even someone like me was in such a weak position once?" Damien questioned with a grin. Kuzan nodded, his childish eyes still lacking in some maturity. "Back at Sabaody, you asked why I became a pirate." "And you answered that it was to control your own fate," the boy interjected. Damien nodded, "That''s right. To master the fate that left me in hell all those years ago. Villains aren''t born, Kuzan, they''re created from painful times centred around injustice." "Well, except for maybe Rocks. That guy is the personification of evil." The pirate then coughed, "What I mean is, we all were once innocent children of the world, but reality is harsh on some and harsher on others. You''ll know what I mean when you grow up some more." He matched the boy''s curious eyes and said, "So grow up quickly; only with strength can you ever protect what you treasure most." . Toki did not interrupt, just smiling at their exchange from the side. She soon moved away from Damien''s shoulder after some quiet moments went on. With a clap, she garnered their attention, "Tomorrow is the new year, I will make some special dishes to celebrate, after that, Damien-san will be gone!" бн The day went on as the feast came about. Toki prepared a plethora of dishes all the while utilizing her Time powers to quickly cook and ready any form of meat. She even set up her storage which essentially froze items so they would never go bad since they experienced time a hundred times slower than anything else. The evening arrived and the hearty dinner was filled with a certain warmth that all four of them deeply cherished. A warmth worth protecting. бн [Later] Damien sat with a jug of sakиж in hand, addressing the purple-haired girl. "Aurora, how''s the deal with Sukiyaki?" She matched his gaze and confidently answered, "Very well. I set up the Anchors to maintain safe and secure trading overseas. The Seastone is being bought for food, weapons, medication, rare resources, and whatnot." Damien hummed in satisfaction. He had sent Aurora to Wano to nail down her Aether Anchor to facilitate trade. Everything seemed to have gone well. "Begin forging it into weapons and other security devices. I''m sure they will go well on the market." Aurora seemed a little unsure of his directions, "Okay, but should I reach out to everyone? I''m sure the Government would want a huge share of it." "They will get their hands on it even if they have to hunt down all your buyers," Damien blandy commented, "might as well make a nice buck off them." She did not ask any more questions, simply jotting it down for her return to Unso Island tomorrow. . Damien then turned his attention to the girl who was sitting with elegant etiquette, beaming her usual warm personality. His eyes trace down her neck and onto the inconspicuous metal necklace. "Looks like you''ve attained immunity to Seastone," he commented. Toki''s hand reached up to grab the pendant, tilting her head in thought, "Hmm, I guess so. It doesn''t ache anymoreбн" Damien smiled, opting to check differently. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Amatsuki Toki] [Age: 18 years, 5 months, 27 days (~791 years old by date)] [Height: 9'' 10"] (3.0 m) [Status: Healthy] [Devil Fruit: Time-Time Fruit (Advanced Mastery)] [Fruit Rating: 7 Stars (Ultimate-Class)] [Seastone Resistance: Immune б№] [Skills: Paper Body (Kami-e), Shave (Soru), Moonwalk (Geppo)] [Haki: Observation Haki (Nigh-Advanced Mastery) б№, Armament Haki (Intermediate Mastery) б№] [Strength: Middle Tier Yonko Commander б№] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< ''It took me quite a while to attain immunity, I guess having fast-forwarding powers can move things along,'' Damien thought. He then glanced at the other girl and read up on her information too. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Amethyst Aurora] [Age: 19 years, 8 months, 6 days] [Height: 10'' 5"] (3.18 m) [Status: Healthy] [Devil Fruit: Aether-Aether Fruit (Advanced Mastery)] [Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars] [Seastone Resistance: Immune] [Skills: Shave (Soru)] [Haki: Observation Haki (Nigh-Advanced Mastery) б№, Armament Haki (Intermediate Mastery) б№, Conqueror''s Haki (Intermediate Mastery) б№] [Strength: Top Tier Yonko Commander б№] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< Their heights had ballooned. The vast array of Calm Belt Sea Kings was as nutritious as food could get, enabling the girls to experience a late but exceptional height bloom. Damien was also pleased with their strength increased. It was a significant increase compared to when he first met them. However, both the girls were too reliant on their fruits, hence his intentions to get them to focus more on Haki as well. However, there was one stubborn person who did not like that thought as much. . "Oh, so it''s my turn next!" Damien sighed, looking at the ice statue who appeared next to him, an eye mask lazily covering half his eyes. Kuzan had seen Aurora don the pendant for ten months straight, then he saw Toki take it for nearly five months. Naturally, in his mind, he was up next. "Nope." The blunt words dropped the boy onto the ground. "Ehh? Why not?" Damien gazed at the irritated boy and gave a simple reply. "Your body is too young; it''ll take too long to gain immunity and disrupt your training too much. Right now you need to focus on training your fruit power and grasping Haki." "Toki will be with you while I''m gone, she can teach you the Colour of Observation. Don''t fall out of pace or I''ll personally instill discipline into your frosted dome," he instructed with a thin smirk. A chill went down the ice boy''s spine as he saw the Sin Incarnate flash his polished fist. "F-Fine." >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Kuzan] [Age: 9 years, 3 months, 10 days] [Height: 8'' 2.5"] (2.5 m) [Status: Healthy] [Devil Fruit: Ice-Ice Fruit (Intermediate Mastery) б№] [Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars] [Skills: Shave (Soru), Moonwalk (Geppo)] [Strength: Yonko Crew Pirate б№] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< Overall, Damien was satisfied. Kuzan had the potential to easily enter the Yonko Stage, worthy of a future powerful ally. The one thing that worried Damien was that Kuzan had a mixed view of the world. ''Fiery Justice,'' Damien thought. ''That was his motto as a young marine, before adopting Lazy Justice after the Ohara Incident.'' It was certainly unpredictable for someone, who developed an early nature to drive toward fiery justice, to become a pirate. ''We''ll see how it goes,'' Damien thought, putting a slight worry in the back of his mind. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 91: Den of Scum [The Next Morning] The bright sun shone down on the revived Mortem Island. Its warmth graced the newly-birthed trees, causing them to lean ever so slightly toward the west. Damien woke up alongside the sun, wiping his sleepy eyes. He felt the weight on his chest, glancing at the two arms draped over him. Suffice to say that Damien and the girls started the year off with a bang. "..." He quietly extricated himself from the two women, making his way outside. It was a nice morning: clear skies, gentle seas, mellow wind. "Sibyl, bring up my stats." [Coming right upбн] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Einar D. Damien] [Age: 18 years, 10 months, 17 days] [Height: 11'' 7"] (3.53 m) [Status: Thriving] [Devil Fruit: Pulverize Pulverize Fruit (Advanced Mastery)] [Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars] [Weapon: Ryи▒shi of the Supreme Grade Series] [Ryи▒shi Combat Arts Comprehension: 54% б№] [Notable Characteristics: Black Bones (III), Fishman-Hybrid, Seastone Resistance] [Skills: Titanic Recovery (+), Titanic Vitality, Evolvable Anatomy, Voice of All Things, Will of D., Rokushiki, Life Return (Advanced Mastery) б№, Deprivation, Equal Exchange, Destiny Perception {NEW}, Empathy {NEW}] [Haki: Observation Haki (Grandmastery (I)) б№, Armament Haki (Advanced Mastery) б№, Conqueror''s Haki (Nigh-Advanced Mastery) б№] [Strength: Bottom Tier Yonko] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< Empathy was just a form of Emotion Sense which Damien had picked up recently. It had the simple ability to perceive the underlying emotions in a person with inferior Haki. However, there were other things of significance in the stats update that caught the pirate''s eyes. "So that itch in my body wasn''t just an illusion, looks like I can evolve my Recovery!" Although there was a slight complication, "My Vitality is not ready for evolution though, which probably needs my Black Bones to be maxed out." Damien sighed. Both his Recovery and Vitality go hand-in-hand, keeping them at an imbalance could be unwise. . "Still a Bottom-Tier Yonko, that''s crazy," Damien muttered to himself, scratching his head. He has been at this stage for a year now! The rapid increase in strength the Sin Incarnate had gotten used to had greatly died down. "Sibyl, any thoughts?" The System answered right away, her soft yet plain voice echoing in the pirate''s mind: [The reason you were able to enter the Yonko stage so early on was due to your ability to use attacks with the power that exceeded those in the Pseudo-Yonko stage and also due to having the titanic durability.] [But in the Middle Tier of the stage, it is expected to have multiple Advanced Masteries and even a couple of Grandmasteries over a Colour of Haki. Whereas, Top Tier Yonko has multiple Grandmasteries.] Damien sighed, relenting to the scenario at hand. "Puru," "Puru," "Puru." The buzzing phone shifted the young man''s attention as he brought out the snail. "Katcha~!" "This is Damien." "Ufufufu, it''s been a while since I''ve heard your voice, Damien-chan," came a teasing reply. The pirate smiled at the sight of the snail that had taken on the appearance of the black-haired woman. "Shakky-nee, good morning to you too." The snail puffed on a cigar, even creating smoke on Damien''s end, "Maybe for the Grand Line, but Hachinosu doesn''t have many good mornings." "Have they gotten rowdier?" Shakky nodded through the snail, "Ever since the Valkyrie Pirates wholly merged with the Rocks, well, let''s just say things got a little hectic." "There were even questions about the current Division Commanders as many young and feisty rookies want those spots." Damien was not bothered, rather he found it amusing, "Rahahaha! If it was that easy to grab those spots then we would have hundreds of Division Commanders now." The snail puffed another cloud of smoke, "Tell me about it, these idiots think they''re something, it''s almost funny." . Her tone then turned chipper, "So, Damien-chan, can I expect your return soon?" The young pirate looked at the distant horizon, knowing what awaited him. A thin grin appeared on his face as he talked into the receiver, "Yeah, I''ll be there shortly." The face on the snail widened into a smile of its own, "Very good, I look forward to seeing how you''ve grown." "Katcha~!" Damien pocketed the device, thinking over the imminent future. The time had come to return to hell. бн [An Hour Later] Everyone else had gotten up, it was around five in the morning. Toki prepared the final breakfast, leaving Damien to have a quick chat with Aurora. "The Underworld is getting calmer, even the other Emperors have quieted down; a little too quiet," Aurora finished her quick report. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. "However, the World Government levied higher taxes as per the Heavenly Tributes. It was originally 40% of a nation''s annual value but now it''s hiked to 45%." Damien narrowed his eyes in pity, "Blood-sucking leaches... But it isn''t surprising. The constant disorder in the seas is ever-demanding on the budget from all government agencies." The purple-haired girl nodded in agreement, "I''m sure that number will only go further up when you return." The last few words drew a smile from the girl as she remembered that most of the chaos was in some way, related to the Rocks Pirates. Damien chuckled at her comments with a smirk, "Well, causing mayhem is a mandate for us." . The subject went back to where it started as the Sin Incarnate advised, "Be careful in those shady seas while I''m gone. There''s no problem in slowing down if things get tough." Aurora''s lips stretched into a smile as she heard the gentle words. "Don''t worry, I can handle the rats down there," she replied with a nod. "I''ve also developed a new ability to keep track of their endeavours." She held a hand in Damien''s direction, fuelling it with her powers. *Vrooo~* A quiet wind erupted as the purple mist began to transform into a creature of sorts. Wings, talons and sharp beak. "I will have these Night Ravens surveil the other Emperors'' territories. They each will return their respective homing stones with any important information." She also held a purple rock in hand, one which the raven flew straight toward, latching its talons onto it. "They feed off the night, recharging when the sun sets." [Night Raven Image (in Discord)] "Good, I''ll leave it to you." Aurora beamed a small smile, akin to her reserved nature, "Mhm." бн [Two Hours Later] Damien and the other three now stood at the docks of Mortem Island. The Sea Skimmer, Damien''s trusty boat floated in the sea in front of them. "When will you be back?" Toki lightly questioned, trying to mask her sadness. "I''ll swing by in maybe a year, but I won''t be cleared to return till another year after that." His expression soon turned solemn, "Let''s just say that some big things are coming." He then turned to Kuzan who seemed down and instructed, "Listen to Toki, I look forward to seeing just how far you come, Kuzan." "Maybe by then you can actually land a hit on me," Damien cheekily said, raising a fist. The boy smirked and met the fist bump. "I''ll turn you into a popsicle!" . Damien hugged the two girls together, topping it off with a kiss to each of them: "I''ll need your help with the hell that is about to come in the next few years." Toki just smiled, going for another hug to memorize the warmth. Aurora simply linked her hands with Damien''s, meanwhile, her bright gem-like eyes were glued to his. "I set up many outposts in the New World, they will give you any resources you''ll need." Damien nodded, breathing his final breath of the peaceful getaway island. Thud! His towering body landed on the boat, sending a dull ripple through the water below. *Grurururu* The engine fired up, credit to the Dials harvested from Skypiea. "Stay safe!" the green-haired girl yelled from the edge of the docks, waving her hand. ---------------------------------------------- [Two Days Later] [Fishman Island] Unlike before, Damien chose to enter the island without hiding his presence. The coated ship, credited to the Coating Dail again from Skypiea, arrived at the island beyond the depths of the seas. *Purrup* The vessel permeated through the dual bubble defense, shuttling on in. "Halt!" Dozens of Fishman guards encircled the boat, their weapons raised. They watched with great aggression, evident in their solemn faces reeling with threat. A shadow stepped out with his hands raised, "Looks like the chaos upstairs has made its way down here too." The guards paused, examining the threat. "You areбн!" бн "You should have told me you were coming-jamon," came a hearty voice. "I would have received you myself." "No worries." Damien walked beside the giant merman through the streets of the bountiful land. Neptune sighed, "Ever since the Government lost grasp on the New World, things have gotten harder for us." "Many enslavers sneak in every day, trying to capture mermaids as treasure. It leaves us all furious-jamon!" Damien did not speak, letting the Knight roar his frustrations. "You seem to be stepping up quite a lot, Neptune." The Fishman dryly laughed, "I''m afraid the King is about to pass on, if I don''t step up as his chief Guard then who else will?" "You''ll make a fine king." Neptune blinked, "Hoh Hoh Hoh! I sure hope so-jamon." He then turned to another subject, "Damien-kun, are you in need of something?" The pirate smirked, "Well, I was to swing by the Sea Forest once more, revisit the red stone." бн [Sea Forest] The duo now stood before giant stones. One blue, one red. "Neptune, I hope you can deliver a message to anyone else who makes their way to this location." The Knight seemed a little confused. Damien eyed the towering merman and explained, "I plan on taking the red one with me." Neptune raised a single one of his bushy eyebrows, "You want to take it with you? Why not just make a copy?" Damien turned back to the crimson cube, conveying his thoughts, "That thing is probably worth all the Four Outer Seas combined." "What-jamon!?" Damien hummed, "You will soon take on the mantle of King. I''m sure you know of the fate of the Mermaid Princess." The words brought great shock to the fishman''s eyes. He could not help but float to the side, looking at the pirate with a tense look. . "I found a Poneglyph at a Sky Island, leading me here to find that great weaponбкPoseidon!" Damien matched the shaken merman''s eyes, making his point clear, "Neptune, you are the future king, sworn to protect your nation. While I''m the pirate from the seas above." Damien''s keen senses could easily feel the merman''s grip tightening over his trident, but chose not to speak on it. "When you take the throne, you will have to cut deals with pirates, there''s no changing that fact. I hope you choose wisely." "..." The Great Knight of the Sea, Neptune, was left at a standstill. Thoughts flashed through his mind, envisioning a future with hordes of pirates swarming the seas; it would not be long before his nation would be overwhelmed. Even the World Government saw his home as more of a treasure chest than anything else. His eyes drifted through the terrain, landing on Damien once more; a confident smirk. . Neptune heaved a sigh, calming his drumming heart. "Damien-kun, you''re right. If you can find out about Poseidon, I''m sure it is a matter of time before someone else does so too-jamon." He then matched the glowing red eyes, "I believe you will be a great ally to the Fishman in the futureбн I will pass on your message." His words left a wider grin on Damien''s face, one of satisfaction, "Tell anyone who seeks the missing stone to come and find me, that''s all." Neptune nodded, removing the blanket of tension from the Sea Forest. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* He watched as the Sin Incarnate took some steps forward, reaching out to the Road Poneglyph. *Poof* And just like that, the stone was gone! A square crater was all that remained to indicate that something was once here, accompanying the blue Poneglyph. One of the four keys to vast, forbidden knowledge was now in the pocket of the Sin Incarnate. ---------------------------------------------- [Six Days Later] [The New World] In the New World sat an island with a rather distinct appearance. The size of the island was rather small but the giant skull erected out into the sky was the real knocker. This is the Pirate Island of Hachinosu! A rather loud atmosphere resounded on the island as constant violent booms and bangs went off. Blood stained the cracked grounds. Perhaps one day this island was home to vibrant forests and booming wildlife, but now it was a den of chaos. The skies themselves were covered with black clouds to further amplify the hectic atmosphere. The air had a dull red hue to it, with a taste of metal. It was from all the incessant bloodshed! The men here were the absolute scum of the seas. They killed, massacred, pillaged, robbed, ravaged and destroyed everything in their path. They were the strongest and the scummiest of men in the world. Tens of thousands of them gathered all over Hachinosu. The main activities were the following: Eat. Drink. Sleep. Party. Fight. Kill. Sex. Loot. Massacre. If a normal human were to speak on this island they would immediately feel shell-shocked. Whether it was the reeking smell of death or the endless corpses lying about, it was truly a despairing sight. бн [Muerta Bar, Hachinosu] A small broken-down bar sat near the core of the island. A few corpses were set as decoration near the corners. "Hey, did you get the message? The big bosses are comin'' to town!" A pirate exclaimed as he drank some rum. "That''s right, I feel all tingly inside!" The man nodded his head, "You should be! I was there at the Angelic War where the Commanders Shiki and Charlotte Lilin fought and took down Herja, they''re monsters!" "What division are you guys in?" The man asked with vile intent. "Hmm, I''m in the Ninth Division." The man grumbled, "You lucky idiot! You got to be in Big Sis Shakky''s Division!" "Yayayaya! I haven''t seen her though, I heard she went to Sabaody Archipelago recently." He then asked, "What about you?" He took a quick sip of his drink, "I''m in the Second Division with the legendary Golden Lion himself!" *Thud* "Ayy boys," A gray-haired man joined the conversation, "I got into the Seventh Division, you know who''s in charge of it?" One replied with a grin, "That Division was wiped out by the Marinesбн so why don''t you join ''em in hell!?" The man jolted out of his seat, a hidden blade in hand. *Swish!* The blade hummed in delight as the fresh blood sprayed out in its wake. A head fell to the ground with a thud, its eyes perpetually widened. "Oy, Oy, why''d you do that?" The killer gave a fearsome grin and licked the dripping blood from his blade, "Bladada! I didn''t like the way he looked!" бн Under the gloomy island came a loud commotion, one that overshadowed all other treacherous activities. Suppressed gasps went off while the pirates mumbled amongst one another. A pin-drop silence plagued the den of scum, leaving the worst of the worst to feel a chill down their spines. "Boya, what''s happening?" A lanky witch of a woman asked her human dog, lightly petting his long blue hair. "It''s the Division Commandersбн T-They are returning, one by one!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 92: A Pirates Greeting [Near the East Coast of Hachinosu] *Thud!* The ground cracked apart as a shadow landed from the sky, crashing hard into the barren soil. It was a man with golden hair and sharp eyebrows, sucking on a cigar, standing nearly ten feet tall. He had changed his look by a bit, growing out his sideburns to his chin in all their golden glory. "Jihahaha! It''s been a while since I''ve smelled this much blood!" A man who was sleeping nearby awakened with fear as he muttered, "The Second Division CommanderбкGolden Lion Shiki!" Another pirate nearby nodded with fright, "A bounty of nearly three billion berries!" [Image (in Discord)] ... [Near the West Coast] "Hey-Hey, there''s a huge fleet coming, raise the alarms!" A man''s voice resounded from the outpost. This was a wooden tower put together with trash and debris, barely holding itself up. "Alarms? Why let the rats take our prize!?" another man thundered. "Here, give me that!" He grabbed the monoscope and peered into its dusty glass. "Dammit it, they''re flying our banners. I say we act like we didn''t see it and blast it to pieces!" "Locococo! Let''s do it!" "Wait," a fourth pirate suddenly called out, "there''s a giant ship at the back, let me see if I can find who''s leading itбн" "..." The man was half-drunk, barely able to make the silhouettes out. Alas, he saw a shadow. His body shook as he saw a ginormous and voluptuous woman on the deck of the gargantuan ship. She donned a pirate hat and Captain''s Coat, loose burgundy-coloured pants, topped with a polka-dot bikini which displayed her assets rather loudly. A giant pie was held in one hand as the woman sported a wide grin. "Who is it?" the other lookout asked. His companion lowered the monoscope, gulping in a mix of arousal and fear, "I-It''s the Evil Spiritбн Charlotte Linlin!" A few grizzly men laughed amongst themselves, licking their lips. "She is in a dimension of her ownбн no wonder the Government would pay 2.188 billion berries for her!" [Image (in Discord)] ---------------------------------------------- [Near the North Coast] A man was fishing in the sea when all his money was robbed by a higher-up in his division. He had developed a habit of sleeping with one eye open. His name was Chiron. "Binkusu no sake wo, todoke ni yuku~" "Umikaze kimakase namimakase~" "Shio no-" Chiron stopped midway as he saw a large silhouette on the distant horizon, "Hmm?" It was a giant ship followed by many, many more. One Galleon with over 20 smaller ships trailing behind. *Thud* The ramps fell upon the beach one by one. Chiron was afraid to move, afraid to sing and afraid to breathe as the men walked off. Thousands of them appeared, talking, laughing, and joking around. *Gulp* The sole fisherman felt deep-rooted fear as one giant ramp fell only 40 meters in front of him. He could not help but crawl as far as possible, only to be graced with a booming voice, "You! Is Captain Rocks back yet?" It came from a towering man with a simple green shirt and white trousers. He also had glorious blond hair, a wide, distinct mustache and a pirate hat, all the while grasping an equally gigantic glaive at his side. The man talking was Edward Newgate, the First Division Commander of the Rocks Pirates! A bounty of 2,446,000,000 berries! ---------------------------------------------- [Skull Rock] Slowly but surely the pirates began to gather here from all over the island. The word was out that all Three Titans had arrived! Whitebeard was making his way inside of the giant skull until he abruptly paused. "..." His eyes narrowed, looking up to the sky. "What''s wrong, Commander?" One of his division mates asked. "Someone out of the ordinaryбн" "Hmm? The Golden Lion and the Evil Spirit are already inside, who else could it be?" the man asked once more. However, the man was blown away as Whitebeard issued a bellowing call, "Gurarara! Make some space, you all!" And instantly, the flocks of pirates jumped back, clearing an open platform. Perhaps it was out of habit or instinct but they were awfully quick to scatter. . A large circle around a hundred meters wide was created with Whitebeard at the center. Boom! Boom! Newgate banged the bottom of his glaive, sending tremors through the earth below, it looked like he was loosening up his muscles for an incoming battle. The pirates spectating looked up and saw a black shadow so incredibly far up, alongside a whistling noise. *Vwooooo* The air was shrieking and the shadow was getting bigger! *Fwoo!* The air howled once more as the strange figure came closer and closer, cutting through the wind. The sheer screech of the air came with a trail of torrents which shattered nearby glass and was akin to a disastrous omen. BOOM! A deep rumble followed by a massive dust cloud so large and voluminous that the base of Skull Rock was practically unable to be seen through. *Rumble* The ground nearby started to break into cobweb-like patterns, the tremors spreading deep into the streets. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Huge crevices and chasms opened up following the hellish scene. "What the hell was that!?" a man cried out. "Could it be a person?" "Don''t be stupid! The Skull Rock is as high as a mountain, you think someone can survive that fall!?" Their conversation ended when an explosive laugh echoed through the streets. "Gurarara!" The dust began to clear as the two figures were made distinguishable. Black hair with distinct crimson strands running down one side; a tall and muscular frame that stood a good three and a half meters. Donning a dark trench coat of high quality, all while sporting a wide grin. "T-That''s the Sin Incarnate!" *Thud* A drunk man instantly sobered up as he fell to the ground. Other whispers went off. "The youngest Division Commander with a bounty of 1,987,600,000 berries!" The number came with a surge of memories to the spectators. The North Blue Massacre. The Amethyst Kingdom Crisis. The Jaya Island Snooze. "He''s the one who spawned that crazy dog Zephyr who has been going crazy the past little while!" "The Fourth Division CommanderбкEinar D. Damien!" бн The two men locked eyes, ignoring the conversations around them. And instantly, a deafening silence prevailed. The tension alone would send the average human into a state of shock. Whether it was from the leaking Haki or the presence of two apex predators, the situation was hectic! Nothing but bated breaths and hushed gulps were heard as the pirates on the sidelines waited with apprehension. Alas, the silence ended. "Gurararara!" "Rahahahaha!" "Newgate-san, it''s been a while!" The towering Whitebeard smashed his weapon onto the ground, further deepening the cracked ground. He grinned at the young pirate before him, "Looks like you''ve grown up, Damien!" The younger pirate of the two returned the same spirit, opting to greet one another in a more pirate-esque way. The ruby ring on the Sin Incarnate''s left hand suddenly began to tremble. A bright flash graced the streets, bringing howling winds with it. The once empty hands of the pirate were now grasping an equally tall weapon of unique design. A long staff-like grip led to a broadsword core that diverged into a pincer-shaped blade. The entire weapon pulsated as if it were alive, leaking crimson mist from its blood-red blades. . Newgate narrowed his eyes at the sight of the weapon. No words needed to be said as the two charged on ahead, slashing with their treasured blades. Two unstoppable forces meeting head-on. BOOOM! The sheer collision was loud enough to leave deep scars in nearby buildings. The torrents sent out forced the weaker pirates into the clouds and their cries were overshadowed by the explosion. Cracks seeped down, crumbling the earth below. The scarred island screamed as miniature earthquakes caused the buildings nearby to threaten collapse. *Rumble* Black lightning rained from the heavens, evoking a terror beyond one''s imagination. Boom! Another explosion went off as Whitebeard''s Murakumogiri pressed hard against its competitor, neither wanting to give up momentum. ""Heheбн"" Both pirates grinned at one another, lost in the moment and caring little for the hell they had wrought. The clash sent the two backwards in opposite directions. *Grrr* Their boots dug into the blood-ridden ground, slowly coming to a stop. . "Looks like you forged that weapon you wanted, Damien!" The pirate smiled in return, his eyes glancing at the fine weapon at his side. However, their banter was not amusing to the spectators. "I think I cracked my knee..." "Damn! Do they want to sink the island or something?" "The waves sent out from their clash sank a good dozen of our ships docked nearby!" To preserve their ego, they chose to speak out their frustrations. Yet not a single one of them was frowning. Rather, they were smiling, almost like a pack of rabid dogs! "Klulululu! No wonder they hold the position of Division Commanders!" "I thought I was about to meet God, and then I remembered that I never believed in him anyway!" бн The titanic pirates in question could care less about the extras on the sidelines. Damien did not want to stop, shooting ahead once more. *Vvoosh!* Ryushi pulsed in agreement, bursting in a crimson glory! The clawed blade stabbed at the giant Whitebeard, aiming for his throat whilst swarming with dense Haki. The enemy smirked at the attempt, raising his weapon. He held the glaive with both hands; the left one gripped near the bottom of the handle while the right hand was placed directly before the blade. Boom! Ryushi''s pincer-like ends crashed directly onto the finely crafted handle of Murakumogiri with endless momentum. "Hehe, it stings!" Newgate chuckled, feeling the tingling in his hands from a mix of advanced Haki and Devil Fruit power. His casual demeanour disappeared, replaced with a determined show of strength. "!!!" The veins on Whitebeard''s wrist popped while the muscles and tendons were flexed, bursting with absurd levels of brute power. His feet began sinking into the ground, deepening the cracks to the point of forming a crater. Meanwhile, the Sin Incarnate weapon and body were lifted up! Whitebeard followed with another show of great strength, tossing Damien to the sky! . ''What unbelievable strength,'' Damien muttered as the screeching winds echoed in his ears, threatening to burst his eardrums. ''This is the future World''s Strongest Man!'' A grin formed across the young pirate''s face, fully embracing his ascent and using it as momentum for his next move. His body continued soaring up, even reaching the top of Skull Rock once more. *Fwwm!* A burst of Haki and Pulverization energy followed as the young pirate was bathed in a crimson spectacle. Another omen over the Pirate Island, one of incoming devastation. . "Ryushi Combat Arts: Crimson Comet!" . The Sin Incarnate''s entire body turned into a single mass of red, resembling what had ended the dinosaurs! The winds blew viciously once more, forming a giant trail in the pirate''s wake. . "He really has grown a lot..." the older man muttered, gazing at the coming meteor. *Purrup* A white bubble stemmed out from the Newgate''s hand, pulsating like a heartbeat. "Haa!" Whitebeard smashed his fist forward, taking the coming astrological anomaly with a punch! BOOM! Literal sinkholes opened up around their collision as further devastation followed. *Krrrr* Cracks began to form in the sky, branching into more and more cracksбкthe air itself resembled a shattering mirror! "Tch," Damien frowned as he felt his attack lose momentum, drying up quickly under the earthquake against him. *Fwooo* He soared through the sky, using the explosive earthquake to land a good dozen meters away, untouched by the hellacious winds. "Gurarara! How stubborn you are!" Whitebeard decided to amp things up, tightening his grip on his famed weapon. *Rumble* Black lightning began to ark off from its staff, wreaking havoc in the area around it. It was no ordinary Haki, rather it raged like the rapids of a sharp river, obliterating everything in its pathбкan ominous sight which was the last thing most would see before their death. "..." Damien''s expression grew solemn as he felt the concentration of Haki in his opponent''s weapon, one beyond what he could manifest. "Don''t fail me now, Ryushiбн" he muttered. Boom! An explosion went off around the Sin Incarnate as crimson mist buzzed around. "Empyrean." Plates of armour and seething Pulverizing energy hissed out from the bold pirate, gracing the island of scum with its devilish presence. Damien fuelled the treasured weapon in his hand to the point where it began to quiver and shake with fury. *Grrrrr* The air sizzled and screamed as it was ravaged into minute pieces. . "Try this one!" Whitebeard charged ahead, his massive body sending tremors through the ground. Damien bellowed a thunderous roar as a final stream of Emission Haki was wrapped around Ryushi. . "Broken World!" . Ryushi roared alongside its owner, crashing into the towering Whitebeard with every shred of power. Newgate pressed on ahead with black lightning leaking from every pore. "!!!" Damien felt a throbbing pain in his head from the man of quakes, yet his fearless attitude demanded him to follow through with his attack. BOOM! The ravaged ground became fluid, turning into the same consistency as water, taking the shape of tsunamis being born! The spectating pirates cried out as they were swept away from the exploding hell, some taken to the skies while others were deposited into the sea far away. Cracks rippled out from the center of the collision, shattering the atmosphere into shards of glass. Meanwhile on the other side of the collision was a dead zone. An area that had turned into a checkered pattern, crumbling into innumerable tiny cubes. Damien grunted as he felt the assault seep into every part of his body, shaking his blackened bones. Whitebeard growled, pushing forward with absolute strength. . A blinding light followed by a booming sound and then nothing. "..." A deafening silence was all that remained. Hachinosu was littered with unconscious bodies, their mouths foaming while their defenseless positions were overwhelmed with falling debris. The few that were experienced enough to stay conscious, were left with an aching headache. "A-Am I still alive?" A man extricated himself from a pile of debris, being graced with a cloud of dust and blood. *Cough* *Cough* Another few people clawed their way out, seeing the devastated streets of Hachinosu. "Damn, I''ll take back my challenge for one of the Commander seatsбн" "Who won?" A few thousand men made their way back to the center, looking for something. A veteran pirate''s jaw hit the floor while his eyes widened in shock, "No way, they''re both standing like nothing happened!" "Taking that crazy Newgate''s quake punch and still standing," another older man mumbled, "just how tough is his skin!?" The words drew the attention of the rest, and all the while the dust began to settle. . Damien also regained his bearing. "Damn," he muttered, feeling the throbbing headache. *Clatter* The metal-like armour over his body began falling apart, clattering to the floor. The excess crimson energy dribbled down like water, mixing with the streaks of blood leaking from his head. "So that was the Infusion of Conqueror''s Haki," he mumbled, massaging the aching hell pressing on his brain. The sheer pain was frying his nerves in an attempt to shut down the body into non-consciousness. Yet Damien could only leak a smile past his difficulties, "I like it!" "Gurarara! You''re one persistent little bastard!" Newgate''s laughing figure cleared up, nothing more than a purple knuckle. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* Damien trudged on ahead, Ryushi in hand. Newgate did too and soon the two stood with a small gap between one another. "We may have overdone it a little," the younger Commander thought out loud, all the while putting his dislocated shoulder back into place. Newgate hummed with little regard, "Well, at least no innocent lives were lost." "..." Whitebeard''s attention was drawn back to the unforgiving weapon in Damien''s hand. "That unsettling weapon," he muttered with intrigue, "it''s as sturdy as my Murakumogiri." Damien returned a smirk, flashing his prized possession, "Well that''s because they are in the same grade." "You meanбн" Whitebeard realized and then laughed, "Gurarara! So Shaw was talking about you when he confirmed the news." The Sin Incarnate swirled the indomitable weapon around, evoking a powerful burst of air. A red trail followed the blade, creating a crimson circle. "Its name is ''Ryushi,'' the Thirteenth Supreme Blade!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 93: The Fourth Division "Its name is ''Ryushi,'' the Thirteenth Supreme Blade!" Damien held the clawed blade in the air, a bright glint reflected off its sharp edges. Whitebeard laughed, almost as if he was welcoming the new addition to the records. The nearby pirates naturally heard the bold claim as well. "That news about the thirteenth blade was actually true!" "No wonder it didn''t take any damage after eating an island-rattling quake!" "Gledadada! Spread the word, our Rocks Pirates got another top dog on our side!" Shing! The boisterous man''s head rolled onto the ground. "Damn asshole, he screamed in my ear!" Bang! A bullet went off and a body dropped to the ground. "His blood got on my shirt, you know how expensive it was!" Boom! A giant boot smashed a knocked-out pirate''s head into mush, leaving his killer with a maniacal smile. "Hehe! I always wanted to do that!" бн The two VIPs made their way to Skull Rock, giving Damien time to run through Newgate''s statistics. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Edward Newgate] [Age: 34 years, 9 months, 3 days] [Height: 21'' 10"] (6.66 m) [Status: Thriving] [Devil Fruit: Tremor Tremor Fruit (Grandmastery (I))] [Fruit Rating: 7 Stars (Ultimate-Class Fruit)] [Weapon: Murakumogiri of the Supreme Grade Series] [Skills: Overwhelming strength] [Haki: Intermediate Mastery of Observation Haki, Armament Haki (Advanced Mastery), Conqueror''s Haki (Grandmastery (II))] [Strength: Top Tier Yonko] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< ''Top Tier Yonko... He surely went easy on me.'' A loud cackle broke the young pirate out of his thoughts, "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma! Damien, you''re finally here to give me your seed!" The words easily destroyed the pirate''s good mood. "Linlin," he muttered, looking far up to meet the gargantuan woman''s eyes, "aren''t you pregnant as we speak?" The woman glanced down at her flat belly and grinned. "I think it''s twins this time around, don''t worry, I can preserve sperm to last long enough even if we did it now!" "Jihahaha! Give it a rest, Linlin, no one here wants to be your sugar daddy." The tall woman glared to the side, "Hah!? Do you wanna say that again, Shiki!" The Golden Lion paid no mind to the furious Big Mom, rather he peered at the youngest of them all with great interest. "You''ve set off quite a few waves of your own, brat! Why don''t you work under me now?" Damien made his answer clear as he said without reservations, "Forget about it, Golden Lion. I don''t intend to work under anyone." Shiki''s smirk widened into a full-on grin, "So you''re saying you wanna betray the Captain? Jihahaha!" The man''s manic eyes remained glued to his younger ''ally'', examining every move. "..." "Hehe, not bad," he commented, seeing the lack of response from Damien before taking off back to Skull Rock. . At that time, Big Mom saw the opening and took the chance to walk up. "What do you say, Damien, don''t waste your youth and let''s create some babies that can turn the world upside down!" The female pirate went on to air her frustrations, "If I were you, I''d go around impregnating every woman I saw! You know how lucky men are, they can have hundreds of babies in a year while I can barely create a few in that time!" Her voice grew more and more threatening. A dark fog began leaking from her feet, crawling in the Sin Incarnate''s direction. Its intent was clearбкcatch a worthy deposit for her army of children. "Tch." This time it was Whitebeard who was annoyed, "Linlin, it''s unsightly to keep asking for the same thing." The words evoked anger in the giant woman''s eyes as her body began to release that fury in the ripples of relentless Haki. Damien narrowed his eyes, addressing the gargantuan woman, "Linlin, if you don''t take no for an answer then we can settle this in only one way." "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma!" she howled, leaning forward at the bold youth and advertising her ample cleavage, "if I knock you down then you will knock me up!" Damien rolled his eyes on the pun. "Fine, but in a month, I have no interest in beating a pregnant woman." Big Mom scoffed at the bold remarks before giving another signature laugh and returning to Skull Rock. . "You really want to fight her?" Newgate asked in a serious tone. Damien continued walking toward the mountain while answering, "As long as I can learn that power you used in a month, I''ll be fine." The pirate''s voice turned ambitious, mirroring his deep desire for power, "That power is something only a select few can attainбн" Whitebeard took another look at Damien and broke into a laugh, "Gurarara! I don''t doubt you can be added to that list." "Let''s go, Shakky is waiting inside." ---------------------------------------------- [Marineford] A snail went off within the confines of a neat office. "Puru," "Puru," "Puru." The distinct melody graced the walls, reaching the plaque stapled near the back of the room. It read: "Director of Marine Criminal Investigative Service" or MCIS for short. "Katcha~!" "This is Hakuchин." The snail woke up, taking the appearance of a panting woman, "Director, this is Agent Shиеdo! I have intel from Hachinosu!" The named marine leaned into his chair, the white clothing giving off a meticulous atmosphere. "Go ahead." The snail breathed loud and hard in desperation and despair, "It''s the Commandersбн they all gathered, the Sin Incarnate too!" Hakuchин heaved a solemn sigh at the news. "H-He clashed with Whitebeard, they almost sank the entire island! Director, the Rocks Pirates are back in commissi-" "..." The line suddenly went dead. "Katcha~!" Hakuchин hung up the snail clenched his hands in frustration. "The Black Death is effective in her means to silence the spies, what a terrible loss." Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. He then looked at the neatly written notes that he had taken and dialled another number. The call was soon connected. "This is Fleet Admiral Kong." Hakuchин took a deep breath and reported the intel. "I see, good work, Asahi." Asahi, aka Hakuchин, shook his head in helplessness, "It came at the cost of a brave agent, Fleet Admiral. I wonder if it''s possible to bring the body back, her family deserves that much!" The snail shook its head, or eyes in this case, "You know we can''t risk it, Asahi. The agents know the risk and we can''t send more to die." The truth was as blunt as Kong''s voice, leaving Asahi to defeatly sigh. "It''s almost funny; Black Death Shakuyaku is practically an angel of mercy who grants them a quick death, otherwise god knows what torment would be imposed upon themбн" Kong gave no input on the matter of mercy before arriving at another topic, "What of the agent from SWORD you planted?" "He''ll get the job done, Fleet Admiral. I just hope he can live to tell the tale when his cover is blown." The two top marines shared some more details, eventually drawing an end to the conversation. ---------------------------------------------- [Skull Rock] "Damien-chan, you''ve gotten taller." Said pirate was in the process of greeting the fearsome Black Death. The two shared a quick hug, a familial bond unbecoming of a crew like the Rocks Pirates. The warm air was quick to turn cold and deathly as the top dogs took their seats. Shakky walked around, placing some refreshments all the while beginning the briefing. "Our other lovely colleagues, Captain John and Silver Axe, are out for some errands so it''s just us five." She puffed on a cigar while setting some papers. Damien felt like he was missing something, "Is he still locked up?" Shakky beamed him a smile, "Kaido-chanбн he''s a little tied up now." "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma! That brat picked a fight with Garp and got locked up in G-2!" Linlin laughed from the side, her mouth filled with candy. . "What about Rocks?" Newgate questioned. Shakky met the man''s eyes and responded, "The Captain won''t return for another few months. Until then, we need to get our hands on more resources." "Ever since the deal with the Underworld fizzled out," She gave a side-glare to Damien before continuing, "we had to rely on the goods of other nations and the spoils of other pirate crews." The nearby Shiki was the first to slam his fist on the table. "Hah? A small band of unruly rats in the Underworld, why aren''t we robbing them blind? I can destroy that little Unso Island before the crack of dawn tomorrow!" The Golden''s Lion''s voice was laden with pirate intent: to rob and pillage without a second thought. "Because I spoke against it." Shiki''s burning eyes locked onto Damien with a scrutinizing look, "And why the hell do I care about what you say?" The Sin Incarnate was not fazed by the malice directed at himself and quipped back, "Because my allegiance to the crew outvalues the resources lost from the Styx Passage." *Vvooo!* The air suddenly grew thunderous, visibly and audibly trembling under the golden Haki leaking from the disastrous pirate. Cracks branched out over the table while dark clouds gathered in the skies above. "The Captain agreed." Shiki''s eyes fell on the black-haired woman with a hint of confusion, "Why would Captain Rocks allow that?" The woman shrugged, "If you want to know, why don''t you ask him yourself." "Hmph." The Golden Lion chose not to speak, leaning back into his seat and swallowing his frustrations. . Seeing the tension dissipate, the black-haired woman continued, "The Heavenly Tribute is out of our hands as well, so now we can only continue to aim at New World nations and other crews." "Shiki-kun, you''re responsible for humbling the Supernovas that have arrived in the New World." She turned to the giant woman munching on dessert, "Linlin, the nations of Dovиж, Arkanesia and Elmo are your task to loot." Another pause arrived as Shakky took in a gulp of her ever-burning cigar. "Newgate-kun, you can do as you please." Finally, her eyes landed on Damien. A red glint flashed in the eyes of the Sin Incarnate as he saw the words before they were even spoken, forcing him to shake his head. "I''m not a fan of leading entire armies, Shakky-nee," he said. "Plus, knowing the Navy, it''s probably a bait anyways. A small squad will fare much better." Shiki scoffed at the blatant use of Future Sight, "It is most certainly a trap, you want to spring it that badly?" Then an amusing thought came to the Golden Lion''s mind, "Jihahaha! You want to test those young sprouts your stooge has been collecting for the past few years now?" Damien stood up from his seat. "Shiki, unlike you, I favour quality over quantity." His statement brought a frown to the Golden Lion. However, Damien did not stop there. "I have faith in Indra, though I can''t say the same about your second-in-command, last I heard he was slaughtered by Sengoku during your haphazard strike at G-5." *Crack* The sleek table imported from North Blue was instantly turned to dust. "Jihahaha! You got balls, brat! How about a bet?" The sudden turn of events made even the Sin Incarnate curious. "What are the stakes?" "Hehe," the golden-haired pirate chuckled in thought. "When you come back to Hachinosu in failure, you will come under my flag!" The threat in Shiki''s eyes was apparent, even evoking the attention of the other titans in the room. "Oh?" Damien beamed a smirk. "Alright, and if I win, then you owe me an undeniable favour." "..." The Golden Lion locked eyes with the Sin Incarnate, studying his every thought. "Jihahahaha! You''ve got yourself a bet; I look forward to making a true monster pirate out of you under my name!" Damien made a further effort to humour the infamous Shiki and proceeded to exit the room, leaving a single statement to echo in his footsteps. "I''ll be back with Kaido within a month." ---------------------------------------------- [The Streets of Hachinosu] The Sin Incarnate walked through the familiar streets. On his way here he came across a mix of reactions. Most were bloodthirsty pirates, either wanting to join Damien, kill him, or desire to be killed by him. A few females, or in Damien''s eyes, non-males, even tried to excavate his seed to give birth to their pawns of great potential; learning from their role model: Charlotte Linlin. A trail of blood was left on the path Damien took, an abundantly clear indicator for everyone to remain away from. "Such disgusting emotions," Damien muttered. "First time my Observation Mastery came at a disadvantage." He felt all kinds of sick thoughts and intentions from the scum of Hachinosu. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Ukulele Rambo] [Occupation: Rocks Crew Pirate.] [Birth: 46 years ago.] [Fate: Nothing bright.] [Death: Killed by Einar D. Damien twelve seconds from now for impeding his path.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< And as predicted, a head rolled after twelve seconds. Previously, Damien had tried Destiny Perception on the likes of Kuzan, Toki and Aurora, but it all came "inconclusive". According to Sibyl, it was because Damien''s presence was too close to them, messing up any predictions due to his anomalous nature. бн A few moments later in his advent, the young pirate suddenly spoke up, "Are you making sure it''s the real me? I assure you, it''s me, Indra." *Woosh* He smiled as a shadow flickered before him. Standing at exactly eleven feet with dark skin, long black hair and tribal marks decorating his skin. A wolf-like appearance with sharp eyes. The man donned a simple black vest and shirt and put his bodily markings on display, further deepening his fierce nature. The Deputy Commander of Fourth Division of the Rocks PiratesбкZenora Indra. "Pardon me, Commander," he nodded in greeting in his calm and rather soft voice. "I was nearby when I felt the tremors." Indra looked up to see Damien''s more mature face since when he last saw him. "You''ve been MIA for over half a year; quite a few daredevils have been coming here to take on your name seeking to garner attention and fame." Damien found it amusing, "Rahaha! I''m sure they were late to realize that my name will only bring them an early death." Indra nodded before his stoic face turned into a thin smirk, "It''s good to have you back, Commander." "It''s good to be back, Indra," Damien returned the grin. "Show me the fresh meat you collected over the past little while." Indra began to walk, leading his superior to the Fourth Division''s territory. бн [Fourth Division Headquarters] A small building with access to a small dock, that''s what headquarters meant at Hachinosu. The wood had begun to rot with visible violations of all construction codes around the seas. Having such a location was already considered incredible, though. Indra stood tall, his eyes piercing through the region. "Line up." Damien watched from the side as Indra commanded four pirates. Within moments, all of them were lined up, much like that of an army barracks. Indra walked a little to the side, allowing Damien to take the front. Meanwhile, the four pirates stabilized their breathing, feeling a mix of emotions. They watched as the notorious Sin Incarnate stood before them, in the flesh. His crimson eyes scanned them. It felt like a knife being put at their throat. Indra introduced them, left to right. First, the burly pirate who dwarfed everyone, even Damien. "A brute from an underground fighting ring, Majin. Specializes in laying down destruction, low intelligence quotient but tough skin." The pirate in question could only scratch his white hair. Though he was masked, it did not hide his dull nature. Standing a solid 18'' 3" (5.56 m), Majin wore only dull gray trousers. He had a burly physique which showcased his red skin. An equally red mask hid his face, simply showing large white teeth and gaping white eye holes. [Majin Image (in Discord)] . "Next up is Ignio Kaen. A man chasing money for some personal purpose, he can be a little hot-headed with an inkling for arson." There was not much for the author to describe. Damien saw a man 10'' 5" in height (3.18 m). He wore a red shirt, red pants, red belt while sporting long red hair. He also had a red tattoo running down his right arm. Kaen''s face scrunched up at Indra''s description, but he could only swallow his irritation. [Ignio Kaen (in Discord)] . "Thirdly, a drug enthusiast looking for money to start his own pharmacy, Droga Pablo. He is decent with pistols but his main experience lies in concocting many types of serums to aid in battle." Damien was amused by the relatively short man. A little under 5'' 6" in height (1.67 m) and not exactly fit. He sported a gray suit with blank pants. However, his notable characteristic was the thick ''stache. [Droga Pablo Image (in Discord)] . "Lastly, a recent addition, Voyd Nomu. Born of a cult of the South Blue and a top Supernova of this Generation with a reward of 200 million berries, second only to the newly-rising Agon." Damien raised an eyebrow, "It''s not bad." He glanced at the 7'' 4"-man (2.24 m). He had long, nicely-combed white hair. His face had blue lines tattooed over it, even reaching down to his chest. The man wore a white caped coat, showing his torso and dark skin. All the while holding a staff with a skull mounted on it, similar to a witch doctor. [Voyd Nomu Image (in Discord)] . "Since the four of you passed Indra''s eye, I won''t speak on your worth." Damien''s words brought them relief. "Just know your placeбкyou''re my fodder to help whittle down the enemy at hand; your life is not worth much. Even the oxygen you breathe is considered a luxury at Hachinosu." Those words were not as relieving as they had hoped and even brought them some tension. "You''re welcome to leave whenever, I certainly don''t intend on keeping dead weight. Just know that any treasure you find, you keep; you get what you work for." This calmed them down. Damien nodded at their behaviour as he moved to the next step. "I''m a nice and warm-hearted person by nature, I''ll give you a tool to prove your worth." He waved his hand as tens of odd-shaped fruits littered the floor. The four looked at one another and then at the fruits, gulping at the sight. "You have five minutes; pick your poison." бн [Five Minutes Later] The four of them had chosen from the arsenal of Devil Fruits. Although none of them were particularly overpowering, the abilities were decent. Of all the choices, it was Nomu who surprised Damien the most. "That ability comes with a glaring weakness," he commented. Nomu gave a cocky smirk, "Don''t worry, bossman. I always had a strong connection to this power, this is my calling!" The four soon munched down their fruit with much difficulty. Majin almost threw up which would have made things harder as he would need to eat his vomit to get the ability had that happened. бн Soon enough, the four stood tall, apart from Pablo, relishing in their newfound power. The basic usages swarmed their minds, allowing them simple mastery. Damien addressed the party of four, giving them his final thought, "Very well, Fodder of the Fourth Division, you have two weeks to acquaint yourself with your powers, after that, we''ve got a marine base to raid." The thought of ravaging marines brought great pleasure to their faces. It was truly something to look forward to. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 94: Storming the Base (I) [Three Weeks Later] [G-2, Paradise Sea] G-2 was the third-most fortified base under the Marines, right behind Marineford and G-1. The base was in the first half of the Grand Line with thick steel walls, mounted cannons, tens of warships and nearly ten thousand troops on standby. With such an economy, the presence of a Vice Admiral was certain; however, this was a special occasion, warranting the leadership of someone even higher. Another gargantuan force was also present, enough to divert the attention from the wide mass of soldiers. There were only three, yet their massive frames dwarfed everyone elseбкGiants! They each towered over 65 feet tall (~20 meters)! *Rumble* Rain doused the base, gracing it with a humid due while thunder echoed in the distance. A light fog blanketed the island, hiding the indomitable spirit of the marines. [G-2 Image (in Discord)] бн [Research Facility, Marine Science Unit] A grand room in the shape of a bunker with thick walls and a ceiling that touched nearly fifty meters in height. A vast array of devices and items were laid onto solid-steel tables. Smaller rooms were built within, each holding live subjects in rather precarious means. At the far back was an extremely tough chamber, layered with multiple levels of security. But that was a given as it housed the greatest terror of G-2. "WORORORO!" a laugh boomed the dark halls. "You little monkeys are still trying to poke me with your little toys." The prisoner was strapped down to the ground, all his limbs were bound by metal straps heavy enough to hold up mountains. Many fluids in the form of IVs were connected to his forearms, constantly supplying liquids to keep the beast weakened and tranquilised. Enough to put down the largest of Sea Kings for weeks on end. . "Incredibly, you''re awake even with all these suppressants," a scientist murmured with shock evident on his face. "I suppose we should attribute it to your Oni heritage." Kaido, who was sleepy-eyed, did not seem to want to go fully out. "Just wait till I burst out from these chains," he said in a low voice, "the first thing I''ll do is pop your head like a grape." The scientist paused and took a deep breath. "That day will never come, don''t you know who''s guarding this base?" Kaido responded with a dull laugh, one that echoed throughout the entire marine base. --------------------------------------------- [Exterior Outpost] G-2 had many smaller watchtowers built around it with marines keeping eyes in every direction. "Hey, Shinrai, just sit and play some cards," a marine exhaustively said. Another man chuckled, "Yeah, sit down, relax. You think any pirate is ballsy enough to come here?" "We have a powerhouse on our side; newer recruits like you are always so uptight!" Shinrai was a very young man who recently rose through the ranks and had become a captain after graduating from the Elite Training Course at Marineford. He was a by-the-books kind of person. His meek personality was telling him to sit but the instincts he had trained at the course were telling him something else entirely. ''Hundred-Beast Kaido, The temporary Seventh Division Commander of the Rocks Pirates... there''s no way we can hold him so peacefully,'' he thought. Shinrai''s bright turquoise eyes scanned out the window of the tower, running across the sea and through the hazy fog. He thought he saw something prompting him to pick up a monocular to check. A glance revealed the obvious vessel: ''A ship?'' he thought. It was a small galleon on the distant horizon, racing towards the base. Shinrai was unsure of what to think, after all, it was just one ship. . The Rear Admiral was on the edge of his seat from approaching victory, excitement budding on his weathered face. Yet his joy was interrupted by his young subordinate, "Umm, sir, we have a stray boat headed our way." The older man stood up with an annoyed expression and swiped the scope from the recruit''s hands, murmuring under his breath, "You''re seeing things, kid, there''s no one outиC" A body suddenly fell to the ground with a resounding thud. "..." "Kolololo, Rear Admiral, don''t play around, you''ll scare the greenie." Another marine ran over, kneeling by his downed superior. "H-His eyesбн they''re completely melted! It even went through the skull!" The man failed to speak anymore as he saw a bright flash of red shoot into the outpost. *Kzzzz* There were two beams of volatile energy, bending and bouncing across the air. One by one, they pierced the soldiers. Bodies fell with loud thuds, bringing silence to their post. *Thump* Shinrai could not help but slam his back toward the wall. The world around him collapsed as all of his colleagues were dead within seconds. His eyes were lost, completely overwhelmed by the turn of events. He fell to his knees, his breathing erratic. "..." Moments went on as Shinrai finally found some courage to get up. His breathing got a little better as he began to look for the emergency button. "There it is!" He saw the red button encased with a glass cover, rushing toward it. "I wouldn''t do that if I were you." The young marine froze in his steps. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. *Gulp* He felt the voice as if it was right behind him. ''I didn''t feel anyone enter the room!'' the recruit thought, slowly turning around. What met his eyes was a towering shadow of a pirate, one nearly twice his size. His presence alone placed the shadow of death upon the marine. "I-I-I''m not afraid of you!" he managed to utter, channelling every ounce of courage he had left. The invading pirate''s deep-red eyes reflected amusement as he saw the defiance emanate from the striking rookie. "Then you will die braver than most." Shinrai did not know what hit him as his body was flung into the far room, resembling a rag doll. *Crack!* The momentum alone left the recruit broken, his screams void due to being knocked out instantly. . Damien, who had turned his attention away from the outpost, reached for a snail in his pocket. "The outposts are clear, go ahead and take down their comms," he ordered. The Sin Incarnate then casually walked over and took a seat at the Rear Admiral''s position, enjoying the coming carnage. ---------------------------------------------- [Communication Headquarters, G-2] Boom! An explosion rang through the rusty walls, followed by the wails and tears of fallen marines. Panic ensued as deep tremors echoed through the concrete floors. A man brought out a snail with great difficulty, "T-This is the Communications Unit, we''ve been breached! I repeat, we''ve beeиC" *Splatter* A mushy substance remained where his head should have been, drippy with blood and brain matter. "Majajaja! They can''t even put up a fight!" A few downed marines could only look up, unable to talk; fear reflected in their shaky pupils. Majin, the massive pirate, made his way to the core of the room. "What a giant snail," he muttered. It was a good fifteen feet tall with an equally giant shell. The device was responsible for relaying and holding up the connection for any snails within the premises, acting like a beacon. Majin clenched his reddish fist and threw it forward. Bam! The snail uttered a pathetic cry as its shell shattered to bits, letting its gooey inside flood the floor. "What a messy man," came a dry voice from behind him. Pablo, who was around a third of Majin''s size, did not seem all that scary. Though his dual-pistol loadout was enough to leave behind a trail of bodies. . Then came a slight tremor, catching the attention of both pirates. Majin turned his attention to the man who had waltzed into the room. He donned a white cape with golden epaulets. Pablo sucked on his cigar, greeting the marine, "Good day to you, Se?or Vice Admiral Bollox." The bald officer could only growl in anger, eying the two enemies, "Damn pirates, I knew something was afoot. I''ll be sure to personally execute you two for the blood you''ve shed!" The man did not speak further, instead choosing to rush ahead with a fist ready to punch. "Iron Body: Slam!" His burly fist smashed forward, aiming at the gargantuan Majin. BAM! Though his grin turned to a frown as he felt a dull ache. He flinched as a ginormous piece of flesh suddenly shot forth, nailing him in the stomachбкit was a tail. "Auugh!" The Vice Admiral was sent flying, soaring through the air and across the room. He bounced a few times off the metal floor before digging his feet into the ground to a stop. "Damn..." he grunted from the stabbing pain. Not only was he struck by a massive appendage but it was spiky, nailing him right in the liver. Bollox spat out a healthy dose of blood, cursing under his broken breath, "Ancient Zoanбн" The one attacking was a giant dinosaur nearly 6 meters tall (~20 feet) and four times as long. It had a wide, heavily armoured skull and a large tail club. Thick bony spikes decorated the prehistoric beast, giving off quite a menacing appearanceбкthe Ancient Model of the Ankylosaurus! [Ankylosaurus Image (in Discord)] . Bollox inhaled a voluminous breath and recovered from the pain, straightening his posture. *Fwwm* A thick coat of Haki was soon wrapped around his arms as he took upon a hand-to-hand stance. "Shave." The marine appeared a meter above the armoured beast, launching a Haki-clad fist. Alongside the resounding crash was a wave of pain, not from the victim but rather from the attackerбкBollox''s strike failed! "Moonwalk." He retreated to the air, reaching for high ground, only for a thick and spiky tail to arc toward him at rapid speeds. In a moment of thought, the marine engaged in a defensive posture, "Iron Body!" Boom! The bald man was knocked back once more, bouncing off the very concrete until finally reaching a stop by being engraved into the wall. *Clatter* Bollox got up without any wounds beyond some bruises, ripping the walls apart and rushed ahead once more. The marine''s footsteps were loud and resounding, creating a drumming beat from the metal floor. "Hehe, this is fun," Majin grinned through his Dinosaur form, whipping his thick tail once more. As it was mere inches from Bollox''s face, inches from turning it to mush. With a woosh, the veteran marine weaved under the tail and wrapped his burly arms around it, flexing his muscles. . "Iron Body: Atlas Shoulder Flip!" . His body locked up its muscles, pulling at the tail with great power. As intended, Majin was slowly flipping over with a thud, rocking the dinosaur out of consciousness for a brief moment while unveiling the weaker underside. "Die, pirate!" Bollox shot his finger near the heart, aiming to kill. Bang! A bloody future echoed in the Vice Admiral''s mind, prompting him to flicker away. *Szzz* The concrete slab hit by the bullet began to sizzle, melting from the inside out. Bollox appeared a good ten meters away, annoyingly looking at the disruptor and saw the rather tiny Pablo holding up a pistol. "The overgrown hippo is not your only opponent, Se?or." --------------------------------------------- [The Other side of G-2] "What the hell happened to our comms?" came an annoyed yell from another top marine. "Bollox went to check it out, I''m sure it''s nothing." The duo conversing with one another were two esteemed Vice Admirals, Velvet and LaGuardia. "Such things shouldn''t happen at G-2, what will I say to the boss!?" Velvet roared out his frustration. LaGuardia, who was a rather overweight man, waved his hands, "Calm down, Velvet-kun, things like this happen all the time; it must be the storm." Velvet, the lanky marine, had rose-coloured hair with a thick beard. His eyes were soon drawn to a spectacle taking place outside his window. "And is that fire also supposed to happen?" he angrily questioned. LaGuardia blinked, peering to the outer window. What he saw was a huge blaze that suddenly erupted. It was bright enough and hot enough to melt the very metal that the base was built on! . "Maybe it''s part of our commander''s welcoming ceremony," LaGuardia murmured. "You idiot, let''s go!" The two of them rushed beyond their posts, jumping out from the window and landing with a dull boom. Blistering heat assaulted the pores on their faces, forcing them to squint their eyes while spanning their Haki. "Just two pirates?" "No, Bollox is also fighting two, so a grand total of at least four daredevils." Velvet did not speak, rather he reached for the rocket launcher on his back. Bang! A giant pellet thundered out, rushing at the invaders near the inner regions of G-2. *Fwoo* It streaked through the sky, meeting the pirate''s skull. Like a grape, the head exploded. Though against Velvet''s thoughts, it was not an explosion of blood but rather that of some liquid which rained down in all directions. "Logia?" the Vice Admiral muttered with a solemn voice. LaGuardia shook his head, tasting a sole droplet that happened to land on his mouth. "It''s sakиж, the good kind," he critiqued. "A special Paramecia." *Vrurop* The pirate whose head had exploded, began to reform as the golden-brown liquid swam back in, "Hehe, it''ll take a little more than that to kill me off~" He then looked at his partner, "Let''s do that." The Super Rookie Voyd Nomu reeled back his liquidy arms and unleashed a spectacle of his own. . "Sakиж Golden Shower!" . The marines narrowed their eyes as the golden liquid filled the ashy skies, resembling rain. Ignio Kaen, his companion, suddenly made a moveбкhe snapped his finger. . "Rain of Fire!" . The raining golden liquid suddenly burst into flames with the snap of Kaen''s finger. The inferno lit up the gloomy sky of G-2, raining hell on earth! The orange dawn brought upon its own glory, pouring onto the nearby marines. The heat was no simple flame, rather it was enough to burn through skin and flesh within mere seconds. Hundreds upon hundreds of soldiers were met with the fiery showers, raising their arms in protection. *Sizzle* In a quarter-second, the hair of their arms burnt, then the flame charred their skin and exposed the pink layer below. Next was the seeping of igniting sakиж, entering into their bloodstream and burning them inside out. "Auugh!" "My arms!" "I-It''s hurts, put it out! IT HURTS!" Hundreds of soldiers were scorched alive, their blazing bodies running across the field hoping to find some kind of relief. *Woosh!* LaGuardia and Velvet flickered through the air, dodging the hellfire and appearing a safe distance away. "They made a mess in the inside of G-2, but did they forget we have nearly 10,000 marines stationed just beyond the wall!?" Velvet roared in fury. "We have to put out the fir-" Shing! It was alongside a sharp hissing sound followed by the rumbling of rock. The air was sliced, the ground was cut and a deep chasm opened up, splitting and opening up the earth much like a ravine. Both Vice Admirals were brought to a halt with grim faces. The veterans felt all their senses firing. The noses were assaulted by the stench of charred humans while their ears were filled with the wails of burning men. The air tasted metallic and it was humid to the touch. Yet their eyes, ignoring the blazing sky and dusty air, were locked onto the dark figure standing atop a towering boulder. Velvet recognized the man''s identity with easeбкdark skin, dark hair, tribal marks and grasping a dark blade with a purple electric pattern. "The Evil Omen of the Fourth Division." The Vice Admiral''s face scrunched up with seriousness, "It''s safe to say that we should be expecting the Sin Incarnate as well." To Be Continuedбн Chapter 95: Storming the Base (II) G-2 was laid out in a simple formбкa giant outer platform which houses 10,000 troops. A wall separating this outer area from the inner core led to the Research Station. The inner part was where Vice Admirals, Bollox, Velvet, and LaGuardia were, facing the Fourth Division. On the other hand, the edges of the outer shell were lined with tents and army barracks with tools, supplies and beds. Six Vice Admirals at the head of the troops, three of them, Giants. The Marines had little room to breathe due to the recent inferno and distant rumblings. The most veteran soldier present, Vice Admiral Lonz, took to the helm. "Looks like there is a disturbance in the inner plaza, but our duty remains to block up the threats from the front!" The giant''s voice bellowed through the mass of soldiers, calming them down. "Don''t lose focus now otherwise we''ll bring shame to our Justice!" The thousands of marines raised their weapons, crying out with spirit. Explosions and eruptions went off in the background, though it did not leave the outer marines to waver, after all, they had a more menacing task before them. . *Gulp* A marine heaved a shaky breath, his eyes glued to the sole human figure within vision. Even under the hazy fog and the smoke from the fires behind them, they made out the personбкa towering man standing a good 500 meters from their formation. The intruder did not move, however, his voice somehow carried over and resounded in the minds of the sea of marines. "I don''t enjoy taking lifeбн I''ll give you 30 seconds to move out of my way." The ultimatum brought a mix of emotions to the thousands present. The duty of the marine was to serve and die for their sole purpose: maintain the authority of the World Government, even if it meant rushing into sure death. The mortality rate was sky-high, especially in recent times. It was therefore the purpose of the Captains, Commodores and Rear Admirals to reinforce the spirit of their armies. "F-For the good of mankind!" "Death to the pirates!" "He''s only one and we''re ten thousand strong; justice will prevail!" . Lonz was fairly satisfied by the response and waved his giant axe around, generating a burst of air. "The enemy is the Sin Incarnate of the Rocks Pirates, no matter what, he will not pass through us!" Thousands of hearty roars went off as the marine morale was scraping the clouds. бн The battlefield spanned half a kilometer, 1 vs 10,000. Damien, who felt the drizzle on his skin, could not help but shake his head. The truth of the matter was that most of these men were about to die. Their families and friends would never see them again. *Vvooo~* The ominous clouds brought the ambience of impending disaster. The wind picked up, sending shivers down the Marines'' back. At the same time, Damien''s stationary body began to move. From a slow walk to a hearty stride. Moments passed as the pirate''s speed picked up, zooming through the wide patch of wet grass. Five hundred meters of distance was covered within moments. "He''s comiиC" The marine could not even finish his yell before he was swept away from the sheer momentum of the pirate, sending him to the sky! Hundreds of bodies went flying, almost like a bowling ball mowing down a sea of pins! Blood sprayed, limbs tore, bones broke. "Aughh!" "Ahhh!" "Euuugh!" A collection of grunts and cries echoed through as Damien''s towering body ran them all down, resembling an unstoppable force! Bam! A single punch without any Haki was enough to send a man flying a good hundred meters, bursting past dozens of his comrades. *Swish!* A courageous marine tried to slash at the pirate, only to see his trusty sword shatter into pieces. "A penny for your thoughts," Damien muttered, grabbing the marine from below. With a little bit of force, the soldier''s body was picked up from his feet and into the air. *Fwwm* A deep metallic light went off as the pirate wrapped his human-whip in a coat of Haki. *Vururu* Damien spun the dangling seaman, eliciting a sharp whistle and released him like a boomerang, sending flying and toppling hundreds of marines on the way. . "I won''t let you destroy my justice!" A brave Rear Admiral rushed ahead, his arms shining with basic Haki. Boom! He slammed the fists onto Damien''s chest but to no avail. The pirate lost interest as he saw the marine try the same thing again. Instead, he grabbed his arm, dislocated it at the bend and used the protruding elbow to jab it into the throat of another marine who had snuck in behind him. *Splatter* The torn carotid sprayed a geyser of blood, dousing the wet grounds with a fresh coat of scarlet. Damien turned to see himself being surrounded by a good hundred soldiers. . "Obliteration Pulse." . It took almost no effort as nearly five hundred men were turned to bits and pieces of meat. The huge crimson bubble spreads further and further, turning anything in its path into particle-sized debris. One of the Giants named Aegor ran forward, sending tremors through the ground, "You''re mine, Sin Incarnate!" *Fwooo!* The air cried as the giant sword slashed down, leaving a trail of ripped air. Damien lightly hummed, letting go of Rear Admiral''s remains while reaching out with his other hand. Clang! It took little difficulty to hold the momentum of the giant who weighed a good 40 tonnes. ''L-Let go!" The pirate did the oppositeбкhe pulled the blade with a huge burst of force, causing the giant to stumble forward. Damien then grabbed Aegor''s arm with both of his hands, using the man''s inertia to his advantage. "Up we goбн" Under the shocked eyes of the spectators, the 60-foot Giant (18.3 m) was picked up off his feet and into the air! Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. With a show of force, the Sin Incarnate went on ahead to toss the overgrown marine, shooting him toward the distant wall. BOOM! The giant mass of the Vice Admiral mowed down a good thousand marines before being engraved into the high walls, leaving it in shambles. . "Omega Beams." . Another hellish nightmare arrived before the Marines could recover. They watched as the twin beams of destruction zoomed out from the pirate''s eyes. "He missed me!" a man cried out in relief as the rays zoomed past him. Though before he could even understand what happened, he was already dead. Boom! Bzz! Sizzle! The omega beams bounced and ricocheted off the air in all sorts of awkward angles, cleaving through a mass of marines in the process. The casualties piled up, reaching four figures right away. . Alas, his slaughter spree had finally bore fruits. "!!!" A red flash went off in Damien''s eyes, halting his actions and forcing him to retreat a few hundred meters. BOOM! The very ground underneath where he stood suddenly trembled, resembling an earthquake. It was like a sinkhole, causing the very foundation to collapse on itself! It took all but five seconds before a giant pit spanning 100 meters (328 ft) was all that remained. "..." The Sin Incarnate stood unfazed and glanced at the silhouette which had appeared. "I was wondering how many marines I had to take out before you''d show up." A thin smile appeared on the infamous pirate''s face as the shadow cleared up. Naturally, it was the true powerhouse stationed at G-2. Sporting uniform-brown coloured clothing and bulky frame. Topped with a well-ironed white marine cape draped over his shoulders. A simple, short hairstyle, slicking back his dark hair that mixed well with the perpetual scowl etched on the marine''s face. "Did I catch you at a bad time, Admiral Basara?" ---------------------------------------------- [The Ruins of the Communication HQ of G-2] A dull rumble shook the earth. Bollox gave a rejoicing grin, "You hear that? The Admiral''s on the move. No matter who you brought, it''s over for you." Majin, who was in his Ankylosaurus form, did not seem to care. . "Whiplash!" . He whipped his spiked tail which was more of a thick club than anything. In return, Bollox raised his arms in an X-shape right before he was swatted back a good dozen meters. Bang! His Observation spiked, dodging an incoming bullet. "I told you, you aren''t facing just one enemy." Bollox growled, looking at the unassuming Pablo. The drug master gave a wretched grin, aiming both his pistols, "These bad boys are named ''Mustang'' and ''Sally'', say hola to them!" Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! The pistols unleashed a flurry of bullets, shooting ahead at the speed of an automatic rifle! To make things worse, Majin soon arrived behind the Vice Admiral, lessening the space he had to work with. "Dammit!" Alongside the brutal assault of the gargantuan dinosaur and hail of bullets, it wasn''t odd when one such projectile embedded itself in Bollox''s thigh. His eyes instantly widened, falling to his knee, "What the hell!?" "Numbing bullets, mi amigo." "Ugh!" Bollox held the wound as it began to sizzle. "With a pinch of venom." . "Whiplash!" . Majin did not wait, swiping his ginormous tail at the downed Vice Admiral. As expected, Bollox was shot across the ruined room, smashing into a solid steel wall. ''I''ll kill them both!'' he cursed in his mind, forcing himself to stand. Bang! The next bullet nailed the marine in the chest and moments later, his furious disposition turned a full-180. "I''m sorry I existбн" "..." Pablo smirked, pinching his moustache, "Depressants." He turned to his hulking partner, "Now, Majin!" Loud steps broke out as the dinosaur raced on ahead. Every step left 10-inch deep craters from the sheer weight, singing a tune of imminent demise. Boom! A far wider crater appeared under the hind legs of the extinct herbivore as he launched into the air, spinning at great speeds and sending torrents of air out. . "Majin Missile!" . Bollox did not even look up while his entire body was nailed by the odd dozen spikes, each driving deep into his body. His heart, lungs, liver, everything was pierced moments before his body collapsed from the weight and momentum, resulting in an instant death. Pablo blew at the smoke emanating from his pistols, "Let''s go meet up with Se?or Indra." ---------------------------------------------- [Nearby] "Do you think you can take us both, pirate?" Velvet and LaGuardia stood side-by-side, their glorious capes cast a wide shadow. Indra, their sole opponent, stood across from them both, a single ravine of his craft separated the two sides. "You would be wise to remain on the other end of the chasm." Velvet''s face scrunched up at the threat, his flintlock shining a vibrant black of Haki. . "Justice Barrage!" . Bang! Bang! Bang! Hundreds of shots hollered, soaring through the air and at the trajectory of a headshot. They totalled a good three hundred bullets! *Shing!* With a single, elegant motion of his sword, Indra popped every oncoming projectile. . "One-Sword Style: Beautiful Death." . A gorgeous image of a peacock was born, falling through the sky under Indra''s blade. It screeched out, furling the razor-sharp feathers and driving them forward. In response to the incoming threat, LaGuardia growled and his body began to change. Fur exploded from under his clothes, large claws and powerful teethбкa grizzly bear! Boom! The two animals clashed, sending out a booming shockwave to echo through the plaza. Indra then shifted his weight while mid-air, using LaGuardia''s power to weave through the sky, all the while dodging Velvet''s bullets in the process. . "One-Sword Style: Dance of the Dead." . He took on the embrace of wind, weaving through the air at a speed faster than the human eye could track. *Swish!* *Splatter* LaGuardia roared out in anger as tens of cuts began to appear all over his furry body. Blood splattered and skin was torn open with clean cuts that increased in depth and frequency. Velvet, a ranged fighter, huffed a frustrated breath, using his Observation Haki to pinpoint the target. "He''s too fast!" "!!!" However, at that moment, he felt dread as the world froze around him. Indra had appeared a meter from him, the sword in his hand was pitch black with Armament Haki. It carried a beautiful air of vibrant nature, even a tune of forestry ambience following the blade. The wolf-like face and his eyes indicated the final part of the hunt. "You''re target was meбн" Indra did not wait for Velvet to react, slashing without mercy. . "One-Sword Style: Theory of Life." . The Vice Admiral saw a bright flash of light, followed by a welcoming sensation. The sun suddenly shone on him, gracing him with a warm ray of light. Birds flew around, grass grew and trees bloomed; a fresh breeze assaulted his dazzled face. Velvet was suddenly in a mangrove, one especially gorgeous cherry blossom tree at its center, shining bright. *Drip* *Drop* Water gently fell from the roots of the tree and into a pond belowбкa breathtaking image. "How beautiful," he muttered, his eyes closing for good. At the last moment, the water turned red, followed by the collapse of the Vice Admiralбкdeath from decapitation. [Attack Image (in Discord)] . LaGuardia froze at the sight of his dead brother-in-arms, "Velvet! You bastard, I''ll kill you myself!" Indra, instead, sheathed his sword. "Huh, you think I''ll let you get away!?" "Majin, Pablo, take on the Vice Admiral while I go secure the package," Indra directed without giving LaGuardia any more of his time. "Si, Se?or." "Okay, boss." LaGuardia roared, attempting to chase after the disappeared Indra. "Majajaja! You can fight us, teddy bear!" ---------------------------------------------- [Nearby] "I should have found a way to kill you when you were still a rookie, Sin Incarnate." The Admiral stood tall, his arms crossed over his chest. The very air around the man was heavy, filling all enemies before him with a sense of dread. Basara gazed at the carnage surrounding him, a good 5,000 deaths with countless wounded in critical condition. "Zephyr may have failed, but I will be sure to take you out!" His anger transformed into a display of extreme power. *Rumble* The island groaned as pieces of earth were snatched away, accumulating into a mountain floating in the sky. It took but mere moments to become what the Admiral envisioned иC a sword of Damocles. Such was the might of the Mountain-Mountain Fruit. . "Trembling Earth: Excalibur!" . The size was nearly 450 meters tall and 40 meters wide! [A/N: 450m б╓ Empire State Building to the tip.] *Vwoooo!* The atmosphere wailed in torment as the gigantic structure was sent raging down upon Damien. Howling winds erupted under its sheer size, creating tornadoes even. BOOM! The impact was monumental. The dense earth sword shot down, drilling into the earth like a toothpick through bread. Earthquakes coursed through G-2, forming thunderous tsunamis to rage through the nearby seas. It was simply beyond what could be considered the scale of a natural disaster. , Basara stood tall under the fog of dust and debris, narrowing his eyes. "You actually took it head-on," he muttered under his breath. The Admiral''s eyes were locked onto the giant sword wedged deep into the ground with only its grip and handle protruding out. Boom! An explosion went off at the mountainous sword, sending boulders over ten meters in depth in all directions. The nearby marines cried out as many of them were taken out by the raining earth. "You must stop wreaking havoc on this island!" the Admiral calmly stated. Damien appeared not too far from the Admiral, not a scratch on his regal attire. Basara frowned before shaking his head and readying to fight, "Unlike Garp, I do not like to test my foes. Come, young pirate!" ''Shave.'' He then disappeared in a flash, and just as suddenly appeared behind Damien. All in less than a tenth of a second. BAM! A black fist smashed forth. *Fwoooo* Yet it hit nothing but air, sending off a booming shockwave of its own. Basara scowled, recognizing the application of Future Sight at first glance. Understanding the disparity in Observation, the esteemed marine opted for a more wide-scale attack. *Rumble* All of a sudden the entire island below started to warp and mould at the Admiral''s discretion, bending to his will. "You think I''ll just wait for you to complete your attack?" Damien murmured, shooting forward. *Fwwm* His arm shone a gleaming black as a bubble of Ryuo was added in and crashed upon the Admiral''s chest. ''Iron Body.'' ''Hardening.'' Basara used the absolute version of Iron Body as a black coating was applied onto it, furthering its defensive capabilities. BAM! The punch connected with a thunderous bang. A sharp pain over his ribs was significant but the deeper tremors in his body were something unexpected. Basara''s body rocketed through the air as the dusty air cast darkness over the man''s face and hid his expression. *Vvooo!* The air shrieked under the man''s momentum, drumming at his ears. "Emission of Armament Haki," the Admiral muttered, still being shot back. The man''s eyes then sharpened enough to cut through the air like a blade as another tremor broke out from below. *Guru!* Giant chunks of pure earth shot out, but they were visibly liquid and unlike what one would expect. Basara''s body caved into the sheet of earth. *Boing!* The odd thing was that the rock did not shatter, rather it gave way and acted almost elastic! A drop of blood streamed out of the mountain user''s lips while his body came to a stop, "Zephyr did not report such advanced Haki." "..." A look of conviction flashed in Basara''s eyes, followed by him casually walking out from the spongy rock. The ground below once again started to terraform as huge blotches of land were raised; giant balls of earth. *Fwooo!* Huge amounts of air were displaced as the newly crafted structures cast a shadow that encompassed all of G-2! . "Trembling Earth: Ravaging Earth Storm!" . Damien''s face was entirely blackened from the lack of sunlight caused by the display, much to his shock. Basara was floating in the air with dozens of mountainous accumulations of earth, hovering at the Admiral''s thoughts. They were more than enough to neutralize an island and then some, fitting the reputation of being the Powerhouses of the Navy. ''So this is an Admiral''s strength,'' Damien thought, clenching his hands. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 96: Storming the Base (III) Basara had showcased a degree of an Admiral''s strength, sending a mix of surprise and excitement to Damien. The pirate then put out his left hand while the ring around the middle finger shone ominously. The air was cut apart as torrents of air raged down to the marines below as the weapon was made clear. "Allow me to render your little rocks to dust." Basara narrowed his eyes upon the weapon in his adversary''s hand, feeling the sharpness eerily familiar to some other blades he had gone against. "Very well." With his words out, the earth-moulder pushed forth his arms as a gesture to advance. *Fwooo!* *Skrrrrr!* Torrents were created from the charging landmasses, each bringing an apocalyptic spectacle with its advent. Damien readied his Ryushi as the clawed blades exuded a mist so overwhelming that it was crushing the air to void. Boom! A sonic boom shattered the air as the Sin Incarnate rocketed forthбкa madman charging at oncoming globs of earth! He simply reined back his weapon and flowed strands of Ryuo toward it, slashing on the first collection of earth. The mountainous structure visibly transferred force from one side to the other, rippling through its rocky body. The encircling ripple was then followed with a red checkered pattern before poofing into dust. One down, the pirate continued toward the other gargantuan projectiles. Boom! BAM! *Slash!* *Rumble* Kaboom! One by one, the floating island-shakers were pulverized into microscopic particles, allowing the pirate to close the gapбкopening a window to the Admiral except for one single giant boulder. . "Crimson Comet!" . Such were the words echoing in Basara''s ears as a red shooting star thundered right through his final attack, too late for him to react. A rather jaw-dropping display remained for the lucky survivors as they saw a flash of red in the sky crash at the floating Admiral. A burst of air rippled through the base under the collision of vast Haki from both sides. Only for Basara to be shot back once more. *Grrrrr!* A wide road of utter destruction followed the Admiral as he went rocketing back from the powerful attack and disappeared in a cloud of dust. ---------------------------------------------- [Research Facility, Marine Science Unit] *Drip* *Drop* Scarlet droplets slowly fell from a sharp blade. Indra calmly walked through the facility, cutting down all the opposition. A dull alarm masked the massacre. "Hmm?" His eyes turned to the far side of the bunker, one away from the main research chamber. The scientists had scampered while alarms rang, leaving their subjects behind. Indra had seen a plethora of guinea pigs. All types of animals, humanoids, and humans range from children to elderly. Shing! The famed blade sliced forward, cutting the thick doors into pieces and allowing the pirate entry. "..." The swordsman looked around and saw a single entity submerged in water, its pulse detected by the device at its side. Indra examined the sleeping subject and saw some special features: stone skin, sharp canines poking out from his mouth, sporting a bald head. The gentle hum of the blade resounded, slicing the glass tube with ease. *Splash* The fluid spread across the concrete floor while the giant subject helplessly fell onto the floor. . Indra curiously watched as the research subject woke up, clawing at the wall to regain his balance. He stood a solid four and a half meters tall (~14'' 9"), his silver eyes locking onto his saviour. "What exactly are you?" The subject rubbed his bald head, recalling some distant memories. "Arai is from stone people, taken from home by Navy people." Indra narrowed his eyes, tracing the towering subject''s stone-like skin. He then found a few open pages left behind by the hurried researchers, detailing the study: [Species: Stone People] [Origin: Unnamed Island of the North Blue] [Notable Characteristics: Born with durable skin with the same consistency as stone. They bear inborn strength superior to humans. They do not possess blood, rather their body breaks into rocks that, if placed together, can reform them. They have limited intelligence and a habit of speaking in the third person.] [Research Notes: The World Government has shown interest in their characteristics, hoping to carry them into certain weapons in development. Subject Arai has also eaten a Devil Fruit, making it hard to extract the necessary genes to study.] бн The man''s words broke Indra from his reading, "Arai is angry." "Let me find some things for you to break." [Arai Image (in Discord)] . The pirate then made his way to the main research chamber, the one housing the Navy''s greatest asset of experimentation. The doors opened, allowing the two to enter. "WORORORO! Looks like the party is outside." The giant pirate glared at the two intruders, "Indraбн That means that annoying guy Damien is also here." The swordsman did not answer, slashing at the thick chains and shackles with a clean stroke. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ---------------------------------------------- [Main Area] By now the entire air of G-2 had turned dusty and visibility brown. The tremors slowed down after a while after the big-name pirate had cut up the flurry of mountainous projectiles. Basara, the Admiral, had been lodged into a giant hill, bringing an eerie silence to the battlefield. "..." Alas, a voice boomed out, "Not even twenty years of age and you possess such power. It is an oversight of the Navy." The crater exploded, unveiling the furious Admiral dripping with streaks of blood. "Rocks was a good distraction for you, allowing you to reach this height." Damien, who stood a good distance away, heard every last word and scoffed, "You didn''t allow me anything, Basara. I''ve worked hard and trained in hell for what I have, and I have no intention of stopping here!" The Admiral hurrumped, choosing not to continue with words. *Rumble* Damien looked around, feeling the shaking earth. ''Not just this area, but the entire base is shaking!'' he surmised. *Rumble* It was like a heartbeat, a drum for incoming destruction. *Rumble* One by one, parts of G-2 began to morph, even warp. They lost their sturdiness; walls squirming into a liquid while swimming toward the Admiral. Trees, metals, corpses, blood, loose debrisбкeverything was changing into an ashy-brown colour, flowing like a river. Basara raised his hands, accepting the stream of endless liquid earth. His body began to swell while the fluid moved at his discretion. It wrapped around, warping into the shape of a gargantuan shadow, spanning the entire base. Damien narrowed his eyes, discerning the turn of events. "Changing matter into that of your ability, converting it into earth," he muttered. "Awakened fruit power." The pirate gazed at the behemoth of a structure before him, its stature seemingly spanning endlessly! . "Trembling Earth Colossus!" . It was a humanoid, gargantuan ability with Basara at its core. It stood nearly six hundred meters in height (~0.4 mi), raining dust down from its glory. The grassy and marshy terrain of G-2 had long shifted into dusty peaks, a canvas with Basara as its painter. [Colossus Image (in Discord)] . Damien took a deep breath and went on the offense. He shot up from the ground utilizing Moonwalk, rushing toward the colossus. A thick layer of Haki was warped around Ryushi''s unbreakable blades that seethed with crimson rage. *Brrrrr!* Tornadoes were created as Basara brought down a single sword in an island-leveling diagonal slash toward Damien. Its sheer gargantuan size made the strike seem slow even though it travelled at an incredible speed. BOOM! The pirate took it head-on, using his body to take the brunt of the attack. *Crack* Damien flinched at the pain in his right shoulder that had fractured, creating a small window on which Basara''s attack focussed. Next came the momentum as the Sin Incarnate was sent soaring through the air and being tattooed into the ground, the entire exchange resembling a housefly being swatted aside. "Taking my hits head-on, how reckless!" Basara said with audible scorn. . "!!!" His eyes then narrowed as he felt a huge burst of power from the crater far, far below him. The dust that was floating around took on a crimson hue before being blasted into tiny particle-sized pieces. "Empyrean Release." The Admiral studied the enemy before his Observation flared at the same fiendish humanoid that had appeared in the sky. The demonic appearance, hell-like energy bursting out, added to the blasphemous halo hovering atop its head. The volatile pirate gave a wicked grin as his trusty weapon exploded with power. . "Ryushi Combat Arts: Crimson Comet!" . Basara ran with his powers, forcing the hovering mountains to shoot forth in defense. BOOM! The first mountainous projectile shattered into bits, the same followed with the second, the third and the fourth. The fifth, however, was able to drive a halt to the impending attack. Basara saw Damien stunned and sent a stream of Haki to the sword in his hand, covering it whole. . "Trembling Earth: Black Excalibur!" . The sheer size of the blade was enough to bring about great destruction to an island, and now it was wholly aimed at the halted Damien. A red flash ran through the pirate''s eyes, granting him more room to work with. . "Void Space." . A wide blanket of red appeared, curtaining the pirate. The giant, Haki-clad sword wasted no time before slamming onto the shield, crashing with great might. "..." No sound was released due to the void nature of the shield as it devoured the attack like a black hole. Basara was not amused and picked up the second sword, covered it in Haki, and slashed at Damien once more. The shield exploded into crimson shards like a glass wall, giving way for the attack to meet the pirate. "Tch, Future Sight," Basara spat with audible frustration at the disappearing Damien. He peered down, having located the young enemy near ground level. *Fwooo!* The air rumbled as Basara brought down his left foot to squash the ant-like pirate. BOOOM! The weight of a dozen mountains smashed upon the bedrock beneath, giving birth to tsunamis to echo past the island''s shores. Damien, at the last second, lept off the ground and onto the leg of the colossus. He was now running along the rocky limb, racing over and toward the Admiral who was at the crown of the structure. The Sin Incarnate''s advent resembled an ant running up a tree in Basara''s eyes. In response, the masses of earth flying above and around the goliath''s shoulders suddenly warped. . "Dreaded Devastation!" . They took on a large thick bullet-like shape of 200 meters in diameter and were shot in the leg. BOOM! *Crash!* BOOM! Under the flurry of the raining bullet mountains, Damien used his Grandmastery of Observation to pick up the absolute paths remaining to reach the top. His Future Sight was running overdriveбкfinding the smallest of flaws and the slightest of openings to exploit. Unfortunately, this did drain more Haki than preferred. *Fwwm* A dense bubble of Emission was soon wrapped around the volatile figure''s arm. The pulverizing energy flooded through his body, centering around his left palm. Pockets of crimson energy gathered around the fist, encasing it with the essence of crushing power. . "Deathly Rupture!" . The fist crashed onto the stomach area of the colossus, driving in the mix of Haki and fruit power in the form of shockwaves. It dug deep in, bouncing and echoing through its earthy insides, destroying it internally. Basara grunted a thunderous roar while a giant hole formed in his masterpiece. It was a straight-forward punch which caused the chest to cave in, forcing the head to coil forward from inertia. Damien shifted his motion, opting to go straight up with masterful Moonwalk. The pincer-like edge of Ryushi crashed onto the chin of the colossus, highly resembling an uppercut! The shockwaves echoed through its skull, ringing the Admiral''s head in the process. Huge chunks of earth rained from the sky, embedding into the earth in a shower of ruin. "Ugh!" Basara uttered a dull roar through his bloodied teeth and overcame the throbbing pain with fury. His recovery was incredibly fast; the giant construct decisively unhanded his swords and punched using both fists at one another but with Damien in between. . "Void Sphere!" . The devilish body released its fruit power without stopping, forming a complete ball around him. Basara saw no reason to stop, he opened the gap and went on with repeating the move. "There are levels you cannot pass through sheer tenacity alone!" Basara ran his Haki once more, covering both the giant fists. BOOM! The sphere cracked, letting loose shrieks of air, only for Basara to crash both fists onto it once more. More and more cracks leaked screeching sounds through the tattered ball. [Scene Image (in Discord)] Another attack of equal might. This time the spherical shield exploded and left Damien undefended while his body was pulverized amid the fists. BOOM! The Admiral was unforgiving as repeatedly crushed, busted and vehemently destroyed his young adversary. *Clatter* Bits and pieces of the Empyrean armour fell off every hit, unmasking the sole user they were there to protect. бн Basara eventually let go of the figure, allowing Damien to fall from the sky with gravity roping him down, only to be hit with another strike, this time from the swords nearby. . "Trembling Earth: Twin Black Excalibur!" . Like a madman, Basara drove down the half-kilometer-long blades on the descending figure, nailing Damien with both swords. Boom! A sonic boom exploded as the pirate was sent soaring through the air and straight into the ground. His body tore through, going layer after layer of solid earth. Boom! Bang! *Rumble* Damien continued drilling through for a good twenty seconds till the momentum died down, sealing him in bedrock. A ripple of shock echoed through the base, forcing the very foundation of G-2 to cave in and crack apart. It was catastrophic devastation followed by an eerie silence. бн "Yes, Fleet Admiral," Basara spoke to the snail, still within his colossus, "I will ensure his capture. Pardon the missing comms, I believe only my transponder snail is functioning as it''s linked straight to Marineford." The snail nodded, "Well done, perhaps we can begin the year with some good news." *Rumble* Basara glared at the ravaged earth below, his expression warping into irritation. "What is it, Basara?" The Admiral remained quiet and watched the shadow clear up, "Pardon me, Fleet Admiral. It seems he won''t go down that easily." "Katcha~!" Basara moved the colossus once more, ready to resume the beating. "Are you that impatient to get sent to a cold cell at Impel Down?" Damien, far below and deep in the earth, returned a grin past his broken mess of a body. He was currently in a very good mood. *Crack* He popped his shoulder back in, stopping the bleeding from the protruding bone and clawed his way out of the pit. Damien then took a deep breath, using Life Return to plug all the bruises, fractures and ruined parts of his body. . Ignoring the Admiral, the pirate ran his hand over his right wrist, feeling the newfound sturdinessбкhe felt like he could easily hold up a few mountains now. "Basara, I really need to thank you," he laughed to himself at the notification in his mind. [Black Bones has reached the final stage and has fully hardened the skeletal system.] Damien cracked his neck and back, feeling the improvement throughout his body. "..." The devious figure beamed a striking smile, though it seemed exceptionally menacing under the form of his Empyrean Release. "Don''t be in a hurry now, Basara. We''re just getting started!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 97: Storming the Base (IV) Basara cursed under his breath, both at the resilience of his adversary and his taunts. His impatience translated into a powerful attack. The Admiral and his colossus raised both arms into the sky, willing all earth to bend at his whim. Whether it was from the ruins of the previous exchange or his twin swords, they all warped into liquid and collected into a mass of earth high up above. It was 400 meters initially and it only grew bigger. From 400 to 600 to a 1000-meter wide mountain (0.62 miles)! The shadow from such a behemoth crept its way to the edges of G-2, bringing about an apocalyptic sight. "You crazy marine," Damien muttered at the future he had foreseen. "Are you trying to bury the island; what about your soldiers?" The reply was cold and ruthless, "I would never doom my troops to death without purpose; your death outweighs their lives and a true Marine would know that deep down. Such is the damning reality that you pirates have forced them into!" . "Wailing Sky!" . And the mountain dropped. A landmass, one kilometer wide of pure rocks, falling from nearly 900 meters above would easily sink G-2. The noise generated alone from the descent was terrifying. It was born from the displaced air that leaked from the sides of the ball-shaped satellite, slicing past the atmosphere to give birth to howling winds. At its height, the attack would reach up to a speed of 480 kilometers per hour (~300 mph), taking around 13.5 seconds to reach ground level. ''As easy as it is to jump into the sea for my own safety,'' the pirate thought, ''who made me such a kind Division Commander who protects his peopleбн'' A dark future flashed by the Sin Incarnate''s eye, furthering his resolve to alter it. *Fwooo* An ominous gust blew about as the molten-red cracks of the Empyrean form began to seethe in a crimson mist. Sparks began to ignite as the Sin Incarnate mobilized huge amounts of power and Haki. Within moments, a huge ball of energy formed behind the famed pirate, growing bigger by the second. From a meter in diameter to ten, and then doubling to twenty. "Red Sun." However, that was not everything. As the helios ball floated gently in the sky, another sight to behold appeared. A dull growl resounded on the ruined island, a beast awakening from slumber. Thick black wings spanning tens of meters, extending from the back of a dragon. "Eat your fill." Damien''s casual words took the beast''s attention as it did what came to its mind: opening its maw. A vortex formed from the air being sucked into the dragon''s mouth, slowly pulling the ball of imminent destruction. *Vwoooo* The air whistled, shrieking even. Molten heat exploded all around as great amounts of energy converged around the mouth of the dragon. It dripped out from the sharp teeth, melting the floor beneath itselfбкlava. "One last thingбн" Damien gazed at the weapon in his hand and gave it a mental order. Ryushi, as if it were sentient, understood the assignment and began to warp shapes. The blade broke apart into metal shards, the wooden handling following suit. Going from a unique pincer-edged weapon to a full-blown war hammer! . "Crusher Configuration." . [Image (in Discord)] Damien leapt off the ground, Ryushi in hand. Meanwhile, the Dragon fired a blast of breath that resembled fluid magma, streaming out as a thick river of pure energy, raging and shredding through space and upon the ascending pirate. Damien, in his Empyrean Form, was able to become one with his ability, his body converging with the draconic attack, fueling it all to his mighty weapon. Seeing that the mountain was now within meters away, Damien slammed his seething weapon forward, driving the hammer at the meteor-like as if to ring a bell. . "Extinction Order!" . The attacks crashed together, sending shivers down the island''s core. Ryushi rang the mountain like a gong, sending huge amounts of energy through its core, covering every inch of it. BOOOM! The explosion was so mind-numbingly loud that Sea Kings sleeping many kilometers below were thrown into disorder as arcs of pure energy rained down all over the island. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. It was an apocalyptic sight as the descending mountain started to rumble in stress as the Supreme Blade raged forth, slowly but surely pushing through. Basara was controlling the mountain to continue its fall but the landmass itself was breaking apart! *Crack* *Rumble!* Large cracks visible from afar were seen as they extended all over, from the very bottom to the peak of the mountain as it shook uncontrollably. BOOOOOM! The mass of earth exploded into a display of rocky fireworks as they slowly turned into red patterned rocks, dusting away as every piece was obliterated. *Pop!* The air exploded under Damien''s feet as he continued to climb, soon reaching the level of the colossus, greedy for the open window of attack. . "Vanquisher Configuration." . Damien returned to the original form of Ryushi, going from the heavy Warhammer back to the more concentrated attack range, much to Basara''s anger. The colossus, as if responding, reeled back a punch. *Fwwwm* Haki ran down the entire arm as Basara shot it forth with enough power to sink the island! The punch connected with a thunderous boom, only to take on the full brunt of a Supreme Grade Blade. Cracks spread across its length from the Emission Haki hidden in the attack. Basara groaned in pain, losing the connection to the colossus'' right arm which fell apart into dust and debris. . Damien soared through the skies, this time pointing his trusty weapon at the colossus'' heart. The feeling of going against someone this powerful after so long had blossomed in a powerful drive in Damien''s spirit, wanting to do nothing more than to turn it to dust. *Crackle* Sparks of black lightning rained around the youth as his eyes seethed in fury, his mind raging on as the weapon in his grasp responded. Even the clear weather was starting to warp as black clouds rolled in, bathing the ruined island with darkness. Ryushi greedily absorbed the new power as the blades were dripping with energy and the body of the weapon was shaking in impatience, ready to strike! "!!!" Basara saw the change in atmosphere and immediately responded, comprehending the threat of the incoming attack. His remaining left arm was dyed black with pristine Haki, fueling itself further with the nearby ruins. Thick black spikes were soon erected from the knuckles, all the while spears of earth materialized, spinning in orbit to the readied fist. . "Trembling Earth Sovereignty!" . An arm the width of a mountain coated in impressive Haki raged on to clash with a small dot in the sky. Damien met the attack with one of his own. . "Armageddon!" . Ryushi crashed upon the eclipsing mountainous punch as currents of Haki shot into the arm and raged all over. BOOOOM! One strand of Haki focused on destroying things from within while the other aimed to weaken and tear apart the enemy''s will. "Auugh!" Basara groaned. The attack itself was something he could hold up to but the buzzing sensation of having his own will being eaten away was rather unpleasant. Moments passed and the battle shifted into the pirate''s favour. The entire colossus arm cracked into pieces, its orbiting shards were long blown away. It was not long before the entire limb exploded. This allowed Damien to unleash one final burst of Haki to land a clean hit at the giant earth construct''s core. *Purrup* The strands of Haki in tandem with the destructive nature of the Pulverizing Fruit left quite the impact, all of which was transferred to the Mountainous Admiral. BOOM! Basara''s colossus took a few steps back before falling to its knees. Cracks continued to spread throughout its mass, forcing great stress onto its master. . Damien, who finally lost his momentum, was forced to the ground as well. Bits of armour began to fall off his body, losing control of his Empyrean form. Damien reached to his mouth, covering the blood being spat out from his lungsбкindicative of flowing Haki! >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Basara] [Age: 47] [Height: 9'' 8"] (2.84 m) [Devil Fruit: Mountain-Mountain Fruit (Grandmastery (II)) [Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars] [Skills: Mastery of the Six Powers, Mastery of Life Return, Indomitable Spirit] [Haki: Intermediate Mastery of Observation Haki, Advanced Mastery of Armament Haki] [Strength: Middle Tier Yonko] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< "As expected, he does own Emission Haki, not only that, his strength is on a level above mineбн" Damien hummed, "Which means, that alone shouldn''t be enough to take him down." The future in his eyes confirmed the theory. Boom! Under the kneeling Colossus exited a bloodied figure. The Admiral walked out from the broken titan, his arm was a mess, and the bone was surely broken, leaving his breathing erratic. "You''ve begun to grasp the ability to add your own ''will'' to an attack, much like the other Level One Threats," he commented. Magically enough, the Admiral was able to pop his arm back into place and piece together any loose bone fragments, all while boasting a stoic gaze locked onto his young enemy. "Life Return, you know it well," Damien added. . Basara looked around and saw his ruined colossus, ruined coat, and ruined base. "I originally saw you as an arrogant spawn of a forgotten devil, rushing through the seas with Rocks'' banner." He glared at the pirate once again, continuing his monologue, "The Sin Incarnate. A pirate with no reason to exist apart from wreaking havoc and upsetting the order of our world." His eyes then sharpened with obvious threat, "As an Admiral of the Navy Headquarters, I acknowledge you as a threat with the potential to rival the likes of the other Titans. With ''Justice'' emblazoned on my back, I will annihilate you here!" His resounding words came with the rumbling of the shaken island. The very earth Damien stood on began to tremble, moving at the discretion of the Admiral. G-2, or what remained of it, also shook as its very own shape began to warp. Corpses that littered the base also transformed, turning into bits of rocks. A small island used for storage near G-2 was also ripped off its roots, terraforming into pure earth to be used by the Admiral. "..." Damien sighed at the sight of the reawakened colossus, one that left a huge shadow in its wake. However, it suddenly changed ever further, turning into something far beyond its predecessor. *Purrup* It sounded like molten hell churning about. A red flash burned past Damien''s eyes, showing him the imminent future. He looked up at the menacing sight and dryly spoke, "Admirals are the greatest weapons of the Navy for a reason, I underestimated him." . It stood five hundred meters high (0.31 mi). The titan was bulkier than the previous, though its body was carved with literal mountains protruding over its entire body, almost like armour. A volcano bubbling with lava ran up from its chest and to its neck, atop which the head, and therefore Basara, rested. A giant droplet of seething lava fell to the floor near Damien, melting it into a blaze. All the while lava lakes began to appear throughout G-2, credit to Basara''s power. The pirate was left with a wry smile at the bubbling hell, "How could I forget, volcanoes are a type of mountain tooбн" . "Molten Earth Colossus!" . [Colossus Image (in Discord)] Basara gazed down from the towering titan, his eyes locked onto the pirate. "You young pirates all have the same weakness: the inability to last extended battles." "It''s been a quarter of a day; your stamina is waning, your Haki is bottoming and your fruit ability is surely dried up. Tell me, Sin Incarnate, how long do you think you can last?" Damien could not find any words to argue; the Admiral was not wrong. It had been a good six hours since they began fighting, his greatest weakness had begun to act up. [A/N: Don''t question anime timing.] However, there was a silver lining. The Sin Incarnate''s red eyes traced the behemoth before him, reaching where he assumed Basara was. "You''re right, I won''t last long enough to take you down. But I never said I was alone." *Rumble* A chain of dull thuds broke any further conversation, upsetting a cloud of dust to hide the uninvited guests. One by one, their identities cleared up, much to Basara''s chagrin. They were the Fodder of the Fourth Division: Majin, Pablo, Nomu and Kaen; the escaped guinea pigs: Kaido and Arai; and lastly, Damien''s right-hand man: Indra. "Negligible allies," the Admiral spat out. "That''s the problem with us pirates," Damien shrugged with a mischievous grin, standing at the front of the pirate side, "we just never know when to give up." To Be Continuedбн Chapter 98: Storming the Base (V) A huge club was smashed into the boiling earth below. "WORORO! Damien, let me fight him!" All Kaido got in return was an off-handed remark, "And repeat what happened with Garp?" The beast growled, his veins popping. "I don''t have time to babysit you, Kaido. Basara has long since encased the island with a mountainous border, reinforcements from Marineford are surely on their way. We have at most ten hours left." Nomu, the Sakиж-Fruit user, could not help but express his thoughts, "If we can''t go around the Admiral, what do we do?" "We go through him," Indra answered in a plain voice. The pirate gawked at the swordsman and then at the volcanic titan in the distance, one that was a walking natural disaster. "Don''t whine now, Nomu. The Commander is known to do some crazy things," Kaen balled his fist into the palm of his other hand, "I''m all fired up!" Sparks erupted all around his body, reflecting the grin in their bright flames. "Pablo, juice us up," came Damien''s order. The drug master did not hesitate, he loaded some orange liquid into his pistols and opened fire. Bang! Bang! Bang! The projectiles dissolved in all their skins, seeping into their bloodstream. "Haaah," Damien sighed. His eyes burned as his body started to explode in crimson energy. The Pulverizing streams of power churned without delay, bursting out from his pores. "Empyrean Release." Kaido gave out a grin, his body began to pop with muscles as purple thunder arched around him. Indra and the others each felt the huge influx of strength and stamina, relishing in its power. . In the meantime, Basara was secretly controlling the earth around him, doubling the thickness of the walls that surrounded the island, ensuring that by no chance could the pirates find a way out. He gazed at the riled-up pirates with slight surprise. "Overdrawing your fruit ability will take years of your lifespan, is it worth it?" The question echoed through the wrecked base, reaching the pirate''s ears. "Rahahaha! A few years is nothing in contrast to taking down a strong enemy, let alone an Admiral!" Ryushi spun around in Damien''s grip, ready once more. Basara scoffed and replied with a mountainous fist that birthed torrents of air in its wake. It was as primal of a strike as they came, a simple, disastrous punch dripping with molten malice. The ground erupted as Damien, Kaido and Indra all took to the skies. "One-Sword Style: Beautiful Death!" "Raimei Hakke!" "Crimson Comet!" BOOOM! Under the combo of the three, the arm was completely pushed back as tons of rocks rained down upon the ruined lands and the broken shores. Basara did not even grunt, simply commanding the ruined arm to reform. However, that small window gave the trio time to prepare for their next attack. Seeing their movement, the Admiral moved his other arm. Its gargantuan size swung across an area that covered all three of the pirates, resembling flies being swatted! . "Sakиж Golden Geyser!" . A wide stream of golden liquid shot out from the ground far below, dousing the entire arm of its richness. Kaen leaped to the sky next, aiming his hand at the doused arm. *Snap!* . "Blazing Glory!" . The entire mountain-limb exploded into a flame, corroding a good chunk of its top layer. The Admiral growled in anger, though it was before another flurry of attacks. . "Majin Missile!" . A giant shadow was catapulted from ground level, its body rolled up in a ball that exposed thick and sharp spikes. BOOM! Bull''s eyeбкit hit the arm right at the elbow, forcing it to rebound backwards. . "Huh!?" Basara wanted to sweep away the nuisances below, only to feel another obstacle. He gazed down and saw a giant snake coiling around his leg just under the kneecap, imposing a vice-like grip on the limb to the point where it was shattering right through it! It was a good fifty meters long, all wrapped around the titan''s leg. Basara tried to kick it off, smashing into a newly-emerged hill, but to no avail. The snake simply exploded into stone, slowly coming back into the shape of the giant serpent that coiled around him once more, adding incredible stress to the joint. *Crack!* The thick limb was soon covered in cracks, enough to force the colossus to lose balance and flinch forward. Before Basara could continue, he saw a bright purple flash that extended from the sky to his shaken arm''s shoulder. . "Crashing Thunder!" . Kaido''s blackened club sparked with purple lightning as he swung down his club upon Basara''s left shoulder. BOOM! The sheer power sent a tremor of shock down the colossus, one strong enough to pop the arm off of it! By now, Basara had reformed the right arm, readying its massive size to deliver a punch that could surely erase Kaido away. However, another pirate came in his way. Indra held his Great Grade Sword, which had been doused in sakиж and ignited, using its burning heat topped with his Haki to zoom at the reeled-back limb. Basara Haki picked up the coming threat a mile away, reaching out at great speed to grab the soaring pirate and ruthlessly crush him into his mountainous grip! However, things didn''t go as planned. . "One-Sword Style: Dance of the Fiery Dead!" . A scarlet light erupted as Indra shot out of the grip in a swirling tornado, his sword spinning with his body as the thick rocky fingers were slashed apart. *Fwoooo* *Gzzzzz* Indra then turned into a crimson light, his body shooting onwards, cutting and razing the entire arm of the giant in a spinning motion that resembled more of a blazing wheel! The great speed topped with the sharp and fiery blade was unstoppable, soon reaching the deltoid in one smooth attack. "Insects!" Damien grinned at Basara''s angered gaze. Ryushi in his hands started to blaze with power as he charged ahead. A familiar feeling ran through the pirate and entangled itself into the weapon. . "Armageddon!" . BOOOOM! The infused attack of three separate powers slammed upon the giant face of the colossus, sending nerve-destroying shocks through the body, rippling down every limb as cracks followed. "Guuuhh!" The Admiral leaked blood, but it was not enough to shoot him down. He saw the pirate nearby and commanded the volcano below his head. . "Great Eruption!" . The volcano bubbled with the raging lava, exploding into a fiery light. Damien was caught in the hellfire and was forced back to distance. Basara was not satisfied, he forced the disaster to get even more violent, wanting to swat away the flies that bothered him. *Purrup* The huge mass of boiling-hot lava began to tremble. The earth below the volcano shifted, turning into giant boulders. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. At the Admiral''s command, the giant rocks shot out from under the volcano and into the sky. . "Meteor Volcano!" . The newer pirates could not help but falter at the sight of the fiery rain. Giant molten rocks bathed in lava, falling from the reddened skies; a scene from hell itself. Damien got up from the crater he had been tattooed into, looking at the spectacle. "These moves are awfully familiar to a certain someone from the future," he muttered, collecting Ryushi from the floor. [Attack Image (in Discord)] "Indra, his weakness lies in the fact that the colossus is linked to his own body. I need you to immobilize him for a little while." After saying those words, Damien disappeared into a blur. . "..." Indra had no intention of asking questions, he just carried them out. His mind raced at the speed of light, thinking of something, and soon, it clicked. *Vwooo* His lean body shot forward, moving like a bullet. He gathered up the five fodders and unsheathed his weapon. "Hey Boss Indra, you don''t need to cut us up," Majin voiced out, unsure of the pirate walking toward them with a sword. Indra did not respond, he just slashed his sword. A huge chasm formed under his blade, cutting a giant piece of molten earth to the sky. "Majin, Arai, pull it up!" The two dimwits chose against arguing and did what they were worth: hauling weight. Their arms popped with muscles, pulling up the huge chunk of boiling-hot earth. Indra nodded, looking at the sight of the wall. BOOM! The volcanic rocks landed on the wall, sending cracks through. The structure began to teether and whine in pain, threatening to fall apart. "Nomu, douse it with sakиж!" The white-haired man was caught off-guard. "B-But that''ll only make it worse!" Indra did not speak, he simply gave a dead stare to the pirate, forcing him to swallow his inhibitions. . "Sakиж Golden Shower!" . His elementalized body burst out with huge amounts of golden-brown liquid, raining down on the giant burning wall. BOOM! A huge inferno exploded the moment the fluid came in contact with it, bringing about a heat that could easily melt metal. "Add fire." Kaen nodded and pointed his hands at the fiery wall. *Snap!* *Snap!* *Snap!* A combo of snaps forced the blazing rock to turn hotter and hotter. Its minerals began to become molten, mixing in with the lava itself. Very soon, it would become a tsunami of hellfire! [Image (in Discord)] . "Pablo, give me a few more shots." The short pirate hesitated for a second and did as asked. "It''ll overwhelm your system when it runs out but fine, se?or!" *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* Three shots, three streams of adrenaline and other drugs vastly increased the victim''s blood flow. *Hisss* Indra''s skin started to turn red to the point where it began to turn the water in the air into vapour, resembling a kettle. Indra nodded in satisfaction and held his blade in hand, coating it with Haki. With little time to waste, the pirate shot ahead, his body whistling through the air. His eyes traced the wall that had entirely become liquid, a mix of lava and molten earth hot enough to melt through just about anything. . "Hellfire Sculpting." . Shing! The pirate moved at extreme speed and sliced at the tidal wave of hell, causing it to explode. *Swish!* *Vvoosh* The next few slashes wrapped air around in a way that the droplet of lava would move as he wished. Voluminous streams of hellfire, being controlled like clay. Shing! *Zwip* Cut after cut, the huge tsunami of lava was being sculpted into a painting with Indra as its artist. "T-That fire can easily melt through the island we''re standing on!" Kaen commented, lost in the beauty of the flame. It was art! Indra was satisfied with his creation, this time, shooting off the ground directly into his art. Indra grasped the sword with both hands, his arms popping with muscles. . "One-Sword Style: Hellfire Fiend!" . One swing of the sword unleashed a huge influx of purple energy. It was so vast that it rocketed out toward the titan in the distance, right through the construct of lava. The lava did not stop the attack, rather it combined with it! Every drop of hellfire was very quickly absorbed into the thundering attack, forming the shape and body of a beast with three heads borne of hell! The attack flew through the sky, leaving a trail of black smoke behind. Violent roars bellowed out, bubbling in its fiery wrath. [Attack Image (in Discord)] The hellish creature soared through the sky onto the colossus. *Szzzz* Upon contact, the thick earth began to sizzle, releasing copious amounts of thick, black smoke. It was an unorthodox attack, blessed with a lot more fluid movement than expected. Instead of drilling into the colossus, it doused it under a blanket of magma with each head coiling around. "!!!" Basara''s eyes widened as he started to lose connection to parts of his colossus. At first glance, his entire creation had begun to melt. He was sweating lava! The marine commanded the rocks to concentrate further together then wrapped them all with his Haki, slowly but surely, they grew thicker and more resistant. . "Evil Omen, you again!?" Indra wasn''t one to wait for his enemy to recover, opting to attack again. The pirate zoomed all over the colossus, his blade weaving and slicing through the collection of hellfire. Oddly enough, the slices did no real damage, rather they simply swished through the dense heat and plasma. ''An amalgamation of explosive volcanic eruption, ash, rock, lava, and sometimes water collide, creating an electrical charge in the eruption plume, and if the charge build-up is high enough, lightning is born,'' Indra thought to himself. *Crackle* His theory was true, the famed blade in his grasp started trembling with electricity, releasing volatile charges through its body. He continued gathering the loose charges, storing the electricity in his blade and readying the attack. Boom! He leaped off the body, his weapon now sizzling with huge strikes of purple lightning. . "One-Sword Style: Theory of Death!" . Indra slashed down his thunderous blade, sending on a giant collection of pure lightning, crackling its way to the massive titan. The lightning burst ahead and began to form the shape of a beast, vying for nothing but destruction. [Attack Image (in Discord)] Basara, who was slowly converting the lava to rock, was forced to stop midway to defend himself. . "Great Eruption!" . *Splash* The boiling lava simply exploded under the advent of Indra''s attack, failing to defend. The thunderous dragon roared out with fury, crashing into the colossus. BOOM! A huge purple flash went off, blinding anyone watching the scene. The individual charges coursed through Basara, leaving behind a huge explosion and creating a chasm near the titan''s heart. "Auughh!" Basara roared in pain, not just from the attack he took, but also from the excess hellfire that had a straight path to his heart. The Admiral felt his construct turning liquid and began withdrawing away, only for another annoyance to arrive. *Fwooo* Kaido suddenly appeared, his menacing eyes blasted open with great spirit, enraged with Conqueror''s Haki. . "Divine Thunder!" . The devastative kanabo club shot forth and rammed the Admiral in the back, forcing him to jolt forward, driving more of the lightning and molten hell into his core. *Thud* Indra crashed onto the ground, his breathing erratic from the heat and electricity himself. "Remove his last remaining limb," he painstakingly commanded, clenching his burnt palms. The pirates responded to Indra''s orders, rushing onwards. First was Arai. His stone-like body rushed through the earth. With a burst of air, he transformed into an ancient snake, one long enough to wrap around a large ship! . "Coiling Fever!" . The giant snake soared through the air, wrapping around the upper arm, exerting great force, great enough to send cracks through the limb. Then came the zooming catapult. The Ankylosaurus was rolled into a ball, catapulting at the remaining arm of the colossus. Though this was different, the spikes thicker than a tree''s bark were covered in Haki! . "Majin Magic Missile!" . Behind him, was a volley of projectiles being readied. Nomu formed three dozen spears of golden-brown sakиж. *Snap!* *Snap!* *Snap!* Kaen ran his ability over them all, igniting them into a blazing inferno. . "Devil''s Spear Parade!" . The catapulted Majin slammed hard into the center of the arm, at the inner elbow and deepened the cracks to the point where they were as wide as ravines! Next came the blazing spears that lodged themselves throughout the weakened limb. Their heat was suddenly magnified by vast proportions, credit to Indra''s attack that was yet to die down. BOOOM! It happened all at once, the entire reformed limb shattered like glass, raining boulders over the ruined lands. Copious amounts of blood dripped from Admiral, his entire body aching from the repeated assault. The titan still dwarfed all of G-2, but now it was without any arms, forced onto its ruined knees. Deep breathing echoed out from the head of the colossus. "So you figured out that my colossus is linked to my body, so what!? I''ll just reconnect it and then tear you aparиC Hmm!?" His furious eyes gazed around, feeling a change in the setting. *Zip* The molten earth below had taken on a checkered pattern, around 200 meters of such. Basara''s Observation spiked, soon finding the one responsible for it. He locked onto the Empyrean figure who had both his hands placed deep into the ground below him. Damien looked up, matching the gaze of the Admiral who was slowly reforming his body. A single word uttered out from the crooked mouth, reached the Basara''s ears: . "Crumble." . And so it did. A sound of pixelation went off, loud enough to reach distant islands. What followed was instantaneous and merciless. All of the land holding up the goliath, exploded into a cacophony of tiny, red blocks. Under the uncertain terrain, the entire Molten Colossus had nowhere to go but down. Its absurd size slowly sank into the unforgiving sea below, swallowing it bit by bit. Basara, who was still at the helm, felt an aching sensation. His eyes widened as he collapsed from his position, the sinking feeling spreading through his legs and up his core. "Ughhбн you want me to get swallowed by the sea!" Basara grunted in pain, the Curse of Sea imposed on those who''ve eaten Devil Fruit began to act up, and it hit him hard. The ocean was unforgiving and showed no mercy to the Admiral, easily devouring his half-a-kilometer-tall colossus with ease. *Whizz!* The brown flicker, evident of Basara, shot out from the titan''s head and into the sky, roaring past the pain with fury. The air shuddered once more, this time from the Sin Incarnate who launched up as well. . Regardless of the pain from the previous abuse or the numbness born from Indra''s lightning or the Curse of the Sea, the Admiral made his stance clear, "Don''t underestimate the Justice of the Navy!" Damien was all but twenty meters from the Mountain-maker, his eyes sharpening at somethingбкit was just past Basara, his broken colossus. . "Wood Dragon Shackles!" . "!!!" The Admiral''s eyes shot open under the chains locking around his limbs. His eyes fell onto the flood of trees growing from his abandoned titan. ''Without my direct touch, the colossus reverted to its original shape!'' It happened in mere moments, Basara was left crucified in the sky, halting his offense. "Ryushi Combat Artsбн" *Crackle* The weapon was exploding with pulverizing energy as a black and red streak of light followed Damien''s descent. Adding in Emission and Infusion, Damien brought down his mighty weapon. Basara could only glare daggers at the coming charge, gnashing his teeth in helplessness. . "...Tectonic Shift!" . A red dawn bathed the island as the scarlet meteor plummeted down in all its apocalyptic glory. Black lightning sparked everywhere as Basara felt the grazing, plunging sensation of Ryushi''s boiling blades piercing his proud chest and through his marine coat. The memories of his career, his victories, his losses and his supremacy flashed by; BOOM! Finally, he crashed onto the debris floating below, a craft of his own doing, followed by darkness and despair. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 99: History in the Making [Off the Coast of G-2] A huge array of battleships spearheading a marine fleet. Ten thousand elite troops were dispatched from Marineford, under the control of a powerful officer. "Admiral Sengoku, we will arrive at G-2 in two hours," a soldier, with the rank of Vice Admiral, stated. The man seated at the desk before him was not overly satisfied. "It''s been ten hours since we lost communication with G-2, and four hours since Basara hung up his call. I have a bad feeling about this." The bespectacled marine speaking boated an Afro and thin mustache. A marine coat draped over his shoulders. "T-This is Admiral Basara we are talking about," the Vice Admiral exclaimed with disbelief. "Do you think something could have gone wrong?" Sengoku took off his glasses, wiping away a stain. "The waves and tides that were incessantly being generated had suddenly died down, which means the battle has come to an end," he concluded. "Yet Basara has made no contact regarding it." The Vice Admiral, named Rizzo, thought for a second and chimed in, "Perhaps his transponder snail was damaged during the clash." Sengoku sighed into his seat. "The enemy is the Sin Incarnate of the Rocks Pirates, alongside a handful of his pirates." Rizzo still felt his superior''s worries, hoping to settle them with an insightful thought, "Sir, you were able to defeat him a few years back at Mora Island, how could he possibly reach the level of beating Admiral Basaraбн" Sengoku looked at his deputy and could not help but rub his temples. "The pirate I fought was a rough gem in need of carving, Rocks saw that as well. He''s been pulling world-altering moves over the past two years now." "I wouldn''t be surprised if Damien had something to do with the World News Agency''s actions too," the Admiral joked to himself. Though his tone shifted into seriousness once more, "He has bested Zephyr and was a major reason for the Remote Reverie, added to that is the blasted ''D'' in his nameбкa recipe for disaster." ---------------------------------------------- [Hachinosu] "Kong, that wily fox. He actually hid the janitor crew with three masked Vice Admirals," Shakky sighed. A few papers lay scattered at her desk in the main lounge. "Looks like he knew we''d send troops to break Kaido out." The words attracted her attention as she turned to the other pirate in the large room. She acknowledged his presence and ran through another few pieces of intel, "Thankfully the intel on the Admiral being Basara was correct, and not Kurowashi." Newgate, who was casually sitting at a huge chair, became curious, "What do you mean?" Shakky puffed out a cloud of smoke, eyeing the giant pirate. "Damien-chan has a glaring weakness. At his age and level of experience, he is not fit for extended battles; a drawn-out conflict will be his downfall." The woman tapped the informational papers in front of her, a sheet of paper detailing the top-level marines. "Masao aka Kurowashi, can easily counter that weakness. At least with Basara, there''s still a chance to overpower himбн Not that it''s that much easier with a man who can control mountains." Whitebeard put down his jug of alcohol with narrowed eyes, "You want me to go?" Shakky paused for a second, only to shake her head. "Since he said he would deal with it, it''s best to let him be," the Black Death answered. "Damien-chan has a habit of pulling crazy results, let''s see how it goes." . Shakky then glared at Whitebeard with a questioning look, "When did you start dwelling on the condition of pirates?" "Gurararara! I''ve seen all kinds of scum at Hachinosu. Then came that fearless pirate out of a small sea, it would be a waste for such a kid to die young." Shakky sucked on her cigar, beaming a smirk, "I stayed past my bill to see how far Damien-chan can go, looks like he''ll be all grown up soon." Newgate nodded, though he could not help but bring up another thought. "Do you think he can take Basara out? That guy is pretty strong." Shakky puffed a cloud of smoke, and answered with a question, "You''re the one who clashed with him most recently, what do you think?" Whitebeard leaned back into his seat, gazing at the sky visible through the window. "He was still a little green, but I noticed his Haki was at a breaking point." "Is that why you used that technique, to teach it to him?" the woman asked with a smile. Newgate grinned at the clouds, "He''s an interesting little monster, if he can learn that power then perhaps he has a chance at an Admiral." "After all, Haki can only bloom in high-stake battles." Whitebeard took a deep sip of his sakиж, twisting the grip of the jug in his hands, forcing the drink to swirl within its container. "If he takes Basara down, then it would be time for the Fourth Titan of the Rocks Pirates to emerge." ---------------------------------------------- [The Ruins of G-2] All that remained of the once fear-inducing marine base was a cacophony of debris. Broken forests, ruined walls, destroyed foundation of the base, even corpses of the three giants. On one such collection of debris was a group of pirates. Damien was laid out like a corpse, his body greatly weakened. Nearby was the body of Indra, breathing, but immobile. "Commanderбн are you still breathing?" The Sin Incarnate''s eyes opened and glared at the darkened sky, "My body feels heavier than the mountains Basara threw at me." Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. His eyes traced the starry sky and toward the direction where the voice came from. "Indra, you''re not planning on dying on me yet, are you?" The fallen swordsman exhaled a tired heave, realigning his thoughts, "Just a few scratches, I''ll be good to go soonбн" бн Other pirates littered the floor, and each nearly passed out. All but Pablo were on their deathbeds. "I told you, mi amigos, excess adrenaline will kill your spirit the moment it dies down." He smoked on a cigar, polishing his twin pistols. Pablo eyed Indra from the side, trying to hide his shock by the smoke of his cigarette. ''Five shots of stimulants of that intensity will practically cause your heart to explode from hypertension, what a monster.'' He did not even try to think about Damien''s condition, it was beyond his cognition. "Here, these bullets will help hide the fatigue away." Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! He unloaded a clip of pink bullets into his companions. . Kaen slowly got up, his breathing erratic, "There was some serious art in that move of yours, Commander! You sank the goddamn base!" Nomu, the sakиж man, felt the opposite, "I thought we''d be swallowed by the sea as well, I''ve never seen the Curse of the Sea be so ruthless!" "Arai thinks so too." They all turned to the new addition who had somewhere strung along their division. "Is turning into a giant snake a thing of your people, amigo?" Arai tilted his head, taking in the question, "No, Arai was hungry and ate cute fruit, the taste was not cute." Kaen drank some sakиж, credit to having a sakиж-fruit user on your side, and shot back, "That was no ordinary snake!" Damien, who had recovered enough energy to talk, cleared the confusion. "Snake-Snake Fruit иC Ancient Model Titanoboa." [Image (in Discord)] He turned to Arai and remarked, "It''s a rare power, though not as rare as your inherent one." Damien picked up a pebble and threw it. *Fwooo* The projectile shot at great speeds, zooming through the air and onto Arai''s shoulder. The entire deltoid exploded into a fountain of stones, littering the debris island. The victim blinked, scratching his head, "Arai body weird." He pieced back his shoulder, all back to new. Damien felt his horizons being broadened, the vast array of species and tribes of One Piece were simply too many to count. With innumerable islands came countless specialties and quirks of their inhabitants. бн Eventually, the others slowly collected the bearings, giving Damien some time to think. He looked to the far right, his eyes landing on a body resting on a large log: shredding clothing, bloodied appearance, visibly a corpse. A giant weapon with a claw-like edge gorged into the body''s chest, pulsing with a dull red. ''Basara was considered as a Middle Tier Yonko level threat by Sibyl, no wonder my strength hasn''t advanced to that level,'' Damien thought. ''But I did pick on something elseбн'' At that moment, the young pirate recalled a special feeling in his heart from earlier. He raised his left arm and concentrated the sensation once more. *Grrrrrr* *Spark* The air started to grumble as the Haki flooded in. A raging dark red coat of Haki aggressively churning, ready to be unleashed. Within seconds, black lightning began to spark out around the limb, coursing with the volatile Haki. The actions drew the attention of the rest, their eyes glued to the display. . Kaido, who was sulking in the corner from a mood shift, glared at the Haki. "Oye, Oye! *Hic* That''s the technique the Captain uses," he muttered. Damien felt his gaze, turning to the beast. *Fwoo* The pirate flickered away, appearing above the hulking pirate. BAM! With the left fist, Damien met Kaido''s face, sending ripples of force to swim through his skin, echoing through his skull. "Augghh!" he groaned, going full Humpty Dumpty and had a great fall. Kaido spat out some blood, grabbing his ringing head while beaming a bloody grin, "That power is nice, I''ll master it and beat the shit out of you!" Damien scoffed at the Oni, "That sounds vastly different from gratitude, Kaido. Don''t forget, you owe me big time." The bloodied beast glared at him, "Huh!? I would have broken out of there eventually anyway!" "Yeah, yeah, whatever helps you sleep at night." Kaido smashed his club onto the floor, nearly causing their debris island to sink. "Just wait, I''ll break you in half soon enough!" "Your measly bounty tells me a different tale." бн [An Hour Later] Slowly but surely, the pirates had recovered enough to move around. Damien, who had depleted his stamina, opted to fish out a few Sea Kings into a hearty meal. "Eat quick, we gotta flee soon, the marine reinforcements can arrive any time now and I have no fuel left to take on another Admiral." The eight pirates dove right in, devouring a month''s worth of food within seconds. Sea Kings arrived once more, as per Damien''s order, washing their necks as Indra sliced them apart. Kaen used his fruit to cook them ready while Nomu supplied the drinks with his powers. бн "Man, I never thought Admirals were so tough," Kaen muttered as he gnawed at a giant piece of meat. "Awakened fruit ability, what a ridiculous power," Nomu grumbled from the side, drinking his own fluids from his thumb. Indra polished his sword, listening to their conversation, "Admirals are the greatest weapons at the Navy''s disposal, natural disasters, even." Shing! His sharpened sword pointed at the five fodder pirates, its blade reflected the moonlight. "You''d do well to remember that, next time I won''t go about protecting you," Indra said with a sharp tone. Majin gulped, remembering the time when Indra came to their rescue a few hours ago. "There won''t be a next time!" The other four nodded along without any hints of disagreement. . The stern swordsman then turned to his commander and put out a vial containing a few green pieces of ore. "Commander, I found these at G-2," he said, placing the glass vial in front of Damien. "What are they?" "I''m unsure, but the few notes scattered around stated that these are experimental minerals found by the World Government in islands blanketed in darkness for the majority of the day." "They were sent here to be weaponized." Damien hummed in thought. "There''s a few symbols on it," he read out, referring to the three pictograms on the seal. "Vacuum sealed, explosive, highly reactive," Damien interpreted, much credit to his years of study. Beyond that, they were similar to the hazard symbols detailed on chemicals. "They should react strongly to oxygen, producing heat and energy." Indra nodded in understanding, "An explosive." "Of course, the Government would seek to weaponize it. Rahaha, Those bastards." Damien pocketed the ore, perhaps it would be of use someday. . He then looked around and felt something missing from this impromptu feast. He slammed his sakиж jug onto the ground with a bang, loudly declaring, "For now, we celebrate our victory over an Admiral of the Navy Headquarters! Enjoy it while it lasts!" "Majajajaja!" "Ura-girururu!" "Eughuhuhu!" "Arai is laughing!" "Pabobobobo!" "An Admiral, we brought down an Admiral!" A mix of distinct laughter, further amplified by that of two louder ones. "WORORORO!" "Rahahahaha!" Even the reticent Indra smirked. . Though the cheery atmosphere, one born out from the fall of Basara and the ruining of a beacon of the Navy, G-2, was disrupted. The boisterous air warped into that of deep and unabated tension to the point where the hair on one''s skin would spike up. *Shing!* Indra reached for his sword, wrapping it with Haki. Kaido''s laugh warped into an all-out grin as he readied his club. The others tossed aside their food, bringing out their weapons as well. "..." Damien''s eyes ran to the sky, narrowing at a coming threat. "Looks like we have an uninvited guest," the pirate muttered. ''Stronger than Basara.'' The figure gracefully landed, almost as if he had floated down from the clouds. White hair, blood-red eyes, a refined appearance and an umbrella added to a kind smile. Damien recognized him immediately, after all, he was a threat listed at the same level as his Captain. "What is a man as aloof as you doing hereбн Patrick Redfield." To Be Continuedбн Chapter 100: A Legend "What is a man as aloof as you doing hereбн Patrick Redfield." Damien glared at the guest. The man who had just appeared is a pirate known as the ''Red Count'' or the ''Aloof Red.'' His epithet originates from his independence and hatred over alliances and shows of camaraderie. He was a lone wolf by nature, and strongly proud of that distinction. Red was a Level One Threat under the World Threat Index said to equal the likes of Roger and Whitebeard! He was dressed in gentlemanly garments, sporting white in braids, a white goatee and strange circular eyebrows. Red''s outfit was formed by a purple shirt and a red cloak with yellow and blue diamonds as the inside theme. He also has a huge blue rose on the left side of his cloak. [Patrick Redfield Image (in Discord)] . The man in question just chuckled, "You needn''t be so defensive, I have not come here to cross swords with you, young pirate." His words reduced the tension, much to Kaido''s annoyance. "Though I suggest your companions depart swiftly; Admiral Sengoku will arrive within the hour," he said with a slight tinge of disdain. Damien narrowed his eyes, feeling the colours shift around Redfieldбкa shift in emotion in the form of red strands: deep pride. The Sin Incarnate then turned to his Division Mates, giving them an order, "Go and get the ship around, I''ll entertain our unexpected guest." The rest moved immediately, except for Indra. "Go." The swordsman nodded, sheathing his famed blade. "Tch, don''t order me around!" Kaido looked annoyed, the grip of his club tightening. He didn''t wait, rushing forward to smash the club without mercy. It landed with a thunderous bang, sending tremors through the ruined island. "Huh!?" Kaido looked shocked as he saw a purple mist float around his thunderous club, yet there was no sign of Redfield anywhere. A refined voice echoed in the beast''s ears, his body too slow to react, "Patience is a virtue." The gentlemanly voice was overshadowed by a Kaido''s grunt caused by a thin umbrella jabbed into his side, sending red shockwaves through his body. The attack was simple; simply digging into the pirate''s left oblique. Like a comet, the Hundred-Beast shot through the sky, soaring into the distance, bouncing over the seas like a pebble. A giant explosion of water followed as the depths soon swallowed the monstrous Kaido. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Patrick Redfield] [Age: 39 years] [Height: 9'' ] (2.74 m) [Devil Fruit: None] (Has an item that ate a Devil Fruit on his body) [Skills: Absolute talent in Observation, Primitive Life Return, Mastery of the Six Powers, Emotion Sense] [Haki: Observation Haki (Grandmastery (II)), Advanced Mastery of Armament Haki, Conqueror''s Haki (Grandmastery (I))] [Strength: Top Tier Yonko] (A/N: "Primitive" refers to self-learnt abilities rather than out of a Marine Manual.) >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< Redfield never lost his sight of Damien, taking care of Kaido while maintaining his examining gaze. "Well, to what do I owe the pleasure?" the Sin Incarnate questioned. *Tap* *Tap* The experienced pirate first cleaned the tip of his bloodied umbrella, grazing it on the ground. "You see, young man, many years back I heard the tales of an interesting manбн" Redfield paused momentarily before continuing, "He was a powerful pirate whose name shook the seas." "His ambitions and strength led to his eventual demise but from the pirates of this era, he was surely a great man; I respected him." "You''re known to disdain alliances and bonds," Damien said with curiosity. "He must have been quite incredible." Redfield chuckled, "You speak the truth indeed. Those who rely on the bonds between pirates are nothing but excuses for filth and vermin; unable to live with their own weakness, relying on others to make up for it." The man''s blood-red eyes then shifted into that of respect, "Yet that man was differentбн he was like me, he fought alone no matter the enemies lined up against him." . "That is admirable," Damien commented with narrowed eyes, "but what does it have to do with me?" Redfield returned a curious smile, "Yes, you, Sin Incarnate Damien. There is a link between you and that manбн" "And how is that?" The Red Count walked up and looked straight into Damien''s crimson eyes, "That is what makes me so bewildered, young manбн" "Since the person I speak of was given the epithet: ''The God of War''. Yet his actual nameбн was Einar D. Ares!" His blood-red eyes narrowed at the younger pirate, "Why does a pirate who was said to have died nearly two decades ago have the same surname as you? Coincidence? I think not." "..." Damien felt his world tilt upside down, leaving him speechless. "Youбн you mean my father?" This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Redfield heaved a sigh and noddingly said, "It seems so. Ares, the only thing that remains of him has turned into legends that only remember a figure acclaimed as the ''God of War''. Slowly being buried as time ticks on." The Aloof Red. A pirate who prided himself in his independence was quite interested in that legend. "I was but a rookie at the time of your father''s time, unfortunately, he was said to have died by the time I made a name for myself, leaving me quite vexed." Redfield shook his head in dissatisfaction, "I was hoping you could enlighten me on his disappearance; his erasing. Only the Government has that type of power." Damien rubbed his head, recalling the little information his mother had given him, all but the name of his deadbeat dad. The same one who promised to return to his mother, only to never show up again. Now it seems that there were more complications than what Damien had subconsciously assumed, especially since his mother was left alone and perpetually sick. . The Sin Incarnate calmed his turbulent thoughts and shook his head, "I wish I knew about Ares, but I can''t help you." "A pity," Red relented with a sigh of his own. "I would clash weapons with your father had he been alive. A pity indeed." He then twirled his umbrella around. "Very well, young man, I''m sure we will meet again." The famed pirate gazed to the far horizon, his eyes narrowing at something, "Out of respect for your father, I shall hold back the coming marines, they got here quicker than I anticipatedбн must have been that young marine with the Turbo-Turbo Fruit." "Perhaps I should find an ability for myselfбн" he mused with a mysterious smile. Damien also picked up the vast fleet coming from the far north, one spreading across a huge portion of the sea. A powerful presence onboard the leading warship. Redfield suddenly took out a pen and three inconspicuous leaves. *Poof* *Poof* *Poof* A few shadows popped near Damien, taking the appearance of three familiar faces. "Pirate filth." "Gurarara! Let''s get this over with." "Wahahaha! My Ace is ready to cut things apart!" Basara, Whitebeard and Roger, in the flesh. Damien turned his attention to the stationery in Redfield''s hands, commenting, "Your pen is quite an amazing tool. A pen that ate a Mythical Zoan of the Model Bake-Danuki." The Red Count grinned, "I need no companions as I myself am enough." Damien returned a simple nod, recalling the Devil Fruit in mind. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Dog-Dog Fruit иC Mythical Model Bake-Danuki] [Zoan Fruit | Mythical Type] [Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars] [Allows the user to transform into a Bake-Danuki or its hybrid at will.] [Expanded: The user can create clones of other beings when their names are written on a piece of writing.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< Damien hummed at the ability and bid farewell, "Until we meet again, Redfield." "Before you leave, young man, can you answer me a question?" He used his umbrella to point to the far right. The same area where a body rested. "Basara. Why leave him alive?" He gave Damien a curious smile, "Your companions may not be able to feel it but I''m sure you canбкhis heart still beats, although very faintly." The embedded Ryushi was removed by the flick of a wrist, spurting more blood from the fallen marine. "Let''s just say your views on pirate crews are justified..." The veteran pirate naturally picked up on the insinuation. "A weak Navy strengthens your rivals... Paha! I look forward to your future endeavours, young man." ----------------------------------------- [South of G-2] "That was a close one," Kaen muttered. Damien, too, had arrived, all the while having plopped Kaido with the help of a Sea Beast. "Rest up, it''ll take a good week to return," he told the others, leaving them to their own devices. Damien also had time to go over his earnings. Firstly, there was a notification. [Conqueror''s Haki Mastery has reached the Advanced Stage.] "Finally, Infusion is in hand." Damien now had a certain expectation in his heart as he felt his body vying for permission to become something more. "Sibyl, list out my skills." [Roger, Roger.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Skills: Titanic Recovery (+), Titanic Vitality (+), Evolvable Anatomy, Voice of All Things, Will of D., Rokushiki, Life Return (Advanced Mastery), Deprivation, Equal Exchange, Destiny Perception, Empathy] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< A smile spread across the pirate''s face, reflecting his satisfaction. After all that abuse from Basara, Damien was finally able to drive the Armament Haki into the bone marrow of his skeletal system, maximizing his Black Bones, which also opened up the path to evolution! His Recovery had been awaiting evolution since before he left Mortem Island, and now the Vitality was ready as well. "There''s no point in waiting, let''s do itбн" *Fwooo* Damien began to control his breathing. Calming his heart rate down to around a single beat per minute. The blood flowing through his veins began to bubble and churn, getting thicker and brighter. The muscle linings tightened and grew stronger. Cracks echoed out from the young pirate''s body as they creaked into a stronger material. The solid bones made no noise, but the blood produced from the marrow had certainly gotten far more potent. Damien gave out a deep breath as his body reached a new level. [{Titanic Recovery} and {Titanic Vitality} have evolved into their final state and combined.] The catharsis was heavenly, flushing every ounce of fatigue from his body. If Damien had to guess, the only one who could reach the level of his durability was Prime Kaido. However, his recovery had gone beyond the King of the Beasts, even to the point where he could regenerate limbs! . Beyond that, there was another feeling of a void in Damien''s heart. "Just like with Black Bones, I feel like I can now drive Haki into parts of my body!" [You''re right, Damien. It seems your body unlocked a new anatomy,] Sibyl explained. [{Black Body} иC Allows for the acceptance of Armament Haki to further toughen your muscles, tendons, blood vessels, fats, organs, etc., to the point of turning black.] Following the format of Black Bones, the new anatomy also had certain levels of its own. Level 1 иC Hardening the muscles and tendons. Level 2 иC Hardening the veins, arteries and capillaries. Level 3 иC Hardening the organs. Black Body (I) through (III), respectively. "Looks like it''ll take a while to get there but I guess that''s part of the grind," Damien mumbled to himself, not at all annoyed by the process. "Now, bring up my stats." A blue panel appeared in his mind: >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Einar D. Damien] [Age: 18 years, 11 months, 17 days] [Height: 11'' 7"] (3.53 m) [Status: Thriving, Hungry] [Devil Fruit: Pulverize Pulverize Fruit (Advanced Mastery)] [Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars] [Weapon: Ryи▒shi of the Supreme Grade Series] [Ryи▒shi Combat Arts Comprehension: 66% б№] [Notable Characteristics: Black Bones (MAX) б№, Black Body (I) б№, Fishman-Hybrid, Seastone Resistance, Undying Anatomy {New}] [Skills: Voice of All Things, Will of D., Rokushiki, Life Return (Advanced Mastery), Deprivation, Equal Exchange, Destiny Perception, Empathy] [Haki: Observation Haki (Grandmastery (I)), Armament Haki (Advanced Mastery), Conqueror''s Haki (Advanced Mastery) б№] [Strength: Middle Tier Yonko б№] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< "Looks like this is the end of my evolving anatomy, reaching this ''undying'' level," the pirate mused. "Just enough to advance onwards but I bet I''ll be stuck here for a long while." Damien was satisfied with his journey to G-2. Be it his strength advancement or testing out his Fourth Division. . He then found himself at the back end of the departing vessel, leaning on the railing and gazing down at the parting sea. His mind went to the revelation from Redfield, leaving him ambivalent. "Einar D. Ares. I wonder if you look the way I imagine you do," Damien muttered, his voice tinged with bitterness and curiosity. The reflection of an older man with black hair and a red streak to one end stared back at him from the sea, mocking his uncertainty. As the ship cut through the waves, memories of his mother''s stories and the harsh reality of her abandonment clashed within him. "How could you leave her?" The thought echoed louder this time, anger bubbling beneath the surface. "..." Alas, there was no reply from the smiling figure. "Secrets will unveil themselves as time goes on," Damien whispered, his resolve hardening. "I just need to keep getting stronger!" He felt a mix of determination and frustration. Every step towards uncovering his father''s truth was a step towards understanding his own path. The legend of Einar D. Ares would not overshadow Damien''s journey but fuel it, driving him to become something more than just his mysterious father''s son. To Be Continuedбн ---------------------------------------------- Author''s Corner: Damien''s body is as tough as prime Kaido but his recovery is one step higher than the King of Beasts, even to the point of regrowing limbs. Manga readers may know of certain figures who can also do this, so it isn''t immersion-breaking in terms of the One Piece world. What do you think happened to Ares from what you were told in this chapter? Images are available on Discord alongside other niche details: https://discord.gg/aJHHHPvb6q Chapter 101: Headlines [The Very Next Day] A huge operation unfolded following the events at G-2. A large meeting at Marineford, accounting for all the top-level marines in action. Fleet Admiral Kong stood at the head of the table. Big names such as Admiral Kurowashi, Vice Admiral Garp, Admiral Candidate Zephyr, Director of the MCIS Hakuchин and Great Inspector Tsuru were all present. Sengoku''s transponder snail sat at the center, burrowing into the wooden table from the tension that filled the room like a wet blanket. "Tell me once more what happened at G-2." The afroed snail answered immediately, keeping his reply concise, "On the thirty-first of January, a raid took place at Grand Line Branch Two. It accounted for six pirates of the Rocks Crew, exclusively their Fourth Division." "Under the command of the Sin Incarnate, they freed the guinea pigs: Arai and Kaido, laid waste to G-2, and left Basara in critical condition, even costing him an eye." Kong sat perfectly stillбкhis body made no movements yet his eyes were shot open, seething in anger. "And what delayed your arrival? Wasn''t Raito''s ability enough to catch them off-guard?" he questioned with a grim air. The man across the snail returned a defeated sigh, "I met an obstacle in the shape of Patrick Redfield, he left clones of Roger, Whitebeard and Basara and flew away." A vein popped in the Fleet Admiral''s forehead. "Redfield, that elegant bastard has a knack for pissing me off!" . "Ahem, Kong-san," the Admiral cleared his throat. "I also crossed paths with Phantom of Cipher Pol, he was there under Xerxes'' orders." The commanding officer gnashed his teeth, mumbling a low growl under his breath. "Xerxes, another bastard always snooping around without any prior warningsбн And, did Phantom tell you anything?" "According to Phantom, the Sin Incarnate now wields the destructive power of a Supreme Blade, Added to the nature of his ability and being son to the God of War makes him an unignorable threat." *Bam!* Zephyr lightly slammed his metal arm, exclaiming, "I agree! That pirate is on a path to becoming a threat equaling that of Rocks!" "What do you think, Tsuru?" Kong asked the sole woman. The woman eyed a paper sheet listing a few events, analyzing the fine details. "The young pirate has been involved in many world-shaking events in the past couple of years. Mora Island, Encephala Island, Amethyst Kingdom & G-4, Jaya and now G-2. I agree, the World Threat Index needs updating." Kong slowly nodded, expressing his agreement. . Masao, aka Kurowashi, pointed out another problem, "This failure, alongside many, has left a vacuum of troops, whittling away our numbers and budget; let alone an incapacitated Admiral. If not for the deal with Fulcrum, we would be in far more trouble." The Fleet Admiral naturally knew of this as well. "I have called the Five Elders and they agreed to increase our budget and announce a World Military Draft immediately!" "Masao, go island to island, I want you to express your ''Elegant Justice'' and garner as much favour with the people as you can." The dark-clothed Kurowashi nodded, accepting the task. "Tsuru, call the World Economy News Paper. Although we cannot stop them from reporting the incident, inform them that keeping their newspapers marine-friendly is in their best interest." Kong continued, showcasing why he was deemed a Fleet Admiral in the first place, "Hakuchин, increase the number of informants at Hachinosu, I want to know everything they''re up to!" He then stood up and addressed the table, "Everyone, I need your full support for what''s to come, the seas show no signs of calming down!" "Yes sir!" they loudly responded. "..." Kong''s brows twitched and a vein popped across his forehead. He glared at the one person who seemed to be in his world, a Vice Admiral who had been doing nothing but munch away at rice crackers. "Garp! You brat, did you hear a single thing I just said!?" The heroic marine paused his eating and shared a thought, "Hmm, I just realized that the Sin Incarnate kid likes to take away body parts when he defeats marines. Isn''t that right, Zephyr? Bwahahaha!" The purple-haired Vice Admiral just shook his head in dissatisfaction, "If you weren''t always so mad to hunt Roger then maybe the threat of the Rocks Pirates would be less glaring to us!" The clean-shaven Garp shruggedбкwhat went in one ear came out the other. The only sense he was currently using was taste, one thirsty for more rice crackers with tea. ---------------------------------------------- [Pirate Paradise of Hachinosu] A bad day for the Navy was a day of celebration for the scum of the seas. The only way the Rocks Pirates celebrated was in blood! Rivers of red flowed through the dusty ground of the Beehive Island, soaking the air in a red mist while adding a tint of crimson to the nearby seas, inviting many monstrous sea creatures to feast. A man with long blue braids licked the blood from his rapier, enjoying the metallic taste. "Kruh-yayaya! Look at that, the bounty of the Fourth Division is rivalling the top three divisions with just seven members!" Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. His crazed eyes were locked on the rotten board that was pinned with fresh bounties. It was one of the many bounty bulletins littered through the Pirate Paradise, not for pride, but to add targets to their fellow comrades. It was simply another reason to stab a fellow companion in the back. "Just the lowest bounty is over a hundred million!" A bald man howled with a manic grin. -----< WANTED >----- < DROGA?PABLO > < ''Drug Lord'' > < ?? 111,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > -----< WANTED >----- < ARAI > < ''Stone Serpent'' > < ?? 154,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > -----< WANTED >----- < MAJIN > < ''The Rampage'' > < ?? 179,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > -----< WANTED >----- < IGNIO?KAEN > < ''The Inferno'' > < ?? 193,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > -----< WANTED >----- < VOYD?NOMU > < ''True Pirate'' > < ?? 215,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ---------------------------- [Muerta Bar] "Jihahaha! Eat up fellas, things are about to get wild!" "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma! This cake isn''t half bad! How much blood did they add?" Dozens of clinks echoed through the rotten establishment, splattering the rusty floors with fresh booze. The legendary Golden Lion had put together the jolly atmosphere for a few days now, all in hopes of preparing for the future hell they would wrought. It was so boisterous that the Evil Spirit Charlotte Linlin had come too, ordering a mind-numbing amount of sweet treats. . *Bang!* The sorrowful doors opened, inviting a gasping burly man with an orange buzzcut. With another thud, he fell to his knees in front of the drunk Shiki. The golden-haired man chuckled at the pathetic state of his subordinate and asked, "What''s got you all riled up?" "L-Lord Shikiбн look hereбн!" He pulled out a newly printed paper. Shiki placed his giant jug of sakиж and grabbed the papers with a hint of intrigue. "!!!" His eyebrows were raised to his forehead showcasing his surprise which was enough to drop the cigar tucked at the edge of his lips. "What the hell is this!?" A few other pirates reached for the tray of newspapers which were being updated by a worker-slave, each thirsty for the news. "The Raid at G-2!" a man echoed the headlines, jaw-dropped. There were many visuals of the mighty base going from a beacon of authority to a sea of ruins, slowly sinking into an enormous crater. "Oye, Oye, the Mountain was surmounted!?" Basara''s miserable corpse-like state was also unveiled, a picture Damien had personally sent to Morgans. A larger-than-life woman licked her lips, "The Seventh Division''s Commander was also released, hehe, looks like Hachinosu is ''bout to get cheerful!" -----< WANTED >----- < ''Hundred-Beast'' > < ?? 961,110,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ---------------------------- "Shy of a billy, they must really hate him for stealing those Heavenly Tributes!" . The voluptuous Linlin cackled at the sight of the papers, "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma! Who cares about that idiot Kaido, I''m more interested in this one!" A strand of desire washed by the woman''s orange eyesбкa grievous look born out of greed. -----< WANTED >----- < ZENORA?INDRA > < ''Hellspawn'' > < ?? 966,600,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ---------------------------- Indra''s bodily markings were called into question once more by the papers, leaving the ever-hungry Linlin enraptured by the revelations. "I thought it was just some nonsense in his previous bounty but after that dayбн" A memory came to the giant woman''s find. It was when she waltzed into the Fourth Division''s headquarters five months ago and ran into the Evil Omen, now known as the Hellspawn, and some fresh fodder. Indra''s unshaken glare that had met Linlin left her impressed. "Don''t be fooled by these vultures of the newspaper, Linlin," came a dismissive voice from Shiki. The Golden Lion looked at the caption of the ''Hellspawn'' with disdain, "He shows no signs of activating his greatest power; don''t forget, the Warborns were exterminated 25 years ago!" The skimpily-dressed pirate grinned at the irate Shiki, easily spotting his frustration. "You''re just angry that you lost the bet! Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma, Damien really slapped you in the face with this!" Another bounty poster was slammed onto the wooden countertop under the titan''s enormous hand. Its young figure seemed to be mocking the majestic Golden Lion with a signature pirate smirk. -----< WANTED >----- < EINAR?D?DAMIEN > < ''Sin Incarnate'' > < ?? 2,487,600,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ---------------------------- Shiki clenched his fists in recollection of the agreement made a month ago. His sharp eyes were studying the youthful Damien, spinning the gears in his head. "Hehe, Indra will be hailed as another Tragedy under the no-good Rocks and Damien will be the Fourth Titan, there''s nothing you can do about that!" Linlin gulped down a five-layer cake, sheepishly enjoying the succulent taste. "!!!" Then came a sound of liquid slapping the floor. It immediately silenced the jolly Muerta Bar. The Evil Spirit felt some movement in her lower abdomen and shot up from her seat, "Hmm, my water broke at the right timeбн" she whispered, ready to give birth. "I can''t wait to get a refill with Damien''s seed when he comes back!" ---------------------------------------------- [The 111th Branch Base in the West Blue] A modest room with warm colours with a garden at its back. An orange carpet with two seats facing a wooden desk. At the other side was another chair, the chair of the commanding officer of the 111th. The room was dimly lit with one light, barely enough to boast the landscape paintings on the sides, but just enough to show off the banner of "Merciful Justice." The Marine at the head of the desk wore a black t-shirt and grey trousers with a marine coat draped over his shoulders, decorated in golden cuffs. He also had a buzzcut, stubble, and a few scars on his face. "Captain Raiden, is it true that you met the Sin Incarnate in his younger years?" a childish voice asked. The weathered man leaned into his seat, drawing his eyes away from the news. "That''s right, Atlas. He came here many years ago." The face of the bold and ambitious young lad came to Raiden''s mind, followed by the endless news of the chaos thereafter. "Look what he did to Basara-sama, it''s evil!" The teenager balled his fist, sporting a frown, "It''s a good thing Kurowashi-sama has been running across the world, calming the seas from this mess." . Raiden heard Atlas'' chipper voice, lightly smiling at his youthful spirit. "Don''t be so quick to judge, Atlas. No one is born evil, they''re shaped by their past and surroundings." He looked at the boy''s innocent eyes and continued, "Us Marines must protect them from such damning childhoodsбн These pirates show just how badly we fulfill that obligation." The older man''s tone started like that of a teacher, but it warped into one of guilt near the end. Atlas wasn''t mature enough to fully understand Raiden''s sorrow but he could feel the honesty in the words and nodded. "Well, at least the World Military Draft was launched under Admiral Masao''s directions. Maybe we can get more people to help the seas!" "Hararara!" Raiden burst into laughter. "Yes, perhaps we can spare some pain in these seas." Atlas gave a proud thumbs up before running out, wishing to spread the good work of the Black Eagle. "..." Raiden absently gazed at the open door, his eyes distant from the previous joy. His scarred hands reached for the transponder snail at the corner of his desk. *Click* The receiver was raised in the man''s grasp while his other hand froze at the dial. ''It''s my duty,'' he told himself, leaving him to chew the inside of his cheek. With great difficulty, the dial was spun and the snail woke up: "Puru," "Puru," "Puru." "Katcha~!" A woman''s voice followed, "You''ve reached the Marine Criminal Intelligence Service. Please report your credentials." The Marine Captain heaved a sigh, relinquishing any further thoughts and spoke with a firm voice, "Eleos Raiden at Greta, West Blue. Please direct my call to AsahиC pardon me, Director Hakuchин. I have some important intel he must be made aware of." The woman on the snail paused momentarily, possibly running a few checks on the agent''s name. "One moment pleaseбн" "..." Raiden saw the reflection of his "Merciful Justice" in the painting at the back of his office as an older man''s voice came from the receiver. "Raiden, my old friend. What do you have from me?" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 102: Duel of Seeds [Fourth Division Standard Ship, New World] [One Week Later] Damien was more than satisfied with what happened at G-2. The fall of Basara had already made its way through the seas, ringing the world with shock. Meanwhile, the Fourth Division welcomed a new member: Arai, or as Damien liked to call them, Elite Fodder. A few clanks broke the pirate from his thoughts, coming from someone''s feet. "You''ve made quite the name for yourself, Indra." The swordsman looked at Damien and simply nodded, then went off to his own devices, probably to train. "Well, I''m sure there are people out there who would be celebrating for gaining such a high bounty," the Commander muttered with a wry smile. Indra had graduated from being seen as a simple subordinate under Damien. He was once the "Evil Omen" whose presence indicated the arrival of the Sin Incarnate, and now he was the "Hellspawn"бкa Tragedy under the Rocks Pirates alongside Silver Axe, Captain John, Shakuyaku and Kaido. ''Sibyl, outline Indra.'' [Okay.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Zenora Indra] [Age: 24 years, 30 days] [Height: 11'' ] (3.35 m) [Status: Thriving] [Devil Fruit: None] [Weapon: Kyoran of the Great Grade Series] [Skills: Great talent in swordsmanship, Dormant Skill (???), One Sword Style, Moonwalk, Shave] [Haki: Observation Haki (Nigh-Advanced Mastery), Armament Haki (Intermediate Mastery)] [Strength: Top Tier Yonko Commander] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< ''It''s interesting, an ability that lies dormant,'' Damien pondered. It was not hard to connect the dots; Indra had been written as a ''Warborn'' many times in the papersбкan extinct tribe known for some rather unnatural origins. It piqued the Sin Incarnate''s curiosity, to say the least. бн [Later that Afternoon] The Fourth Division and Kaido docked onto Hachinosu, getting off the tired ship. Their arrival was marked with quite the reception. "Scumumumu! The Fourth Division is worth over four billion berries! It''s amazing!" "Hehe, it''s worthy of a Titan-led Division, they even brought down an Admiral! It would''ve been better if they brought back Basara''s corpseбн I want to try his liver!" "I heard the head now holds the Thirteenth Supreme Blade, I want to cross swords with him!" бн The boisterous pirates continued their chatter. Most were relishing the fall of an Admiral, cheering the ones behind it. In their devious eyes, Hachinosu was one level stronger and their group was one step closer to world domination! However, it would not be right if there was some kind of disruption along the way, shaking the earth for its sheer weight. "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma!" Damien eyed the towering woman who had crashed onto the street before him. "What now, Linlin?" The woman grinned, licking her lips, "I just gave birth a few days agoбн come now, I''m ready for the refill you promised me!" The female pirate did not take no for an answer. Her eyes suddenly changed shape, turning into orange rings. *Fuuu* A black mist burst out from her body, reaching out to the ends of the street. A menacing grin was etched on her face as she demanded with a magnetic tone: "LIFE or SEED?" "T-That''s the Soul Pocus, ru-!" Damien narrowed his eyes, looking at the hundreds of pirates around him who had been knocked out to the reddish floor. Indra got halfway in drawing his sword before being stopped by Damien. "You should know that little technique of yours holds no power over me. Do you really want to do this right now, Linlin?" She did not answer, simply cackling a dull melody. "Napoleon!" Her pirate hat jumped into the air as if answering her call. With a poof, it transformed into a fully-fledged bicorne! "Ryushi." Damien extended a hand, commanding the blade to appear, and it did. "How about it, the winner gets to demand a favour from the loser of anything." Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Big Mom mirrored Damien''s smile with her own. "Fine by me!" *Krrrr* Black lightning echoed from their blades, crackling at the loose earth below, leaving it in ruins. The Haki leaking out was enough to dull the bright sun, befalling the island with an eerie glow. The two sprang out from their positions, charging ahead with no care of their surroundings and leaving spanning craters every step. A shockwave was unleashed as the two blades crashed upon one another, echoing through Hachinosu''s core. The sheer explosion left glass to shatter, nearby buildings to shred away, and give birth to massive waves to the sea nearby. "T-They aren''t even touching!" a veteran pirate mumbled, before being swept away by the torrents raging through the island. A collection of opposing Conqueror''s Haki was sent to the darkening sky above, leaving a giant scar in the heavens. "Rahahahaha!" "Ma-Ma-Mam-MA!" The pirates shared a wide grin, not withholding any strengthбкa gesture reflecting in the uncontrolled release of their Haki that had left Hachinosu groaning in pain. бн "How long do you think they''ll be at it?" Kaen asked from the side, a hand covering his face from the blasting winds. Indra stood tall and was not entirely sure either, "Who knows, but it will take a while." He looked around: the pirates who could withstand the influx of chaotic forces were few in number. Meanwhile, Kaido was laughing like a madman as the Haki from the clash was drilling into his pores. бн Time went on. A flurry of conditions had left Hachinosu in shambles, yet the maddened pirates of the Rocks received it well. They found it exhilarating, at least the ones that survived did. Pablo cleaned his pistols, glancing at the hell being waged at the far corner of Hachinosu. A location that had been left in ruins, nothing but fine dust and broken earth remained. "How long will the Patrиоn fight forбн it''s already been thirty hours!" Nomu drank some sakиж, sucking it out of his thumb, all the while commenting on the subject, "Looks like the Commander got a lot more energy after Basara, it''s pretty incredible!" It was more than noticeable. Damien''s survivability had blossomed and was reflected in the collision with the Evil Spirit. "Neither of you see it; the Commander is not satisfied." The two looked at Indra, unsure of his words. "The likes of Newgate and Shiki have clashed for days on end, it isn''t odd to see them go for at least a week with an unending fight." Indra narrowed his eyes at the chaos far away. "Usually Logia fruit users have the most impressive stamina as they are perpetually in a state of intangibility. On the other hand, Paramecia requires experience in years of combat, a mighty vitality and body." "Last I checked the Boss took on mountains and walked out with a few scratches," Nomu uttered. Pablo blew out some smoke, sharing his thoughts, "And now he is a Titan of the Rocks, that''s as big of a target on someone''s back as it gets, mi amigo. Patrиоn wants to be able to fight endlessly!" Indra stood up, the hell being wrought in the background of his steps, "That target is on our backs as well, you both would be wise to step up or be swept away." He walked away, intending to double his training. бн [Five Hours Later] Boom! Damien landed on some ruined soil, his feet sinking deep. He took a deep breath of air, smelling a mix of ash, dust and blood. The sun shone on his ruined attire, leaving him nearly shirtless and exposing some superficial bruising and cuts. "Rahaha! Linlin, the island won''t take much more, why don''t we end it with a grand finale?" His tired words echoed through the torn-up land, reaching the voluptuous pirate. Her hair was currently bursting with a giant flame while wielding her elongated bicorn and a thunderous cloud at her side. All but her polka dot bikini had been obliterated from the duel. [Linlin Image (in Discord)] Her orange-ringed eyes locked onto the pirate, "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma! You look tired, Damien! But fine, get swallowed by the Spear of Elbaf!" The woman swung her mighty blade, aiming to crash it onto Damien''s neck. . "Ikoku Sovereignty!" . The pink slash soared through the sky, crackling with black lightning. Its sheer size was enough to inhale entire battleships and leave ravines in its wakeбкa simple yet devastating strike. Damien felt the buzzing threat and chose a more unorthodox maneuver. "!!!" The future flashed through his eyes, outlining the next ten seconds like a blueprint. His mind fired thoughts, running through different paths, and Damien found what he was looking for. *Crack* A shift of weight spawned a spiderweb in the earth below, followed by a dust cloud from the leaping pirate. In the shocked eyes of not only Big Mom, but all the spectators, the Sin Incarnate charged straight into the coming slash, a slash that spanned half of Hachinosu!The air was sliced into thin torrents as the Haki ground away at its physical composition, all for Damien to jump directly into. The towering pirate''s body was wholly encased in the Colour of Arms, welcoming the island-cutting attack. Boom! *Krrrr!* The streaming cyclone-like attack roared out through the shrieking winds, drilling into the young pirate''s pores. The heat was molten-hot, firing up Damien''s nervous system, it was like magma coursing through his veins. But there was little to no damage outside of some first-degree burnsбкhis body held strong! Linlin''s eyes widened as she saw her attack thunder on ahead and part the seas into the distant horizon, leaving a flash of red behind. "Ryushi Combat Artsбн" The blade responded, generating an influx of pulverizing energy dense enough to shatter mountains. . "бнBroken World!" . The pincer-like end crashed onto the woman''s core, drilling into her stomach. "Auughh!" A deafening yell broke out from Linlin, resounding the entirety of Hachinosu. Blood poured out from her mouth, credit to the pulverizing energy and Emission of Haki. Her widened eyes reflected the pain, shock, and anger. The glare continued as her body rocketed through the skies, creating a grey trail before finally carving into Skull Rock. *Rumble* A deep shock pulsed through the island, creaking and groaning from the tremors. Cracks spread out all over the mountain-like skull, spreading deep into its roots and through the streets. . Damien deeply exhaled, feeling numb all over. Although his bones were nearly indestructive, the flesh around the skeletal system had to hold up. Any further rejoicing from the clash was put to a halt when a shadow landed behind the Sin Incarnate, clearly quite annoyed. "Enough of that, you trying to sink the damn island!?" Damien met Shiki''s angered eyes, not showing a hint of remorse. The Flying Pirate clicked his tongue, reining in some of his attitude, "Consider it your win, you monstrous brat. Hehe, it''s been a while since I heard Linlin cry out in pain." Damien raised an eyebrow at his expression, finding it odd. Though any more of their chat had to be put on hold for what followed: "Haaah!? When did I lose!?" Both Titans looked at the shadow clawing her way out of the crater. The blazing fire in her hair was burning hotter than magma. Though even that display was not enough to hide the noticeable gorge on her chest, one that was bleeding, but lacked the depth to leave a scar. Shiki smirked at the sight, revelling in her misery, "Any more and the island will sink, the Captain wouldn''t like that. Since you''ve taken the most damage, I think that makes you the loser here." The towering woman audibly gnashed her teeth so hard that sparks flew from her mouth. "Hmph, fine! I''m going to eat!" She jumped into the sky, landing on her thundercloud: Zeus, and flew away. . "Maybe I was wrong about you, Shiki. You''re not a complete dick." The golden-haired pirate grinned at Damien, "She was annoying me for losing the bet with you and now I can say the same to her." The look in the Titan''s eyes then warped into appreciation, "Pirates are the kings of the seas; credit is due to those who can bring down Admirals, you''ve earned my respect, Damien!" Shiki examined the young pirate, seeing his shredded clothing. The skin beneath had already healed from the time Linlin took to crash into Skull Rock, boasting no visible damages. "Anyways, you''re one tough bastardбн it''s almost a little scary, Jihahahaha!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 103: Impending Mayhem Shiki proceeded to tap some debris from fallen buildings and applied his powers. With a wave of his hand, they floated and fit perfectly into the ravines and scars left over the streets. As destructive as the Golden Lion''s power was, it was just as constructive, allowing him to be an artist with the world as his canvas. Then came the Condemned, the low-level foot soldiers, who had to bust their balls to clean up all the mess. Their sole responsibility was currently to bring the ruined streets back to their original appearance. As gruelling as it was, none of them voiced their complaints. Not because they did not want to complain, but because they did not want to die. The Rocks Pirates strictly followed the idea that strength dictated allбкanyone who wanted to voice opinions would need to either earn his way to the top via merits or kill the ones in the chain of command and take their place. бн [Titanic Food Hall] Damien made his way to eat in an empty hall; a day-and-a-half of nonstop fighting had left him hollow. Although he did not take much damage, it did consume a lot of energy to hold back the likes of Linlin who had decades of experience already. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Charlotte Linlin] [Age: 28 years, 11 months, 26 days] [Height: 28'' 10.5"] (8.8 m) [Status: Tired; Slightly Injured] [Devil Fruit: Soul-Soul Fruit (Grandmastery (I))] [Fruit Rating: 7 Stars (Ultimate-Class Fruit)] [Skills: Steel Balloon Anatomy, Divine Uterus, Overwhelming Strength, Destructive Hunger Pangs] [Haki: Intermediate Mastery of Observation Haki, Advanced Mastery of Armament Haki, Conqueror''s Haki (Advanced Mastery)] [Strength: Middle Tier Yonko] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< The potential of Linlin''s Observation and Armament had already been reached, leaving all but Conqueror''s Haki to further upgrade. ''She''ll probably be Top Tier near or after God Valley. As expected of a future Emperor,'' Damien thought while gorging on trays of food. Having gone over the woman''s stats, the pirate then turned to the other person in the deserted hall. "Yo, Katakuri, looks like you''re still gulping down your donuts." The magenta-haired boy was just as invested in his sweets as Damien was in his meal. "You knocked away Mama," he said, inhaling another donut. Damien shrugged. "I''ve never seen someone dive straight into her attacks like that," the boy voiced out his thoughts. "My body is just a little tougher than the others," the Sin Incarnate answered with a smirk. Katakuri hummed, returning to his donuts. бн "Ara~! The Rocks'' superstar is finally back," came a seductive voice. Damien smiled at the direction of the voice, "Shakky-nee, you look as laid-back as always." The black-haired woman beamed a smile, taking the seat in front of the Sin Incarnate. She didn''t continue speaking, rather she simply gazed into the pirate before her, straight into his eyes. "..." Damien felt a little odd, conveying his confusion, "What is it?" Shakky hummed a tune, all the while taking a puff on her cigar. "Hmm~ I don''t know, you seem a little different ever since you''ve returned, Damien-chan." "Don''t you think so too?" Shakky asked the sweet-craving boy. Katakuri didn''t extricate himself from his snack, although he did glance at Damien''s ''different'' demeanour. A small nod is all that was returned. "See, even Donut-chan agrees." Damien gave a wry smile at her nicknaming tendency. Meanwhile, Shakky leaned in, her eyes narrowing deeper and examined every minute motion of the Sin Incarnate, "I got it! Damien-chan picked up a flower during his little vacation!" The young man paused, meeting the curious eyes of the Black Death, "What makes you say that?" *Puff* Another cloud of white smoke exhaled from her mouth as Shakky put on a thin smile. "A woman can tell," she casually replied. "And you may have picked more than just one flowerбн" Damien coughed a dry laugh, "Well, it''s just two of them." Shakky smiled, looking at the new Titan with some emotion. "It''s nice," she muttered, "I didn''t think someone could find so much sunshine on this dark and decrepit island." She leaned back into her seat, her eyes filled with melancholy. . Damien looked at Katakuri, gesturing to him for something. *Skrr* The chair creaked as the ten-year-old sauntered off, leaving Damien and Shakky in the room. "This life is draining you away, Shakky-nee. It''s not worth the trouble for you to stay any longer," he calmly stated. The woman looked up, blinking at the words. "Ufufufu, are you giving me life advice?" "Well, you''re not wrong, I did fill my quota for Captain Rocks, Amazon Lily can fly his flag while the crew stands mighty." She took a breath of the cigarette, drowning in her thoughts. "You know, Damien-chan, I found this great place at Sabaody, far from the public yet with a good location," she giggled. "I sat by the edge of a cliff at Grove 13 and it felt quite nice. It made me think that the time to bid farewell to this life had finally come." If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Damien nodded at her words, agreeing with them, "I can help you get out of here, Shakky-nee." She returned a smile, more than enough to convey her appreciation for the words. "What''s your plan after leaving the Rocks Pirates?" The woman tapped her chin, and brainstormed, "Hmm, perhaps make a bar or a restaurant at the spot on Grove 13, it would be a nice, calm place to enjoy my time." Damien laughed at the words. Grove 13 was in the part of Sabaody plagued with lawlessness, a gathering of evil. Although it paled in comparison to the hell of Hachinosu. "Hehe~ maybe you can bring your girls there one day." The younger pirate smiled, "You make yourself sound so old. You''re not even 25, Shakky-nee, maybe you should find someone too?" "Ufufufu, falling in love never ends well for usбн" some turbulence flashed by her eyes, originating from some buried memories. Naturally, Damien wasn''t ignorant of the lovesickness which plagued Amazon Lily. "You don''t have to go out of your way to seek itбн just be open-minded when it finds its way to you." The former Empress leaked a smile at the advice. "Ara~! When did you grow up so much from that spicy lad I ran into at Severa Island years ago?" ---------------------------------------------- [Five Days Later] "Puru," "Puru," "Puru." "Katcha~!" "This is Damien," the pirate answered in his modest residence at the Fourth Division''s HQ. The snail took the form of a green-haired girl as a soft voice responded in greeting, "Damien-san!" A smile came to the pirate''s face. "Toki, how are you?" "Everything is great!" came an enthusiastic reply. "I read your attack on G-2бн you didn''t get injured, did you? My powers can heal most thingsбн" Damien smiled, almost picturing the green-haired girl''s current look, one plagued with worry. "I''m fine, Toki. Thank you." "Mhm," the snail bobbed its head. "Did you call just to see how I was doing?" "бн" The snail suddenly started giggling, "Damien-san, did you forget what day it was? It''s your birthday!" The excited voice left the pirate blinking to himself. "Oh, you''re right. I guess I''m nineteen nowбн" Damien mumbled, recalling that it was February 15. [A/N: Coincidentally, both Damien and Big Mom share the same birthday. So I guess she is 29 as Damien turned 19.] . "Kuzan-kun is asleep after a gruelling training session, but he sends his wishes tooбкHappy birthday, Damien-san!" The Sin Incarnate smiled at the soft but emotional voice. In just a few weeks Hachinosu was hellish. With Damien''s power Haki, he could not only hear the incessant screams and cries of pain from all the scummy activity that took place on the island, but he could also read the putrid emotions of the pirates like a book. Plagued with the stench of death of evil would leave most people to vomit their daily meals. AlToki''s voice was a breath of fresh air. "Thank you, Toki." The snail mimicked her expressions well, reflecting the bright smile. "How are things on the island?" Damien sighed, recalling a piece of news. "There''s a huge wave coming. It''s Sol, the last remaining Overlord. He''s finally playing his hand and it''s gonna bring quite the stir in the seas." The female doctor knew the importance of the matter at hand, choosing not to speak on something she didn''t know much about. "Stay safe, Damien-san," she simply said. "I love you." Damien glanced at the unblinking eyes that were clearly expecting a certain reply in return. "I know." "бн" The snail warped into a different appearance, one wearing an eye mask, "Hehe! That was a cool reply, Damien-san, I''ll save it for later!" "Kuzan-kun, you can''t treat someone''s heartfelt feelings as a joke!" "Ehh, I''d rather be a bachelor thenбн" "That''s not good either!" The transponder snail kept shifting between the two faces, echoing their debate, leaving Damien to chuckle. . "!!!" Damien''s smile froze while a cold wind washed over his shoulder. The young pirate couldn''t help but pause in his train of thoughtбкit felt like he was standing in a dark fog blocking his senses. The once vast future that was ever-clear abruptly went dark. "What''s wrong, Damien-san?" "...I don''t know, my Haki was just blocked," Damien muttered in solemnity, "Kuzan, Toki, I''ll talk to you later." ""Stay safe!"" "Katcha~!" Damien jolted from his seat, walking out of his residence. *Fwooo* A gentle wind blew about as a figure appeared by Damien''s side. "You too, Commander? Even at your level of Observation?" Damien nodded at Indra, both taking a more serious stance. "It would need a significant mastery over Conqueror''s Haki to kill my Observation, an ability only a select few haveбн" Damien felt an ominous air, all before his senses were assaulted with the air of death; before either of them knew, a shadow had appeared behind them. The Sin Incarnate didn''t need to turn around to know who it was. "Captain Rocks, you''re back," he calmly stated. "Xahahaha! Looks like you''ve grown a lot stronger, brat!" Alas, the two met the eyes of the Supreme Leader of the Rocks PiratesбкRocks D. Xebec. Damien felt the crazed glance of his humble captain; predatory, monstrous, fierce, feralбкall fitting words to describe him. Wild black hair, scarred appearance, a savage smile and eyes filled with pure evil. No matter how you looked at him, it was as if the herald of death had come knocking at your door. . "Rahahaha, I''d say the sea is in for some turbulence with that look in your eyes." Rocks grinned with a manic chuckle, the eyes of a lunatic who''d stop at nothing to acquire what he wanted. He reached out to the sun above, clenching at it, almost as if holding it captive. "The seas have been calm for a while now, it''s time to bring about a new era, my era!" The declaration resounded on the island, almost as if provoking the skies to birth a strong gust of air. It was beyond blasphemous. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* Rocks began to walk to Skull Rock, his dark attire floating in the sudden wind, carrying a dull echo of the Captain''s cackle. "..." Rocks, The Abyssal Sin, slowly walked across the cobblestone streets, his shadow seemingly creeping out of his body and leaving behind corrosive footsteps. Hundreds of the cheery pirates stopped what they were doing, scrambling to the side to clear a very wide path. Their eyes were glued to the ground, their bodies shivering with fright under the cold presence of Xebec. Some even fainted from the sheer presence, even though Rocks did not attempt to unleash his Haki. It was like a curtain wrapped around him, a curtain of despair. Damien followed behind the frightening figure, feeling the ghastly chill. ''His body is reeking with pure despair, flooding those nearby with nothing but dread,'' he thought. His mind went to a voice in his mind. [Yes, Damien. Just like how you acquired the ability of {Destiny Perception} and {Empathy} when getting a Grandmastery over Observation Haki, it seems your captain got something for Conqueror''s Haki, one that makes others sink into utter despair,] Sibyl gave a concise reply. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Rocks D. Xebec] [Age: 40-50 years] [Height: 14'' 11"] (4.55 m) [Devil Fruit: Death-Death Fruit (Grandmastery (II))] [Fruit Rating: 7 Stars (Ultimate-Class Fruit)] [Weapon: Mokushiroku of the Supreme Grade Series] [Skills: Unholy Talent in all Colours of Haki, Overwhelming Strength, Overwhelming Presence, Shadow of Despair, Will of D, Screams of All Things] [Haki: (Grandmastery (II)) of Observation Haki, Grandmastery (I) of Armament Haki, Complete Grandmastery of Conqueror''s Haki] [Strength: Beyond Yonko] (A/N: Complete Grandmastery is Grandmastery (III) and those with it have already maxed out the corresponding stat.) >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< ''That puts him as the first man I''ve seen at the Beyond Yonko strength rating,'' Damien sighed to himself. ''No wonder the hell he wrought for the world.'' Xebec was at his peak and more than capable of challenging the status quo of the world. Hachinosu, the den of scum, had quieted down, flooded with the cold chill of death. Rocks, accompanied by Damien and Indra, made their way to Skull Rock. бн "Looks like you''re all here," Rocks'' rough and grizzly voice echoed through the dull halls. The top members of the Rocks Pirates were present. The Four Titans: Edward Newgate, Shiki, Charlotte Linlin and Einar D. Damien. The Five Tragedies: Shakuyaku, Captain John, Silver Axe, Indra and Kaido. Their collective bounties were over 18 billion berries. Including the plethora of fodder under the Rocks Pirates'' flag would surely leave behind a grand total of over 20 billion! . Rocks took his seat at the head of the table, all under the eyes of the nine others. A chuckle leaked from the corner of his scarred mouth, revelling from the tension in the room. "Shakuyaku, go over the intelligence." And so the Black Death took a stand with a cigarette in tow. Smoke came with every word she uttered, "The Overlord: Pryde D. Sol. I''m sure you''ve heard of his recent movements. He has been up to something grand for quite some time now, chasing a single objectiveбн" Shakky allowed her words to settle, playing on the dramatic pause, "...to become the sole ruler of the New World and liberate the suffering of the people!" She heard a few scoffs from the titanic presences in the room, shrugging at their disdain, "That''s what he calls it." "Anyways, the Overlord has invited every powerful crew in the New World openly to his lands. It has already reached the Outer Seas that all the significant crews will gather in his little game in around three months." The Black Death''s following words left everyone aware of the impending mayhem, "Sol will host the Pirate Festival at his home ground of Superbia to challenge the last remaining pirates of this great sea!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 104: Advent of Chaos "Sol will host the Pirate Festival at his home ground of Superbia to challenge the last remaining pirates of this great sea!" Captain John smirked at the intel. "Johohoho! Sounds like a haul for goods." "That prideful guy, it''s his kind of thing to invite every powerhouse onto him openly." Shiki lit a cigar for himself, "The Navy probably got an invite too." "Then we''ll fight them too," Rocks declared with a menacing grin. "It''ll take a few weeks to reach Superbia with the size of our fleet, until then, you''re free to do as you please," Shakky stated. бн [Later than Night] Damien was currently on a call. His snail morphed into one with long purple hair and matching eyes. "How did the news hit the Underworld?" Damien asked. "It''s set off a lot of alarms. My Night Ravens picked movements at the other Emperors, mostly about the most beneficial route of action. The Festival will surely change the entire structure of power in the New World and the Underworld will shake with it." Damien nodded as the words were carried out from the receiver. "It''s time to put the Overlords of the Sea behind us, after the festival, it will be the Rocks Pirates against the World Government." His claim matched the one in Aurora''s mind, leaving her much to prepare. "There are three things you should know," she then said. "First, the Seastone trade is going well. I made sure all the weapons were of at most 30% purityбкeven if the World Government gets their hands on it, they can''t ever get enough to pad their ships." Damien was satisfied with the arrangement. Although he had Aurora arrange the trade with Wano, he also wasn''t dumb enough to allow his enemies to harness the stone beyond mediocre craft. "Only the artisans of Wano can mould Seastone into bullets, let alone purify it to any useful extent." Vegapunk was the man who conquered the Calm Belts and Damien was more than willing to exploit the windless seas until then. . Aurora continued, "Second, Pryde D. Sol, in light of his Festival, attacked a heavily fortified transport from G-1 to Mariejois and stole a highly sought-after treasure, one the Celestial Dragons themselves were furious about." The intel brought curiosity to the Sin Incarnate''s face, "Oh? Any clue on what it was?" The snail shook its head, "No. It was protected by the elusive God''s Knightsбн their leader''s Haki was too strong for me to spy on with my Ravens." Damien nodded with narrowed eyes, "Alright, what''s the third thing?" "It''s about The King of Smuggling: Nelson Vacuum. The World Government reached out to him about setting up a trade to obtain some recently stolen reactive oreбн from G-2," Aurora explained. "How did it proceed?" The snail continued to convey the woman''s thoughts, "Their discussion did not amount to anything, but Vacuum said that he would look at the rare minerals and hired the Anarchy Pirates led by the Super Rookie Agon." "Alright," the Sin Incarnate acknowledged, "keep tabs on them." The transponder snail gave a definitive nod, drawing an end to the conversation. ---------------------------------------------- [Worldwide] The news of the Pirate Festival graced the seas, setting off a storm in its wake! Three months until every big-named crew of scum will gather at Superbia, no matter what, it was an event that would go down in history. The World Economy News Paper was headlining the information, ensuring that every child and their dog knew what was about to go down, writing it as an epic battle for the ages. However, this news alone wasn''t everything; another huge piece of news concerning a pirate group arrived. Something concerning the Roger Pirates. ---------------------------------------------- [New World Sea] "Captain, I see it! I see the island!" A pirate scrambled from the lookout tower at the mast, screaming down the ship''s solid frame. A boisterous pirate stood at the ship''s deck, his curved black mustache floating proudly. "Oh? You''re right, I see it too," the man uttered, his eyes locked onto a distant land. He gazed down at a device strapped to his wrist, one with three glass domes enclosing a needle each. The central needle was pointing dead ahead. A fog swamped their ship, reducing their vision to a small distance. Although even under the haze, the bold letters of the red ship were visible and read: GOL?D?ROGER. . "So we''ve finally reached it, the final island that no one has stepped foot on!" Rayleigh, the golden-haired Vice Captain muttered, his bespectacled eyes left with a mix of shock and excitement. Roger, the captain, beamed his signature grin, "The Final Island of the Log Pose TrailбкLodestar Island!" Stolen novel; please report. The Oro Jackson dove through the thick fog, slowly docking onto the foggy island. бн The Roger Pirates cheerfully disembarked, feeling a great resolution coming to their long journey. "Hmm?" Roger felt something odd, a rare frown flashing on his face. He peered at the log pose on his wrist and saw something wild. All three needles were spinning wildly with no end in sight, not pointing anywhere! "Rayleighбн" The swordsman nodded, feeling just as unsure. The Captain gazed at the distance, seeing nothing but haze beyond Lodestar but deep down he knew that something was missing. The man exhaled a dull breath and exclaimed, "There''s no doubt about itбн this isn''t the last island!" "This is no ordinary fog, we can''t traverse it without some form of directions or we''ll be lost in it for months," Rayleigh cautioned. "бн" Roger sighed, shaking his head. "Even my Haki can''t pierce past itбн" But such results could never tear down a man as stubborn as Roger. The infamous pirate clenched his fists and loudly declared, "I''ll be the first person to travel all around the world, but it just won''t be today!" He decisively turned around, walking back to the Oro Jackson. "Captainбн" "Let him be," Rayleigh calmed his fellow crewmate, "you know how moody Roger is," бн The Roger Pirates eventually headed back, feeling mixed about their journey. The thought of leaving without completing their objective left them wanting so much more. "Looks like some big things happened in our absence, Roger." Rayleigh handed his captain a bundle of newspapers. "Wahahaha! We missed a lot of fun things." He went over the first headline that was released over a week ago. "The Fourth Division of the Rocks Pirates raided G-2 and left Admiral Basara in critical condition; looks like that little monster has come back from his hiatus." "That''s not all, turn to the next page," Rayleigh said from the side. Roger blinked at the next piece of intel. "Einar D. Damien versus Charlotte LinlinбкThe Duel of Seeds." "The Sin Incarnates leaves victorious after a battle that lasted two days and one nightбн" he continued reading. "Wahahaha! That crazy woman went around looking for anything to pop out some impressive brats, it really is like her." *Furl* He went on to the next headline, one that had arrived just last night. "Sol''s finally playing his hand? Hehe, there''s no way we can miss such a party, get ready for some fun, you all!" "Ouuh!" The few dozen men all yelled out in their lungs, ready to enjoy the coming festivities. Forgetting their recent gloom. бн Roger''s successful arrival at Lodestar Island had considered him to have accomplished a peerless feat. No one man had stepped on said island, granting Roger a new epithet as the "King of the Seas"! This piece of news alongside the coming Festival was enough to get people either riled up in excitement or cowering in the basements. ---------------------------------------------- [Ten Weeks Later] [Hachinosu] Booom! A loud explosion resounded near the docks as the nearby ships were shaking. A black-haired young man with red streaks down one side slammed his fist which was bursting with blazing crimson energy and black lightning against a giant opponent. With his glorious blond hair and a thick white mustache, Whitebeard responded with his attack. A right fist covered in a white bubble went forth to meet the youth. A natural disaster raged towards the power of absolute compression as the two powers collided. The atmosphere on one half was cracking and shattering apart like glass as a white hue rained down. The other half was filled with ripping red energy as it tore the winds apart in its fury. BOOOOM! The two powers of great destruction continued to clash as the red one was starting to be overwhelmed. Boom! The white energy finally bashed through and crashed on the younger pirate as he felt the power of a world-shaking earthquake echo across his face. The young man shot through the air, his face was bruised from the tremor while his legs dug into the sea, leaving behind jets of water to slow his launch and finally caving into a distant ship. The crimson eyes of the youth shone past the rubble. "Damnбн an earthquake to the face still hurts like hell," Damien muttered as he popped his dislocated jaw back into place. "Gurararara, you''ve been taking my hits for hours now." Damien''s cheek had already healed before he let out an exasperated sigh. "Newgate-san, you still haven''t told me how you Awakened your fruit so I have to do it this way." The giant man chuckled, "You just have to understand your powers fully. Considering your talent, you''ll naturally Awaken in a handful of years. If you want to speed it up then maybe you want to go visit a place ripe with ruin." Damien heard the shift in Newgate''s tone, one pointing at something. He picked up the hint, voicing it out, "Isle of Disaster: Extinction Valley, right, I already thought of it but looks like it''ll have to wait for the Festival." Whitebeard agreed, "Hmm, good. Just be ready, Sol is something." Damien raised an eyebrow, "I keep hearing that but there are little whispers of his powers." The much taller pirate hummed, unsurprised by the comment. "Sol was forced into a pirate crew which enslaved his homeбн growing up at Moraino Island under a crafty pirate captain." Whitebeard frowned at the thought as if he felt nothing but disgust regarding the matter, "I pity the guyбкhe has a bloody past and sees himself as some kind of saviour." "But unlike most of those prideful scum, Sol can put his money where his mouth is." Such words left Damien even more curious as he asked, "Enough to duel our crazy captain?" Whitebeard narrowed his eyes before returning a solemn nod, "His power isбн special enough to give Rocks a nice fight at the right time." ---------------------------------------------- [A Few Days Later] "GET READY TO SAIL YOU WORTHLESS BASTARDS!" Shiki''s voice thundered out as the ships lined up in a fleet. His Division held over eight thousand pirates, each of them cheering for their leader. Not just his ships, but dozens of other ships were ready to sail. "I will break Sol''s face myself!" Kaido roared from afar as his Seventh Division followed behind. "Ufufufu, Kaido-chan, you should leave that to the Captain or you''ll get hurt," Shakky''s voice called out from a single ship. She was onboard the Titanic as clouds of smoke floated above her. Loud footsteps echoed behind the woman as Xebec stood tall. "XAHAHA, SET SAIL!" Captain John and his Division were also onboard. . Whitebeard''s fleet pulled up from the far back-left with three thousand pirates. Furthermore, Charlotte Linlin''s Third Division was to the left and Silver Axe''s 6th Division behind her. Damien had one ship with his six division mates and sailed beside the Titanic on the upper-right side. Whitebeard''s D-1 had 3000. Shiki''s D-2 had 8600. Charlotte Linlin''s D-3 had 5400. Damien''s D-4 had 7. Silver Axe''s D-5 had 1700. D-6 had 2300. Kaido''s D-7 had 4000. Captain John''s D-8 has 5000. Shakky''s D-9 had 50. A combined force of thirty thousand pirates! Although most would die soon, the crazy thing was that every single one of them was more than comfortable with the news and welcomed it with open arms. Naturally, their advent was not left unseen. бн "Puru," "Puru," "Puru." It was a sound most people were familiar with yet under the curtain of the room''s darkness made the call sound even louder. The man holding the receiver was slightly panicked, his heart skyrocketing. He kept looking over his shoulder as the room shook from the turbulent seas. "Come on, pick alreadyбн" It felt like an eternity before a comforting, "Katcha~!" resounded. "Finally, I thought you were ghosting me, Captain!" The darkness hid the man''s face but his trepidation was more than palpable. "My bad. Things aren''t exactly calm where I am either. Our agency is very much in demand from Hakuchин-san. Our disconnection with the Navy makes us perfect spies after all." The agent nodded, his white hair slicked with sweat, "Hehe, and here I thought it was cool being a member of a super-secret forceбн" The joking call calmed the man a little as he broke the news, "The Rocks Pirates have left for Superbia. There''s no doubt about it, this will decide everything, Captain!" The purple-haired snail nodded, "You did well getting in; do what you must to remain undercover, even if it means killing marines." The agent sighed before returning a firm gaze, one conveyed through the transponder snail. Their conversation was quickly put to a close as the atmosphere outside the small room grew rowdier and rowdier. Greed, Gluttony, Wrath, Lust, Envy, Sloth, and Prideбкthe scum under the Rocks Pirates were feeling every vice possible. The fleet sailed on forth with combined emotions were enough to stir the weather! As such, dark clouds filled the skies, trailing the unholy voyage in its ominous fashion. The advent of chaos had officially departed with a force that could challenge the status quo for decades to come! . Time till the Pirate Festival: 19 Days. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 105: The Pirate Festival [Marineford] [Two Weeks till the Festival] Within the powerful walls of Marineford was an executive briefing room. The higher-ups would use this area to inform the Marines about certain missions or events. "Pryde D. Sol: the last remaining Overlord of the Sea," a Vice Admiral read out loud. "He resides in the New World on the island of Superbia!" "Not too long ago, he raided a secure transportation of World Government goods that were of interest to the Celestial Dragons. His threat level is on the top of the Threat Index, and his boldness is unmatched." The veteran marine went on to say, "The Prideful Pirates, having been present in these seas for over four decades, numbering at around forty thousand pirates!" "Sol has his top commanders, six of them." The officer proceeded to list them out: "Jello иC Commander of Envy;" "Osca иC Commander of Greed;" "Cupid иC Commander of Lust;" "Bourgeois Ignavi иC Commander of Sloth;" "Gobbler иC Commander of Gluttony;" "Thymos иC Commander of Wrath." "Naturally, Sol takes his position as the Supreme Commander of Pride." The Vice Admiral sighed heavily at the grave task, "Each of them has made a name for themselves as they rampaged through the seas, amassing large bounties." . *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* Admiral Sengoku walked in with his flair as the marines saluted in reverence. "Speaking of bounties, the balance of berries has shifted from the recent emergence of the Rocks Pirates. But before such chaotic times, the Three Overlords ruled with great power and their existence must be studiedбн" Bang! He slapped a bounty poster upon the wall. "Thaddeus ''Medulla'' Enigma. Bounty of 3,412,900,000 berries!" Bang! "''Crazed Wind'' Esso Borealis. Bounty of 3,558,000,000 berries!" "These two are dead. Leaving behind this problemбн" Bang! Sengoku then slapped upon another poster, sending out a resounding thunk. "Hailing from the scarred land of Moraino, Pryde D. Solбкalso known as ''The Sin of Pride'' and the ''Holy Terror''." "Bounty of 3,909,285,000 berries!" The papers reeled in the eyes of the newer marines as the older ones could only solemnly nod. The Admiral massaged his forehead, conveying his frustrations. "These numbers were quite overwhelming on our end and now all hell will break loose in the coming Festival." *Gulp* The men take a deep breath from the tension. "The Prideful Pirates, The Rocks Pirates, The Roger Pirates," Sengoku summarized the main threats. "These three are the true enemies of the world as each one of them can cause great mayhem; Rocks Pirates being the top of the list." He shook his head from the gravity of the situation, "They have many of the pirates from the Threat Index of both first and second levels. From Rocks to Shiki to Whitebeard to the Evil Spirit and the newly listed Level One Threat: Sin Incarnate Damien." "From our intel, we''ve confirmed the participants of all three of these crews. But be ready for other big names of significant threat like Shaw or Redfield." The Admiral let out a deep exhale as he peered at the tens of Rear Admiral and Vice Admirals present, "This will be our greatest operationбн and we will obliterate the strongest pirates in one fell swoop!" A thunderous roar erupted from the pumped-up crowd, showcasing their confidence and readiness to end the damning pirate era for good! ---------------------------------------------- [The New World] Superbia was located in this sea; a single large island with two sister islands by its side. Upon the main island sat three major structures. Two colossal forts to provide support relief and reinforcements for the barren plains of the island and the capital city which housed nearly 300,000 citizens. It was widely known that the Sin of Pride lived in the Helios Capital surrounded by three rings of towering walls. Zooming out were the sister islands: Apollo and Glint Island. The Pirate Festival was to be hosted at the latter. [Superbia Map Image (in Discord)] бн [Helios Capital, Superbia] [Two Weeks Later] The sun had risen as a mellow dawn lit up the island. It was 7:30 in the morning. "Hmm, Thymos, how is everything?" a powerful voice graced the halls of the Golden Pride Castle. Thymos, Sol''s main stooge, was a capricious man who donned a full-body black coat made of crow feathers. His equally dark hood created a depressing sight and the ruby-topped staff in his hands added a touch of mystery. "Yes, Lord Sol, everything is ready. The troops are prepared as well. The other five will ensure that no one makes a mess." "Sohohoho! Good. I suppose it is time for me to grace them with my presence." [Thymos the Wrath Image (in Discord)] бн [Glint Island] Glint Island was only a fraction of Superbia''s size, nearly 20 kilometers wide with ports surrounding its shores. A grand atmosphere was presentбкthe streets were filled with pirates, bold tourists, bounty hunters, tourists and hidden operatives. However, there were no crimes committed with Sol''s pirates keeping the peace and holding up the festive mood. A man suddenly called out, drawing the attention of the masses, "Look there!" "I-It''s the Baby Pirates!" "And there, The Noble Pirates!" "The Mask Pirates are here as well!" "Isn''t that the captain of the Abyss Pirates there!?" Many smaller groups were making their way to the island''s center after anchoring their ships. They were the ones who didn''t have the guts to go against the current powers but refused to join them as well; an unruly bunch. бн Glint Island was a large open plain with a single elevated area. It was a man-made structure, a simple flat 150-meter hill that could view the remaining island from above. Upon this flat hill were Cupid, Jello and Ignavi of Six Vices. "Urufufufu, Lord Sol will be pleased," Cupid smilingly said. The woman had dark skin and curly brown hair, sporting a tight black dress with vertical stripes. Much of her body was covered in golden accessories: the arm guards, shoulder strips and necklace. "Hmm, don''t be too ignorant, the Roger Pirates and the Rocks Pirates will arrive soon based on our intelligence," Ignavi said in a solemn yet sleepy tone. The sloth-like man had elegant clothing, dashing with a white cape and coat, both as bright as his blond hair. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "Jell-le-le-le! ''Navi-kun, don''t get your panties in a mix! Boss Sol will burn down all our opponents with his divine powers!" Jello laughed. Jello rested an arm over his thin saber, looking past his medium-length red hair at his fellow Sins. He had dark, bloodstained clothes with matching gloves and a cavalier''s hair with a prominent feather atop. [Cupid the Lust Image (in Discord)] [Ignavi the Sloth Image (in Discord)] [Jello the Envy Image (in Discord)] бн [Two Hours Later] It was now 9:30 am and many of the pirates had arrived. Excluding Sol''s crew of 16,000 deployed at Glint Island, another 12,000 other people have gathered around. There were many large tents and booths set up everywhere with large banners decorating the area. Numerous flags and bounty posters flew around the tense air. The people waited for Sol''s arrival; some gambled, some partied, and some drank. Yet every single one was ready to engage once the fight broke out; a gathering of tens of crews and a fight would definitely break out. . "ARE YOU READY KIDS!?" A large voice boomed off the speaker erected beside the raised platforms. "Look, it''s Commander Osca!" The Prideful Pirates roared out in joy. The figure of the pirate Commander was loud. He had a gray captain''s coat with golden epaulets, holding up two sabers. His hair was the same dull colour as his coat, slicked back to expose the dirty grin. "The 32nd Pirate Festival hosted by the Great Lord Sol will commence in half an hour!" The announcement garnered a huge flurry of boisterous exclaims, a great spectacle. [Osca the Greed Image (in Discord)] ---------------------------------------------- [The South Port] "Wahahaha! This is what I call a party!" a rowdy voice resounded the port at Glint Island. "They surely seem quite excited," a calmer person commented, his glasses reflecting a bright shine. They stood before a glorious ship with crimson sails, showing off the mustachioed skull as their Jolly Roger. The Oro Jackson carrying the Roger Pirates has arrived! "Let''s go! Rayleigh, Gaban!" Roger laughed as he jumped from the ship and onto the land with little care. ---------------------------------------------- [Three Kilometers Away from the Coast of Glint Island] If one were to look this far, one would see a rather scary sight. Nearly 80 pirate ships gently floated about. In the center of this fleet was a gigantic ship that eclipsed all othersбкthe Titanic of the Rocks Pirates! On the west edge of the Titanic were two people. Damien''s eyes squinted into the horizon, feeling the ripples in the air with the sheer excitement of the thousands of Rocks'' Pirates nearby. . "Pryde D. Sol," Damien thought out loud. "He has been around for over four decades yet they say he maintains the appearance of a man barely in his early thirties." Shakky was to his side, leaning on a brown railing. "He is shrouded in a veil of mystery and likes to keep it that way," she chimed in. Damien nodded, "The Holy Terror; his name inspires fear from a religious and spiritual point of view. You told me his fruit tied into an ancient figure that existed long ago." "A legend of a ''Warrior of Liberation''бн it''s quite the tale that he bastardized into his image." Shakky puffed a cloud of smoke, nodding, "He has a special ability. I don''t know the specifics but it''s enough to interest Captain Rocks." "So I''ve been told." Damien hummed in anticipation. ---------------------------------------------- [A Little While Later] Within the ship were the Four Titans and the Tragedies, their captain standing before them. "Xahaha! Set sail!" Rocks gave the order for only the Titanic to sail, leaving the armada behind, floating in impatience. *Vwooo!* *Splash!* The ginormous ship began its path, barely moving at 30 knots towards Glint Island. "Newgate, speed up the ship!" Xebec yelled out. Whitebeard went to the back of the ship. He took a fistful of air with his left hand and violently swiped down. *Rumble* The ground many kilometers below the sea started to shift from Whitebeard''s powers. The sea started to quiver and a giant tide of water was sent out from the earthquake at the ocean''s floor. The tides grew bigger and bigger, taking the Titanic with them. ---------------------------------------------- [Half an Hour Later] The pirates had gathered! Twelve thousand pirates added to Sol''s pirates would mean that almost 30,000 of the toughest criminals had come together! A resounding thud swiped their attention. "So manly, Gobbler-sama!" The far larger-than-life Gobbler had the appearance of a warrior. He wore a brown hat with a giant crimson feather sticking out, all the while donning shoulder straps and arm guards made of a mix of metal, plastic and cloth. The Sin had a thin mustache and eyepatch as he grinned at the hordes of pirates. [Gobbler the Gluttony Image (in Discord)] *Thud* *Thud* *Thud* A few more shadows joined him, the remaining Commanders! "Lady Cupid should be crowned the most beautiful after Herja''s fall!" "Commander Osca!" "Ignavi-sama is so flamboyant!" "Jello-sama!" "Look, Lord Thymos, the leader of the Six Vices!" The Prideful Pirates cheered with great energy as the land erupted into joy. As for the other pirates, most were too afraid to speak up as these six had a combined bounty sum of over two billion berries! "Heyбн what''s that?!" All of a sudden, the bright sun that lit up the island seemed quite dull as another glow illuminated the lands from the platform. "Ugh, my eyesбкit''s too bright!" *Bzzzzz* The crackling of a flame echoed through the now-quiet land as a wave of blazing heat burst out from behind the Six Capital Vices. *Thump* *Thump* A few steps reverberated the island, coming from the sole person who now stood in front of the Six Commanders. He stood at around 9 feet in height (2.74 m) and had silver-coloured hair that ran down to his shoulders. His glorious red robes encrusted with the finest gems gave off a refined appearance. However, his divine air was overshadowed by his facial features: a dull, gray complexion; eyes in reverse colour: black sclera and white pupils, and a face littered with scars. One such scar ran diagonally over his forehead, one across his nose bridge, two near his lips resembling cracks and another cutting over his left cheek. *Vzzz* *Fwvvvvv* Every few seconds, extremely hot waves of heat would pulse out of the man, seemingly carrying a suppressive effect, causing most to lose any thoughts of standing against him. The illustrious pirate was the last remaining Overlord, Pryde D. Sol! [Sol Image (in Discord)] . *Szzzzz* The clouds were heated into oblivion as the vapour steamed from the air itself, dousing the land with uncanny warmth. "Sohohoho, it is a beautiful day to realize my fate," an arrogant voice boomed, each syllable being carried alongside the ripples of hellacious heat. "I see most of you are curious as to why this Festival is taking place. It''s quite simpleбн" The Overlord Sol smiled with vicious eyes. "I hereby declare myself King of the New World! This Festival shall be held in my name!" he said with great pride. *Boom!* Pulses of the Supreme Will rippled out once more following the bold declaration. . The Six Capital Vices exploded with their powers as Thymos smashed the foot of his staff upon the ground to cement the thought. "You all have a choice now: either submit to Lord Sol here and now, or face our collective wrath!" The ultimatum had been given to commence the Dawn of Pride! "бн" Alas, with the coercion of the deadly sins and nearly 16,000 pirates, most were inclined to agree. "Praise the Sun!" A mix of deep fear added to the greed of grasping the treasures of the world caused most to surrender. . "These guys have no backbone!" A bold young pirate with spiky white hair remarked, pointing his giant hook at the distant Overlord. He was clad in a partially open maroon coat and black armoured gauntlets, knee guards, and a pink and red patterned cloth wrapped around his waist. "Tch, I told you this would happen, Jakob!" a dagger-wielding woman scowled. She had long, wavy dark hair and wore a red bandana, dressed in a detailed, dark leather outfit. "Whatever, a Pirate Alliance''s road is always bumpy. We''ll kill him together, Maria!" Their rebelliousness sent shivers of greed in the masses while the undecided pirates wanted to try and fight. After all, Sol was known to hold a plethora of treasures in his divine vault at Apollo Island. [Jakob and Maria Images (in Discord)] *Vvoosh!* A dark shadow appeared before the two pirate captains, bringing a wave of heat with it. "The Super Rookies: Jakob ''The Hook'' and Reed ''Thornapple'' Maria," the Overlord chuckled. "You''ll do well as an exampleбн" The two pirates stood on guard, much like their trusty crews behind them. Jakob brandished his giant hook with the Colour of Arms, the same thing Maria did with her trusty dagger, much to the Holy Terror''s amusement. . "Solar Flare." . *Crackle* Vibrant golden flames erupted from Sol, spreading out in all directions. It was an inferno of spectacular delights, shrieking from the Overlord to obliterate everything in their path. "Ugh!" Jakob lost all feeling in his body, seeing nothing but gold fire spanning dozens of meters. All he heard were the miserable cries of his and Maria''s fellow mates and the smell of ash and despair. His metal hook had been bathed in the blood of thousands yet it only fared against Sol for a fraction of a second before melting. ''I-Is this the end of our journey?'' Maria cursed, gnashing her teeth with the embrace of death around her. The skin was burnt to a crisp, and flesh and bones were liquified and evaporated as every evidence of their existence was erased. Jakob worth 350 million, Maria, 250 millionбкtheir alliance turned to dust with a single attack. . Alas, their cry for defiance wasn''t for naught, it gave some spirit to a few other unruly groups, numbering nearly four thousand. Six short rumblings went off as Sol''s Commanders landed beside him. "Lord Sol, let us remove these unruly bunch," Thymos said as he gazed at thirty-eight hundred pirates. "You who now serve the Holy Terror, fight!" Eight thousand of the recruits added to the 16,000 Prideful Pirates yelled out as they ran forth with great fervour, eager to please the Overlord. "Wahahaha! This is a nice way to lift the mood from the failure at Lodestar!" a hearty voice resounded. The stylish man nearby sighed, cupping the rim of his spectacles, "Who knows how much blood will be shed in this mess." Roger grinned, tossing an empty sakиж cup to the floor. "Hehe, they came here knowing the risk, what''s there to dread about!" . Both swordsmen watched intently at the clashing armies with a single thought in mind. The same thought was shared by true powerhouses near the sidelines. The Overlord Sol returned to the hill, becoming a bystander in the war of his craft. "Roger, Rocks," the scarred man muttered to himself, "let us decide the fate of the New World through blood and war!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 106: The Clash of Kings *Rumble* Glint Island visibly shook as nearly 24,000 pirates rushed forward to exterminate the 4,000 or so rebellious ones. The warring cries of adrenaline and excitement mixed in with the yells of greed and yearning created quite the festival. The air shuddered as hundreds of swords waved around and the bangs of bullets erupted from rifles, blood slowly pouring out and forming rivers. Sol''s forces deemed these 3,800 unfit to stand against their Overlord and were rather enjoying the one-sided battleбкit was not a fight but rather an extermination. Alas, even in the mass of pirates being massacred, quite a few had big names and just as big of bounties. "Gugu-gaga! My Baby Pirates, kill them all!" "Lero-Lero! Cut them to pieces!" "Ree-hee-hee! I can sniff out the treasure of Superbia!" Boss Baby Victor. Jack the Ripper. Scubee the Doer. Bounties of 194 million, 201 million and 224 million, respectively! ---------------------------------------------- [At the Outskirts of the Plaza] The battle waged on as pirates fell by the hundreds on both sides; the rebellious few were intent on winning. Of course, if 99% of these pirates were fighting, there were a few who would rather keep a distance of ten islands between themselves and the fight. "Drop the sails. Quick! We need to leave before they turn their attention to us," a man with an animalistic face called out to his panicked crew. Yet amid the retreat, a voice called out. "Hmm? The ever-bold Tony ''the Tiger'' of the Striped Pirates is turning tail and scurrying away. Urufufu, how unsightly~!" The man in question, the captain of the Striped Pirates, turned his eyes to where the voice originated from. "You areбн Cupid the Lust!" The woman winked and slowly yet seductively walked towards the man on the ship. "Nowбн why don''t you all just stop what you are doing and help out this pure maiden?" she asked in a soft voice. At first glance, Cupid seemed like a damsel in distress. Tony, alongside his crew, already had the slivers of lust flowing in his eyes even before her sultry call, yet now, his very being was calling out to quench that thirst. One by one, his trusty crewmates'' eyes whitened and they slowly lost control of their body. "As you commandбн Lady Cupid!" Tony, a man worth 126 million berries, could only quake in despair as he recalled the woman''s powerбкthe Lust-Lust Fruit! It allowed the user to control the bodies of their victims via lust. Cupid was quite the rare beauty that, added to the small number of women on the ship, caused the Striped Pirates to fall in her grasp. "Nowбн why don''t you help me kill all those scary people over there?" Cupid called out, her words laced with emotion. "Yes!" they all roared out in deep fervour. "Very goиC" Cupid could not finish her words as she suddenly felt something comingбн *Vvoooo!* It sounded like the winds were howling and whirling from an incoming missile. Cupid looked up in time to see nothing but a shadow streaking toward her. BOOOM! The shadow slammed onto the Striped Pirates'' ship, sending giant cracks through its hull and deck. The crumpling wood was followed by a deep voice, "WORORORO! Did I step on something?" The sight of the Hundred-Beast was alone enough to send pirates out of their lust-stricken state. Then came a spanning shadow on the horizon, sailing through the cold waters of Superbia and entirely blocking the view of the skiesбкit was a titan of a ship. The words printed on the sails read, "R O C K S" with a flaming skull for the "O"бкan omen of dread and despair. *Creak* The ship finally came to a halt, only meters away from the shore, its shadow brought nighttime to the nearby docks. The giant ramp slowly creaked as the gears and pulleys activated, slamming to the ground with a dull tremor. A handful of people walked out amongst the dust cloud, bringing the gravest fears of the living alongside them. "T-The Rocks Piratesбн those monsters really came here too!" a man gulped out. His companion could only nod in apprehension. "Edward Newgateбн he killed the former Overlord Esso Borealis and now they have come here!" "Don''t forget Thaddeus Enigma, the man who gave endless troubles to the World Government was also taken down by a Rocks Crew Memberбн The Sin Incarnate!" Many suppressed whispers went on as the newly arrived stood tall upon the shore. . Kaido walked to the back, his massive frame slightly less than Charlotte Linlin who cackled with her Homies floating about, begging to be used. Silver Axe in his shiny armour in front beside the drinking pirate, Captain John. Shiki had both his swords ready as they glinted in the morning sun, he grinned past the two cigars in his mouth. Whitebeard stood tall with his beloved Murakumogiri in hand, his glorious hair flying in the wind as he heard the cries of war. Damien, who was simply spanning his Observation, picked on the powerful presences nearby and welcomed the coming turbulence. Yet even with the harrowing sight of the Titans, there was another fear-inducing sight. It was accompanied by the groaning of the earth with every step the man tookбкthe Abyssal Sin, Rocks D. Xebec! Like the beast he was, Rocks took a deep whiff of the bloody smell flowing around the island, then came the screams of the world around him, blooming a savage grin. He cracked his neck and let out some animalistic grunts. "Xahahaбн this is more like it." His eyes glowed in frenzy, filled with malice, "Kill them all." Rocks'' words out, the ones behind him disappeared and went to their own parts of the island, wreaking havoc and cutting everyone in their path. бн Sol, who had once again returned to the raised platform, simply stood there with a confident smile, even after sensing the arrival of the Rocks Pirates. The numbers had already lessened: the original 3,800 or so fighting had dropped to 1,300 while Sol''s forces at Glint Island were still 20,000 strong. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Yet such numbers were nothing overly difficult to deal with in the eyes of the Rocks Commandersбн Boom! Whitebeard, who wasn''t overly fond of using his Haki to knock out the extras, preferred to use his mighty glaive as a substitute. This was ''Murakimogiri'' of the 12, now 13, Supreme Blades! *Grrrrrr* The ground crumbled in the way of the human giant as Whitebeard slashed the ground in an upward slash. Cracks formed across the air as the tremors were unleashed all over! BOOOOM *Rumble* He was a walking natural disaster as all those rushing at him were utterly destroyed. бн Shiki the Golden Lion was a wild force of doom. With the power of the Float-Float fruit, he was practically undefeatable! Before him stood 4,000 pirates, high on the excitement of pleasing the Overlord, with swords drawn and guns ready. "Jihahahaha! You pathetic pirates are greedy for treasure and flock around like sheep." Shiki gave out a frightening smirk as his right hand slammed below. The ground began shaking in excitement like a child wanting to impress its parents. "W-What is that!?" The pirates who were ready to cut down the Golden Lion paused ominously. A shadow stretched over the thousands of men. . "Lion Majesty: Earth Coiling!" . Shiki started laughing with great zeal as a giant piece of earth sprang out of the ground. He used his powers to break open the ground and fashion the debris into the shape of a lion''s head! The raging lion blasted forward into the sea of pirates as they were enveloped by its majesty with Shiki''s laughter echoing over their miserable screams. бн Kaido and Big Mom were in the same region, wantonly attacking a horde of five thousand or so enemies. The Hundred-Beast brought down his club, wreaking havoc under the cries of his victims, each attack left dozens of men into nothing but meat paste, their flesh decorating the ravaged lands below. Blood flowed like rivers as the Kaido couldn''t be happier. Big Mom was no different, she used Mars, her flintlock, and shot Haki-infused bullets while Napoleon was used to cleave and level everything. бн At another region of Glint Island was a shocking sight. One that warped the mellow morning into dark red. The encroaching doom moved alongside a figure, each step bringing down ten or so pirates. It was a rhythmic sound like a drum, oppressing everyone in its wake. "Sol truly brought some decent people to his Festival," the young figure spoke past the gloomy land. "You have a huge bounty, Sin Incarnate!" a man roared. "Killing you will bring me endless glory!" The bold man was known as Phane of the Mirage, worth 490 million! . "Shards of the Past!" . The veins near his eyes and forehead popped, sending a streak of energy onto the sole enemy threat. "Heh, this ought to bring out the demons that haunt you!" *Vooooo!* The cold wind blew through as the pirates saw the Sin Incarnate stop in his tracks. Phane''s relief lasted all but a moment, "Enigma''s illusions were much more immersive than yours, are you sure it worked?" The illusionist retreated, stammering, "I-It didn''t work, how!?" Damien shrugged, "You should have worked on your Haki more, that fruit is wasted on you." Phane''s vision then turned bright red, born from the blazing beams thundering through his dome and planting him to the ground. бн [Back to the Shore] Silver Axe and Captain John cut down their list of enemies while they sensed the earth below seemed to shake. In the distance of the lands was a large cloud of dust, as if an army rushed ahead in a war. And an army it was, six thousand strong! "Captain John of 439 million and Silver Axe of 934 million. We have come for your heads!" a few shouted as the rest roared in agreement. The drunken John just laughed, "Johohoho! You would have been better fightin'' Newgate or Shiki than to come here!" Silver Axe twirled his axe as it slammed on the ground, "I concurбн by marching here, you have but only sealed your fate." "..." A few moments passed as the 6,000 men howled in laughter in a boisterous fit, not taking their prey''s words seriously. Howeverбн All the noise seized at once. *Vvooo~* Every living being near the Titanic suddenly felt death''s cold embrace around them. Kicking their instincts in. "Xahahaha!" ---------------------------------------------- [An Hour Later] Time trickled on as the noise settled down. Sol''s forces had been greatly reduced as smaller skirmishes continued, reaching below ten thousand! A few big names slowly arrived at the platform where the Overlord rested, his Six Capital Vices by his side. It was a summit of championsбкa day that would decide the fate of the New World for years to come! . Pryde D. Sol remained as casual and lax as always, seeing the world to be under his boot, credit to his great pride. "As expected," Sol began, "the pirates of the Grand Line failed to amount to anything worth more than fodder. Hmph, truly a pathetic bunch." "Did you gather them for this Festival just to kill them all?" a curious voice interrupted. The Overlord glared at the muscular swordsman with his thick mustache, the Captain of the Roger Pirates. "I''ve been on this sea for decades, seeing crews rise and fall." Sol looked to the grinning Roger with narrowed eyes, "Alas, nothing has changed. Pirates remain blinded with greed, congregating around the temporary powerhouses." Silvers Rayleigh stood by his captain''s side, grasping the blade at his hip. Beside him was Scopper Gaban; the long-haired Gaban pointed out his twin axes, "Just what are you after, Sol?" A frown arrived on the man''s face, "I hoped the death of Borealis and Enigma would bring something new to these seas but two years later, I was disappointed all the same." Then came a grin on the scarred Overlord''s face, harbouring traces of insanity, "Someone has to liberate this world of its suffering! I will build a new order from the ashes of this Rising Generationбкyour deaths will be my foundation!" Roger sighed, pinching his signature ''stache. "You''ve lost your marbles a long time back, Sol. The keys to the New World aren''t meant to be held by a single person." Another voice joined, "Hoho, exciting words, Roger." The man gently landed on the ground, he had a refined appearance and an umbrella in hand. "It''s nice of you to join us, Patrick Redfield," the Overlord welcomed. However, at that instance, an ominous feeling descended everywhere. A black flash landed near the Overlord and the other pirates. There was only one man to arrive amongst the gathering of champions so dauntlessly. His wild hair stood erratically as his open chest exposed the many scars he had accumulated in his life so far. *Szzzz* The Inferno Blade Mokushiroku kept in its sheath as it vibrated in impatience and bloodthirst, leaking a grinding miasma. "Xahaha! I''ve had my fun with your little toys, Sol," the evil pirate said with a grin. "I would bring you under my flag but you''re too free-spirited." He spared Roger a look, "The Will of D really moulds some unruly pirates." . The remaining Division Commanders had also arrived, standing in an arc around their Captain. "Jihahaha! I''ve seen enough pirates with the middle initial D up to no good," the Golden Lion laughed, turning to Damien. A few other curious eyes also landed on the youngest of the D present, mixed with curiosity and intrigue. Sol''s fiery words broke their speculation, "Rocks D. Xebec, I welcome your turbulenceбн let this war be the spark to ignite a new age!" The declaration came with a blinding light. It shone from the Overlord''s garb and grey skin, creeping through the terrain like dawn over a dark land. The man in question just cackled, "Hehe, I visited your scarred home of Moraino, I hope it forged more strength than just this!" Xebec''s pupils churned like whirlpools, showing nothing but darkness inside. The ground shook like no tomorrow; the clouds above began to whirl around as powerful winds picked up and raged throughout the sea. Roger grinned as his famed blade was unsheathed, "Wahahaha! I can''t just watch from the side with all this going off!" The adventurous man burst with his esoteric strengthбкa true master of Haki. "It seems this day will cause quite the storm," Redfield thought out loud. Alongside his cheery words was another burst of the Will of Kings as the Aloof Red showed his strength. Naturally, with all these Kings having unleashed their will, others soon followed. BOOM! Rayleigh, who stood ready by his captain''s side, erupted into a silver hue of Haki, his sword drawn. Shiki''s hair flowed in the chaotic winds and his golden Haki pulsed everywhere. The future World''s Strongest Man smashed the foot of his glaive into the ground as ripples of quakes went off, added with his own green Haki. Linlin licked her lips under the mayhem, the only woman who was crazy enough to be here, let alone while pregnant once more. Her pink-coloured Haki roared out, craving the misery of the world. Kaido''s eyes boiled in thick, black mist as sparks of purple lightning coiled around his club with his Will ready to crush everything in its path. Damien felt the tingling over his skin and naturally unleashed his own. Ryushi in his hand shook incessantly while Four Supreme Weapons were now present on this single island! . *Rumble* The sky was thundering with black clouds under the combined will of ten Supreme Kings! The flat plains quivered with a drumming beat, sending corpses and dust into the air. The winds alone were enough to uproot century-old trees and birth tempestuous tides at the shores. The Sea Kings oh-so-many kilometers below passed out and even the hundreds of thousands of citizens at the Helios Capital fell to the ground, unconscious. Such a collection of Haki was unprecedented and unseen; Sol and his Capital Vices, Rocks and his Titans and Tragedies, Roger and his Commanders alongside the aloof Red. The Clash of Kings that would decide the coming era had begun! To Be Continuedбн Chapter 107: Dawn of Pride (I) [To the Clash] As of now, almost all the extra forces on Glint Island had been either killed or knocked unconscious as their bodies were laid out everywhere. Going from the rambunctious Festival littered with pirates to a war-torn plain caked in dust and debris. "Gurarara! Roger, you better make this boring event fun for me!" Whitebeard declared as his Naginata shone black. The future Pirate King grinned, "Newgate, I thought you died since I didn''t see you for months!" The words out, the two pirates raced out in greeting. Roger''s weapon burst with a beautiful shine of dense Haki as bubbles of Emission boiled around. Both men and their Supreme Weapons laced with Haki clashed. BOOM! It started with a blinding light followed by a thunderous gong. And the most unbelievable thing was that their weapons weren''t even touching! бн "Redfield, why is someone like you here?" Shiki questioned. His two swords were drawn, gleaming with a dangerous black light. The Red Count chuckled in return, "How could I miss such an occasion? The event itself bores me but the outcome draws my very attention." A sharp blade suddenly shot out of Redfield''s umbrella, turning it into a polearm. *Hiss* *Crackle* A purple mist of red sparks danced around the weapon, conveying the intent of its master. The bladed umbrella crashed onto the Golden Lion''s twin swords, evoking a hellish result. Once again, a clash so spectacular that the air itself screamed in its wake as the blades refused to touch. бн "You dare get in Lord Sol''s way!?" one of the Vices roared out. "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma! Just a few flies! I''ll break you just like that girl Kaido destroyed!" Big Mom laughed with her flintlock in hand. . "Maiser Shot!" . *Bang!* A single bullet left the chamber. Under its mundane veil was a collection of dense, masterful Haki. ''She imbued Emission and Infusion to her bullet?'' Damien thought to himself. Gobbler, who was on the side, suddenly turned into a 20-foot-long boar-zoan as the thick body glowed in Haki. It was a special fruit, the Boar-Boar Fruit: Ancient Model Entelodont! [Entelodont Image (in Discord)] He opened up his maw that stretched wide enough to inhale humans. Surprisingly enough, the coming attack began dissolving away. . "Vacuum Maw!" . Ignavi steeled his twin swords as he crashed down upon the single bullet with his might. . "Slash of Fate!" . Two coils of orange strings burst out of Osca''s hand and wrapped around the bullet like a cowboy tugging a horse. "Speed Swipe!" "Momentum Swipe!" "Acceleration Swipe!" Slowly, the bullet lost its speed, momentum and acceleration. Alas, the projectile fell to the ground with a clatter under three of the Capital Vices'' attacks. "What a babe, a single bullet needed three of us to stop!" Jello said as he saw the huffing trio. "You overgrown hag! I''ll eat your limbs off!" Gobbler roared out from his zoan form. "Hag!?" Big Mom grimaced. "I''ll kill you all!" Linlin then switched to her Napoleon, her eyes burst orange as he raged forward like a berserk beast. бн "WORORORO! Take my club!" Kaido roared out as his boiling-black kanabo club smashed into a smaller shadow before him. Ripples of force screeched out as the club was being pushed back by two axes, sinking both men''s feet into the ground. "You''re Kaidoбн Rayleigh warned me about your crazy ass!" Scopper Gaban, Roger''s left-hand man, laughed while his axes went on with a flurry of attacks. Clang! Bang! Clang! The mighty club was rained down upon with the attacks while the wielder could only grin in impatience. бн Damien hummed at the catastrophe surrounding him, casually walking away from Linlin''s rampage and toward a clear area at the back of the hillside, meeting another presence. He was on the shorter end of the spectrum, barely nine feet tall. Yet his strength was apparent. "Sohohoho! I suppose I shouldn''t be surprised that Rocks sent the only D under his banner to me," the Overlord, Pryde D. Sol, laughed. The Sin Incarnate shrugged in reply. "The Captain won''t join until you can show the strength to interest him; you''ll have to make do with me till then." Sol smirked, unaffected by Rocks'' stance. "I don''t understand why you would go under that madman''s banner. Do you wish to see him sit upon the World''s Throne?" Damien shook his head, "I''d rather Rocks fall dead right now." Sol raised his head with a knowing smile, "Now you sound like a D. Say, young pirate, why not join me in my crusade?" he offered with a magnetic voice. "We can destroy the Rocks together. With him gone, the Titans he''s collected will go their ways, opening a window for you to do as you wish with this broken world." "Rahahaha!" The Sin Incarnate could only laugh, "they call you the strongest of the Three Overlordsбн but at the end of the day, you three will share the same fate and be forgotten. Why would I ever work with you?" The Sin of Pride narrowed his eyes yet his smile stayed, "If you cannot be an allyбн then you will be a rival!" The Holy Terror extended both arms out in a graceful way, his eyes shining like two suns floating about. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. His smile deepened as a burst of unbelievable heat was released in all directions. The ruined ground below turn took upon a red hue as it melted into a molten mess, liquifying it to oblivion. *Szzzzz* The molten flames were beyond hot, they left even Damien''s skin sizzling from the heat, not by inflicting any damage but rather by boiling the moisture in his pores to release a hazy steam. Nearby terrains were reduced to a hellish mess, bursting into an inferno of mass proportions, liquifying into a molten mess. . "Sohohoho, the news was correct, you have tough skin." Sol didn''t reduce his attack, continuously sending out waves of boiling heat like a volcano. Meanwhile, Damien eyed the Overlord, thinking over some things. "Even our Head of Intelligence failed to fully nail the specifics of your power," he muttered. "This heat goes beyond any fire I''ve felt, even beyond Basara''s lavaбн" Sol haughtily laughed, enjoying the curiosity of the young pirate. "Considering your deep desire to align your image with that of the Sun God Nikaбн" Damien slowly spoke, his words drawing a sharp gaze from Sol, "These flames must originate from the sun itself." Sol narrowed his eyes, revealing a dangerous glint. "Your comments make it seem that you do not agree with my ''claims''." The man''s voice started indifferent though warping into audible malice by the end. Damien scoffed, "I''ve never been much of a believer in myths and legends, but even I know that someone like you could never be put in the same light as one reputed as the ''Warrior of Liberation''." An angered huff exited the Overlord''s mouth. "I have seen the weakness of humans, congregating together and praying to magical figures, hoping to free them from their miserable livesбн" "I will liberate them as they so deeply desireбкliberate them from their suffering," Sol declared. "This broken world will be saved by me!" . "Solar Flare!" . Boom! The heat doubled, exploding out from the famed pirate and rushing onto anything within a hundred meters. The air was turned into a liquid while the surrounding area melted into a deep red from the heat, right before dissolving into nothingness. "It stings," Damien mumbled, feeling pins and needles over his skin and echoing down his spinal cord. The Overlord Sol saw the little effect and took the fight up a notch. Gently, the famed pirate was overtaken by flames and lifted to the sky, overlooking the hellish landscape below. A loud screech erupted all over the broken island as globs of golden flames swirled around, they formed giant balls of fireбкfrom tens to hundreds of basketball-sized rocks floated around him. . "Solar Storm!" . The hundreds of balls swam with flames from the sun and they rained down in a world-ending sight. *Fwooo!* The wind quaked in their fiery presence and the air howled as the atmosphere was left in shambles. . "Devoured Space." . A crimson curtain, nearly 20 meters in size, opened up before Damien. All matter beyond its protection was turned into an absolute void, crushing space! The raining hell clashed down upon the net that was void of matterбкthere was no sound of the actual collision. Although Damien was safe from the fiery rain, the same could not be said for the area around him. *Rumble* The fire melted through the ground and made its way down to the very roots of the island, seeping deep down like rainwater. . "Sohoho! Not bad, child," The Overlord''s voice bellowed out. "Let mиC" "!!!" Sol''s eyes widened as he saw a black figure flicker in front of him, it resembled the stance of a man about to throw a punch. BAM! The fist shot out and nailed the Overlord in the stomach. "Auugh!" he howled, glaring daggers at his enemy while being shot through the skies and drilling into the ruined earth, leaving behind a steamy trail. "..." "It''s odd," Damien muttered, reining in the Ryuo Haki from his fist. "The flames are molten-hot but they rage around without control, it''s almost like Sol can''t even use them properly." But the small exchange was enough for Damien to draft his enemy''s strength and it wasn''t impressive. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Pryde D. Sol] [Age: 93] [Height: 9''1"] (2.77 m) [Devil Fruit: Sun-Sun Fruit (Grandmastery (I))] [Fruit Rating: 7 Stars (Ultimate-Class Fruit)] [Skills: Unique Strength, Excessive Pride, Will of D, Eternal Youth] [Haki: Intermediate Mastery of Observation Haki, Advanced Mastery of Armament Haki, Advanced Mastery of Conqueror''s Haki] [Strength: Bottom Tier Yonko] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< "Really oddбн Hmm!?" Any further thoughts were shaken away by a burst of light at the crater, followed by a deep voice. . "Radiance Reborn!" . Damien looked at the emerging human sun with narrowed eyes. His pupils flashed red, opting him to cross both arms in solid defense. *Clang!* It was the sound of metal clanking against metal, born from a fiery fist crashing onto the Sin Incarnate''s arms. The younger pirate winced under the creaking of his bones. A ding in his mind shed some much needed light. [Pryde D. Sol''s Strength: Bottom Tier Yonko б· Middle Tier Yonko.] Boom! The two suddenly shot back, carrying enough momentum to break a giant hill. Damien grinned at the odd scenario, welcoming the Overlord''s rebirth. Meanwhile, Sol gave a dull chuckle, his flames taking on a more mellow colour, from fiery red to a warm orange. "You''re not the only one who can flow their Haki!" . "Solar Gauntlets!" . The liquid heat warped around, soon forming an orange metal glove over Sol''s hands. The Overlord shot out once more, his arms exploded with pure heat. . "Fury Road!" . Damien responded with an equally terrifying punch, one greatly boosted by his crushing powers. BOOM! Suddenly a spectacle broke out and orange flames struck the skies, combating a crimson force filled with pulverizing particles. Explosions followed as the flames were crushed apart, but not before burning up the crimson energy from the younger pirate. Damien leaned into the fight, his eyes staring into the twin suns of Sol. "Rahaha! Your strength went up even though your flames went colder, it really is a weird power." "Hmph, your end is already decided." The two didn''t speak more, choosing to continue their chat with their fists. Boom! *Crash!* BAM! *Fwooo* Kaboom! бн An hour went on as the island was bathed with the endless assaults of the pirates, spreading across Glint Island. On one side was a man who could release earthquakes from his fists all the while clashing with a man with a sword. In the sky was the clash between a man who could pick and throw islands with ease, clashing with an elegant pirate with an umbrella. Down below was the mess between two gigantic figures meeting the attacks of five well-versed pirates. And then there was the chaotic hillside where a literal sun was going against the primal force of pulverization. бн Damien''s eyes narrowed in Observation, ducking at a hook. He followed it with a punch to the enemy''s liver, sending both Haki and crushing energy to tear from within. Sol grimaced only to have his head grabbed by Damien''s hands and pulled into a knee. *Bam!* The Overlord''s mind shook in the skull with blood dripping from his broken nose. With a simple leap came a left foot, swatting Sol aside, shooting him dozens of meters back. "What a vulgar ability you haveбн almost as unimaginative as Newgate''s," Sol cursed, spitting a wad of blood. He glared at the opposing pirate and roared once more: . "Radiance Reborn!" . Damien watched once more as the Overlord grew in strength and rose to the sky, becoming a second sun! "Am I supposed to sit tight while you grow stronger?" Ryushi was held up like a spear and launched with a thunderous sonic boom. The weapon left a broken trail of black and red, aiming at the heart of the flame 50 meters in the sky. "Don''t insult me," Sol''s voice came from the collection of fire. The blazing weapon was swatted back to its sender, crashing into Damien''s hands. "I guess it can''t be that easy to interrupt an anime power-up," the younger pirate muttered, clicking his tongue. *Hiss* Damien''s eyes fell on the Pulverizing Blade, seeing remnants of the deflection. "The flames got colder but they''re more dense and controlled than beforeбн" He watched with some clarity, the orange flames getting lighter and lighter, picking up on hints, "Your fruit isn''t documented in the Encyclopedia but I think I figured it outбкa fruit that allows its user to personify each layer of the sun." ''Sibyl, draft the details of his Devil Fruit.'' [Okayбн done.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Sun-Sun Fruit (Taiyo Taiyo no Mi)] [Paramecia Fruit] [Fruit Rating: 7 Stars (Ultimate-Class Fruit)] [Allows the user to personify the sun, granting them the ability to embody the different layers of the sun''s anatomy, as the layers go deeper, the strength increases, making them a Celestial Human.] [Grants the user the lifespan of the Sun when Awakened and endless energy during the day.] [Expanded: The Sun has six main regions: The Corona, The Chromosphere, The Photosphere, The Convection Zone, The Radiative Zone and The Core.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< "Last I recall the Corona is much hotter than even the Photosphere, no wonder his flames have been getting colder," Damien murmured to himself. The pirate frowned, opting for another attack to interrupt the transformation. . "Utter Ruin." . The stream of crushing energy streamed out from his open palm, crumpling everything in its path. *Screech!* A loud cry of a bird echoed in the muddy horizon waves of heat pulsed all over. The incoming attack dissolved away with ease, unveiling the reborn enemy. "Behold, my power," Sol''s voice boomed. The Overlord was bathed in orange flames as they took the shape of razor-sharp feathers with sharp talons for feet. The beast was enough to warrant the eyes of everyone; they all gave a glance at the creature that spanned at least 20 meters wide in its mythical glory. Composed of blazing flames and soaring through a sky filled with bubbling hot air, it was a divine sight as the sun itself seemed to revel in its majesty; a magnificent creature. Sol eyed the pirate far below him, looking down with great arrogance. "Don''t mistake me for the inferior Phoenix Fruit that can only use restorative flames," he declared. He waved a wing as a huge torrent of solar fire shuttled out, crashing onto the sea far away. BOOM! The seawater exploded to a sizable height, right before boiling into a cloud of steam that covered half of Glint Island. "I prefer the term, ''Sun Bird'', it gets the point across better," Sol said with a defined smile hidden under the massive creature bathed in hellfire. [Creature Image (in Discord)] To Be Continuedбн Chapter 108: Dawn of Pride (II) [Nearby] Big Mom held back the Capital Vices. "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma!" She used her Napoleon in full-sword form as she clashed with Ignavi''s twin swords. Thymos was using his staff from afar, bringing down a plethora of attacks. "Die you overgrown hooker of a woman!" Gobbler roared out. He then opened up his maw and air flooded in at great speeds. . "Boar Burst!" . *Pwooo!* An orb of condensed and ripping winds was sent out as it raced toward the rather loosely dressed pirate. Linlin scoffed and sent a flow of Haki to her slender arm as it shined a pristine black. . "Mama Mash!" . She smashed her fist upon the coming attack, her Emission broke away the very soul of the attack and Infusion tore it to shreds. Boom! The woman took the skies as her near-29-foot frame brought down a frightening shadow. . "Ikoku Sovereignty!" . Big Mom swung Napoleon in its longsword form with such force that she created a shockwave that destroyed everything in its path. Osca, who ate the Swipe-Swipe Fruit, allowing him to swipe away certain physical qualities of an attack, jumped into action. "Velocity Swipe!" "Momentum Swipe!" "Acceleration Swipe!" "Force Swipe!" "Jerk Swipe!" Five streams of orange energy wrapped around the incoming slash, visibly slowing it down, but not to a halt. Thymos, the leading Vice, narrowed his eyes at the giant attack. *Smash!* He crashed the foot of his staff on the ground as the red crystal embedded upon it glowed. "You shall not pass!" . "Great Fire Annihilation!" . The jewel burst out in a blazing red of crimson flames that blew straight towards Big Mom''s attack, nullifying it further. Gobbler then jumped into the slash, his thick skin absorbing the remaining power. Linlin landed on the ground and chuckled with her unique laugh. "!!!" Her eyes shot to the side as her instincts called out. She subconsciously snapped ahead at empty air, though oddly enough, a humanoid was in her grasp! "Y-You, I used five different stealth-type abilities, how did you detect me!" It was Jelloбкthe user of the Paramecia-Type: Copy-Copy Fruit! "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma! You can''t get away!" Her eyes then started to glow orange as black rings swirled around her pupils. An ominous navy-blue atmosphere took over the surrounding area, emanating with a hazy black mist. [Attack Image (in Discord)] "NO! Jello! Get away from her!" Ignavi yelled out as he gritted his teeth in frustration. Jello was shaking as he saw the ginormous woman''s eyes glaring at his very soul! A powerful voice that transcended certain laws broke out, echoing from Big Mom. "Life." "or." "Death!" Jello was unable to utter a word as his very being was screaming in fear. Big Mom, a user of an Ultimate-Class fruit was able to tap certain abstract authorities that could do the impossible, in this case, the authority linked to souls! Her ''Soul Pocus'' allowed her to set up a trade for Life or something. Yet in his state of fear, no such choices were made, giving its user full command! "..." Big Mom waited a few seconds and gave out a menacing smile. "NO!" the other commanders yelled from behind, yet the Evil Spirit''s Conqueror''s Haki was pushing them away. "Give me 60 years!" She moved her hand in a grabbing motion as Jello''s mouth opened and the wisps of his soul departed. "Eughhhбн!" Jello''s eyes whitened out as life drained out, six decades lost in an instant, drawing the curtains to his act. His body fell on the cold, broken land. . "S-She killed Jelloбн!" Ignavi saw it from afar and grew angered, his brows twisted and his eyes sharpened in rage, and then a second later, they grew heavy and weak as they closed. He fell asleep, true to his Sin of Sloth. Deep snores rang out, attracting the attention of others. Big Mom saw it too and hummed in curiosity, "Bourgeois Ignaviбн Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma! They call him the strongest of you six clowns: The ''Sleeping Demon''." *Snore* Ignavi''s shut eyes suddenly burst open, fully white. His mouth scrunched up in a frightening angle, a wide smile. He then disappeared like the wind and flashed behind the Evil Spirit. Clang! His sword smashed upon Napoleon, evoking a powerful shockwave. *Woosh!* He disappeared once more and appeared elsewhere with impossible speeds, slashing and cutting at the enormous threat of Charlotte Linlin. Gobbler smirked menacingly "Ignavi has a sleeping disorder that is passed down to the royal family of the Bourgeois Kingdom. A demon passed on through the heirsбн the ''Hakuba!''" If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. [Hakuba Image (in Discord)] ---------------------------------------------- [Elsewhere on Glint Island] Silver Axe was chopping down on some of the pirates that survived as his shiny axe cut them into pieces with little difficulty. He had just finished dealing with the Abyss Pirates when a gigantic shadow landed before him. It was a ginormous elephantine body hidden by the darkness of his sheer size. Silver Axe, recalled the name, "Wang ZhiбкCaptain of the Kingly Pirates. Bounty of 670 million berries!" "You are from the Rocks Pirates. Wawawawa! Take my sword!" Wang Zhi then slashed down his giant sword upon the man donned in silver armour as the latter responded with his Haki-clad axe. Clang! The sound of metal hitting metal broke out as the two weapons clashed. Silver Axe looked at the battle-torn eyes of his enemy and ever-so-slightly shifted his left hand and used the flat part of the axe to slide his giant sword. *Skrrrr!* Sparks went off as the sword slid from the axe and onto the ground, stuck. The armoured pirate then twirled around his axe and slashed it down. . "Silver Road!" . An arc of silver energy slashed forth and onto Wang Zhi''s chest. *Grrrr!* It razed at the giant pirate, drilling into his pores. "Wawawawa! Again!" ---------------------------------------------- [Another Area Elsewhere] "Johohoho! So many knocked-out pirates mean more treasure for me!" John cackled to himself as he continued to rob the tens of thousands of fallen pirates. The loot was quite the haul as he looked like Santa Claus with a giant sack over his shoulders while he collected his goodies. "You! How dare you rob my men!" He had the Zoan body of a monkey, growling in anger. "I am George ''The Curious'' of the Jungle Pirates!" The man roaring at John was a pirate with a bounty of 119 million berries! "Johohoho! Die!" A black bullet coated with Haki shot out as it rocketed to the monkey Zoan, throwing him to the ground, dead. "..." John revelled in greed as he continued to grab all forms of treasures he could put his hands on. Yet he stopped in his tracksбн his eyes widened in panic. *Thwack!* His sack of gold fell with a thump while a shadow landed in front of him, casting darkness over the pirate''s body. "You areбн!" John cursed as he saw the infamous white attire that caused most pirates to tremble in fear. ---------------------------------------------- [At the Center of Glint Island] The hell being wrought on Glint Island only got worse while the fight between the Sin Incarnate and the Holy Terror exited the warm-up stage. "Empyrean Release." *Fwwm* A metallic sound went off as Damien''s attire slowly started to be plated with thick, black Haki armour. Cracks of molten red then appeared as crimson energy pulsed throughout Damien''s form, emanating with a creepy mist. The Overlord Sol flapped his fiery wings. *Caw!* A loud screech erupted all over the broken island as globs of golden flames swirled around, forming giant balls of fire. From tens to hundreds to thousands of basketball-sized rocks floated around the Sunbird. . "Solar Storm!" . The thousands of balls swam with flames from the sun as they rained down in a world-ending sight, lighting up the skies. *Fwoo!* The wind quaked in their fiery presence and the air howled as the atmosphere cracked. It was similar to Sol''s previous attack, though boasting more controlled and abundant flames. . "Void Space." . A crimson curtain, nearly 50 meters in size, opened up before Damien as all matter beyond its protection was turned into an absolute void. The raining hell crashed down upon the net that was void of matter. Damien was slightly pushed into the ground as the force of the attack still travelled onto his body, yet his bones held strong. *Vzzzzzz* The attack halted as the Void Space fizzled out alongside the enemy''s assault. Amongst the sea of hellacious lands was Damien still standing strong while the Holy Terror floated in the sky. . "Sohoho! Colour me impressed," the Overlord''s voice bellowed out. "Let me see if you can survive this." Sol then flapped his majestic wings, flying even further in the sky. He then stopped and eclipsed the sky, glowing brighter than the sun! Choosing against remaining on defence, the Sin Incarnate used his masterful Rokushiki and took the battle to the air. *Crackle* His Empyrean armour was now coated in Infusion-Haki as he collided with the Sunbird. Boom! *Clang!* Bam! бн Another hour or so passed as the battles went on for a stalemate, Damien and Sol were quite equal in strength. Ryushi had been long drawn out but unfortunately, Sol''s supremacy in the skies was a hard thing to counter. "This againбн," Damien muttered, sensing the familiar ripples of power. The Overlord roared and great amounts of power swelled around him. "Let''s take this up a notch!" "..." No matter which future path Damien embarked to halt the enemy, it was met with fire and blood. . "Radiance Reborn!" . Sol''s body exploded, resembling a star going supernova. The waves of heat doubled, tripled even. The temperature began to climb exponentially, even boiling the entire atmosphere, resulting in a thick fog forming within a hundred meters. *Screech!* The Sunbird released its proud shrill. ''Like a phoenix reborn from its ashes,'' Damien sighed at the poetic nature of his opponent. *Flap* *Flap* "Show me that tenacity of yours that brought down my rivals!" Damien eyed the Overlord, feeling the increase in strength, something reflecting in the notification passing through his mind. [Pryde D. Sol''s Strength: Middle Tier Yonko б· Top Tier Yonko.] ''The temperature is hot, hotter than his first stage! I guess he''s finally embodying the sun''s deeper layers,'' Damien thought. . "Omega Beams." . The familiar red streaks shot out from the young pirate''s eyes, rocketing toward the Sunbird. "Hmph!" Sol simply flapped his wings in a forward motion as the blazing winds coated with his solar flames demolished Damien''s attack. The young pirate, in the short two seconds of the attack, had already flown into the sky with the Overlord, Ryushi in hand. "Challenging me in the skyбн how foolish!" Sol then widened his mouth as a small sun swirled in energy. . "Solar Flare!" . A dense and powerful beam of golden-red colour shot out from the mouth and zoomed towards the flying Damien. Damien extended Ryushi outwards as it converged with crimson energy. . "Red Sun." . A scorching red ball of pulverizing energy danced around the Sin Incarnate as he shot it at Sol''s attack. The thick beam of gold clashed with the boiling-red sun. BOOM! A grand explosion lit the skies as a mix of gold and red flooded the area, quite the spectacle from afar. The coloured mist allowed Damien to climb further and further, even above where Sol floated. He was now 80 meters above Sol as he executed another devastating move. With the embrace of gravity and the acceleration of his own, Damien fell straight down. He was fast enough to pop the sound barrier! . "Ryushi Combat Arts: Tectonic Shift!" . A raging meteor of crimson energy arced down from the sky as Damien plunged forth with enough power to cut through this very island! Sol felt the noticeable danger yet his pride caused him to chuckle in response. . "Hallowed Dawn!" . The mythical creature''s two wings exploded with solar energy as they extended from their span of 9 meters each to nearly 20 meters! The fiery wings then folded in front of the body of the Sunbird while the flames churned as if they were liquid, concentrating to form an indomitable defence. Damien''s Ryushi trembled with impatience, colliding hard with the wall of flames with enough force to level mountains. BOOOOM! The noise generated from the clash was enough to shake the destroyed ground nearly a kilometer below them. Ryushi''s crimson energy working in tandem with Damien''s Emission and Infusion was an incredible mix. Sol roared as he too poured in the raging rapids of his Conqueror''s Haki, evoking a jaw-dropping scene of black lightning. The attacks did not touch! BOOM! Slowly but surely, the attacks moved through, not before sending out an overwhelming pulse of Haki that turned nearby fallen pirates to mush. The pulsating blade of Ryushi gave off another explosion before losing its momentum in the face of the sun''s flames. The heat from Damien''s attack was absorbed and converted into a stronger defense on Sol''s side! ''Damn Awakened fruits,'' the Sin Incarnate frowned. The Overlord chuckled and his ever-burning wings were flooded once more with strength, shooting open like two gates, flinging Damien and his weapon like a comet. *Crash!* *Rumble!* He was nailed down into Glint Island, with Ryushi collapsing some distance away. . Sol landed on the ground, thirty meters away. "I can tell by your fighting style that you opt to overpower your enemies with brute force and destructive attacks," the veteran pirate commented. "But I can convert the heat of your attacks into my power with easeбкyou''ve met your match, Sin Incarnate." Damien slowly extricated himself from the crater, unveiling his tattered armour dripping with blood. The skin from the ruined armour had peeled away, leaving visible flesh behind. "Looks like awakening my fruit is necessary for future endeavours," he decided, glaring at the Sun Bird. . "Heliacal Solar Flare!" . A bigger sky-splitting torrent of hellish energy shot out from the bird''s mouth as it raced parallel to the ground. The sheer heat was enough to leave a trail of molten earth in its wake, churning and thickening by the secondбкit was actually converting the ruined land into more sunfire, making the attack even more lethal. Damien''s pending defense was put on hold while a blinding light arrived from behind him, whizzing across the broken land. . "The Starry Night!" . It was a rush of silver energy, slashing at the coming attack at its center. A sharp whistle later and the solar rush was cut clean half! The two trails continued beyond Damien''s position, carrying on for another few hundred meters. A shadow landed on Damien''s side with a thud, the shine of a powerful blade was apparent alongside it. "Young man, will you allow me to join as well?" The man wore circular glasses and had slicked-back golden hair. A simple attire with his chest exposed. Damien raised an eyebrow in interest, "You areбн Rayleigh." The Dark King smirked at the younger pirate, "You have grown a lot since our first encounter at Borealis'' auction." He then pointed his saber at the mythical creature flapping its wings afar, the blade reflected the same sharp gleam as the eyes of its beholder. "Although I don''t mean to discredit your strength, it wouldn''t be wise of you to continue this battle alone." Soon enough the combined party of the Sin Incarnate and the Dark King stood side by side, facing down the human sun. Rayleigh infused a dense sheet of Haki, satisfied by Damien''s choice to team up. "I''d say it''s time to humble the Sin of Pride." To Be Continuedбн Chapter 109: Dawn of Pride (III) The Sin Incarnate and the Dark King stood side by side; their adversary, Sol, remained in the sky. "Another one joins the fray," Sol disparagingly said. "But it won''t change a thing!" *Fwwm!* The sounds of metal echoed as Damien''s body was armoured up in Empyrean Form once more, all the while Rayleigh coated his saber and arms in dense Haki. Boom! The ground blew up as the two pirates exploded from their positions and whizzed towards the Sunbird in an unforgiving assault. *Clang!* The Overlord''s talons collided with Rayleigh''s saber in mid-air, sparks flying off their collision. Sol''s eyes sharpened as he saw Damien leap from the Dark King''s shadow with his weapon raised. "Crusher Configuration." With a snap, the weapon shattered into the image of a warhammer dancing with black lightning and slammed into Sol''s torso. *Fwoooo!* He was then shot back like a rocket as a streak of golden flames followed. Damien and Rayleigh capitalized immediately. The warhammer was swung once more, giving Rayleigh a platform to launch himself ahead. *Whizz!* The burst of silver was easy to miss, zooming through the air to land a downward strike on the Overlord. Damien landed with a thud, wasting no time to command Ryushi to return to its Vanquisher configuration and shoot it out like a spear. The silver and crimson lights were at most a meter from Sol. The saber was cutting at the Sun Bird''s skull while the giant clawed blade was nearing his chest. . "Solar Burst!" . Damien was forced to close his eyes while the dull tremor of Ryushi being swatted away echoed through the ruined hillside. Rayleigh retreated to the volatile humanoid, glaring at the rivers of magma born from Sol''s burst. "Buy me a second." The Dark King returned to verbal reply and crouched down a little. *Crack* The earth below Rayleigh''s boots was quickly decorated with a spider-web pattern, indicating the sheer force swelled around his knees. *Boom!* It took a mere half a second as the stationary swordsman exploded in a road of silver energy and appeared within reach of the Sun Bird. . "The Night Sky!" . One wing came flying down, clashing hard against the simple saber. Arcs of black lightning echoed in their clash, sparking a silver and red air around them. Sol growled under Rayleigh''s clear eyes. "I find your optimism insulting!" he roared, converting nearby terrain to pure sunfire and fuelling his attack. The bespeckled man grinned, ignoring his tethering blade, "A fearsome Overlord of the Sea shouldn''t feel threatened against two optimistic pirates." "Do I look threateneиC!" Sol''s Observation sparked as a dark red hue fell nearby. His eyes shot to the towering monster behind the Dark King, its roar shaking the nearby land. *Purrup* Volatile crimson liquid fell from its maw; it resembled lava! Rayleigh''s eyes shone red in Observation, and he instantly gave up his attack. The remaining sunfire swallowed him whole and shot him outside the coming attack. . "Extinction Order!" . The attack landed before the Overlord could put up a defense. His furious eyes glared at the unforgiving blades of Ryushi digging at his chest, sending streams of Haki and crushing energy in. "Guuhh!" Sol cried out in pain in his Sunbird form as his body took the full force of Damien''s attack. *Crack!* The Empyrean''s crooked mouth warped into a grin, hearing the sweet sound of broken ribs. He continued shuttling more and more pulverizing energy in, wrapping it with Ryuo and Infusion. Sol grunted under the destructive force, but his miserable cry was lost in the trembling lands. Not long before, he was again sent rocketing away. Damien landed on the ground with a thud, free of injuries, with Rayleigh quickly joining him. . "That should leave a mark," The Dark King muttered as he saw the dust clouds afar and led up to a bubbling magma trail. Damien nodded, "Yeah, but it''s not enough." "Ugh!" Sol woke up to see his body stuck in the ground; his Zoan-like form had collapsed. "I bet he''s gonna roar in indignation at his bloody state," the Sin Incarnate guessed. Rayleigh wiped some blood off his trusty blade. His eyes were still on the blade, but the carnage in the distance reflected a golden colour. "I second that." *Purrup* Molten flames began dripping from Sol''s pores, masking the blood. "How dare you put me in such an unsightly state!" The waves of heat doubled, rippling through the area like a heartbeat. Its temperature was beyond what the likes of Damien and Rayleigh could interrupt. . "Radiance Reborn!" . The figure imploded on itself in a fiery spectacle, gracing the island with boiling flames. An ominous wind rained down as a new sight stood proud. It was a humanoid figure that glowed as bright as the sun in the sky! His hair resembled a sun, his entire body leaking rays like a star. A golden ring floated behind the Overlord''s back, floating in its heat. Damien examined the humanoid figure with narrowed eyes. The new Sol stood 5 meters tall (16'' 5") in his majestic new form. "This is my ''Warrior of Liberation'' form; be proud that you can lay your eyes on it." His golden irises carried a touch of supremacy as he declared, "It''s time to end this!" [Warrior of Liberation Image (in Discord)] ---------------------------------------------- [At Another Battle] Shiki and Redfield have been clashing for hours now. Redfield, a grandmaster of Observation, saw the slightest of flaws in any movement and took advantage of them with quick and clean strikes. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Shiki raised his swords into the sky as they shone a sharp light. . "Golden Paradise!" . He spun into a golden tornado and flowed downward the elegantly dressed pirate. Redfield smiled while his umbrella-turned-polearm shined black with powerful Haki. Seeing the single concentration point of Shiki''s attack, Redfield struck his polearm forwards. *Clang!* A loud bang resounded as both Golden Lion''s swords were stopped mid-air! "Jihahaha!" Shiki used his Float-Float Fruit to retreat, his hands quickly tapping the ground along the way. *Fwoooo* The air rumbled as large boulders of earth were raised above. . "Lion''s Threat: Imperial Earth Bind!" . The hundreds of flying boulders suddenly swirled around like a belt of rocks before shooting forth mercilessly at the pirate below. *Poof* Redfield exploded in a purple mist as he flashed through the flurry of attack, dodged most and cut a few while inching closer to the man in the sky. Shiki responded by slashing tens of times in the sky, generating an equal number of sword arcs. Yet the energy arcs floated in the airбкShiki combined his powerful swordsmanship with his fruit power! . "Lion Majesty: Scattering Valley!" . It was a flurry of sword slashes that rained down with absolute dominance! ---------------------------------------------- [Nearby] Two titanic pirates laughed and clashed with great zeal. "Oye, Newgate," Roger called out amid the battle. "Is that kid going to be alright with Sol?" "Gurarara!" Whitebeard laughed. "Damien will be fine. You should be worried about Rayleigh." The towering pirate twirled his giant weapon around and slashed at Roger''s Ace, "I bet you wouldn''t want your right-hand man to die, now would you, Roger!" BOOM! The two Supreme Blades sparked black lightning all over while a future flashed by Roger''s eyes. The weather above whirled around to his desire, reflecting his deep mastery. Whitebeard saw the change and attacked. A white bubble formed around the tip of his glaive, pulsing like a heartbeat. It then descended with unseen power, reflecting in Whitebeard''s popping muscles. Roger may have been a master of Haki and swordsmanship, but he was also a pirate! Seeing such a disastrous attack from his enemy, the man could only return with an equally powerful attack of his own. Ace was clad in overwhelming Haki and crashed onto the coming glaive. BOOOM! The tremor bubble popped with extreme bursts of power, leaving the entire region cracked like glass to shatter apart. Roger gave a crazy grin while his Haki flooded forth and pushed back the natural disaster, matching Whitebeard''s strengthбкhe brought a katana to tackle an underquake! ---------------------------------------------- [Upon the Raised Platform] A lone figure sat in the center of the once-raised platform, which had already collapsed due to earthquakes, tornados, and other natural disasters. *Gurrug* The man inhaled his alcohol as if it were oxygen; empty gourds of sakиж could be seen nearby. "Xahaha! I knew that Sun fruit was special," Rocks muttered. His eyes were fixed on the scene three kilometers away. The Abyssal Sin''s eyes were locked onto the three figures in the distance: an unholy figure, a Haki-clad swordsman facing a reborn sun god. "How far can that power of yours go, Sol?" Rayleigh questioned as he saw the new Overlord. The man smirked, "My powers are infinite. You should bow down like the hundreds of thousands worldwide." Meanwhile, Damien hummed at the change in temperature, feeling his skin under its armour starting to dry up. ''Looks like he''s embodying the Radiative Zone of the Sun; no wonder the flames are like molten hell; even my skin is starting to boil.'' From his senses, Damien concluded that the Overlord had gone beyond the current Whitebeard and Roger, reaching that tippity-top of the Yonko Stage. The Sin Incarnate pointed his weapon and questioned his enemy, "Oye, Sol," he called out, "you really have an obsession with Nika, don''t you? Seriously, the ''Warrior of Liberation'' Form." The Overlord boomed with a laugh, "Sohohoho! I''ve heard the despairing cries of the weak since I was a child at Moraino Island. It''s the same now as it was thenбкcalling out for a legendary figureбнme!" Rayleigh bopped his glasses into place, finding the situation quite unnerving. "Quite arrogant." Sol grinned past his divine form, "That is the Sin of Pride." . "!!!"The Overlord''s mellow expression soon warped into anger at the memory of his previous setbacks. *Bruuu* The heat began to churn, liquefying into a golden blaze, forming a weapon. It was a longsword of exciting design, sporting a guard in the shape of a sun, taking up the familiar golden majesty. [Weapon Image (in Discord)] The allied pirates both saw grim futures ahead and jumped to defend. Not a moment later, the heat of the sun appeared before them. *Clang!* Ryushi''s clawed blade rumbled as the weight of a mountain crashed upon it. Crimson torrents of pulverizing energy swirled out, hoping to crush the attack. Yet to no avail; with a boom, Damien''s body was shot back at incredible speeds, blood leaking from his mouth. Rayleigh coated himself with impressive Haki and spun around in a silver spectacle; his saber collided with Sol. BAM! The same scene repeated as if it were a broken record. Rayleigh, too, was rocketed back, his saber shaking with excess energy. Sol did not stop. His body churned with molten flames, soon forming hundreds of fiery miniature suns. . "Heliacal Solar Storm!" . *Pew!* *Vooo!* *Zing!* The wind howled at multiple frequencies as the attack raged onwards to the area where Damien and Rayleigh crashed. The Sin Incarnate had healed from his injuries, all but his stamina. His eyes shone red as his Future Sight kicked in. The thousands of mini-suns showered as if rain from a thunderstorm. No matter how fast they were, some pockets of hell were bound to slip by, dousing them in sunfire. The two grimaced under the heat with their Haki barely holding up to defend. Meanwhile, the large fiery ring floated behind Sol''s back and suddenly moved. *Whuru* *Whuru* It was spinning at incredible speeds and generated boiling-hot winds that rose into the sky and were pointed at the youngest of his adversaries. . "Gaze of the Sun God!" . The halo acted like a magnifying glass, concentrating the sunbeams from above and directing them onto the two enemy pirates. *Krrrrr* Damien felt the raging heat as his Empyrean Body began to melt; his Haki was ravaged! "Damn!" Rayleigh''s Haki fell apart, too, forcing him to use his sword in hopes of reflecting the light. *Whir* *Whir* *Whir* The halo spun faster, resembling a car wheel; the speed doubled, tripled, and even quintupled the concentration of the sunbeams. ""Ugh!"" the duo collectively grunted, their Haki melting off like clothes. Sol scoffed, taking the open shot with his magnificent sword raised high. *Crackle* Black lightning arched around the blade, mixing with the divine heat and fire. . "Los Helios!" . The sword exploded with strength as it crashed into both pirates, ringing them with sunfire, Infusion Haki and booming strength. Like stars, the two were sent across the burnt remnants of Glint Island, leaving behind a corroded trail of ruined rock. бн *Cough* *Cough* Under the considerable volume of dust was a broken humanoid figure; his mouth leaked with blood as his body was caved in a boulder. Pieces of armour clattered to the floor, meeting a pool of blood. The coughing was followed by an audible crack. "Haaaaaah," Damien exhaled, finally fixing the itch in his chest. It turned out that one of his ribs had broken and was stabbing at his heart! The Sin Incarnate clawed out, shaking his head from the ringing. Crashed not far from the young pirate was Rayleigh. "...Quite the monster he isбн" he mumbled as his beard was dripping in blood. The senior pirate''s clothes were ripped, and his upper-right torso had a deep scar that was caused by Sol''s attack. Damien looked over with solemnity, "Rayleighбн might wanna have that eye checked out." The swordsman touched his right eye, tracing a large vertical cut, yet his eyeball was miraculously intact. "Huhaehahaha! I got quite lucky there, isn''t that right, young man?" Damien rolled his eyes, "You seem quite cheery for a man who was shot a thousand meters by a humanoid star." "I guess we''re in the same boat then." "Hmm, let''s agree not to let this boat sink any further, no, old man?" Damien grinned in reply. "I''m only thirty-nine," the golden-haired pirate muttered, "don''t make me sound so grey." *Rumble* They both looked into the distant rumbling. Sol slowly walked towards them as if trying to seem menacing. The lands behind him were scorched and charred black, crackling with orange flames. "If our captains remain so laid-back, then I''m afraid this will be rather difficult," Rayleigh chuckled. Damien then saw Rayleigh puff out a deep exhale. *Fwwm!* The air flooded around his entire body as both arms and legs were covered in Haki, and rather detailed lines extended over his chest to his back; all the while, it formed a black crown of sorts upon his forehead. Sparks of black lightning arched about the majestic figureбкa true Dark King, so to speak. . "I suggest we take advantage of the only thing we surpass him on." Damien hummed in agreement as the future was open to them. "A speedy and unforgiving assaultбкgot it." Ryushi, which was held in his grasp, suddenly shook under its user''s command. *Vrrrr* The clawed blades started to boil and warp into a fluid-like shape: the metal flowed around as the wooden staff shifted in sizeбкthe blade was changing forms! The resulting shape was a staff mixed with a sword, 10 feet long (~3 m). It featured a sleek, crimson blade with intricate patterns, giving it a fiery and menacing appearance. Its hilt was adorned with elaborate, silver-like designs, strikingly contrasting the blade. The craftsmanship suggests a balance between elegance and deadly efficiency. [Ravager Image (in Discord)] Rayleigh admired the Supreme Weapon, but what he saw in the immediate future was even more surprising, "I''ve never seen that before." "I had some spare time after G-2," came a casual reply. The pulverizing-red bubbled, "My fight with Basara left me wanting a more flexible and sustainable mode of attack." Clicks and clacks went off as the bubbling energy was armoured in Haki. But it wasn''t before a few unsecured energy streams burst out from the figure''s back, forming wing-like appendages. *Hiss* The frantic energy was quickly dialled down, going from the Empyrean form''s unstable mist to a very silent and dormant version. What remained was a formidable, armoured figure exuding raw power and menace. It was encased in dark, jagged Haki with glowing red fissures up to its masked face and wings. "Haaah," Damien exhaled, feeling the transformation; he looked like an angel from hell. Sol was too prideful to interrupt the transformation of his enemies and smirked in reply. Damien''s words were music to his ears as he welcomed the challenge: . "Hadean Release." . [Image (in Discord)] To Be Continuedбн Chapter 110: Dawn of Pride (IV) "Hadean Release." Damien revelled in his newfound power. He devised it during the three-month wait until the Festival, applying the advancements of his fruit mastery after the bout with Basara. "I will take it to the skiesбн I''ll leave the ground to you, Rayleigh," a crackly voice resounded from the demonic figure. The Dark King was undoubtedly surprised by the Sin Incarnate''s new look but nodded all the same. *Whizz* Damien turned into a blur as he left a black and red trail from his absurd speed. His Ravager-configured Ryushi was ready. It was a simple attack rammed straight into the Sol; the two weapons clashed. Clang! "Increasing your speed will not aid you!" Sol was unamused, glaring at the two globs of red in his foe''s eyes. Damien disappeared with another burst of air, leaving behind a confused Sol. "Huh?" He murmured, seeing the enemy reappear in the sky and then a few meters to the left. Then again to its right, and then its right, and so onбкhe was moving so fast that the afterimages left behind resembled clones! It finished with a dozen Damiens equally spaced like a clock around the enemy. . "Onslaught." . And in a single instance, from every direction, came a collective attack. Boom! *Clang* Bam! *Shing* It was a bombardment of crimson energy, a slash from the left, a slice from the right, then a swipe from behind and all around. Sol took every hit one by one but quickly realized that his Observation could not keep up with Damien''s onslaught! They weren''t attacking at the same frequency either: some were every second, others came every five seconds. At the same time, a few were randomбкimpossible to predict and defend! The ground beneath the Warrior of Liberation cracked increasingly, shattering into red cubes; Sol soon found himself sinking in! Ten more seconds of abuse, and then he was stapled into the ground. The Overlord growled in response, only to feel something blocking his airway. . "Restoration." . "!!!" Sol was left shocked as the ruined earth from earlier had magically returned to its original shape, going from ruin to restoration! *Whizz!* The Hadean figure of Damien appeared right above the buried enemy. He was satisfied by the situationбкDamien could change the shape of Ryushi at will, and in his current form, he could apply that to his attacks as well. The menacing Ravager stabbed ahead at the fresh grave, digging through the earth layer and nailing the Overlord below. "Aughh!" Sol grunted while his body was plucked out and raised two meters off the ground with the blade digging at his lungs. "I''ll kill you for thiиC!" Sol''s roar was plugged shut when a blade was thrust into his mouth. His furious eyes traced the new figure who had appeared in Damien''s placeбкit was Rayleigh! They had swapped places when Sol blinked his eyes. The Dark King flexed the muscles down his arm and sent out a bullet of silver Emission Haki, exploding the man''s esophagus. "Guhh!" The sun-man retreated a few steps, grasping at his throat. His anger erased all pain while he reformed his solar blade and traded attacks against Rayleigh. Webs of cracks appeared all over the ground and nearby lands. Rayleigh was a machine. He attacked from the smallest possible angles, using Sol''s momentum against him and redirecting it with his saber. The towering enemy kept up solely because his powerful flames fuelled his strikes. . *Vvoosh!* Dust lifted away as Damien suddenly appeared in front of Sol''s 5-meter frame. The Overlord dwarfed him, yet his eyes carried a shine of great confidence. The Holy Terror raised his divine weapon and brought it upon Damien to throw off his momentum. However, Rayleigh was fasterбкhe jumped into the air with a sideways flip and made short work of the distracted Sol. *Swish* *Swish* *Swish* The Sin of Pride''s eyes widened as he felt pain once more. Three cuts formed across his body: one on each bicep and another at his throat; Rayleigh''s Haki-clad blade moved with silver arcs of energy as the Overlord was left with a broken voice box and slashed arms. Sol''s arm subconsciously reached to the crumbling throat, protecting the vital area. But this wasn''t the end of the assault as Damien mercilessly slashed at the raised limb. With a resounding thump, a fiery arm fell to the ground. "Aughgh!" Sol roared, his right hand covering his open stump. The blood from his throat only sought to distort his cry of pain. Neither Rayleigh nor Damien would allow such an opportunity to go to waste. Still, in the face of such danger, Sol''s great pride whirled in the form of the Haki of Kings, and his body exploded in golden fire. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. . "Supernova!" . A wave of molten inferno raged from the Overlord, enveloping his two enemies. "!!!" A dangerous future rebounded in Damien''s eyes, forcing him to pull off the attack. His black wings flapped as he raced out from the radius of Sol''s attack. On the way out, the Sin Incarnate grabbed Rayleigh''s arm in a hasty escape. They rocketed through the air, a hellish scene trailing quickly behind, obliterating and disintegrating everythingбкa tsunami of lava! With a thud, the two landed 200 meters away and saw the ravaged land. *Purrup* Bubbling hell of molten earth was all that remained. . "I think we made him angry," Rayleigh hummed and slashed his sword, slicking the blood onto the ground. Damien nodded through the mask, "Which means he''s being cornered by us." The two collected their breaths while their foe did the same. "By the way, Rayleigh," he called out amidst heavy breathing. "You know how strength tends to bloom in battle?" The Dark King nodded with a hint of interest, "That is the gain one profits at death''s door." The younger pirate hummed in agreement before glaring at the distant threat. "Can you hold him down for a minute?" The Dark King chuckled at the request, turning back to the man marked by flames. "Very well, young man, I''ll let you get the finishing blow." Rayleigh turned into a silver burst of speed. He ran so elegantly that it seemed like he was skating across the land, leaving the molten mess untouched! The fearsome swordsman read the future like a book, granting him a perfect route to land his strike. . "The Last Supper!" . BOOM! Sol''s sword crashed upon the Dark King as the two engaged in a tug-of-war. Neither side budged, yet the former started to overpower the latter. ''He trusts me with his life,'' Damien muttered, seeing Rayleigh''s casual, lone assault. ''Let''s hope this feeling in my heart is worthwhile!'' It was an instinct. Years of combat had left the young pirate entirely reliant on such internal tremors. The clash against Basara gave birth to the idea of Hadean Release. This technique bumped up Damien''s connection with his Haki and Devil Fruit. The same instinct that guided him after Enigma robbed his senses was telling him to let go and allow his fruit to materialize as the situation dictated. *Purrup* The Sin Incarnate did precisely that, relying on his impulses to release tremendous energy that bubbled and raced around his left palm. The rest of the world went silent while Damien focussed on the air sitting atop his open hand. The hungry pulverizing energy surged out, starting with a swirl and slowly spiralling into something more. Tiny, short-lived crimson sparks went off under the pirate''s gaze as the air was slowly crushed. It went from one centimeter cubes to one milimeters, then a single micrometer and continued getting smaller. Damien didn''t blink and gave all his attention to the spectacle. бн Rayleigh''s attack had grown dry at the primary battle, pushing him back. *Grrr* His feet skid across the bubbling earth, digging into the molten earth. After having regained balance, he continued. "You would dare to put your life in the hands of a pirate?" Sol spat, slashing his blade. A chain of explosions went off along Rayleigh''s saber, somehow using Emission Haki to evenly distribute the opposing force to keep the weapon intact. "Hehe, I saw the same look in that young lad''s eyes as I did my Captain when he first asked me to turn the world upside down with him." The Dark King found some strength to launch a bullet-fast stab that Sol barely dodged. "Then you are as much of a fool as Roger!" The Overlord bellowed, dropping his weapon and opening his right palm towards the swordsman. . "Helios Flare!" . A burst of solar energy boomed out of the palm as it rocketed at the Dark King. Rayleigh saw the threat three seconds before it happened, held his sword pointing downwards and wedged it to the ground. His hands dug into the grip and were locked in further with thick Haki, which provided him leverage and defense. The Dark King went full dark mode, wrapping his entire body with a glistening coat of Armament. BOOM! The miniature sun crashed onto Rayleigh, forcing blood to dribble out his mouth and nose. "Guh!" he grunted, feeling the heat of the sunfire melt away his Haki and sanity alongside it. Seconds passed, a gap of eternity in between, yet the swordsman held strong. Sol felt the defiant eyes glaring through the ball of light, leaving him shocked, ''What gives him such trust in him!?'' The Overlord became somewhat lost and absently stared at the hell surrounding Rayleigh, utterly perplexed. Meanwhile, Liquid Haki dripped from the saber-user, splattering onto the ground with a red colourбкblood. It had already been ten seconds since he took the brunt of a star. A few grunts escaped his mouth while slowly being forced backбкhis saber anchored to the ground was shoved back! The raging winds assaulted the Dark King''s face, scalding and charring away. But right before he was plucked out from the ground and sent soaring off, Rayleigh commented on the surprise in Sol''s eyes. "Moraino Island shaped you into a tyrantбн but a true pirate''s heart lies in the trust he places in his alliesбн!" Rayleigh''s words cut deeper than his sword, echoing in the Overlord''s mind, bringing out buried memories from long ago. Said swordsman stared into the ashy, darkening skies while his body was skipping off the ruined lands, glancing at the figure who appeared in his place. ''The rest is up to you, Damien!'' . *Vvoosh!* The surge of air broke Sol from his reverie, leaving him face-to-face with the armoured foe once more. Only this time, he had a small, red object floating on the palm of his hand. It was a glowing red pyramid with intricate, geometric black lines and patterns on its surfaces. The pyramid levitated with a bright, intense red light emanating from its center, creating a halo-like effect around it. "!!!" Sol''s instincts went wild at the unassuming yet equally unsettling entity in Damien''s hand. [Entity Image (in Discord)] "I will reduce you to dust with my divine flames!" he declared, raising his remaining arm. "Ryushi." It was a call of duty for the Supreme Weapon. Sol''s anger warped into pain as he found himself on a knee with his arm nailed to the floor. His pained glance saw Ryushi in its Ravager configuration. The blade fell from the sky with a mind of its own, nailing him down, cutting right through his bicep before lodging into the ground. The sound of pixelations continued to whistle as its master walked ahead, glaring at the fallen Overlord. "I cannot be killed!" the veteran howled, spreading his fruit across the land. With a single thought, the earth began to crackle like fire, credit to the Awakened Sun-Sun Fruit. Yet oddly enough, the budding flames suddenly died down, disappearing away with the grace of the wind. Sol''s befuddled eyes fell on Damien''s feet, which released a crimson net all around and turned the ground into cubes before they could be fully transformed. The Overlord had yet to give up: "Radiance Re-!!!" "Guuh!" Pain tore along his nervous system, originating from Ryushi, which was releasing crushing energy straight into Sol''s nerves and ruining his thoughts. "Ironically, we share similarities in our pasts, Sol," Damien said before directing his palm sideways, the pyramid following suit with its tip pointing at the Holy Terror''s chest. "But unlike you, I didn''t give up on growing stronger." *Fooom!* The pyramid turned into a drill, spinning at mind-numbing speeds and stabbing directly into the man''s chest. . "Atomic Fracture!" . "Augghh!" Sol painfully screamed as the golden flames near his chest started to break apart. They were being pulled and remodelled by the attack. Rays of red and black shone from the man''s body, leaking from his eyes and mouth while the attack surged through his system. Blood dripped from his eyes and mouth while his insides were pulverized into pieces beyond what the eye could seeбкthey were broken at the atomic level! The Holy Terror had no way to dodge, retreat or counterattack. It started with the rib cage. When those bones were turned to dust, the crimson energy drilled at the heart, atomizing the lungs in the process. Sol''s eyes went white from the pain all over, losing all functionality and usage. ''He''s staring right at me,'' Damien breathed, feeling the Conqueror''s Haki of the Overlord crashing all around. It was a defiance, not toward him, but toward the worldбкthe man was cursing fate itself even at death''s door. *Vzzzz!* The mind-numbing drilling sound only got louder as the flesh was ground apart, opening up a giant crater in the man''s chest. Pryde D. Sol''s dying shriek was heard all over the battlefield, plunging it into silence. Night had descended, sealing the day''s end. All that remained uncertain was whether the tyrannous sun would ever rise over the New World again. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 111: Fog of War The carnage at the center had only gotten louder. Still, the same couldn''t be said for another collision a few kilometers away concerning the Six Vices. Gobbler the Gluttony had died, his guts slowly dripping out of his open stomach that had popped with the Evil Spirit''s Emission Haki. Thymos'' broken staff was scattered around as the man himself was nailed to a boulder, his eyes lifeless, and his very soul had vanished. Osca was a mess: his body was cut in half by Napoleon, Big Mom''s sword, while his brain matter was present nearby. Such a depressing sight erupted as the winds blew wild under heavy shockwaves. "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma!" Big Mom cackled. "You no longer interest me, Sleeping Demon!" Ignavi, now Hakuba, was bloodied all over. His clothes were tattered, his right arm and an eye missing. Yet the smile glued to his face remained as his body moved on auto. "Maybe if you were a rare species, I would keep you," The Evil Spirit mumbled to herself. "But you are just a normal one with a special inborn power... You can die now!" With her words stated, she clad Napoleon in Haki as it shined in the moonlit night. . "Ikoku Sovereignty!" . The attack worthy to be dubbed the Spear of Elbaf rang out in a powerful shockwave. Ignavi persisted for a while until his body collapsed; the powerful attack ended his life as all of the Six Capital Vices had fallen! Linlin hummed with slight fatigue: "Haaaah, I shouldn''t have gotten impregnated before coming hereбн twins make it a little tiring." Her eyes were drawn to the sudden spike in hell at the collapsing hillside. бн [Elsewhere at the Same Time] "AUGHHH!" a primal yell laced with Conqueror''s Haki bellowed out. *Thwack* *Clang* *Slam* Heavy metallic sounds followed as purple lightning lit the dark surroundings. It was Kaido; his eyes glowed in anger. "That damn Damienбн His bounty will get even larger than mine with this!!!" The Hundred-Beast''s black club crashed upon equally powerful counters. "Oyeбн you damn broody giant, can''t you pay attention to your own fight?" Gaban, his opponent for the past nine hours, said in some annoyance. Kaido continued his flurry of attacks as he growled like a beast, "Gaban, your bounty is higher than me, just like Indra. YOU PISS ME OFF!" BOOM! ---------------------------------------------- [Back to the Center] Night had come, bringing an auspicious sight to the fallen sun. Damien''s crimson eyes were glued to the lifeless figure, dead on his knees. There was a gaping hole at the core with no blood drippingбкthe residual atomizing energy had ensured that. *Thump* *Thump* A few light but uneven footsteps rung through the charred floor, followed by the occasional clang. The Sin Incarnate glanced at Rayleigh, who was shuffling to his side, breathing heavily and using his saber as a cane. "I knew you could do it." "Rahahaha! You know, I originally saw you as the sound and reason behind the Roger Piratesбн But now I see that you''re as crazy as your Captain!" The Dark King broke into a chuckle, shaking his head. "I suppose the heart of a pirate was born inside me the day he invited me on his ship." Damien hummed, turning back to the dead Sol. "You think he died understanding what a true pirate is?" "The Purge Pirates may have vilified him, but I think he understood before swatting me aside," Rayleigh answered, using a few remaining fabrics of his clothes to wipe the blood on his glasses. The Sin Incarnate nodded, exhaling heavily and letting loose his armour. With a few thuds, the Haki-armour clattered to the floor in dark red blood, revealing the mess underneath. Rayleigh whistled at the state of Damien''s body, noticing the purple bruises and burnt skin. But before he could even comment on them, the wounds began healing and fading away, leaving all but some light-blue marks behind. "You''re gonna need some new clothes," the older man chimed in, seeing Damien in all but a rag covering down to his left leg and right knee. "Dammit," the tattered Damien cursed, "My clothes aren''t reforming... was getting torched by sunfire the limit?" The swordsman scratched his forehead, unsure of what to say. . *Vvoooo!* Their light-hearted conversation crumpled away with an ominous breeze. "!!!" Instincts went into overdrive as the duo whizzed away, appearing ten meters from where they previously were. The hair on Damien''s arms shot up as a chill ran down his back. Rayleigh was the same, feeling flares in his mindбкthey both saw a grim future! "Damien," the refined swordsman defeatedly muttered, "you''re an educated young lad, remind me of the life cycle of a star." The Sin Incarnate sighed, massaging his temples, "A star only truly dies when it runs out of fuel at its coreбн" Their doubts were answered as the maw of the corpse opened once more with a roar. . "Radiance Reborn!" . A catastrophic sight followed. The bloodied figure of the broken Overlord once again exploded with endless energy. The torrents of lost heat returned, hotter and more turbulent. The previous golden red turned into pure white, a ghostly-white colour resembling nuclear fission''s location! The magma field melted further and warped into someone beyond what the laws of physics could support. *Szz* Damien''s body began to steam up; slowly but surely, the layers of his skin were scaldingбкfirst, second, even third-degree burns and nearing fourth! "Tch, Rayleigh, you broke the first rule of battle: celebrating too early!" The older man raised both hands to shield his face, but that didn''t hide his disapproval. "Shouldn''t you share some of the blame?" The sizzling skin and the screeching air thundered all over, bringing Damien''s reply, "You''re the older and veteran pirate while I''m the Super Rookie, so I can put the blame on you without problem." A spider-web crack appeared on the swordsman''s spectacles, an omen for the hell to follow. "This is beyond our pay gradeбн" he commented, feeling the flesh on his palms melt off. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Damien nodded with deep solemnity and locked on the white figure exploding with energy. *Krrr* Cracks formed all over the Overlord, almost as if he was starting to break apart. "He''s reached the sun''s core," Damien surmised, squinting at the blinding figure. "A place so dense that it will end up collapsing on itself." Rayleigh slowly nodded, gnashing his teeth from the pulsing pain, "In other words... Sol will soon fall apart from his own power." "Yes, but not before reaching a terrifying level of strength." The internal line of text confirmed Damien''s thoughts in his mind. [Pryde D. Sol''s Strength: Top Tier Yonko б· Beyond Yonko.] The duo stared at the Overlord, their feet sinking into the liquidated floor. In his final form after the revival, Sol stood as a magnificent and awe-inspiring 10-foot-tall figure (~3 m), his body glowing with an intense, radiant, white energy. Fiery tendrils of light emanated from his form, creating a halo of flames that encircled him like the corona of a sun. His eyes burned with a piercing white light, and the gaping hole in his chest was now a brilliant, pulsating core of pure energy. The very air around him seemed to shimmer and warp as if bending to the overwhelming heat and power he exuded. A form fit for a god. [Sol''s Final Form Image (in Discord)] . In Damien''s eyes, Sol''s revival was marked with deathбкa final struggle of a star hoping to stay alive even when running on fumes. "But this also means that a certain someone will be quite interestedбн" he muttered. "..." Rayleigh sighed, feeling a shadow of despair fall over him. "Xahahaha!" came a savage voice. "Finally, something interesting." Damien greeted the older man, "Captain Rocksбн this was all part of your game, no?" The wild figure of said pirate appeared, reeking with blood and death. "You did well to bring out Sol''s power; a job well done." Damien sighed at the turn of events. ''He used Rayleigh and me to set the board for him to play,'' he wryly laughed. "Let us retreat then," Rayleigh stated, glaring at Rocks with narrowed eyes. . Soon enough, the two Captains were facing one anotherбкa man of light and a man of death. "I have never gone so deep into my powers!" Sol revelled, his empty eyes filled with satisfaction. Rocks licked his lips at the divine spectacle, "You look just like the figure in the mythsбн the Sun God." "I''ve always wanted to be like Nikaбн" Sol muttered, locking onto the personification of evil. "Sun God is a little boringбн I think I''ll go with the ''Sun of Pride''!" Sol walked on. The previously crushed ground was reborn in ghostly flames, granting way to their master. His current state was of no concern to him; he exercised the final level of his ability to break out with endless strength. The pure-white energy came with a heat that most would be swept away by, but not Xebec. *Fwooo* An ominous wind blew about, emanating from the crazed pirate; around Xebec''s body was a tornado of black smoke as it started to resemble the very colour of death! Cries of souls echoed out, almost as if conveying their torturous existence. "Xahahaha!" "Sohohoho!" бн Damien flew to the island''s edge, crashing onto the sandy beach to inspect other things. The winds across the island had turned venomous, bringing fractions of the hellish and deathly energy with them. ''The profits were rather nice from that battle,'' he grinned, ignoring the chaos in the background. The Sin Incarnate then extended his left palm in front of himself, letting his powers run instinctively. *Vwooo~* A mellow noise went off. Damien gave an uncontrollable smile as he saw the red cube floating in his hand. *Vzzzz* A soft howl escaped the hexahedron as it radiated in great power. It was cube-shaped, with a crimson core that seemed to glow bright. Outside the cube, a black cage appeared to support the power''s volatile nature. [Entity Image (in Discord)] *Vrrr* A grating noise then boomed as the red energy in the cube started to escape in a red mist. The air particles were crushed into obsolete sizes and reduced to atomic levels! Yet the cage that held the power started to fall apart, the outer edges unable to sustain it as it fizzled out in dismay. Although it seemed rather sad, Damien simply grinned as he felt his control over the Pulverize-Pulverize Fruit had increased and refined from the battle against Sol. And the ding in his mind amplified the joy: [Fruit Mastery has reached the Final Stage before Awakening.] ---------------------------------------------- [Five Hours Later] It was around six in the morning. Glint Island had started to shatter into pieces, slowly chipping out of existence. Whitebeard and Roger continued their duel, earthquakes thrown around as sword slashes sharp enough to slice mountains collided. Shiki shaped his part of the island according to his desires, and the Red Count, Patrick Redfield, matched his strength. And one to be remembered was at the center. Rocks'' death storms clashed with the flames of the sun''s coreбкit was the end of the world. The skies cried drops of blood as nearly 28,000 deaths had occurred in this very landmass. . Damien sat at the island''s edge as he recovered some stamina from munching on a boatload of Sea King meat, lost in thought. The hell in the background had grown stale, leaving his thoughts to mingle elsewhere. "Sol will die here; the Era of Overlords will end with him. The eventful incident of God Valley is to happen in a mere year or so," he recollected. "I can invoke atomic-level dismantling with Hadean Release, but not my base form yet," Damien concluded. "And my stamina is the main problem; there''s no way I can hold Hadean Release long enough." A quick rumble of the earth broke any further thoughts and earned a greeting, "Linlin, you sure took your time." Big Mom, still in her sexy attire of revealing clothes, laughed. "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma! Damien, if I wasn''t pregnant now, I would push you down and take your seed right away!" she exclaimed. The youth in question rolled his eyes, "You depraved woman still living in your fantasies. With the number of brats you''ve popped out, I wouldn''t be surprised if an entire Grand Canyon was formed down there!" Linlin grew furious hearing the words. Her body, which was yearned by tens of thousands of men of all ages, was called out as if she were a common whore. "You damn kid! I''ll rip your soul out!" The woman was about to release her powers yet saw Damien''s eyes flash red. The young pirate turned his gaze to the horizon; the darkness of the night slowly faded as dawn approached. "So they couldn''t wait any longer, eh?" "What is it?" Linlin questioned with some curiosity. *Fuuu* The morning fog formed from the chilly breeze hid a terrifying sight under its veil. The young man stood up and cracked his shoulders. "Marines," he answered. "Tens of thousands of them, with some rather powerful presences in their midst." бн [Five Kilometers Away] "All forces, advance!" a loud voice mixed with great charisma went off. In the embrace of the rising sun, a sea of ships set off. Twenty battleships lined up in the back, each holding a thousand men. Eighty smaller marine ships were present as well, totalling 100 Navy vessels! *Vwooooo!* The winds howled as a giant, 90-meter-tall ship (~300 ft), nearly 1.5 times larger than the standard battleships, came into view. The sails had a word printed on them: [K U R O W A S H I] (A/N: Meaning ''Black Eagle.'') Loud clangs of a bell echoed over the waters as the sun peaked from the east. The Admiral stood at the ship''s bow, and other marines of even greater power were also on board. Kurowashi''s voice went off, "The pirates are in disarray. Raise your weapons and steel your hearts; justice will prevail!" The marines roared out, their spirit fuelled with the sense of duty. A sense of invincible power whirled in their hearts. With nearly thirty thousand marines deployed and with the leadership of such powerful commanders, just who can stand in their way? бн "Damien, call them," Linlin said as she walked next to the youth, swinging her hips. The two of them were at the shore of Glint Island, watching the enemy fleet. "Yeah, yeah." The Sin Incarnate reached into his pocket and took out a device. It was a transponder snail that had magically survived the hellish incursions at Glint Island. The snail had its swag with matching crimson eyes and the Regal Attire which was now destroyed. "Puru," "Puru," "Puru," The snail rang a few times. "Katcha~!" The red-eyed pirate smirked as he scanned the armada of marine ships in the distance. "Damien-chan, you finally called. Is everything alright?" "I''m fine, Shakky-nee," he smiled. "You can send over the fleet now on the eastern shore; the marines are almost here." The woman responded with an affirmative tone, "Ufufu, they will be right over." . "..." A few ominous seconds passed as the orange glow of dawn bathed the seas. *Rumble* The air shook in trepidation as a great sight was to behold. *Vrooo* *Vooo!* *Wvooo* Tens to hundreds of gray portals opened at the sea before the two pirates. Apart from the occasional wind, the calm silence was replaced with the uproar of thousands of voices! A plethora of ships exited from the portals; each had weathered great battles headed by the most formidable men. "We can finally fight!" "So many marines, come to me!" "Eyes, lungs, pancreas... so many snacks, so little time!" "Je suis prи║t ид me battre. Venez, marines!" "For the gold!" "Blah-Blah-Blah! I hear there are some hotties in the marine ranks. I hope they don''t mind if I borrow them!" It was the Rocks Pirates'' Grand Fleet that made their flashy entry! Nearly a hundred ships had arrived with a force equal to the Navy''s. Divisions 1 through 8 were made of the absolute worst pirates on the seas; these were the men the demons of the New World would fear. *Whizz!* Damien and Linlin jumped from the shore to the ship at the center, surrounded by the other Division. His very own Suicidal Rambo. Shakky was present upon it as well. "We have the Sin Incarnate on our side!" "The Marines will cry in fear!" "Charlotte Linlin, please step on me!" бн The men and the women roared in joy as the two entered. Damien ignored the commotion and walked to the very front. He saw the familiar woman sitting peacefully while the marines inched closer. "Shakky-nee, we have enough troops, but there is a bit of a problemбн" Shakky puffed out a cloud of smoke as her eyes scanned the marines and approached from afar. "I see them, Damien-chan," she replied solemnly, "it won''t be an easy fight." Both pirates understood the gravity of the enemy fleet. The Sin Incarnate zoomed in on the men who stood upon the giant marine ship and saw five men, each with rather distinct features: 1. One with a large, black afro with simple facial hair, donning a simple marine outfit; 2. A serious man with a missing eye and stern expression, his grim appearance amplified by his sharp yet intimidating brown uniform; 3. A younger marine with messy silver hair in sharp and black clothes; 4. Another with purple hair, sporting a metal arm and distinguished demeanour; 5. Lastly, a marine with a robust body and a giant grin. The man cracked his knuckles with sounds that seemed to echo all the way to the shore. . The ones at the helm of the marine ship that led the 30,000-strong fleet were Marine Admiral Sengoku, Admiral Basara, Admiral Kurowashi, Vice Admiral Zephyr and Vice Admiral Garp. Undoubtedly, it was a force that could dismantle any threat that stood against the esoteric might of the World Government! [Layout of the Coming Battle Image (in Discord)] To Be Continuedбн Chapter 112: The Scorched Sea War (I) The war approached, and both sides were raring to go at each other. The Marines had Zephyr, Garp and the Three Admirals: Sengoku, Basara and Kurowashi. *Clang* *Clang* Over the blue seas was a powerful shockwave that echoed forth. It originated from the ship which houses the five powerhouses, Kurowashi''s ship. The vessel had black sails and wing-like additions to the side. A golden frame coated the exterior with soft white paint, making it a majestic vessel one may confuse with World Nobles. Upon the raised bow of the ship was a giant, silver bell that carried a noble air. *Bell Clanging* The marines roared in joy as their cries harmonized with the bell, like a heartbeat matching a metronome. Its effects went beyond making noise; instead, it had lit a spark in soldiers'' spirits! Shakky sighed as she saw the display, rubbing her forehead. Damien heard the Voice of All Things and noticed that each time the bell rang, it sent out a wave of mental force, much like Conqueror''s Haki, but to reinforce will rather than break it down. "The Legendary ship that brought justice of the marines to the greatest of foes," Damien thought out loud. Shakky solemnly nodded at his words, "A beacon of marine naval supremacyбн The Ox Lloyd''s Warship that houses the fabled Ox Bell!" The bell rang endlessly, declaring the arrival of Justice! [Ox Lloyd''s and Ox Bell Images (in Discord)] . Even without any difference in manpower, Damien was unsure of victory; after all, the three Admirals had come together with Garp and Zephyr. He also knew that allowing the marine morale to skyrocket would be foolish. *Thump* *Thump* Damien slowly walked forth and stopped all but a few inches before the railing of the Suicidal Rambo. Even with the Ox Bell that rang with sounds that hit the very soul of its listeners, all marines still turned their gazes to Damien. The name of the Sin Incarnate had long made its way through the Navy, a pirate known to have disarmed Zephyr and defeated the invincible Basara. "..." An ominous silence echoed through the marines'' minds, forcing the clanging bell to dim into the background. The infamous pirate slightly narrowed his eyes, and thenбн BOOOM! Like an eruption from a volcano, endless streams of black and red howled out from the young man. They spread out their dark hold in all directions, covering the distance and befalling the sea of Marines. A dark crimson hue of dense Conqueror''s Haki sought to dismantle all hopes and dreams of the tens of thousands of naval soldiers, transforming their desire to fight into the desire to escape. *Crackle* Black lightning rained down, decorating the chilly morning with its disastrous sight and churning the seas in chaos. "The Navy thinks they can storm into the New World just because they came with a fleet; give them a pirate''s welcome to this hellish sea!" The powerful words containing the volatile Haki reached the ears of both sides. The 30,000-strong force of pirates bellowed a thunderous roar, loud enough that the ocean began to shake! Howls of greed, desire for power and rage toward their foes flooded the minds of the Rocks Pirates. бн [On the Marines'' Side] *Thud* *Slam* *Bam* Countless navy officers had begun to collapse from Damien''s Haki as thousands were shaken to their very core. Sengoku clicked his tongue in frustration, "He''s nothing but trouble!" "Bwahaha!" a laugh broke out. "He''s got quite the fire; I like him!" Garp cracked his knuckles, not overly worried about the shaken marines since it was expected. Kurowashi narrowed his eyes, "At least 25,000 pirates have already died from the Festival. We aimed to take down the New Worldбн Now, a few more obstacles remain." Sol and Rocks were busy with their duel, and Newgate, Roger, Redfield, and Shiki were also occupied. This allowed the Marines to double their catch, from 28,000 to 55,000 pirates, if they took down the Rocks'' Fleet. With their death would come peace to the world! . *Thump* *Thump* Basara walked up, his boots slamming onto the deck, seemingly with the weight of mountains. His hand reached his missing eye and muttered, "That pirate has his way of summoning chaosбн it will not be an easy fight." Under the words of the glum Admiral, not many would speak up. "Bwahahaha! Basara-san, don''t be so gloomy; it''s a Festival, and you should enjoy it!" The Mountain was about to respond angrily towards his young colleague; however, another sharp breeze broke out. "T-They''ve begun to move!" Eyes drifted to the center as they saw pirates had commenced the battle! *Vvooo!* A cold wind picked up as hundreds of pirate ships sailed ahead with no intention of slowing down; a suicidal rush with no visible strategy. "All ships prepare to fire once they are in range!" Sengoku ordered. A bright gold hue of Haki followed the Admiral''s words. Like the Sin Incarnate, Sengoku spanned his Will through the Naval Fleet, bathing his troops with a sense of spirit and divinity. "That''s right. Otherwise, I''ll have to beat you into shape!" Garp followed, cracking his knuckles once more; each crack seemed to echo in tandem with the unleashing of his own Haki of Kings, swamping over the marine masses with a bright burst of blue. The grace of the Buddha and the Fist was enough to break the soldiers from their trance. . The ten Vice Admirals spread throughout the marine ships leading them loud and proud. *Click* *Clank* Thousands of cannons lowered and aimed at the pirates that inched closer by the passing minute. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Beads of sweat fell off the younger officers as they gulped at the simple uproar from the Rocks Pirates. They were a pack of wolves hunting the distant sheep, clawing their way over the turbulent seas. They deserved their title as the absolute most fearsome crew of the era! *Clang!* The Ox Bell continued to ring, reigniting morale while the pirate ships had nearly entered the range of the cannons. . Garp suddenly threw his marine coat to the ground; only a simple white shirt and Navy blue pants remained. He pulled back his sleeves, spread out his arms, and demanded, "Bring up my balls!" Tires screeched as hundreds of racks rolled from the ship''s deck to the front. Tens of thousands of cannonballs rested upon them. The Vice Admiral picked up a ball in each hand and reeled them back: . "Genkotsu... Meteor!" . Like a bullet, the cannonballs were launched out with enough speed to cut through a mountain, one by one. The sheer speed of Garp was baffling; one hundred projectiles shot out in all but one second. *Boom!* Garp''s precision was impeccable, already sinking three enemy vessels. Tens of marine ships at the front of the formation also fired, unleashing a rain of black projectiles that skidded across the waters. бн Damien saw the hail of balls and grinned. It was well known that the Rocks'' Crew did not believe in teamwork; it was a foreign concept to them, and some even tried to eat it. Most were more wary about being stabbed in the back rather than being hit by a meteor-like cannonball. Thus, the Fourth Division Commander simply ordered all ships to sail ahead instead of using a tactic or strategy. "Damien-chan, try not to lose too many ships. The shipbuilders at Myriam Island have been threatened one too many times by Shiki and John to make more ships and can''t handle continued ''encouragement,''" Shakky cautioned from behind. Her request was amusing, sparking a chuckle. . Five minutes in, the sea had already seen significant blood and war. One to three ships were damned to fall every minute on both sides, taking down hundreds of lives with them. "Indra, I''ll leave the trump card with you." *Fwooo* Like the flash of light, a shadow appeared behind Damien. "I won''t fail, Commander," Indra calmly answered, his blade ready. Damien cracked his neck as a smile was etched on his face. He heard a hum from the woman nearby, "You''re joining in this early?" Shakky received a nod from the young pirate. "I recovered enough in the past few hours to fight, so I might as well go now and continue polishing my Haki." With that, he disappeared from the ship. Shakky sighed, took out her trusty pistol, and began picking off dozens of marines in every magazine. ---------------------------------------------- [Marine Side] The current marine formation had 5 standard ships and 9 warships at the front, 75 standard ships in the center, and another 11 warships at the back. "S-Something is coming!" a voice yelled out from the leftmost marine warship; it was a man of Commodore rank. "What is it?" a Rear Admiral asked and arrived at the soldier''s side. The man who had alerted the Rear Admiral was a user of the Sense-Sense Fruit that allowed him to sense attacks that had yet to occur in the immediate five seconds. The Commodore was about to speak, but no words came out. A spray of crimson liquid showered onto the Rear Admiral as he saw his subordinate''s head being squashed into nothingness, the blood spurting out like a fountain. Damien had appeared under the horrified eyes of the thousand marines on board. Ryushi was bathed in blood in Crusher configuration. *Click* *Bang!* Hundreds of shots followed as the Marines retaliated; they may have been fearful, but they had enough experience not to freeze in this situation. Yet, much to their dismay, the bullets simply fell to the ground, having barely even touched the pirate but lost all momentum in the process. "N-Not even a scratchбн" a man muttered with an audible gulp. *Vwooo* Damien didn''t respond; instead, he raised the hammer and smashed it forth. Cracks spread all over, followed by the complete collapse of the ship. The endless depths swallowed all cries of the fallen marines. The enemy jumped up to the sky, utilizing Moonwalk. Damien''s eyes glowed red as two beams of red energy blasted out. *Zwip!* They bounced and ricocheted through the air, zapping at awkward angles and leaving a trail of near-microscopic pieces of ruined flesh. BOOM! Five standard marine ships, 30 or so meters away, were destroyed as pieces of wood rained down upon the blood-soaked sea to the credit of the Omega Beams. Damien then extended both hands to his left and right while he floated in the sky, allowing Ryushi to float at his side. . "Abyssal Ruin." . A broad stream of pulverizing energy shredded the air that surrounded it. The attack zoomed through the air as it met a marine warship. BOOOOM! The sails cracked, the floorboards snapped, and the very frame of the ship glowed red. *Zwip* Sounds of pixelation went off as the behemoth of a ship was reduced to microscopic levels, converting the thousand-strong force into dust. Meanwhile, Ryushi returned to Damien''s hand as it vibrated in delight. "FIRE!" A yell broke out. It was a marine Vice Admiral who gestured to the marines to fire. *Bang!* *BOOM!* *Vwoom!* Tens of cannons mounted upon the marine ships went off as the balls zoomed through the air. Damien hummed as a little grin formed on his visage, welcoming the bombardment. BOOOOM! A chained explosion went off in the air as nearly 100 cannonballs exploded, having reached the man in the sky. Significant dust floated around from the shrapnel, leaving a sense of doom at its core. "D-Did we get himбн?" an optimistic voice broke out. A few thousand eyes glared at the skies slowly cleared of the dust. A man gulped as he saw two crimson orbs in the loose cloud of dust that peered into his soul. Damien''s untouched body graced the world. His regal attire was long gone, and his body displayed no physical injury. "R-Ridiculous!" "That had enough power to take down a thousand pirates!" They then heard a voice: "Ryushi Combat Artsбн" The weapon in Damien''s hand suddenly warped into the shape of something else, the Vanquisher Configuration. Its arrival sent out sizzling mists of crimson energy, shredding the air. The young pirate grasped the weapon in both hands, and the blade was raised diagonally to his body. . "...Broken World." . The Supreme Weapon slashed down with infinite momentum in an arc of endless power. The bubble of Ryuo acted as a coating and allowed the attack to shoot through the skies! It was brighter than the rising sun, lighting up the surrounding sea. *Fwooo!* High-pitched cries of the air screamed as the crimson slash found its way upon three warships at the back of the formation. Cries of thousands of men burst out as every ship was thinly sliced in a diagonal half, causing them to entirely collapse upon themselves. Yet before it could fully sink, every ship glowed an eerily red before disappearing from the naked eye; reduced to dust. бн [Twenty Minutes Later] Thousands had already fallen from both sides. Charlotte Linlin, aka the Evil Spirit, ''borrowed'' the souls of some annoying Rocks members to create some Homies to aid in her attack. Her children and other minions charged alongside her. Katakuri''s Mochi-Mochi Fruit rained down ranged attacks while Perespero brought down candy arrows upon the marines. The others were busy with the other ships while a few warships attacked in response. She was about to shoot another bullet when a flash of black crashed into her. BAM! A black metallic fist smashed upon her desirable body, and the warm bubble of Emission Haki transferred into her frame. "Ugh!" a stream of blood escaped the woman''s mouth as she felt her entire body shake like a drum. It took a second for her to process the aching pain. "Seastone!" Linlin growled out. A figure floated in the air. It had purple hair, a stoic face, and a muscular body, all while sporting a metal arm that glistened with Haki. . Katakuri grew somber at the sight. "Vice Admiral Zephyr. He was defeated by Sensei during the Amethyst Kingdom Crisis and lost an arm." With his Seastone arm, Zephyr was a beacon of power, having taken down hundreds of pirate crews as he showed the capability of a non-fruit wielder to the world. "Haah!? That Damien cut off your arm, so you came to me instead? Are you saying that I am an easier opponent than him!" Linlin roared out in indignity. Her lacy bikini somehow held her massive jugs that heaved from her fury. Zephyr, however, was unphased and rather disdainful, "You come to a battle pregnant; such a woman doesn''t deserve to be a mother!" The Vice Admiral had a lover of his ownбкa simple and mundane woman whom he cherished with everything. The two recently thought of having a child and seeing the current Linlin left him furious. *Whizz!* He rushed out and crashed his metal arm onto the unsheathed Napoleon. BOOM! бн As for Damien, he had just destroyed another eight ships and was about to aim at another. He was 30 meters in the air, ready to launch an attack. "!!!" His eyes lit up red as he mapped out the future. Clang! Ryushi was raised by reflex to guard Damien''s chest and met an attack. Waves of shock burst out from the exchange as waves of water were generated. The sheer strength of the enemy''s attack sent out enough force to level a mountain. Damien looked ahead and saw that his Supreme Blade struggled to hold under the might of a black fist. Boom! The air exploded as his body was launched back with significant momentum and skidded through the air. The Sin Incarante''s chest rang with force as his bones shook from the dense Emission Haki dancing within. Yet suddenlyбн *Pop* The tremendous force of the punch seemingly ceased as Damien returned to float freely, sending out a dull boom from the excess momentum. *Purrup* Ryushi bubbled in anger, releasing a hazy crimson mist. . "Bwahahaha! That weapon of yours is quite sturdy!" The Sin Incarnate broke out a grin of his own, "Garp." The cheerful Vice Admiral raised a black fist, blew on it and polished it with his shirt. "Such talented youths shouldn''t be running through the seas unchecked. Let me teach you a quick lesson with my signature Fist of Love!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 113: The Scorched Sea War (II) Damien locked onto Garp with cautious eyes. The young pirate had fought many enemies now: he clashed with two Overlords, duelled the likes of Whitebeard and Shiki, butted heads with Big Mom and even took down an Admiral! Yet in all these fights, he had never fought a master of all colours of Hakiбкa combination superior to any fruit user. Garp was clean-shaven, sporting an open white shirt and navy blue trousers. "Bwahahaha!" he laughed and cracked his Haki-infused knuckles. *Pop* The air popped like a balloon as the Vice Admiral launched toward Damien, roughly 150 meters away. The famed marine''s charge involved little strategy; it was a simple rocket-like rush with his right hand pulled back, ready to bash everything into pieces. Damien''s grip on Ryushi tightened, swarming it with dense Haki. *Vvoooo!* The air vibrated as the weapon seemed somewhat annoyed by the previous conflict. Damien twirled Ryushi in a red circle, blasting on ahead as well. Torrents of volatile energy swirled around the young pirate as his body built up vast amounts of momentum and became a flash of red. . "Crimson Comet!" . Garp saw the incoming meteor and gave out a grin of pure glee. A red bubble was coated around his right fist, black lightning crackling about. BOOOOOOM! A flare of crimson energy arched all over the seas as shockwaves with enough power to push the nearby marine ships tens of meters away. *Fwooo!* Torrents of air currents were generated as the Sin Incarnate and The Fist pushed forth. Damien''s attack was naturally infused with Conqueror''s Haki, meeting Garp''s attack. A sudden silence arrived, only to be overtaken by the hellish force being generated. "They''re not even touching!" a marine muttered in awe while shielding his face from the mind-numbing wind. . ''This Armament is ridiculous!'' Damien exclaimed with widened eyes, much to Garp''s enjoyment. BOOM! A secondary explosion went off as the attacks finally connected. Both were uninjured and pushed back a good twenty meters from one another. "That weapon is as hard as Roger''s sword! It makes for a nice nail clipper!" Garp joked. Meanwhile, a screen appeared in Damien''s eyes. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Monkey D. Garp] [Age: 39 years, 14 days] [Height: 9'' 5"] (2.87 m) [Devil Fruit: None] [Skills: Overwhelming Strength, Unmatched Talent in Armament Haki, Rokushiki, Will of D, Iron Fist Anatomy, Heroic Haki] [Haki: Intermediate Mastery of Observation Haki, Armament Haki (Grandmastery (II)), Grandmastery (I) of Conqueror''s Haki] [Strength: Top Tier Yonko] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< Damien was intrigued: this was his first encounter with a Grandmaster of Armament, something he had yet to attain! "Take this Fist of Pain!" Garp roared out, his punch coated in absurdly thick Haki. "Empyrean Release." Damien readied Ryushi once more. His body was then covered in plates of armour, and crimson mist exuded from it. Boom! *Clang!* *BAM!* Under the eyes of the marines, the two men went off at great speeds, and collisions occurred every few instances. Streaks of red and blue flashed throughout like fireworks as the fight continued. бн [Ox Lloyd''s Warship] Sengoku stood as firm as a mountain. His pure white marine coat draped over his shoulders, and his seagull hat was mounted. Sengoku looked around and saw the chaos. On one side was Big Mom against Zephyr. The two had already led to many deaths on both sides from their fight. Linlin used her Ultimate-Class Fruit as her versatile attacks rained down on the Black Arm. However, she could not fully contain her enemy, leading to a standstill. The other side had pockets of air that exploded at constant intervals; booms of clashes went off as Damien''s Ryushi added with Garp''s Armament would release many shockwaves. And, of course, in the middle was a pure moshpit of marines and pirates; bodies swam lifelessly with rubble and broken ships every here and there. The cries of tens of thousands of men in fights and injuries were the only thing that persisted. . Noting all the fine details, Sengoku raised his afroed snail connected to the higher-ranked marines and ordered, "We will begin the plan; all troops, begin a slow retreat!" Upon his words, visibly, the functional marine ships started to immediately pull back. Yet, cannons still went off to mask their moves. ... Ten minutes passed as the Marines had put a gap of at least 300 meters between the ships, continuing the naval battle. "Now, Basara-san!" The Admiral exchanged a nod to his fellow marine and slowly raised his hands. Basara''s movement was quick but felt all over the battlefield. *Rumble* The very sea bathed in fire and war trembled with water ripples slowly growing in intensity. The fight paused for a moment, allowing Basara''s hoarse voice to echo the region: . "Pit of Despair!" . A vast shadow engulfed the ships on the outer edges of the naval battle. Rocks Pirates fell as a giant structure rose all around the battlefieldбкa circular mountain containing the entire warzone! The seas shook continuously as the circular dome grew and grew, capping off at a friendly kilometer-tall barrier. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Basara then made a few more hand gestures, exercising his domain over the earth below the sea. . "Justice Arena!" . The seas shook alongside the ships. Wood cracked on the hull of many pirate ships as they started to lift upбкBasara moulded the earth to make a full landmass! It stretched all over the battlefield; the pirate half of the arena was littered with jagged earth and uneven terrain. On the marine side, it was as smooth as a newborn''s rear, preserving the vessels for future sailing. *Rumble* By now, a multi-kilometer-wide land had been erected, encompassing the warzone and beyond. "Seek cover!" Sengoku''s voice was heard from the snails in the hands of Vice and Rear Admirals. *Rumble* Basara then raised both arms as he moulded the world. The marine grunted, fueling his spirit into giant swirls of earth that covered the skies. "..." A deafening silence took over as the forces eyed the rocks above. Tens of thousands, around three meters wide with a sharpened edge, floated with little movement. . "Reigning Justice!" . Under the command of Basara, slowly but surely, all the boulders in the sky fell with the embrace of gravity. Picking up speed, generating loud whirls as they neared their objective. [Attack Image (in Discord)] бн [The Suicidal Rambo] Shakky clicked her tongue at the sight of the free-falling hell from around 630 meters in the sky. At this rate, the boulders would crash at around 400 km/h speeds (~250 mph)! "It''s quite ruthless," the woman muttered, shaking her head. Another naval order boomed from Sengoku, reaching her ears, "Open fire!" An exponential amount of bullets also went off as the Marines unloaded their rifles; hell from above and the front. "..." After a moment of thought, Shakky used her Roulette-Roulette Fruit and changed the rounds in her pistol. *Pew* *Pew* *Pew* Tens of bullets hit the broken ships nearby. A weird scene ensued as the small bullets sucked up all the rubble into a portal, leaving nothing but upset dust behind. . By now, the Rocks Pirates had regained their wills. They desperately opened fire at the boulders above to lessen the range of attacks. "Sakиж Golden Geyser!" "Blazing Glory!" "Majin Missile!" "The Great Depression!" "Titan Venom!" "One Sword Style: Beautiful Death." Damien''s Division mates commenced their attacks, creating chains of explosions to encase the rocky skies, fully showcasing quality over quantity. Shakky then aimed her pistol. With a bang, a single bullet flew out, though what followed was undoubtedly out of the ordinary: it exploded into 50 tinier pellets! *Fwoo!* Air was displaced as the pellets opened up tiny portals, spitting out the giant rubble pieces at the dust cloud in the sky. The pirates below weren''t stationary either. They unloaded their attacks, including bullets, cannonballs, rockets, sword attacks, and other weapons. Although the raining hell was somewhat controlled, it did nothing for the bombardment from the marine fleet. Thousands of cannonballs exploded on the ships, shaking all hints of stability on the pirate side. BOOM! *Rumble* The boulders, which the pirate onslaught reduced to about a fifteenth of their original number, came crashing down; there were still 3,000 left. "Auuufh!" "Owwhh!" "My leg!" "Uuugh!" "Iyaaah!" Meat paste splashed around as the blood of thousands of pirates leaked out. Broken bones and shattered bodies everywhere. Howls and moans of injured men resounded throughout the seas as only a mess of red was left behind. Hundreds of ships were cracked and destroyed, with only 40 still functional; the Rocks Pirates Fleet had taken tremendous damage! In a matter of a few hours, 30,000 pirates were reduced to nearly 16,000, while the Marines remained around 23,000 strong. . The pirates had no chance to lick their wounds as the marines charged across Basara''s arena, their morale sky-high. The advent shook the virgin land, amplifying their morale to skyrocket. "Meet their attacks!" Shakky''s stern voice bellowed. The pirates that survived showed no fear. They growled angrily and jumped off the ships with little care, weapons raisedбкsavage beasts. Their bull charge was unforgiving even to their own people! A stampede broke out under the feet of the pirates, running over hundreds of their fellow brothers-in-arms. Like two tides, the armies clashed. Bodies swam together as tens of thousands of men began a melee on slaughter. "Roar!" "Ssss~!" Two Ancient Zoans appeared! Arai, a Titanoboa and Majin, an Ankylosaurus. Yet their appearance was met by another force. *Clang!* A loud metallic sound broke off as each Ancient Zoan was attacked; marine capes floated around as powerful presences stood tallбкSix Rear Admirals! Kaen and Nomu were a team of drunken fire that mixed rather well. Still, their dyad also met a wall in the form of a veteran Vice Admiral under Kurowashi. Pablo stood in the back, unloading endless bullets from his twin pistols. He recharged his fellow division mates while taking down a horde of marines with more negative effects. . Indra approached the ship''s bow and said, "I will go too." Shakky nodded, continuing her flurry of gunshots. Indra blasted ahead at incredible speed, beyond what the naked eye could track! He was like a bullet that zoomed around. A company of marines was shocked as they were picked off one by one. Their shaken eyes traced a black streak that darted from soldier to soldier, blood raining down in its wake. No wasted slash, no wasted energy and no wasted time; streaks of afterimages were left behind as he continued his slaughter. But like a broken record, he, too, was stopped. Clang! His sword was suddenly met to a halt by a large broadsword while taking fire from a distant sniper. Indra held his ground, glaring at the one clashing with his weapon while casually tilting his head to dodge a bullet clad in Haki. "It seems that my blade will claim more Vice Admiralsбн" бн [In the Skies] Boom! In his Empyrean Form, Damien was bombarded with Garp''s mighty fists as their fight continued. It had been two hours since their battle began. The pirate sighed as he saw his losing pirates, not that he cared for them, except for a select few. "Sengoku is as ruthless as always," Damien commented, blocking a fist. Garp chuckled, drilling his punch forward, "Hehe, he may be a golden statue, but his mind is only a little sharper than mine!" Damien''s Ryushi slammed on Garp''s fist. Garp continued to talk between their collisions: "You grew a lot from that little fledgling at Mora Island to now. Kong-san''s hair turned gray from your mess. Bwahaha!" Damien slashed down as his attack was met with two fists. BOOM! "It''s only the beginning!" Garp grinned at the remark, "Even with you and that giant cake-lover, you stand no chance right now since Newgate, Shiki, and Rocks are busy with their own fights." *Vvoosh!* The marine''s burly figure suddenly flickered and appeared close to Damien, a speed beyond what a man his size could display. BAM! A black punch drilled into Damien''s stomach and forced him to spit out air and blood. The pirate was thrown 15 meters back before he regained balance. "That usually would be enough to crumble a mountainбн" Garp muttered, staring at his fist in confusion. Perhaps it was because he missed his daily dose of rice crackers. . Damien grinned as a stream of blood flowed down his lips. Garp wasn''t wrong in his earlier statement; the fall of the Rocks Fleet seemed inevitable. Especially considering that both Kurowashi and Sengoku had yet to make a move. But even with such detrimental conditions, the Sin Incarnate had a few other thoughts in mind. Such thoughts were confirmed as the future flashed in his eyes. "It''s about damn timeбн" His gaze drifted to the side as Garp did so as well. A black shadow could be seen from afar with many smaller ones around it; Garp''s jaw dropped. BOOOM! *Rumble* Shock spread in the eyes of the marines and even the Three Admirals as they all looked to the far left of the circular mountain range. A segment of the kilometer-wall had suffered extensive damage, evidenced by the countless cracks spreading through. Giant pieces of rock slid down the slope as the attacked section shattered apart! It left a gaping hole in the mountain, unveiling tens of shadows. Damien smirked at Garp, "Five marine powerhouses are quite powerful, but that''s the thing, we aren''t your only enemy." The ten shadows cleared; they were ships! Flags reigned proud as the many foresails had words printed on them. First, a few New World pirate crews: [I F R I T] [G O O S E] [M R ? N O I R] [B U C K I N G H A M] [H E N S O] And a few big names: [W A N G ? Z H I] [ G O L ? D ? R O G E R] [ R O C K S ] Six pirate crews alongside the Oro Jackson and the Titanic! The latter was around 230 meters tall, eclipsing the rest with its enormous shadow. The newly arrived forces included around 800 New World pirates alongside the Oro Jackson''s fifty or so battle-heartened pirates. A few powerful presences could be picked up as they were big names over the New World. On one of the minor ships that sailed with a masked face as the figurehead, the man at its helm wore a red and black attire, his face masked. A Supernova: Henso ''The Faceless'' with a bounty of ?? 429,000,000. Next to his ship was another, led by a towering pirate. "Wawawawa, these Rocks guys are kinda fun to be around!" It was ''The Crisis'' Wang Zhi. Bounty of ?? 670,000,000. "He certainly would fit in rather well," the armoured man commented before turning his attention to the man drowning in alcohol. "John... you seem different." "Johohoho!" The pink-haired man cackled, licking his lips. "Don''t worry about me, ol'' friend. I''m actually rather excited!" ''Pirate Bandit'' Captain John бк ?? 469,000,000. ''Blinding Light'' Silver Axe бк ?? 934,000,000. John swirled his gourd only to lose his balance from a sudden tremor. The man glared at the brooding giant near the side of the Titan, "Kaido, stop slamming that bat of yours!" The Hundred-Beast ignored the complaint, his eyes glued to the neighbouring ship. "Just you wait, Gaban, I''ll tear you apart!" . The Oro Jackson was more harmonious; the two commanders at their front stood like beacons of piracy. "I see you made a friend," a refined voice broke. The other man twirled around his axes, leaking a wry smile. "Don''t tease me, Rayleigh. That kid is annoying as hell!" ''Hundred-Beast'' Kaido бк ?? 961,110,000. ''Twin Axe'' Scopper Gaban бк ?? 1,270,550,000 The complaint from the billion-plus pirate brought a smile to the swordsman. He had slicked-back golden and circular glasses over a vertical scar across the left eye. The Dark King, sporting a hefty sum of ?? 2,208,600,000 on his head. The unorthodox cavalry was all but the start of a turbulent event that would go down in the annals of history, the war on a scorched sea! To Be Continuedбн Chapter 114: The Scorched Sea War (III) "Aren''t they supposed to be enemies!?" Sengoku exclaimed at the newly arrived enemies. Basara grimaced, "Scum tend to come together as oneбн and they can die together too!" Garp floated in the air with his Rokushiki and howled, "Bwahaha! You caught us off-guard again, Damien!" He raised his right fist, which was vibrating a catastrophic melody. "But they can''t stop me from teaching you a proper lessonбн" *Fwwm!* A night-black colour appeared around it as the fist was coated in Armament, drawing the Sin Incarnate''s attention. *Purrup* A red bubble then swam out of the man''s chest as it started to cover his entire body! But it was the next step which left Damien baffled. "Andбн again!" Garp roared, mobilizing his Haki again and running over his already-hardened fist. *Fwwm!* The black bubbled fist turned a deep purple, brimming with power. It was a technique beyond anything Damien had seen: Haki Layering! "Heheбн" The Vice Admiral gave a gleeful grin as his right arm was reeled back. He then shot forth with his dominant arm pulled back in a prepped fashion with broken skies behind him. Damien deeply exhaled at the incoming attack. Ryushi shuddered as its wielder flooded it with enormous power and met the Garp with a diagonal slash. . "Broken World!" . A streak of red followed the blade, cutting the air into pieces. Garp''s single fist shot forth as torrents of air currents were left in turmoil. . "Galaxy Divide!" . A single fist was thrown, carrying absurd levels of strength. Black lightning crackled all over. BOOOOOM! Damien had sent tremendous amounts of his fruit powers upon Ryushi''s blades, causing a black space around them to pummel the air into powder. What was usually a sound-killing space had been pierced! "Uhh!" "M-My ears!" "It hurts!" Garp''s fist shook in the sky and pushed towards the Supreme Sword, sending screeching sounds whirling. Hundreds of men near the clash covered their ears as a loud cry of literal destruction echoed in their eardrums. Cracks formed around the clash as both sides raged; energy waves ruptured everything nearby as the two forces reached a tipping point. Damien was shocked as he saw the fist inch forward as Ryushi edged back. *Creak* His eyes widened, ''He''s bending Ryushi!'' the pirate exclaimed. The unstoppable fist blasted the Pulverizing Blade from its user''s hands and crashed onto his chest. Ribs audibly cracked as the fist drilled forth, shooting blood from Damien''s mouth. The dense Haki bounced around his insides, rupturing and shredding everything. The spinal cord was overwhelmed by the stimulation, ringing its host with a throbbing headache. Damien was sent flying like a shooting star, leaving a crimson trail. *BOOM!* Eventually, he crashed into the mountainous wall, and his body was left tens of meters deep. Nailing and drilling his way through the thick rock. . "бн" The marines were silent as they saw the scene before erupting. "Incredible!" "That''s the invincible Garp-san I know!" "The Fist that can subdue all difficulties is on our side; justice will prevail!" It was a morale-booster that fully countered the arrival of the fresh pirates. Grand applause ensued as the Marines felt reinvigorated; their minds were clear. However, the atmosphere of reverence was met with furrowed brows. Garp flexed his right hand, wincing at the lingering pain. "Don''t be too cheery now," he muttered, silencing the crowd. "That kid has some thick skin." Thousands of marines followed Garp''s gaze to a gaping, cave-like hole in the cracked mountainside. Audible gasps echoed as crimson eyes glimmered from the darkness ten meters deep into the cavern. With startling suddenness, a hand shot out from the shadows, its fingers digging into the mountain, spider-webbing cracks along its surface. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* A few steps went off as a humanoid body walked out of the cave. Black armour fell off the body as human skin was visible, unveiling a gaping hole at the upper chest. Black and red flesh fell away, splattering into the distant sea below. "Even Garp-san can''t take him downбн?" "Can he not die!?" Visible through Damien''s ribs, a lone heartbeat echoed through the canyon. But another detail gripped the spectators'' minds. "His bonesбн" a blue-haired Rear Admiral absently muttered. His eyes were locked to the partially visible rib cage of the Sin Incarnate. "They''re black!" "Haki in his bones!?" "Don''t be ridiculous... Haki can''t permeate the body like that!" a veteran retorted, disbelief etched on his face. Garp''s mouth widened comically, speechless at the sight of the pristine black bones. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. A stunned Zephyr grabbed his metal arm. "Haki in the bones; it''s supposed to be a mythбн" . Damien winced in pain, stretching his back as more flesh and muscle sloughed off. The commotion was the least of his concerns: ''Garp can layer his Haki,'' he mused. ''That''s a little scary.'' Then, something even more incredible occurred. *Crack* *Crunch* Under the eyes of thousands, Damien''s ravaged chest started to warp. The black bones creaked back into perfection, shining a dull hue. The obliterated chest regrew its flesh, quickly closing the gaping hole. The regrown skin was a little purple but had begun to slowly fade away. Sengoku rubbed his forehead, perplexed. "Even Garp''s open attack didn''t take him downбн his recovery rate is on their level!" Basara grabbed the left side of his face as he felt the empty eye socket and cursed, "He''s too dangerous to be kept alive!" By some worldly law, Damien''s pants were still intact enough to prevent him from going full commando. He jumped out of the cave and landed back on the Suicidal Rambo. The female pirates who were crazy enough to sail with the Rocks Pirates took a deep gulp and strongly desired to conceive. On the other hand, there was the salivating Charlotte Linlin. "I wonder what a monster born from our union could doбн Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma, I really have to get his seed!" . *Fwoo* Meanwhile, the newly arrived pirates had the time to pull up to the battle. "What a mess," Damien said as he saw the tens of wrecked ships from Basara''s earlier attack. Rayleigh nodded from the helm of his ship, long used to the younger pirate''s surprises. "I suppose it''s about to get slightly messier now." *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* Melodious steps went off as the eyes of the significant pirate powers drifted to the main marine ship, The Ox Lloyds Warship. A single man walked ahead and stood beside Sengoku and Basara. Under the reverent eyes of the thousands of marines, three men stood, bannering "Justice" on their backs. A young yet vigorous man roared, "The three Admirals have gathered!" ---------------------------------------------- [Nearby] The hell being wrought at Glint Island''s shore paled in comparison to what was happening at its center. . "Singularity!" . A raging current of destructive, white flames blasted out of Sol''s palm. The heat boiled the air particles into some broken form of matter. The sacred-white flames ventured on as they came face-to-face with another damning power. Rocks released a similar attack, although of contrasting appearance. An utterly black river of malignant darkness was marching at the oncoming flames. . "River of Death." . BOOOM! In a spectacle of endless delight, white sparks and black wisps clashed, followed by a bursting shockwave of pure Haki. Sol watched his attack evaporate away, scoffing at its sight. He soon shone with divine light, floating to the skies, pointing his fingers at Xebec. . "Divine Rain!" . Countless orb-like jewels showered from the Overlord''s hands and decimated the broken land. They resembled light while carrying endless power and heat with them. "Hehe," Rocks grinned and reached at his hip. Shing! The air eroded away as the ''Inferno Blade'' Mokushiroku was unleashed. The blade cried out in impatience, finally being used. The evil pirate slashed down with little care for technique; instead, relying on raw and savage strength. *Grrrrrr!* The air was ground apart as a pitch-black arc of sword energy was sent out toward Sol. *BOOM!* It met the white shower of blazing flames, bringing it to a standstill once more. The Overlord felt a deathly wind and saw his foe appear at arm''s length. Mokushiroku shook in delight as Rocks fueled it with endless energy. . "Forsaken Death." . The slash came with the cry of lost souls, clawing at any chance to revive themselves by aiming to suck up Sol''s blazing vitality. The Sun of Pride frowned, not just from the coming attack but also from his condition. He felt his power begin to leak away from him, evading his control. He let out a roar, materializing a weapon of his own. . "Sacred Strike!" . BOOOOM! The sword of death smashed upon the golden blade bathed in divine light, releasing a vast apocalypse onto what remained of Glint Island. The heat came with endless plague, eating up embers of life on the island, creating quite a visual. бн Damien turned away from Glint Island''s white and black fireworks, hearing a proud exclaim, "The Three Admirals have gathered!" Basara, Sengoku and the third man, Kurowashi Masao were ready to join in. The last one piqued Damien''s curiosity. He was a tall and lanky man, roughly 10 feet (~3 m) tall and relatively young. His attire consisted of the usual white marine coat draped over the shoulders. That aside, he wore a full jet-black tuxedo, gloves and a black tie over a black undershirt. The man had medium-long silver hair messily combed over his young visage. [Kurowashi Image (in Discord)] . "Admiral Masao, codenamed ''Kurowashi,''" Damien recalled. "The Black Eagle of the marines that oversees the mighty Ox Lloyd''s Warship." Shakky, who sat on the wooden rails of Damien''s ship, nodded, "He is a problem beyond the range of combat prowess." The two watched as the man in question made a move. Kurowashi raised both his arms in the air while his eyes swam through the marines present. Over 7,000 Navy soldiers had died, and nearly 4,000 were left with injuries. The numbers had unfavourably declined, factoring in the appearance of the new pirates. A soft yet stern voice broke under the ominous silence that had invaded the war, "Marines! Today, we stand amidst the wreckage of our fallen comrades, but we do not falter. Our mission is clear: to uphold justice against all odds!" "In this hour of darkness, let our resolve be our shield and our unity our strength. For every life lost, we stand stronger, fueled by the courage to protect the innocent and secure our seas." Each word carried a magnetic charm, filling the soldiers'' hearts with courage. "This war is not just against pirates; it is a battle for the future we defend. Each of you embodies the spirit of justice that defines us. Rise now, with hearts unyielding, and let our actions speak louder than words." Masao''s green eyes scanned the rising masses as he proudly finished, "Rise with the Ox Bell! Let its echo remind us why we fightбкfor the freedoms we cherish and the peace we safeguard. Together, we prevail!" *Clang* The legendary bell rang in harmony with the words of the Admiral. An invisible shockwave rippled out of the silver-haired marine, renewing the tens of thousands of marines with vigour and spirit. They unleashed a bellowing roar, creating quite the spectacle. . Damien squinted at the bold words, feeling the shift in the battlefield. His eyes ran through the thunderous marines, examining the changes: The weak felt strength far beyond their limits, the injured recovered, and the ones at death''s gate were suddenly rejuvenated. One by one, every soldier was brought to their most excellent limits; their injuries healed, their broken bones mended, and their flesh returned. The Sin Incarnate gave an appreciative hum at the sight before turning to the pirates. He could feel the chaotic armies assaulted with fatigue, their strength slowly draining away; a despairing atmosphere broke. Shakky sighed at the turn of events, "Such a power, in the hands of an Admiral who can command tens of thousands, is rather problematic." Damien nodded in agreement, "The Pump-Pump Fruit, in its Awakened state, has the power to raise morale to great heights and even rejuvenate all allies." "It also works to weaken all enemies," the Black Death added, "eating away at their spirit and strength." "Only a bold and unforgiving assault can weaken the Marines'' drive," Rayleigh quipped. He gazed at Damien from his ship, addressing a thought, "So, what''s our game plan?" The Sin Incarnate returned a wry smile, "Rayleigh, I like to dance at my own pace; taking charge is not my thing." "Sometimes the dice don''t roll in our favour," the Dark King shrugged. *Bang* "WORORO! Let''s just rip them apart!" "Wawawawa! I haven''t fought all Three Admirals beforeбн I will show them the power of Wang Zhi!" "I''m here to fight on behalf of my beloved Newgate!" A blonde beauty roared from a faraway ship. "You red-eyed troublemaker better not let these marines interrupt his fight with that idiot Roger!" "The Marines made their move; I''m curious to see how you respond, Sin Incarnate," the masked pirate, Henso, mumbled to himself. бн "Ufufufu, Damien-chan, they''re all yours." Relenting to his troubles, the young and bold pirate walked ahead, his movements drawing the attention of the tired horde of pirates. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* The final step was loud and echoey, opting to shut any side conversations. Without averting his gaze from the Marine army, Damien extended his arm. The air crackled as a streak of black and red shot forth from a sunken ship, Ryushi returning to its master''s grasp with a resounding boom. Pointing the Supreme Blade directly at the Ox Lloyd''s Warship, kilometers away and guarded by five Admiral-level marines, Damien defied the Navy''s authority with brazen audacityбкa gesture deemed the ultimate insult by pirate standards. *Vvoooo!* An ominous wind howled, carrying the words of the Sin Incarnate, "Unleash all that pent-up rage you''ve harboured for years! Tear these marines to shreds!" His crimson eyes locked onto the horizon plagued with enemies, radiating unwavering confidence. "And what''s the worst that could happen? You''ll only just die." To Be Continued... Chapter 115: The Scorched Sea War (IV) [Ten Minutes Later] The second stage of the war was about to commence. The pirate''s side had received Damien''s calming reassurance, and they roared with boisterous spirit to tear down their foes. The small intermission allowed both sides to finish any further plans, all under the shutters of hidden cameras. The Sin Incarnate faced the enemies once more. "Charge," he commanded, sending streams of crimson energy to tear all earth spikes in the way. Once again, the forces of both sides raged ahead, clawing their way through Basara''s landmass. Boom! Bang! Vvoosh! Both sides started to trade endless fire as the cannons exploded with gunpowder. Streaks of dust followed the countless cannonballs as the naval battle continued, all occurring while the armies met on the land at the center. . It was a fearful spectacle under the ships'' fire from afar, not for the faint of heart. Pieces of flesh rained down as blood seemed more familiar than oxygen. The ground below had turned from a bronze colour to primal red. Boom! Zephyr''s seastone fist smashed upon a fruit-wielder, and his entire body popped like a grape. The Admiral Candidate was on a crusade as he vanquished incredible amounts of foes. His black fist was about to clear another group of pirates howeverбн it stopped midair! A spiky-black club alongside two Haki-clad axes pushed it back, sending ripples of shock. "He thinks he can order me around," a voice grumbled under the veil of the dust cloud. "I''ll deal with him after taking you out, you one-armed bastard!" "Kaido, you wail like a child but still do as Damien-guy said!" Gaban, his ''companion,'' laughed. The Oni growled like an angered beast, his fury reflected in the mighty swing of his club. *Grrrr!* Zephyr was pushed back as his feet dug into the ground. The Admiral Candidate narrowed his eyes at the two enemies and studied them. "I see," he mused. "So the Sin Incarnate sent two non-fruit wielders to deal with me, a good thought." Kaido bashed his club and spat, "Hah? If Damien could take your arm, then I can take your life!" бн Such obstacles occurred across the battlefield. "Insufferable pirates!" Basara roared while dropping large boulders onto the incoming masses. His irate assault was put on hold while a large 60-meter-wide rock shattered into dust. "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma!" A menacing grin appeared on the newly arrived pirate. "That Damien started giving ordersбн I''ll take you down first, Basara and then harvest his seed!" *Fwooo!* Napoleon descended upon the one-eyed Admiral, releasing a powerful burst of sliced air. Giant parts of earth coiled in the air, shooting to bombard the buxom pirate. "Hehe," Big Mom knew she was on the losing side in terms of firepower and clawed at empty air. "Zeus, Prometheus, come to me!" ""Yes, Mama!"" бн It was undoubtedly quite the view for Damien, with explosions and shockwaves going off on all sides. "That ogre friend of yours works quite well with Gaban," Rayleigh commented, stroking his beard. To which Damien scoffed, "Kaido is not exactly my friendбн but he''s easy to work with, a frenemy, perhaps." "You just gotta punch harder than him, transforming him into a wrecking ball." While the two chatted, a marine squad approached. They moved at great speeds, whizzing through the air at incredible speeds, credit to their title as the Special Forces of the Navy - Cheetah Division. "You''re open, Sin Incarnate!" the cat-like Rear Admiral roared as six other shadows flew alongside him. *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* Three shots later, the squad was dead. *Szzzzz* The wounds left behind sizzling steam, burning deep into their bodies. "B-Black Deathбн" The last living marine growled his final breath. Damien looked down at the miserable six and left a piece of advice, "Next time, don''t announce your surprise attack." He then glanced to the side, seeing a cloud of smoke with three bullet holes in between; the ashy gas cleared up to reveal a black-haired woman. Shakky returned a wink before turning elsewhere and unloading a mag of rounds; one hand was busy with a cigarette while the other shot endless bullets. Damien just rolled his eyes, returning his gaze to the battle. Meanwhile, the golden-haired man nearby was left speechless, "What a womanбн" Rayleigh muttered, his eyes glued to Shakky''s silhouette. He was lost in thought as he subconsciously fixed his posture, appearing dignified. . Damien saw the distracted pirate and called out. "Oye, Rayleigh, stop dawdling and get a move on." The Dark King cleared his throat, loosened his collar, and fixed a few loose strands of his hair. *Vvoosh!* He then whizzed forth in a flash of silver, rather flamboyantly. Within moments, three Rear Admirals fell before his mighty saber, bringing meaning to his incredible bounty. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. However, his charge soon met a solid golden wall. The Dark King was rather energetic, going beyond the necessary as he clashed with a human god, "Sengoku? Very well, allow me to entertain you!" Damien deadpanned as he heard Shakky giggle from the side. ''Is he seriously going to face off an Admiral to impress a girl?'' "Shakky-nee, I''ll let you hold the fort," Damien announced. "I still have an unfinished duel with someone." бн [Nearby] "FIRE!" Boom! Bang! *Whizz!* Cannons continuously fired as warships traded fury over the giant rocky field, hiding a flickering shadow. BAM! The captain of the Goose Pirates saw a rocket of a punch before the very floor beneath his feet was annihilated. *Rumble!* The sails fell, the wood broke apart, and the frame collapsed. Garp was on a mission. He had made up a quick mini-game: destroy as many ships within a single minute, and every vessel destroyed equalled one hundred bags of rice crackers from Sengoku''s pocket. Naturally, the deal was not previously discussed with the Buddha beforehand. BOOM! A blazing red trail of air current went off as Garp was lifted off his feet and tossed far aside. Like a stone skipping over the sea, the Vice Admiral eventually was smacked onto a marine ship. . Damien floated in the sky, watching the debris of the quivering vessel. Garp stood up through the dust, lacking even a scratch. "Bwahaha!" he laughed, "I was wondering when you''d come back!" "I hear you have an extraordinary way of teaching the young," Damien abruptly added. "A punch to set them right; I respect that." Garp''s eyes brightened like stars, "To appreciate my Fist of Love Technique, you are even better than I thought!" Damien gave a knowing nod as he recalled the effectiveness of the Fist of Love that he had used on Kuzan. "It works wonders," he shared, cupping his chin midair. "It instils discipline and a sense of measure; it is very effective." "Bwahahaha!" Garp slapped his thigh, wiping a tear of joy. Both men chuckled at one another until suddenly, the air was plunged with silence and coolness. Garp raised an eyebrow as he saw the red-eyed youth. *Fwwm!* A soft hum of metal plating went off as black armour coated Damien''s body. The plates then started to bond and ripple about. The armour on the back was coiled in unison as they creaked in a mailable shape. Seconds passed as feather-like blades pointed from the newly made black wings. "Hadean Release." Garp hummed, "Oh? I wonder how many fists it''ll take to break that armourбн" Damien grinned as he set his Ryushi to Ravager Configuration. . "Frenzy." . The wings behind Damien suddenly exploded into endless wings and shuttled ahead in a razor-sharp fashion. They hailed on the Vice Admiral, who had thrown up an x-shaped defense. Each feather rang the marine''s body with a spark of crushing energy and flowing Haki, multiplied by hundreds, and even Garp was momentarily stunned. *Grrrrrr!* The air quaked under Ryushi''s advent, crashing at the marine''s chest. "Ugh," the Vice Admiral let out a painful grunt. His boots dug into the well-crafted wood below, sinking deep and shooting screws from his weight. But even under the Supreme Weapon''s fury, the man smiled. His left hand shot at breathtaking speed, locked onto the sleek blade, and held it in place. *Fwwm!* A thick coating of Armament boiled around the marine''s dominant fist, turning it purple; Haki Layering was in effect. "Fool me onceбн" Damien muttered, releasing a countermeasure and backing up. A burst of crimson and an enormous shield appeared, freeing Ryushi from its lock-hold. At its front was a powerful suction, practically eating away the atmosphere and turning it to void. . "Dead Zone." . It was Damien''s most robust defensive ability that atomically dismantled all incoming attacks. Garp gave a dull grin, leaping from the sinking ship and driving his mighty fist forward. "You can''t defend against discipline!" Boom! The Vice Admiral slammed his fist onto the barrier, sending deep tremors. Yet before they could span out, they were devoured. Garp narrowed his eyes, feeling his Haki run dry, "!!!" a foreboding sensation fell upon the marine, one borne from endless combat. Garp hopped, using the shield as a launching platform to retreat to the skies. The streak of blue was followed by a swirling black liquid trailing behind like a homing missile! It climbed dozens of meters in the sky, hunting the burly soldier. "Hmm," Damien muttered, his eyes flashing red in Observation. The swirling black liquid responded to the pirate''s thoughts, suddenly warping into an open section of the air. "Huh!?" the Vice Admiral grunted in shock, seeing the liquid form a dark sphere around him. "Annoying Future Sight!" the man grumbled, covering every inch of his body. . "Death''s Cradle." . The sphere did as commanded by Damien, collapsing from its vast 10-meter space to all but 1 meter! Garp was entirely bathed under colossal amounts of pulverizing energy, crushing him into paste! *Grrrrrr!* The volatile energy was unforgiving, nailing itself into the marine''s body and seeping into his pores, shredding as much as possible. The man let out a dull roar and found the energy to bash both fists in opposite directions to his side. Like glass, the sphere fell apart, inviting light to grace the Vice Admiral. Yet the sunlight dimmed as Garp was met by a fist-sized red pyramid pushed forth by an armoured hand. . "Atomic Fracture." . The object blazed in a cone-shaped attack, directly ramming into Garp''s chest. BOOOOM! *Grrrrr!* Blood shot out of the Vice Admiral''s mouth as he felt his very chest being crunched up and dismantled, drilling deep within. ''It''s trying to tear me open!'' Garp exclaimed. Damien, however, was disappointed, ''His Haki is ridiculously tough!'' With a moment''s notice, the marine smashed both fists into Damien''s wrist and disrupted the drill. The pain of a crushed arm was secondary to Damien as he returned a sweeping kick and sent the Armament master flying back with great force. Boom! *Rumble!* Garp crashed into another marine ship hundreds of meters away with wooden floorboards raining down. The towering masts also fell, crashing on the deck, and the vessel sank! Marines on nearby ships were dumbstruck at the turn of events with a single thought in mind: "Was The Fist, who regularly clashed with the likes of Shiki, Newgate and Roger, thrown back?" . A dull chuckle broke further confusion; Garp stood tall with his usual grin, balancing over a thick wooden log. *Bam!* He suddenly punched his own chest, realigning a few ribs in the process. "That one hurt; it''s getting fun!" *Vvoosh!* Dust was the only thing left as the marine shot out from the sunken ship, leaving behind a trail of shrieking air. Damien felt the threat, unleashing a wide-range attack. . "Onslaught!" . Like a cannon, a dozen attacks landed from every direction under the command of a dozen Damiens. Garp returned a circular punch, tearing apart the attack; where there was a stab, there was a fist to meet it; where there was an attack, there was a fist to meet it. BOOM! *Pop* BAM! Air pockets exploded from the constant collisions as Damien moved once more. What followed was a lengthy stalemate. ---------------------------------------------- The rest of the war was nothing but death and pain. Damien''s division mates clashed with the Rear and Vice Admirals as the newly arrived supporters did the same. Roger''s crew faced strong foes as the casualties piled on. The pirate side quickly dropped to around 12,000, and the opposition sat at around 16,000; Kurowashi''s previous boost had a visible effect. бн "Perorin~!" A young voice went out. "Mama put me in charge; let''s go, you all!" Perespero, Oven, Daifuku & Katakuri stood at the helm of a smaller ship of candy galore. The ship had detached after Big Mom had clashed with Zephyr. Obeying an order directly from their loving mother. "Apollo Island is where Sol keeps all his gold," Perespero said, licking his candy staff. "Kukukuku, Mama wants us to grab his treasures!" Katakuri remained silent as a form of agreement. "Hmph, let''s hurry before the other losers get there!" Oven announced in a frenzy of warm air as his fruit power was released. "Don''t forget what Mama said; we must advance quietly, so don''t make too much noise," Daifuku grumbled, ready to rub his lower abdomen against any threat. "Set sail, Perorin~!" бн Such hidden tactics were more prevalent than most people would expect of pirates. *Puff* A cloud of smoke floated out from Shakky''s mouth, hiding the muzzle fire of her gun. "Looks like Damien-chan is quite trusting of you," she said to the man at the side. It was a dark-skinned swordsman who nodded in return. Indra held his famed sword in one hand, and a glowing object pulsing with ominous warmth was in the other. Behind him were three more pirates. "As the Sin Incarnate said, I shall aid you," the white-masked Henso spoke emotionlessly. His demeanour reflected the bland expression of the mask. "Wawawawa! Let''s do it, Hellspawn!" The elephantine Wang Zhi roared, bashing his chest. "We shall clear the path for you," a confident and firm voice came. Indra nodded at the Fifth Division Commander, Silver Axe. The small party walked to the side of the Titanic, peering deep into the Marine formation. "The entire plan relies on this; failure is not an option." To Be Continuedбн Chapter 116: The Scorched Sea War (V) Resolve is all that appeared in Indra''s eyes. A few words echoed in his mind, belonging to Damien. The mission was relatively straightforward but bore significant risk; the chance of death was almost inevitable. Yet there was no denial or reluctance in the swordsman''s eyes. "The entire plan relies on this; let''s not waste any more timeбн" . Explosions lined the horizon as the four men took off; Indra was in the lead, and the other three were trailing behind. The marine battleships continued firing across the giant rocky landscape, and the pirates enthusiastically returned fire. *Slash* *Crunch* Silver Axe slashed a volley of tens of cannonballs while Wang Zhi crushed them with great strength. They flashed through the battlefield as most Marines focused on more consequential problems. Crossing nearly 80% of the way to the Navy''s side, they were finally blocked. A thick dust cloud was born under the combined weight of the obstaclesбкthree people. "Vice Admiral Toro, Piranha and Decarther," Indra identified the marines. Toro was a 12-foot-tall marine with a feral face and horn-shaped hairstyle. "Surrender yourselves, pirates!" the Vice Admiral roared as a bull-human hybrid. "Wawawa!" Wang Zhi howled. "A little cow with horns; maybe I should pull out a red cloth to deal with you?" Toro growled in anger and raged forth to meet Wang Zhi. . Nearby, Silver Axe smashed the bottom of his shiny weapon onto the ground as it was coated in thick Haki. It was a declaration of war to his enemy: Vice Admiral Piranha. "Death is all that awaits you, Silver Axe." The armoured man didn''t waver; he pointed the sharp edge of his weapon at the marine. "Part of the journey is the end, Marine, but today is not the final chapter of my story." A blinding light shined across his sleek axe right before it was covered in a thick coat of Haki. . Finally, it was a third battle. "A Super Rookie clawing to the embers of the Rocks Pirates," Decarther blandly stated, eyeing the masked pirate before him. However, his expression couldn''t help but warp as his enemy, Henso, was surrounded by an ominous smoke. The pirate reached and covered his face with a hand. When he removed it, Henso''s mask had shifted into a mocking grin, conveying his attitude. "Muhahaha, you don''t wanna get on my bad side, Vice Admiral!" *Vvoosh!* Like a ghost, Henso appeared before the marine, nailing him with a powerful punch. Decarther was sent flying back. Meanwhile, Henso reached for his mask once more. This time, it warped into a face of pure fury, filled with anger. "Mwahahaha! They say every man has many faces, one that he shows to strangers, one that he shows to close friends and family, and one that he hides from everyone." Henso appeared above the fallen marine, sinking a fist into the man''s chest, ringing it like a gong. "I wonder what kind of face you hide, Decartherбн" The Vice Admiral disappeared from the crater and flickered ten meters away, not losing sight of his enemy. This pirate donned black and red jester attire. The expression on the mask shifted into that of sorrow and melancholy. "Muheheheheбн" "Hensинбн the Faceless," Decarther muttered with some pain. [Hensин Image (in Discord)] . Indra saw the three spring to duty, not surprised by the roadblocks. *Vvoosh!* The swordsman shot ahead, rocketing through the marines'' ships and entering deep into their formation. The troops saw all but a black shadow flickered past them, bouncing off their masts. It took but a few minutes for him to reach his goal. Indra''s black boots let out a resounding thud as he reached the very core of the marine armada. The swordsman''s dark pupils surveyed the surroundings. The wooden docks were made from pristine material, the metal platings were masterfully crafted, and the sails were thin as paper and could withstand cannon fire! "A vessel that carries the ancient Ox Bell with pride," Indra muttered. "I wonder how long you can hoist these flags." The banners strung to each mast were of the Navy Headquarters and the World Government, showcasing the importance of the mighty ship. Naturally, Indra''s target was the fabled Ox Lloyd''s Warship! . "Finger Pistol: Meteor Shower." . Bam! Boom! Kaboom! Tens of sharp and condensed fist-shaped air pockets rained on the unsuspecting Indra; they were sharp and thick globs of air. Shing! The pirate pocketed the object and held his sword in a proper stance. . "One Sword Style: Dance of the Dead." . In a mesmerizing spectacle, the tens upon tens of air bullets were cut in small explosions as Indra''s soft yet sharp sword techniques broke out with pinpoint accuracy. "As expected of the Sin Incarnate''s top subordinate, you are impressive." Indra looked up at the shadow not so far away and whispered, "Marine Admiral Kurowashi." бн As of now, each Admiral was embroiled in conflict. At one side was the sight of a Dark King taking on a divine sight. The giant Buddha drifted his eyes to the proud ship at the heart of the marine formation and then to Damien, who was butting heads with Garp. "What is his endgame, sending his right-hand subordinate to fight Kurowashi? There''s no logic in such a moveбн" he mumbled. Rayleigh saw his enemy in thought and laughed, "That young man seems to get stronger a little too fast. He''s already reached quite a level, don''t you agree, Sengoku?" The giant golden Buddha then focused on the Dark King before him. "Einar D. Damienбн he causes quite the mess every turn he takes," Sengoku murmured as his fist was covered with a golden bubble. . Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. "Impact Wave!" . A golden shockwave of pure power raged from the Admiral''s palm as it branched out with endless momentum. Rayleigh gave an appreciative hum and coated his saber with a fresh black. . "The Starry Night!" . In a beautiful silver slash of excellent swordsmanship, the advancing golden attack was cut through the center, causing it to implode in a dim fizzle. Sengoku''s eyes squinted solemnly as his enormous 25-foot-tall frame jumped into the air. The atmosphere groaned as the Buddha fell with great flare, palms opened. "Big Buddha Impact!" "The Last Supper!" ---------------------------------------------- [Elsewhere] . "Dreaded Devastation!" . Two giant swirling swarms of mountainous rocks raged out with deafening grace. "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma! Your rocks have grown softer, Basara!" Big Mom yelled and extended Napoleon into its most excellent form. . "Ikoku Sovereignty!" . A grand slash of raiding-pink sword energy rippled out as the Spear of Elbaf shot ahead at the coming attack. The two fluid mountain attacks were shredded apart as Linlin raced ahead. . "War Dominion!" . The black flintlock in her left arm aimed at the floating Admiral, unleashing a Haki-clad bullet. The air swarmed around it like a mighty wave as the single attacks exploded with great energy. In response, Basara raised both hands, pulling the earth up. . "Gates of Gaia!" . Five thick, solid, wall-like mountains extended from the seas below, providing a power shield. Each barrier had a demonic face! Boom! Bang! *Rumble!* The bullet burst through the first barrier, but the slight angle of the wall shifted it ever-so-slightly. Another wall went, pushing the bullet further to the side. This continued until the second-last fence, which redirected Linlin''s attack well off its intended target. The woman scoffed at the result and raced ahead with an iron fist. *Fwwm!* Armament coated her fist. "HA!" She smashed it upon the final obstacle. The demon-painted wall shattered like glass as the beautiful pirate continued her advance. Basara was more than ready for her. . "Trembling Earth: Excalibur!" . A humongous rocky sword of pure earth blasted out from the sea below, thundering to the Evil Spirit. *Crackle!* *Blaze!* Big Mom grabbed a thundering cloud and a blazing sun, her strongest Homies, as she replied to the Admiral in equal fervour. . "Matriarchal Tyranny!" . ---------------------------------------------- [Nearby] . "Fist of Most Pain!" . A mountain-crumbling fist raged on to meet a cracked-black fist punch swirling with crimson energy. The two fists persisted in absolute stubbornness, trading incredible amounts of energy. The shockwave released caused the nearby men''s eardrums to explode, and sound waves echoed in their skulls. Damien gnashed his teeth, feeling his Armament fall short. *Creak!* The armour shattered into bits, leaving the young pirate with an aching palm. It felt like magma coursing through his wrist! His head ringing, Damien whispered, "Damn Garpбн your fists hurt even more than Whitebeard''s quakes." "Hehe," the Vice Admiral smirked as a sharp breath was released from his bloodied mouth. "You''re not half bad either, Damien!" He then shook his head in disbelief, "Even Roger and Newgate don''t eat my fists as you doбн just what kind of monster did Rocks find? Bwahaha!" Damien then switched to a high-offensive combat strategy, relying on his absurd bodily strength to withstand the enemy''s power. *Pop!* In a burst of air, Garp jumped into an arc as his blackened foot slashed down like a battle-axe upon Damien''s head. Boom! In an X-shaped shield, Damien held on. His arms shook uncontrollably from the absolute strength of the marine, yet his bones remained strong. A quick current of air raged as Damien shot open his crossed arms, causing Garp to be pushed back. The Vice Admiral quickly regained balance and burst ahead once more as his Haki-ed fist dug into Damien''s stomach. BAM! A loud bang went off as Damien ate the attack with a pained groan. Garp grinned and lowered his head, and with a quick roar, he bashed his shoulder straight into his adversary''s abdomen, knocking the breath right out of him. ''His entire body is a weapon!'' the pirate admitted; even his Black Bones were trembling! Damien pushed through the pain, raised both hands, interlocked the fingers and smashed it down upon the Vice Admiral''s back. BAM! "Ugh!" seeing Garp reeling in pain from the internal damage. Damien opted to make some room, yet a powerful grip held him in placeбкGarp''s right hand was wrapped out his shin at the last second! "Get over here!" the marine smirked, violently yoking the pirate. *Dumm!* A loud gong-like sound boomed Garp''s iron-thick forehead, bashed into Damien''s. The Sin Incarnate''s eyes were shaken, momentarily wavering in and out of consciousness. "Hehe," Garp chuckled and readied a mighty fist to ''discipline'' his younger foe. *Fwoo!* Air bounced particles with Grandmastery of Armament Haki pouring in, layering it up and coating it with dense Emission. The imminent attack could surely level mountains! Damien blinked out from his trance, being pulled back by the leg. ''He''s really excited to land that punch,'' the pirate thought, seeing Garp''s gleeful expression. The joyous man was all but ten centimeters from shattering Damien''s chest open until a bright red flash left him blinded. . "Atomic Beams." . A disappointed grunt followed as Garp was sent soaring back with twin rays digging at his upper chest, threatening to dismantle him! He was sent a good two dozen meters before floating to a stop with his hand shielding against the twin beams. Garp flashed Damien a proud look until he heard the young man''s voice: . "Cluster." . The damning beams suddenly exploded into six more beams, diverging from the original two! "Ehh!?" Garp gasped, finding himself bearing eight atomizing beams. Two were digging at his chest, two at his shoulders, two more at his kneecaps, and the final two right into his eyes! The Vice Admiral was robbed of his sight and the sensations of his bodyбкthe atomic dismantling wasn''t working perfectly, but it was frying his nerves! "Uh oh." A surge of energy, and Garp was shoved alongside the eight rays, finding himself rocketed through the skies. *Vzzz!* The unsettling sound of dismantled air followed the yelping Vice Admiral. The man found himself on a rollercoaster; he''d be sent up for a few moments before the beams would dart off the air, bringing him with them. "Ou-woah-woahбн" He yelped, dizzied from the experience. Garp''s eyes widened once more as he saw where the rays were taking him next. BOOOM! An entire marine ship ate the nine-and-a-half footer, falling apart from the man''s momentum. "L-Look out, it''s Garp-samиC!" "We''re sinking!" "Hit the deck!!!" A chain of explosions and fireworks rang through the battlefield as Damien used Garp as a weapon to obliterate almost a dozen marine standard ships. The Vice Admiral finally had enough. He felt the eight rays digging into him at eight different points across his front side while sensing the marine ship he was en route to crashing intoбкunlike the previous ships, this was a 60-meter-tall battleship! "Ha!" The bold marine roared, slamming both sets of fingers into the floorboards. *Creak* Thick cracks ran from around the digits and opened up entire chasms in the vessel; the beams were not giving up! Garp growled under the weight as he was dragged along the spanning deck. "W-We''re all gonna die!" a recruit yelled. Another soldier tossed aside his weapon and ran to the edge, seeing the horizon getting broader. "The ship''s gonna tilt overбн Jump to sea!" A thousand troops were on the battleship, but they all ran to the safe side and leaped off immediately. A moment later, a humongous tidal wave was born from the tragedy. A few shaken eyes trailed the collapsing Vice Admiralбкhe had been swallowed by the ocean and buried under a warship weighing over 30,000 tonnes! . "..." The silence after the bursting seas was loud. A few hundred pairs of dreaded eyes fell on the floating armoured figure, gulping at the seething mist in its eyes. A Vice Admiral with pink and blue stripes huffed a cloud of smoke, stroking his wet beard. "Not only did the Sin Incarnate survive Garp''s punches, but he even sank himбн what is his body made of!?" Another such veteran hummed, slashing the throat of five pirates with his scimitars. "But if I know Garp, there''s no way he''d take that lying down," the blue-haired man chimed. "The Sin Incarnate''s readying an attack; take cover!" a Rear Admiral bellowed, sending thousands to crouch aboard their ships. After all, Damien''s entire left arm had warped into a weapon on its own. It all left to a spiked fist engulfed in a chaotic surge of red energy and electricity. The fist was covered in glowing, red orbs pulsing with raw power. Lightning arcs and energy bolts radiated from the fist, intensifying the sense of overwhelming destructive force. They watched the monstrous pirate make a full-180, turning around and reeling his punch. *Boom!* A jet of water erupted soon after, followed by the heroic figure of Garp shooting from the depths at the pirate. "Bwahahaha! You want to meet my fist head-on? Let''s do it, Damien!" The two men grinned at one another as their bodies swam with thick, black lightning. The clouds above grew thunderous from the impending clash. *Pop!* The Vice Admiral showcased his mastery over Moonwalk as his crackling purple fist shot out. Damien tightened every muscle group, preparing to take the full brunt of the future Marine Hero. *Purrup* Molten atomizing energy popped all over his fist, circulating with endless power. It was so dense that it was distorting the air around it! [Image (in Discord)] . "Galaxy Conquest!" . "Atomic Rupture!" . BOOOOOOOM! An ear-rattling screech, a mind-numbing shockwave and a sea-quaking spectacle ensued. The dark sky was overshadowed by a giant bubble of dark red and heroic blue with the two men at the center. Garp''s right fist smashed upon his enemy''s as it took in the atom-dismantling energy and Infused Haki. Yet even under all of this, they were not actually in contact! A space existed, borne out of the rage of their Conqueror''s Haki. It was so chaotic that the leaking energy was sent to the clouds above, separating them with a spanning scar! The Vice Admiral''s eyes turned white in fury, but his spirit remained unwavering. Damien felt the weight of the seven seas thrust onto his body as he further released endless fruit energy, and Haki was channelled into his left fist. The gap finally closed, allowing the two to touch. BOOOOM! Garp''s Haki was layered and swarming with unequalled Armament. Whereas the bubbles of red over Damien''s knuckles burst from the crashing weight, sending thick streams of atomic-dismantling energy into its adversary. Suffice to say, both sides were assaulted with bone-shattering attacks tearing them from the inside out. Giant waves of water exploded around the two men clashing in the sky, causing their own disaster-like presence to the ones nearby. Thousands of bodies were lifted into the air as they cried out in fear. Like a rainstorm, the bodies showered down onto the broken ships, shaking waters and the cracked rock platform. It was something out of a fantasy, simply apocalyptic. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 117: The Scorched Sea War (VI) "So you''re here," Indra calmly spoke, locking eyes with his titanic threat. "Please, you think I didn''t notice your Commander trying to pull me away from my ship?" A lax voice responded. "Perhaps it would have worked had his troops not been a pack of wild dogs." The Ox Lloyd''s Warship with its master, Marine Admiral Kurowashi. Indra hummed at the turn of events and ran through several scenarios of the imminent future. ''No matter what, I have to protect it.'' He was around 60 meters from his target, but a mountain stood in the way. *Shing!* Kyoran hummed proudly, reflecting its dark nature in Indra''s hand. "One must face his difficulties to enjoy success," he answered. "I have no intention of returning with failure." Masao scoffed at the rebuttal, thinking lowly of it. "I will find pleasure in tossing you into the cold cells of Impel Down, Hellspawn!" *Pop!* The air exploded as the silver-haired Admiral rocketed onwards, his Haki-clad hand thrusting ahead at speeds rivalling that of sound! . "Fatal-Four Air Bullet." . The four fingers, swarming with dense Haki and thick air currents, struck without mercy, seeking to rip open the enemy''s throat. *Clang!* Kyoran groaned under the Admiral''s weight, blocking just in time. Masao was held up in the sky, pushing down at the swordsman. *Grrr!* Sparks lit up from the blade as Indra masterfully slid the marine down his weapon''s length before taking to the skies. He spun midair and struck downwards. . "One Sword Style: Beautiful Death!" . The image of a spanning peacock appeared, spreading its magnificent feathers. The air shrieked, and the bird flew down, rushing in tandem with Indra''s blade. . "Paper Arts: Afterimage." . BOOM! The powerful attack met nothing but the thick floor of the Warship, failing to meet its intended target. Despite the impressive impact, the damage was minimalбкthe wooden deck, made from the legendary Treasure Tree Adam, barely showed a scratch. "!!!" There was no time to admire the craftsmanship as a sharp breeze erupted and a shadow appeared behind Indra. . "Finger Pistol: Execution Stab." . The attack was faster than what the eye could track. Indra''s instincts forced him to retreat, even if he barely caught a glimpse of the shadow aiming at his throat. *Swish!* The pirate grasped at his neck, appearing nearly 30 meters away. Warm blood dribbled through the gaps of his fingers. ''He didn''t even touch me, yet I was still cut,'' Indra thought. "You have impressive instincts," Masao commented while raising his right leg. *Whuru* *Whuru* Thick cold air currents swirled around the limb, generating an ominous shriek. . "Tempest Kick: Sky Cleaver!" . The slashing limb sent out a substantial crescent-shaped attack made from condensed air and Haki, 50 meters in length. *Grrrr!* The slash cleaved past a mast and flew at the pirate''s throat, forcing him to defend himself. Indra''s arms bulged in muscles as he fueled his blade with great strength and slashed down. . "One Sword Style: Evil Befall!" . The swordsman''s boot dug into the dense wood as the attack pushed him a good dozen meters back before dissolving. There was no time to defend as the dark silhouette of Kurowashi appeared past the dust cloud. . "Iron Body: Bull Charge!" . The shoulder was bubbling red, crashing hard onto the pirate. Instead of blocking, Indra lightly leaped backwards, perfectly timed to use his opponent''s momentum to retreat. *Thud!* The pirate landed gracefully, but not before an ache ran down his spine. "Ugh," he grunted, feeling his arm out of place, a dislocated shoulder. "You seem a little passive," Masao commented, rushing ahead and opting for endless attacks. . "Finger Pistol: Execution Barrage!" . Haki coated his finger, further amplified by the Emission bubble. Boom! Bam! Clang! Boom! The minor injury was ignored, and Indra met each attack. Be it a dodge, parry or block, each strike was countered. Boom! Clang! The pirate narrowed his eyes as he felt the blade''s integrity weaken unreasonably fast. ''He''s aiming at the same spot every attack,'' Indra thought, seeing knicks at the bottom of the katana. In tandem with the Emission of Haki, the masterful Finger Pistol was tearing the sword apart. Boom! Masao''s eyes remained as calm as an eagle''s, each stab precise while his left hand stayed behind his backбкsuch was the creed of his Elegant Justice. Block after block, parry after parry, they continued with Haki bursting in all directions. "Basara''s report had you more of an aggressive threat." Masao was confused by the utterly defensive approach of the notorious pirate. However, victory seemed within reach. And then it happened all within a tenth of a second. Masao''s incessant attacks grew predictable, opening a window of chance. "!!!" Indra''s eyes suddenly sharpened, and he attacked with a burst of speed. . "One Sword Style: Theory of Life!" . All the Admiral saw was a bright flash and a complete change in scenery. He went from the war-struck scorched sea to a beautiful grove: birds chirping and water gracefully dripping in the background. "Whatбн" A deep cut spread across his chest, running diagonally from his kidney area to his left pec, drawing copious amounts of blood. Masao felt at peace, and then came the pain: "Ugh!" A hiss of wind and the Admiral was the one to retreat. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. *Thump* *Thump* Heavy footsteps rang the mighty vessel as its captain was left befuddled. Kurowashi grunted from the fresh blood and the pain shooting through his body. He glared at Indra, meeting resolute eyes. "Unfortunately for you, your Haki is too weak to finish me off," Masao spat out. "It was your only chance; you should have gone for the head." *Crack!* *Krrrr* Odd sounds echoed from the Admiral''s body as he regained his footing. Slowly but surely, the large cut stopped bleeding, with pink skin flooding in, allowing Kurowashi to stand tall again. Indra raised his Haki-clad blade, looking at the wound with narrowed eyes, "Life Return." The two sprang forth once more, entering a temporary stalemate. Boom! Clang! Bam! Time ticked on, and twenty minutes passed. Masao''s assault had grown more thunderous; Indra remained on the defense through it all. Then it happened. *Crack!* A smirk appeared on Kurowashi''s face, and he took his chance. . "Finger Pistol: Execution Thrust!" . The Haki-blessed finger shot out at speeds exceeding that of sound, crashing onto the cracked blade. Like glass, it simply exploded into tiny shards. The iron finger drove ahead and nailed into the pirate''s chest. "Ugh!" Indra felt the stab dig into his left lung; all the while, the Haki did its part to destroy the insides, forcing him to falter. With his finger still in the pirate''s chest, Masao slashed his left leg. . "Tempest Kick: Sky Cleaver!" . The energy arc swept Indra away, carrying him to the ship''s tall mast. The weight of the attack was beyond anything the pirate had seen of the Six Powers; it was like being hit by a train! *BOOM!* A resounding explosion followed by a hail of wood and dust; the Ox Lloyd''s Warship had four such masts, and Indra had been embedded in the front one. Kurowashi calmly walked ahead, his boots playing a melodious beat about the Adam''s Oak. The man stopped a meter from the teetering mast and gazed up. "You''ve lost your blade, Hellspawn; this is the end for you." *Pop!* The air resembled a balloon under the Admiral''s feet, allowing him to climb. Bright green eyes glared at the dust cloud, sensing the immobile enemy lodge in the thick wood. The marine scoffed and held his arms with fists around one inch from Indra''s chest. The lack of movement from his enemy earned nothing but disdain. It was time to end the farce. . "Six King Gu-!!!" . *Swish!* Blood spurted. Masao''s eyes were glued open as he suddenly fell from above, blankly looking at the clouds in the sky. "What..." the man mumbled. With a thud, he slammed the floor, and his head lashed onto the wooden ground. The pain of the whiplash brought the man out of his reverie as he gazed at his chest. It was the previous spanning gash, which had opened once more. "He cut me... but with what blade?" Masao whispered, reeling under the pain. A dark shadow flickered before the fallen soldier with an arm raised. "A swordsman who is defenceless after losing his sword was never worthy of wielding it in the first place." . "No Sword Style: Hell Stab!" . The Haki-flooded finger crashed into Kurowashi''s chest, cutting deep and tearing all flesh in the way. All the air in his lungs was spat out alongside a painful roar. Masao gnashed his teeth while Indra opted to repeat the strike. *Voosh!* A burst of air, and he was gone. "Tch," the no-swordsman frowned as the Admiral appeared a dozen meters away, standing tall again and this time in the middle of the second and third mast. *Fwwm!* Indra''s Haki was decent as he swarmed his entire right arm, from the shoulder down to every finger. He gave one look at the sets of sails above him and followed through with the attack. . "Hell Slash!" . The sword energy stream rushed ahead, zooming at the distant threat. "He actually weaponized his own arms!" Masao cursed, raising his left arm in defence. *Grrrr!* The energy arc dug into the skin, drawing blood before dissolving awayбкa combination of impressive Armament and Iron Body. Although being pushed near the ship''s center, the Admiral was still in good health. He heard the rush of airбкthe enemy was racing at him again. . "Iron Body: Bull Charge!" . "Hell Spear!" . "Guhh!" Masao growled. His thick shoulder was strong, but the force was transferred to his chest and his open wound. Indra was no better. No matter how much Haki he wrapped around his arm, it could never truly be a perfect sword. *Spurt!* Blood shot out beyond his elbow as the bone was tearing out! Indra ignored the pain from shredded nerves along his arm and continued strong. *Crack* the fingers were next to shatter, followed by the bones in the forearm. With a thunderous roar, Masao pushed through, and the swordsman was sent flying back 10 meters. *Rumble* Another resounding boom from crashing into the second mast. "Damn you!" Masao was livid. Every breath he took was followed by waves of pain; the gaping hole in his sternum and the spanning slash across his chest had long ruined his uniform. . "Spirit Resurgence!" . The booming voice resounded through the canyon. Kurowashi sighed in relief as ripples of green energy echoed back from his call, rushing to the dead center of the ship. The giant wound from earlier was bathed in fresh green light and quickly healed. The spanning cut from his right kidney to left pec was instantly healedбкthe Black Eagle was as good as new! "Awakening," Indra coughed past the dust cloud. "He''s reaping the spirit of his soldiers to heal his body." "I admit to underestimating you, Hellspawn," Masao confessed in a low voice. "I figured a Warborn who failed to activate his Figures wouldn''t be much of a challengeбкI was wrong." But even in his proud state, the Admiral was left pondering. ''Basara''s report painted him as a very offensive and resourceful threat, even landing two deadly hits on him.'' He looked at the pirate and examined the situation. ''Even when crashing into the masts, he always lands on his right side, making sure not to take any damage to the left. Is he wounded?'' Indra hummed at the man''s curiosity and brought out a tiny orb, barely 10 centimeters in diameter. It looked like a black and red glass marble. [Item Image (in Discord)] Kurowashi''s mind fired at the turn of events. ''Every attack, trying his best to reach further into the ship. He''s been leading me here!'' The Admiral found himself at the heart of the mighty Ox Lloyd''s Warship, 60 meters from the front deck! Indra had released the ball as it floated into the air, stopping a good 20 meters in the sky. "Your mission was to reach the core of my ship!" the man exclaimed. бн At the same time, another conversation broke out in the distance. "Say, Garp. Do you think there''s beauty in an explosion?" Damien asked while massaging his shattered left fist. Garp, his arm purple and bruised, gave a confused look. "Hah? What are you on about now? The only beauty in this world is a fresh bag of rice crackers." The Sin Incarnate rolled his eyes. "Well, I''m not much of a destruction enthusiast, but I want to see it for myself." Garp frowned, uncertain of what was to come. бн Sengoku, who was pushing Rayleigh into a weakened position, sensed something dire. His instincts kicked in as he scanned the battlefield, spotting the ominous ball floating above the fabled vessel. The Resourceful General also noticed Shakky signalling to the higher-ranking pirates, initiating an immediate retreat. "Rayleigh, even you?" The Dark King grinned, reversing his grip on his blade. Black lightning crackled and arced around the saber. . "Mon Alisa!" . The blade''s slash birthed a ghostly figure with hollow eyes and a gaping mouth draped in tattered, ethereal veils. [Attack Image (in Discord)] The Buddha responded with a cataclysmic shockwave, obliterating the shrieking woman into dust. However, Rayleigh was long gone. A chill ran down Sengoku''s back while the hair on his arms shot up. "Garp, come with me, now!" he roared. Even Basara and Zephyr hurriedly answered his call, all rushing at the Ox Lloyd''s Warship! Kurowashi, too, heard his fellow Admiral and looked at the ball once more. Any thought to cut or slash at it was met with a flare of his Observation. "I can''t cut it, I can''t bury it, I can''t blow it up," he rambled with clenched fists. Meanwhile, a whisper echoed in the marine''s ears, "You were half right. My mission was indeed to reach the core of your ship..." Masao glared at Indra, standing at the edge of the ship. "Our meeting was never a coincidence, Kurowashiбн farewell." The pirate grasped his cracked shoulder and jumped off, escaping into the sea. ... Damien floated in the sky, feeling their haste. A red and black shield formed around him, protecting him from just about anything. His deep red eyes were locked onto Kurowashi aboard the majestic Warship. The other Admiral-level marines were still 10 seconds away, leaving the Black Eagle all alone. "Consider this payback..." he muttered, seeing a grim future. Shakky and Rayleigh watched Damien from afar, catching his next relatively simple gesture. *Snap!* With the snap of a finger, the crimson sphere reacted with an ominous glow. In a fraction of a second, the outer crimson liquid-like layer was sucked in, revealing a green gem at the center. The highly reactive ore, now exposed to the air, began to destabilize violently. The atomizing energy acted as an unholy catalyst, accelerating the reaction to a catastrophic level. . "The Big Bang." . BOOOOOOOM! A sea-ruptured explosion resounded on the Ox Lloyd''s Warship as apocalyptic levels of fire and heat were instantly released. The resulting fireball swallowed Kurowashi whole, engulfing him in its fiery embrace. Its skin-dissolving heat stretched to the ends of the vessel while also evaporating the seawater nearby, and even wood and metal melted into liquids, some even gases. "Auuughh!" Miserable cries echoed out from the plume of crimson death belonging to the Black Eagle. The hell Masao experienced was entirely hidden under the cloud of fire and shock. The thundering wails resounded over the seas, sending a cold chill down the backs of those nearby. *Thud!* Garp, Sengoku, Zephyr, and Basara landed. They couldn''t see much since the light from the explosion lit up the entire sea, bringing dawn to the doom-like clouds. "Hold the blast!" Sengoku roared out to his colleagues. *Fwwm!* *Fwoooo!* Multiple things happened. The top marine personnel, Garp, Sengoku, Zephyr, and Basara, acted swiftly. Their collective Emission Haki formed a bubble-like shell around the fireball, preventing it from expanding further. The giant light-red sphere strained under the pressure but held firm against the explosive force. Under the drain of significant levels of Haki, the four men continued their struggle as the fireball was fully contained. Still, it would only stop once the ore had been entirely used up, making it a waiting game. . Unfortunately for the Marines, where there was an explosion, there was also a shockwave. A wall of highly compressed air burst forth, obliterating the marine formation. Ships were torn apart, marines hurled into the air like ragdolls, and the surrounding sea vaporized. Even the kilometer-tall mountain that circled the battlefield shattered apart from the shockwave, exploding into dust and debris. Mayhem and disorder plunged the formation. The soldiers that survived the earsplitting shockwave were met with towering tidal waves and torrents of howling winds. Even the 60-meter-tall warships folded in on themselves or were swept away by the tides. Shrapnel from the shredded ships near the center tore through the air, causing additional carnage as debris sliced through everything in its path. The casualty count was not small, to say the least. . Damien exited his bubble and watched the calamity of his own craft. The crimson eyes carried pity. The mortality scale of the Rocks Era was countless, but such was the life these Marines chose to live. He extended Ryushi out in a simple gesture, grabbing the attention of the thirsty pirates, "Now, while the marines are shaken up, destroy them!" A deafening warcry broke out as the injured and exhausted pirates saw the chaos on the Navy''s side. From the blood that stained the broken seas or the constant wails from trapped and dying marines, it was nothing but music to their ears. From 16,000 marines to no more than 7,000, the death toll in the past minute was over 9,000! Without a doubt, the tides had turned from a single attack, spelling doom upon the surviving Navy soldiers. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 118: The Setting Sun [The Remains of Glint Island] *Gurrug* *Gulp* *Burp!* Two men sat face to face on a broken part of the island that slowly drifted about. "Oye, Newgate, this stuff isn''t bad!" Roger declared as he drank from a large sakиж cup. Whitebeard, too, was gulping down liters of sakиж like it was oxygen. "Damien had a sakиж-fruit user in his division; I almost tried to steal him myself, Gurarara!" the giant man laughed. The duo were busy sipping Voyd Nomu''s personal craft: The Devil''s Juice. *Rumble!* Their drinking content was put on hold as they looked to the far horizon and saw the giant fireball light up the seas, followed by an earsplitting shockwave. Whitebeard, a man of vibration, naturally felt the quivering tectonics plates, fully showcasing the hell being wrought. Roger''s jaw dropped while his eyes shone red. "That Damien guy truly is the Marines'' nightmare. Wahahaha!" "Gurarara!" "Wahahaha!" "Gurarara!" бн [Nearby] *Rumble!* The same rumbling travelled to this part of the sea as well. "It seems the Navy has been hit hard once more by that young man," an aloof voice broke out. "Redfield, how dare you look away amid our fight!" Shiki roared and slashed down a golden arc of endless energy. The man in question countered it with an equally powerful attack from his umbrella. "Pahaha! That aside, it''s best I head back now. I had a delightful time in our little contest, Shiki," Redfield said and prepared to leave. The Golden Lion growled in rage as he felt he was being treated like a toy. "You damn red bastard!" The Red Count smilingly brought out a pen and a few leaves from his pocket that seemed to give a faint warmth. "Do busy yourself with this parting gift." *Poof* The five leaves exploded into a cloud of smoke as a few shadows stepped out. "Under the flag of justice, we will take you down!" "Shiki? Take my fist on that golden head of yours!" "Pirate scum, surrender!" "Golden Lion Shiki, it''s time to take you down a peg." "I haven''t left my office in a while, I hope my fists haven''t gotten rusty." Five clones created by Red''s pen, the Mythical Zoan FruitбкBake-danuki! The Three Admirals and Garp were brought out alongside even Fleet Admiral Kong! Redfield then opened his umbrella and floated away with a mysterious smile as he gazed at the explosion nearby. "You asshole!" Shiki growled in annoyance as his prey escaped, leaving him with a few false enemies. бн [Above Glint Island] Nearly 8,000 meters in the sky was another fight, touching the skies. A man one may confuse as the Sun God was taking on an unholy pirate. Sol, who had already spent over 15 hours at the Core of his powers, felt his end approaching, much to Xebec''s irritation. The crazy pirate''s open palm suddenly exploded with withering-black swirls of energy that stormed into a black mass of endless despair. The torrents of death felt like windбн however, the wind wasn''t actually there as it had all but withered away. Instead, the torrents were literal streams of death energy that slashed and whirled around the disaster that Xebec brought. . "Death Storm!" . Sol felt his divine fire slowly wither away, replaced by gray ones. He gave out a loud growl mixed with pain and rage, gathered his energy and condensed it to his very core. . "Heliacal Supernova!" . Like an exploding star, the body released incredible amounts of nuclear flames, which countered the swirls of death. Though Rocks, who had seen the ever-decreasing strength of his adversary, was losing interest. The evil pirate controlled his endless supply of death energy as it rippled into being, whirling and crying out impatiently, greedy to pull others to its deathly embrace. The deathly energy formed a colossal and nightmarish beast formed of death energy, standing at a towering 40 meters (131 ft). It has a grotesque, twisted body with three giant animal skulls, each glowing with an ominous light in its eye sockets. Sharp horns and jagged spikes protrude from its back, and random body parts and skeletons are embedded throughout its form. Additional limbs emerge from its sides and underbelly. The creature exuded an unholy aura, surrounded by dark, swirling mists and eerie lights. . "Damsel of Death." . The incarnation of pure death seemed to express its anger in a loud cry. The growl alone would cause most to shudder in fear, and their primal instincts overflowed. [Attack Image (in Discord)] Sol''s eyes brimmed with dread as if staring death itself in the face. A sight that dragged him back to a haunting memory. бн [Seventy-Seven Years Ago] "That''s it, brat, burn the useless ones!" The command came from a grizzled man, his face a map of burn scars, as he slapped the back of a young boy. The two stood in front of a lever connected to some intricate wires. The boy, no more than five years old, stood frozen, his hand trembling as it gripped the lever. Meanwhile, a few moans and grunts echoed from the mouths of nearly a dozen people. Men, women, and children lay sprawled on the ground beneath a makeshift cannon, their bodies weakened by a damning sickness. "Hehe, that''s it, just pull it and put them out of their misery!" If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The words echoed in the white-haired boy''s mind as his face quivered in fear, his hair slick with sweat. After what felt like an eternity, he pulled the lever. At his command, fiery hell erupted over the defenseless folk, engulfing them in an inferno. Wailing cries pierced the air as the boy watched, his ears ringing with their screams and his nose filled with the stench of burning flesh. "..." "You did well; maybe I''ll bring you under my flag in a few years!" the older man praised, grinning at the brutal display. бн As the years dragged on, the young boy continued to purge the sickly slaves from a string of islands. The pirates reaped the spoils of the enslaved villagers, burning the sick and useless, a grim signature of the Purge Pirates and their leader, Pyre the Purifier. бн On a dark, moonless night, nearly five years after the enslavement of Moraino Island, something inside the boy changed. The boy, now older, gathered the sick and purged them as ordered. His white hair, dulled from years of abuse, contrasted sharply with his oddly clear eyes. He stood before a tiny cell housing two people. A ray of light bathed the area; human filth lay in the corner of the cage, next to some spoiled fruitsбкdinner for the imprisoned. "Don''t worry, Mom, Dad," the boy whispered to the collapsed duo. "I''ve heard that Nika will come and liberate us from our suffering." The child beamed a healthy smile, showcasing the joy of what''s to come. "Hmm, though it''s been five years now, and I haven''t seen him yet," he mused, cupping his chin. He shook his head in stubborn refusal and echoed a spirited reply, "Hehe, you know what? I found this really cool fruit the other day!" The words brimmed with excitement, much like a child seeking appreciation from his guardians. The boy sheepishly smiled and raised his hand. With a spark, it burst into flames! "Look! Isn''t it pretty!?" The ten-year-old was enraptured by the crackling flame, a fire that also reflected his burning passion. "Don''t worry, I cleansed all those bad people with this fire before coming to you. Uhhh, I was a little late because I burned my clothes by accident, hehe~" The boy laughed to himself, a blend of joy and embarrassment. He then peered past the flame at his parents, unconscious on the floor, dying in their own filth. "Don''t worry. I will liberate you both from your suffering, and you will never have to feel pain again!" бн The memory cleared like clouds parting to reveal dawn. Life returned to Overlord Sol''s eyes as he faced the coming of death. "Sohohoho!" he burst into laughter, shaking his head. "Rocks, I was reborn in death and fireбн if this is my end, I shall embrace it gloriously!" The Sun of Pride''s body turned intangible, fully consumed with white fire. . "Helios Eclipse!" . ---------------------------------------------- [Back to the Scorched Sea] The battle of dark and light continued to torch the skies while the seas far below had been scorched. Thousands of cannonballs were launched as countless bullets were fired across the broken lands. They skimmed over the rocky platform and rained down upon the marines. 7,000. 6,700. 6,300. 5,900. 5,600. The numbers dropped as the minutes passed. Meanwhile, arcs of light continued to shine through the cracks of the mountain shield erected around the fireball. 4,900. Alas, it finally stopped. *Thud* Zephyr fell to a single knee as he felt his stamina bottomed from the constant Emission Haki used to control the explosionбкit took nearly ten minutes! Sengoku transformed into his human form as he exhaled a heavy breath. "What a ridiculous turn of events," Garp sighed as he felt the need to inhale a few tons of rice crackers. Basara''s mountains fell apart as the rocks rained onto nearby devastated seas. "I doubt even I could survive this, but with his powerбн" the mountainous Admiral murmured. A Vice Admiral under the Black Eagle''s division rushed ahead, reaching what was once the center of the Ox Lloyd''s Warship. "..." What awaited the decorated marine was harrowing. His eyes were left wide open from the assault of his senses. The smell of molten skin, the taste of rotten flesh, the sound of broken wails, the humidity in the air and the unholy remnant of the dazzling Admiral. But even under the deathly hallows was a faint heartbeat. "Masao-san still lives, butбн" he exclaimed. "But what!?" "H-He looks like he shouldn''t be alive!" Kurowashi''s face was left scarred and unrecognizable. The messy yet dazzling Admiral was left with a hideous appearance. Faint groans escaped the fallen Masao''s mouth; he was conscious but in intolerable pain. After all, being bathed in the heat from the bomb while having your innards shaken would leave anyone broken. . Basara gnashed his teeth in fury, "The Ox Lloyds Warship is all but ruined, and its commander is also left in such a conditionбн DAMN PIRATES!" And it was true. The Ox Lloyd''s Warship, which sailed the great seas and induced endless courage in the Marines and fear in the pirates, was destroyed. If not for Basara, the little portion of wood they stood on would have long since vanished. "We were able to save the Ox Bell. As long as it remains, the warship can be rebuilt," Zephyr said as he regained his bearings. Sengoku then saw the carnage of the remaining marines. He saw hundreds of his men die at the passing second. He saw the sea below, having changed from an azure blue to a dull red, bathed in his men''s blood. He also saw the proud marine warships in ruins, as only a few remained. On top of that, he saw a pillar of the Navy, an Admiral, left in a condition some would consider worse than death! ''Masao must have siphoned the high morale of our troops to keep himself alive through thisбн but it''s left our men completely defeated,'' Sengoku surmised. The afroed man shook his head and shut his eyes. A snail was brought out from his pocket as he sent out an array of orders. "...Basara-san, create mountains parallel to our formation, protect us from all fire. Zephyr, Garp. You both clear any large debris in the way of our movements." "All available Vice and Rear Admirals are to take over the recollection of the wounded and the bodies!" Sengoku took a deep and helpless breath before his voice echoed through the formation: "ALL TROOPS! MAKE A FULL-SCALE RETREAT POSTHASTE!" The heavy words laced with anger resounded even through the mayhem and carnage and brought much-needed relief. "Tend to the wounded, carry the dead if possible. We will shield you," Basara''s hoarse voice arrived. "We may have lost the battle, but we will win the war!" The Admirals'' words echoed everywhere as they somewhat brought back the broken spirits; most could only utter a single thought: ''Loss is temporary; Justice is forever!'' *Rumble* The ground suddenly shook as 300-meter-tall mountains extended out from the sides of the formation, parallel to their retreat. They extended tens of kilometers, making for a landmark of their own. Garp, Zephyr and the other Vice Admirals worked together to smash apart any broken ships in the way. . Meanwhile, Sengoku glared at the pirates'' side, specifically at the man at the helm. "Your goal was never to hold us off till Rocks was finished, but rather take down Kurowashi and the Ox Lloyds Warship in a single go and destroy our entire formation in one move!" The Sin Incarnate stood at the front of the Suicidal Rambo and matched the Admiral''s gaze. "Don''t you want to chase them and take them all out, Damien-chan?" Shakky''s voice reached in his ears. But the young pirate shook his head. "Forget it; we also have many wounded, and those four still stand. We may have cut their numbers to a small amount, but as the saying goes, ''A cornered dog will bite.''" His goal was complete, plus killing any further would prove disadvantageous toward his goals for God Valley. Shakky nodded and then gave an impressed look. "That aside, Damien-chan. It looks like you left quite the mark here." The male pirate smiled and nodded. It wasn''t exactly planned, but it had a nice look. Even the pirates, annoyed by the order to remain on standby, seemed lost in the sight before them. It was in the area where the explosion took place. Or at least what was left of it. The bomb that Damien dropped was special, laced with atomizing energy. The explosion released, though quelled, had some extra spice in it. In unison with the highly reactive ore, the atomizing energy had caused an exciting occurrence that spread wider and wider in the wake of the Navy''s retreat. It was an enormous crater in the sea! Giant volumes of seawater seemed to whirl into a vortex generated from the gaping hole yet to no avail. It was a sinkhole a full kilometer wide that led to a crimson glow, endlessly pulling Mother Ocean into its damning embrace. [Scar Image (in Discord)] . "It''s most likely here to stayбн How poetic," Rayleigh commented as he polished his saber, his hair slicked with sweat from the earlier battle. He and practically all of the war participants had suffered significant damage. Damien''s arms were left sore and purple after healing from Garp''s punches. He was even missing a few teeth, nothing that some milk couldn''t fix. The soreness and leftover damage were attributed to the Grandmastery of Armament, which Garp was kind enough to display. The Haki left a residual effect, temporarily halting Damien''s recovery. Apart from him, Silver Axe had skiffs, while Wang Zhi had cuts all over. Rayleigh, apart from his new scars from Sol, was also left with some injuries from Sengoku. A few cracked ribs and whatnot. Linlin was munching on one of her crashed ships, eating the remains. A thundercloud and miniature sun danced around her voluptuous waist. Kaido sat gloomy, angered by Damien''s consistent rise in strength. "You did well, Indra." A few seconds passed as the pirate arrived by Damien''s side, drenched with water. The dark-skinned swordsman nodded and said, "He remained on the ship as you expected. Now I wonder if he still draws breath." The Sin Incarnate grinned with appreciation, "He is indeed alive. That Awakened Pump-Pump Fruit allows him to convert high morale into energy and enviable recovery." A sharp glint passed Damien''s eyes, "But this is only the beginning of his miseryбн" Indra was unsure of the grievance between his commander and Kurowashi. Still, he felt things would only worsen for the broken Admiral. бн The pirates were busy either salvaging remains, tending to their injuries, or killing off one another. Undoubtedly, the war had ended. *Fwooooo!* Suddenly, a sharp whistle blew, grabbing all eyes. Damien and the others looked at the sky and saw a white light fall; a blazing flame covered the object as it approached the ground. "Hmm?" Damien''s observation made out a familiar figure. It was Pryde D. Sol. Black cracks formed across his body while his eyes were whitened out. However, even under such miserable conditions, the mighty pirate was smiling! BOOM! Like a meteor, the body crashed onto the remains of Glint Island, sending ripples of shock out. The infernal remains of the Overlord caved down into the ground as it ran through the broken island. *Purrup* The sea steamed as the body of the fallen pirate dug into the seafloor and the bedrock below. With a powerful Overlord having died, the world would undoubtedly recall this day. A day that led to the most tumultuous showdown between the Navy and the Pirates in recent history, a day when the sun was plucked from the sky! To Be Continuedбн Chapter 119: Conflicts Damien sighed, his fatigue catching up. And yet, suddenly, he felt a cold, unsettling presence nearby. His eyes drifted to the side, zooming in on the Titanic, landing on a sole pirate. He had long pink hair and a long red coat. The man was drowning himself in liquor, hoisting a sack of gold. Damien narrowed his eyes as he felt his Haki flare in warning, but nothing unusual could be seen. ''My intuition is rarely wrongбн'' he thought to himself, feeling that the drunken pirate was something truly vile. His crimson eyes ran a few thoughts, drawing up destiny itself. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Captain John] [Occupation: Tragedy of the Rocks Pirates] [Birth: 41 years ago] [Fate: ???] [Death: ???] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< Damien had long used Destiny Perception to excavate traitors and ill-intended fiends around him, but it failed to bear any fruit now. ''Something''s definitely off; my Haki''s not blocked, but it''s almost like it''s spinning in circles, and I''m unable to narrow anything down.'' A thunderous boom broke the pirate from his thoughts as the Suicidal Rambo shook under significant momentum. Damien''s eye twitched as he felt the newly arrived man. "Damn, old bastard, don''t break my ship!" he thundered. "Xahahaha! Don''t sweat the small stuff, Damien," A hoarse voice went off. It was Rocks! Just his arrival caused the nearby pirates to immediately scamper off; some even dove into the sea below out of primal fear. As for the man''s appearance, his black cloak was devastated; some pieces of fabric even melted into his skin. A few scars were added to his chest, but other than that, he seemed rather lively for a man of death. "I had my fun with the human sun. Now, show me, where''s Garp or Sengoku!" he cackled in excitement with a savage grin. *Puff* Shakky blew out a cloud of smoke from the side. "You''re a bit late, Captain. Damien-chan already sent the Navy scampering away." This was not exactly good news in the Captain''s eyes. "Huh, those assholes ran away!? Quick, go call them back. I haven''t quenched my hunger yet!" Rocks roared. . Meanwhile, the other non-Rocks Pirates were in great distress at the sight of the very personification of death. Wang Zhi reined in his usual spirit and waited on the side. The pirates from the Festival who joined in alliance also took an audible gulp. Rayleigh, who had gone to the Oro Jackson, stood tall upon the helm. His fellow crewmates were prepared for combat, with weapons ready. "Hmm?" Xebec''s eyes drifted to the Roger Pirates as a curious hum escaped his crusty lips. "Xahahaбн you''re that Roger''s subordinates? Did that fool finally join under my flag?" His words could be assumed as a question, but under the glow of those empty eyes, it seemed more like a statement; anyone daring to go against it would be cut down without mercy. Many men aboard the Oro Jackson shifted in their position, feeling the cold, deathly glare of the Abyssal Sin. Yet a soft yet confident voice returned, "Rocks D. Xebec. Make no mistake; our Captain has no intention of joining you." "..." The onlookers were ready to run as they could feel the tension rise to a dangerous level. Xebec let out a savage laugh as his curiosity peaked. "Oh? You''re his Vice-Captain? Rayleigh, was it? Xahaha! That fool really found a capable pirate under him." But that curious smile turned savage and feral. Pure rage in the form of Haki leaked from the man''s eyes as tremendous pressure was thrust upon the Roger Pirates. *Creak* The mighty Oro Jackson trembled, forcing Rayleigh to unsheath his blade; otherwise, he would be unfazed and ready to strike. BOOM! Two thick bubbles of Haki collided into a spectacle of silver and black, rendering the air frozen. A younger pirate fell on the ground as he stood nearly 200 meters from the point of conflict, his body reeking of urine. From the very start, Rocks was synonymous with their greatest nightmare for most of the present. Even the great Fleet Admiral Kong wouldn''t have caused such a reaction, yet Rocks was far worse, especially when angry. On the side, Damien nodded at Rayleigh''s courage, humming with admiration. Even Shakky put her cigarette aside, watching with some scrutiny. But under the turbulent torrents of Haki was something else: "Wahahaha!" It was another booming laugh! "Xebec, don''t give my partner such a hard time. If you have a problem, why don''t you come to me?" Although the voice sounded rather friendly, it was laced with incredible levels of danger. It was more than just a threat; it was a declaration of war. Rocks'' fearsome eyes moved to the man who stood on the shore of the now-broken Glint Island. He had a red hat, a large moustache, a sinister grin and a cutlass at hand: Gol D. Roger! Roger was a man who, under endless danger, would never turn tail and run! Retreating was absent from his dictionary. His usual joking demeanour, however, could flip into an unbridled rage that even the Fleet Admiral feared. . "Xahahaha! Roger! It''s good that you''ve come," the big boss erupted in similar degrees of beastly nature. However, the two seemed to be moments away from entering a full-blown fight: "Captain, it''s best to hold off on any more fights." The man turned his eyes to the side, slight irritation flashed by it. "Shakuyaku. Are you getting in the way of my fun?" The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The woman let out a deep breath, her eyes wavering. "...Of course not, Captain Rocks. But our fleet has taken a great hit, and most of our ships have been destroyed. If you end up in a full-scale fight with Roger, I''m afraid all the forces we collected over the past few years would have been for naught." *Vvooo* A soft wind blew as a young man appeared beside the woman, shielding her from the cold gaze. "Captain, Shakky-nee isn''t wrong," Damien calmly added. "Our numbers have already dipped down to almost ten thousand. If you really want blood, you can take out the 14,000 or so pirates that Sol deployed over the two forts of Superbia." Damien''s eyes then glowed red in Observation. "Plus, the Marines are still on my radar and seem to be regrouping 3.94 kilometers away, most likely waiting for backup." "..." At that moment, Damien practically told a wild beast not to dine on its favourite meal. And like any hungry beast, they tend to be rather aggressive. *Vrrrr* Xebec squinted his eyes as the torrents of Haki descended upon the shirtless youth before him. The weight of an endless bloodthirsty spirit fell upon Damien, but it failed to draw any reaction. "Xahaha!" the evil pirate laughed. "You''ve gotten ballsy, boy," "But you''re not wrong. Cutting down the numbers anymore would be troublesome, especially with that fateful day approachingбн" Xebec''s voice grew slightly distant, as if he were in deep thought. No one knew what the crazy pirate was thinking, yet it somehow caused fine sweat to trickle down the backs of many. "Fine," he grumbled. "Shakuyaku, take the rest back to Hachinosu. I will return when I''m done with the fresh meat." *Vvoosh* Xebec vanished into a blur of black dust; no one knew where he went. Damien lightly sighed as he felt the weight lift off his body. Rocks was an unpredictable force of terror, and arguing with him would usually turn out badly. . "Wahahaha!" The Sin Incarnate then looked to the side and saw a man with a broad and thick moustache land next to Rayleigh. "Damien? I remember you from Borealis'' auction!" Roger then tapped Rayleigh''s shoulder, the latter seeming solemn. "Sol is dead. I had a lot of fun here. I feel like we''ll cross paths soon. Hehe, see you then." With that said, the Roger Pirates loosened their sails and made their way into the horizon. бн [A Little While Later] "Oye, Kaido, why the frown?" Damien asked as he looked at the brooding giant bathing in sakиж. "*Sniff*, Damien, you bastard, *Sniff*, just wait, I''ll bash your head in with my club soon enough," he bawled, tears dripping down his broad jaw and splattering on the floorboards. ''He became a weepy drunk,'' Damien rolled his eyes. "Don''t worry, I''m sure your bounty will increase," he tapped Kaido''s shoulder in a comforting fashion. "Even then, the distance between the money on our heads would only widen." Kaido''s eyes blasted open, instantly sober. "YOU BASTARD!" The club in the ogre''s hand seemed to extend its wielder''s fury. "Raimei Hakke!" The lightning-bathed club of pure brute strength smashed the air apart as it raged toward the casual Damien. Booom! A loud shockwave graced the ship as the floorboards creaked in pain. Kaido growled as he saw the result. He saw his club, which was strong enough to flatten a giant, being stopped by a single finger bubbling in a crimson aura. "OUGHHH!" the ogre roared on as his eyes were filled with fury. The sparks of Conqueror''s Haki swam through the club and upon a surprised Damien. ''So he can use Infusion when angry enough,'' the young pirate concluded. *Vvoosh* Like a phantom, the Sin Incarnate disappeared, causing the giant Kaido to flop forward due to inertia. Damien reappeared a few meters in the air, face-to-face with the faltering Oni. BAM! Without hesitation, a pulverizing fist slammed the Beast square in the face. Ripples of force swam through Kaido''s giant face as his eyes winced in pain, presumably due to the rattling of the brain, while a mild concussion seemed apparent. Like a bullet, the brooding beast was shot off the ship and soared through the sky. *Crash* "Ah!" "My leg!" "The ship is sinking!" "Abandon ship!" Dozens of voices cried out as one of the ships at the very edge of the formation seemed to shudder in pain, cracking all over. The sails collapsed as the ship was torn from Kaido''s landing, sinking immediately. Damien was satisfied that his shot had made the target and smirked into the distance. "Damien-chan," Shakky interrupted from behind. "Most of the pirates are readied, and the ships that could be fixed are so too." "I will start sending them back now. Are you coming too?" The young man shook his head, "You go first, Shakky-nee, I have a little something to do, I''ll return later." . He then looked at the silver-armoured man who stood like a tower. "I''ll leave the newly joined in your hands. There''s quite a bit of mending to do." Silver Axe nodded through his thick armour, unshaken as always. ---------------------------------------------- [A Few Kilometers Away] A few hours passed on as the Rocks Pirates had left. Darkness bathed the seas as night had come to grace the world. "Puru," "Puru," "Puru." "Katcha~!" A large-afroed man picked up his transponder snail. "This is Admiral Sengoku." "Hmm? Sengoku, how''s the regrouping going?" a deep voice replied. It was the Fleet Admiral! Sengoku sighed with residual anger, "I failed, Kong-san. My miscalculation left far too many casualties; even the beacon of hope, the Ox Lloyds Warship, was lost." However, the man on the other end of the line wasn''t satisfiedбкnot by the mission going awry but by Sengoku''s attitude. "Being an Admiral is a great honour, but the responsibility of countless lives comes with that honour. And lives can be lost. Don''t get lost in the abyss of regret. Conquer it and bring forth the ''Reining Justice'' you live by!" Kong''s voice was sharp and heavy but held a slight nostalgia to it. "Enough about that. No one could have expected Ares'' brat to have such a thing up his sleeve." "Anyways, how''s the situation there?" The Buddha looked to the side and saw the Marines running overdrive, fixing and remedying what they could. "We''ll be ready to return by dawn. There are 300,000 civilians at Superbia; I can''t just leave them at Rocks'' mercy," the Admiral replied in a determined tone. Kong knew it was too much to ask a Conqueror to yield, so he compromised: "I won''t stop you, but I''m sending you supplies and backup from G-5. They will be there by the time the sun rises." "There will also be a VIPбн do not leave without them. That''s an order!" Sengoku slowly nodded but couldn''t help but ask, "Alright, Kong-san, but can I ask who this VIP is?" "..." "It''s a little unorthodox regarding support, but it requires a delicate approach. Ensure their safety; this mission is not from me, but rather, from the Five Elders!" "Katcha~!" The call ended. ---------------------------------------------- An hour passed. "Perorin~!" Perespero licked his cane. "I can feel it, the treasures inside here!" The young man stood before a giant vault. *Sizzle* The thick metal released tremendous amounts of steam as a blazing palm slowly melted through it. "The metal is so damn thick!" Oven complained. It was a significantly reinforced steel structure that held Superbia''s gold reserves, an exuberant amount considering it belonged to an Overlord. *Creak* *Rumble* And finally, after nearly 10 hours, the metal gave way for the Charlotte kids to enter. . Perespero''s eyes widened as he saw the endless stacks of gold and diamonds. It was a ridiculous amount. "That Sol really likes the gold colourбн" Daifuku muttered as he saw it. At the center, there were a few special goodies. A sacred sword embedded in a white stone. A giant blue cube of unknown symbols. Yet such treasures were ignored by the sharp eyes of Katakuri. The donut connoisseur narrowed in at the Devil Fruit placed atop a pedestal. Sure enough, the most valuable piece of the treasured heaps. His mother''s voice echoed in his mind, "Whatever happens, make sure to bring that out with you!" It was an order regarding the particular goodie Katakuri was examiningбкa blue fruit with sharp scales and a green stem. "This must be itбн The treasure Sol robbed from the Celestial Dragons!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 120: The VIP Another two hours passed as Sengoku was ready to return to Superbia, not to wage war but to salvage what was left and control the chaotic tides that had originated on the island. On top of that, he had 300,000 civilians to attend to. "This ''backup'' Kong-san talked about," Basara''s hoarse voice graced Sengoku''s ears. "I assume it should arrive soon?" The latter watched the calm seas nearby under the slowly rising sun. The mixture of the two aspects caused the tides to glow a warm orange. Cries of birds went off overhead as a serene yet solemn atmosphere remained. "Hmm, anytime now." Speaking of the devil, a voice went off: "Admirals, there''s a fleet of ships approaching from the West!" A rear Admiral informed the two. Sengoku just nodded; however, the Rear Admiral seemed a little stiff. "What is it?" "Uhh, the ones arriving aren''t exactly what we expectedбн" the man gulped. Sengoku''s eyebrow rose as he murmured, "Isn''t it just a marine fleet from G-5?" "There are the battleships from G-5, but that''s not the problem..." The two Admirals moved to the ship''s left side as they saw the fleet arriveбкat least 50 ships! Basara''s mouth dropped, and Sengoku''s eyes widened. Twenty of the fifty ships hailed the Marines'' flag, which was to be expected, but the other thirty were the cause of concern. The ship that led the second fleet had a wide sail with a logo printed on it. It was a weird, eye-like symbol surrounded by six other circles of unique designs. The designs were intricate, but the logo''s layout suggested some form of fulcrum between the six circles. [Emblem Image (in Discord)] The two men immediately recognized tens of other symbols near that ship. "What is this!?" Basara roared out as he saw the tens of ships with non-marine emblems. "Why would the Fleet Admiral send that filth here?" The man was ready to raise mountains in anger but was stopped by his colleague. "Basara-san, though I am as confused as you are, don''t forget the Kong-san''s words!" The brown-clothed marine reluctantly yielded as his single eye narrowed upon the figure at the helm of the leading ship. The person donned elegant clothing, black in colour. All the while sporting a black vizor-like mask to wholly cover the face. "Of all the ''unorthodox'' support we could get," Sengoku sighed indignantly, "why is it from the Underworld?" The VIP in question was a woman whose identity was unknown to the public but feared by most Nobles around the seas. She was an Emperor of the Underworld, known as the ''Devil''s Architect''бкFulcrum! ---------------------------------------------- [An Hours Later] Chaos at the distant sea contrasted with the joy on a departing ship off the coast of Apollo Island. Four of Big Mom''s children had filled up their ride with as much treasure as they could hold without risking the ship. бн On the other side of Apollo Island was beach-like terrain near the shore. However, most of it was filled with broken debris and other trash from the earlier fights. It went to show just how far the area of effect spanned when such a war was waged, especially considering Apollo Island was far from Glint Island. It was here that a young pirate stood, watching the orange sun. Naturally, it was Damien. "You''re finally here," he muttered, his eyes flashing red. Seconds later, a female figure appeared from his shadow, matching that of the VIP who had arrived. "I haven''t seen you in a while, princess." The woman wore an avant-garde black ensemble featuring a form-fitting design with sleek lines and minimalistic detailing. It included a draped overlay that cascaded down the body, adding a dynamic and elegant flair. Her right arm was sleeveless, leading to gloved hands. The overall attire did well to outline the young woman''s desirable proportions. [Attire Image (in Discord)] ''She''s gotten far more comfortable and confident now,'' Damien smiled, watching Fulcrum dissolve away her mask, allowing her long, silky hair to cascade down. A radiant smile was present on the young woman''s face. She didn''t respond but went in for a deep hug. Damien ran his fingers through the silky hair, hearing the young woman''s heartbeat. "I missed you so much," she muttered, her heart calming down. бн [A Little While Later] Another hour ticked by. Damien sat on a wooden log and ate a giant piece of meat attached to a thick bone. His shirtless, raggedy look resembled a troglodyte, paling compared to the elegant young woman at his side. *Munch* After taking a large bite that even Linlin would be impressed with, Damien asked, "Twelve hours?" Aurora slowly nodded, "That''s all I could get the Five Elders to agree to; for the next twelve hours, now ten, Fulcrum has full rein over the spoils of Superbia, within reasonable bounds." Damien smiled, "It''s more than enough." бн On the other side of Superbia was another chat going on simultaneously. "Half a day immunity, it''s ridiculous!" Sengoku stood with a grim expression, understanding Basara''s objections. He turned to the leader of the backup fleet of the marines, a woman. "I expected you to come, Tsuru, but not with such unsightly company." Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. The Great Advisor of the Marines sighed in response. "We cannot direct any more troops from the Grand Line," she explained. "This was a special occasion where all the major threats came together; if not for that, Kong-san would never have allowed all five of you to go." "With all Three Admirals deployed alongside Garp and Zephyr, we had to count on other ''allies.''" Basara stood with his arms crossed, expressing his profound disagreement with the turn of events. "Cheh, they went to an Underworld Emperorбн she even brought that bastard Morgans here!" he roared. "That bird brat will eat up this defeat and continue to denounce us in the news!" Sengoku drifted to the ''allies'' standing in the large ship beside them. He saw the young feathered humanoid. The Star Report of the World Economy News PaperбкMorgans! . "Now, now, Sengoku, Tsuru-chan, Basara-san, let''s all get along. I personally met Fulcrum, and she isn''t that bad!" A raucous laugh went off. Sengoku rolled his eyes as he saw Garp in a floral shirt, lying on a hammock, enjoying the breeze off the coast. "Garp, you buffoon! You''re only saying that because Fulcrum brought you top-quality rice crackers!" Tsuru ignored their chatter, instead looking at the horizon, her marine coat flying in the wind. "Our failure, as Basara-san puts it, will be highlighted regardless. But the News Paper will be in our relative favour." Another voice came from the side, belonging to a man. "Fully taking control of an Overlord''s territory; liberating 300,000 people; capturing tens of thousands of New World Pirates. It makes for a good headline, especially with Morgans being the author." It was Zephyr, wearing his usual marine shirt and coat, his muscles ever-vibrant. Tsuru nodded, "things could have ended worse for us." "Though it is alarmingбн the Star Reporter seems to be in good tidings with the Devil''s Architect." "..." A thoughtful silence ensued. Basara looked around again, focussing on the fleet under the Underworld Emperor. Thirty of Fulcrum''s ships spanned across Superbia. They salvaged what they wished, all the while the marine helplessly watched. "''Voice of the Dead'' Nekrиоs, ''Bone Demon'' Kaiser, their bounties add up to 700 million berries, yet we can only watch them from afar," he grumbled. Sengoku felt the same chagrin, but he knew what was at stake. "Not only the Styx Passage that allowed our backup to arrive in such a timely manner but most importantly, Sea Prism Stone trades are all conducted by her." He sighed, rubbing his forehead, "As much as I hate it, we simply cannot lose those assets while the Rocks Pirates thrive now with the entire New World to themselves." бн [Back to Apollo Island] "He looks anything but his image of the prideful and graceful Overlord," Aurora muttered. Her shocked eyes were glued to the corpse in front of them. Damien smiled at the body. Naturally, it belonged to the late Overlord of the SeaбкPryde D. Sol. "Leave it to a D to be smiling in death," Damien muttered at Sol''s smirk. "Rahahaha! I had a few Sea Kings acquire his body before it crashed into the magma below." Aurora then recalled something: "Thenбн his fruit?" Damien smiled. He reached into his pocket and took out a spherical orange-red fruit wrapped in a paper-like design resembling a sunflower. "The Paramecia-Type Devil Fruit: the Sun-Sun Fruit." Damien tossed the treasured fruit up and down, feeling slightly warm at every point of contact. [Fruit Image (in Discord)] . Aurora thinly smiled, glad to see Damien''s satisfaction. "A few pirates made their exit an hour ago; they went through Sol''s main treasury, taking as they pleased," she informed. "They''re sailing quite slow, keeping away from the marine''s eyes." Damien nodded, feeling the distant presence through his Haki. "Let them live; just bring the true valuables they took." "Hmm?" He suddenly muttered with narrowed eyes, feeling a wild and primal sensation within the departing vessel. "...Let them keep the blue fruit." Aurora nodded, and the aetherial darkness enveloped her again, disappearing into Damien''s shadow. бн [Five Minutes Later] ''Azure Dragon,'' the red-eyed pirate thought with a smirk. ''It must be a quirk of my Grandmastery of Observation to hear your voice.'' The sounds echoing in his mind made it seem the fruit was hunting... looking for a worthy user. An image of a gigantic and war-hungry Oni came to mind, mixing well with the savage Zoan fruit he could hear. *Purrup* At that moment, Damien''s shadow warped like liquid. A few light footsteps unveiled Aurora alongside a heap of items. Amongst the rare artifacts were the usual fruits, a folded-up sheet of paper and a large piece of white granite housing a treasure of its own. The first thing to look over was naturally the Devil Fruits! *Fwoo* The air shuddered again, this time from Damien''s actions. "I was collecting some fruits myself. Let''s put them all togetherбн" ZOAN: Bat-Bat Fruit: Model Horseshoe Bat иC Allows the user to transform into a horseshoe bat and its human hybrid at will. Human-Human Fruit: Ancient Model Neanderthal иC Allows the user to transform into a Neanderthal at will. Bird-Bird Fruit: Model Hawk иC Allows the user to transform into a hawk and its human hybrid at will. PARAMECIA: Lust-Lust Fruit иC Allows the user to control the lust of others, gaining authority over them, making them a Sexy Human. Illusion-Illusion Fruit иC Allows the user to impose illusions onto others, making them a Conjuring Human. Sun-Sun Fruit иC Allows the user to personify the sun, making them a Celestial Human. . "It''s a pity that all but Cupid of the Six Vices died before I could get to them, losing the chance to deprive them of their abilities," Damien muttered. After all, Devil Fruits vanished off the dead within five minutes of their passing. His thoughts were broken by a collection of whispers from a spanning paper sheet across the ground. "You''re just dying to tell me your story," Damien murmured, striding over. Naturally, the paper was a copy of Sol''s Poneglyph. Little by little, he took in the story. Whispers turned into voices, and a voice turned into a strong connection that bridged itself to the young pirate. "Another story of the Sun God." Aurora floated to his side, looking over his broad shoulders. "Just like the one we heard in my hometown?" "This one..." Damien mumbled as a smirk came to his face, "details a Devil Fruit that carried the will of Joyboy; a mythical Zoan type that grants its user the body of rubber alongside the most ridiculous power in the world." "A fruit that shall never enter the hands of the people who cage the seas!" ''There''s no longer any doubt left. The Gum-Gum Fruit must be a Mythical Zoan at heart,'' he thought with a light sigh. Aurora recalled the Poneglyph from the Amethyst Kingdom. "The most ridiculous power in the world," she echoed. "If it''s such a crazy power, then why doesn''t the Government turn the seas upside down for it?" The Sin Incarnate had similar thoughts. He cupped his chin to ponder, quickly reaching a conclusion. "These mythical fruits," he began, facing the girl, "I heard it in that blue one I asked you to leave behind, a complete consciousness." "Zoan fruits have a mind of their own?" Aurora exclaimed. "That would explain why it eluded the Government for so longбкfruits that seek their most fitting user." The revelation of the future Monkey D. Luffy''s ability was a marvel of its own. Still, it begged the question: What ridiculous powers can the Nika fruit bestow its user? "Rahahaha! I look forward to seeing it, no matter how many decades later Joyboy returns!" Damien declared, clenching his fist. . Aurora stood silently under the burst of Haki, her mind filled with conviction that she would remain helpful to her captain. "Damien, there''s one treasure left." The young woman''s voice broke the pirate from his thoughts. He turned to the side and saw the hazy white granite stone containing a sword. The Sin Incarnate walked to her side, raising his chin with a dignified look. "I once read that Sol got his hand on a treasured sword. I thought it was a rumour, considering he didn''t even use it in our fightбн" *Buzz* Ryushi, in its ring form around Damien''s finger, pulsating from being near such a fine-quality weapon. "Why wouldn''t he use it?" Aurora asked, blinking at the white boulder. Damien shrugged, "This katana design and nature fit Sol''s holiness and grace narrative. Knowing him, he would see it to be a shame if the blade was soiled by the blood of others." *Purrup* a fragile strand of Pulverizing energy, and the granite cracked. "Let''s bring you outбн" With a boom, it exploded into large pieces, unveiling the treasure for Damien to grab. It was a katana with a pearl-white scabbard swimming with white fog. Alongside the white guard, the sword indeed screamed purity. *Shing!* The blade was unsheathed as its glorious white blade was revealed. It had a unique horizontal mist-like pattern over the entire blade, sharp enough to cut the air by a single movement. Damien felt the torn air and heard the blade''s capricious voice. A voice as firm as that of his Ryuishi. "One of the Twelve Supreme Grade Swords: The ''Sacred Blade'' Tenmei!" [Tenmei Image (in Discord)] To Be Continuedбн Chapter 121: Sworn Enemies of the Gods [An Hour Later] *Rumble* Boom! Bam! Powerful bursts of air and shock pulsated at a rhythmic pace, sending tremors through the already ruined Superbia in the form of powerful shrieks and bangs every ten seconds. "U-Ugh, I can''t take it anymorбкguh!" The man suddenly fell to his knees, his eyes whitening from the mental shock. *Thud!* Tens of other marines fell one by one, much like flies. A shaken man watched the display with a grim expression. "Puru," "Puru," "Puru." "Katcha~!" "This is the Marine Outpost outside Superbia. What is the nature of your emergency?" a formal voice asked. The man slowly answered, "T-This is Rear Admiral Dongshire. My troops have all fallen unconscious," he shared with great struggle. "I-It seems to be Conqueror''s Haki, pulsing out from Apollo Island without endбн Auugh!" "..." "Rear Admiral!?" "Please report, Rear Admiral Dongshire!" . [On the Other Side of the Call] "..." "Katcha~!" The marine respondent shook his head in uncertainty. He couldn''t help but look around and feel the same chaos befall the other two dozen respondents. "Did you caller faint too?" "Yeah, something about their mind feeling great weight." "Conqueror''s Haki? Just about every troop stationed at sea surrounding Apollo Island has collapsed, it''s opened a hole in our formation!" бн The chain of news quickly made its way to the top of the pyramid, leaving Sengoku to massage his temples. "Apollo Island, that''s where Fulcrum went on her own," he murmured. "What could it be that is evoking such Haki?" He looked to the distant skies, which pulsed with red and purple waves of pressure, sending tremors all over the nearby seas. Basara sat to the side, not exactly disturbed by the news. "Looks like she fell upon some difficulty. It would be best for that Underworld rat to die!" "Don''t be ridiculous; she''s imperative to the imminent future!" Zephyr snapped from the side. Tsuru seemed just as bewildered, saying, "It knocked out even a Vice Admiral near the island seas. Such Haki is extraordinary!" "All the threats have been reported to have departed. I can''t connect the dots," Sengoku pondered. "Isn''t it outside of our jurisdiction for another nine hours?" Basara spat with disdain. "Let her deal with whoever''s there." "..." His words were brash but not incorrect. Their duty was to wait out the 12-hour immunity before moving in, and that is precisely what followed. бн [Eight Hours Later] "It''s still going on. It must be a powerful opponent!" "Looks like Fulcrum is stronger than anyone thought. Her Haki is noteworthy!" "We can only wait it outбн" бн The Marines'' worry gave birth to many theories. Some thought Fulcrum had encountered a great enemy pirate who wanted to claw at Sol''s great treasures. Some thought she was training. Some thought it was simply a residual effect from the recent war. But none could imagine the debauchery that had occurred for the previous eight hours. бн After another twenty minutes, the banging finally concluded. All but the shallow breathing that remained at Apollo Island. A beautiful girl with long purple hair lay defeated upon a white bed. Beads of sweat ran down her face. The young man sat up, stretching his body. "That was funбн nice to release the built-up stress from the past few months." A victorious smile broke out on the dark-haired pirate as he ran his hands through the young woman''s hair. "I, I can''t keep up without Toki''s helpбн" she murmured, hiding under the blanket. "Don''t say that. It works nicely to train Conqueror''s Haki, too," he casually said, fully recovered from previous injuries. Damien stood up, looking around for some clothes, only to remember what happened. "Oh right, I only have rags left from my regal attire." He clicked his tongue; the convenience of having self-reforming clothes would be missed. . Aurora stared at the shirtless Damien with narrowed eyes. Although she adored seeing her soulmate''s dense and shredded muscles, she also had some other thoughts in mind. "Thank goddess, that trenchcoat of yours is gone," she whispered. "I don''t understand how men don''t get tired of wearing the same clothes every single day." Damien scoffed at the accusation. "I''d rather be ready to jump into action in two minutes while wearing old clothes than spend two hours deciding what to wear." Aurora hummed with a smirk, floating out from under the sheets and landing before the male pirate, fully nude. Damien clicked his tongue in slight annoyance as a burst of aether swirled, clothing the Empress again, hiding the glorious view. "It only takes me two seconds to get ready," she quipped, reaching to fix her hair. "And it just so happens that I''ve been collecting some nice clothes for you. Much better than that dark and brooding coat from earlier." The girl went into designer mode, unleashing torrents of purple energy. At her command, a plethora of shirts and pants floated and slowly spun in the air. "..." Damien was left speechless at the sight of the dozens of clothing sets. Sure enough, Aurora had been waiting for the day he lost his regal attire. Aurora hummed at a few shirts, cupping her chin in thought, sparing some glances at the unclothed pirate. бн Five minutes later, the Sin Incarnate stood before a spanning mirror, looking at his reflection with some surprise. "I guess it''s not bad to try on something new." Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Aurora stood beside him, her head reaching his shoulder as she admired the sharp outfit with twinkling eyesбкshe was enamoured. The mirror revealed a darkly charismatic presence, highlighted by his striking attire and intense gaze. He wore a form-fitting, deep purple shirt with intricate black and lighter purple floral and swirl patterns covering the entire fabric, creating an almost tattoo-like effect. The pants were dark and a mix of formal and tactical. The woman shook her head from the reverie and made a few more changes. "The shirt alone is a little too mundaneбн" she muttered, reaching for Damien''s sleeves, rolling them up. Her hands then went for the buttons and loosened a few. "There we go!" Aurora remarked in joy, taking a final look at the pirate. The partially unbuttoned shirt revealed a well-defined chest, contributing to his sharp yet dangerous appearance. His dark, tousled hair, crimson streaks, and red-tinged eyes made for a mysterious and somewhat menacing demeanour. "I couldn''t possibly ever guess your favourite colour," Damien said with a smile, looking at the purple-haired, purple-eyed girl who picked out a purple shirt for him. Aurora huffed an exhale, raising her proud chin at the comment. "Purple is a royal colour, which is why my great-grandfather, Amethyst Aurelius, chose it as our surname." [New Look Image + Older Damien (in Discord)] бн [Half an Hour Later] In his new get-up, Damien stood at the shore of Apollo Island again, Aurora by his side. They enjoyed the breeze while the girl finished a report from Unso Island. "How is it?" the young man asked. "There will be a huge hike in the Heavenly Tribute tax for the coming year," Aurora answered, staring at the gentle tides. "They''ve bumped it up to fifty percent!" The Heavenly Tribute was a yearly taxation system imposed on every nation under the World Government. Over 160 nations gave up a significant percentage of their annual worth to the benevolent Mariejois. Due to the tremendous amount of wealth to be transported, the World Government had set up the Revenue and Taxation Bureau (RTB) to facilitate every shipment and ensure every berry was present. The Commissioner of the RTB had authority equal to that of an Admiral, ensuring the 15-20 transports every month went without a problem! Damien pondered at the update, nodding, "The base tax is forty percent, but such dark times lead to huge hikes." He clicked his tongue at the daylight robbery, which was understandable considering the Navy''s losses. "You know what to do?" he questioned. Aurora smiled proudly, "Since they''ve bumped up the tax on the worldбн It''s only right for me to bump up the cost of using the Styx Passages." "That''s my girl," Damien laughed, playing with her hair. . The final minutes of the immunity encroached quickly as the pirate duo breathed in the calm seas; as the saying goes, after the storm comes a rainbow. "There''s a small thing you should know about, Damien," Aurora said, her eyes still enthralled by the beauty of the New World. "What''s up?" The girl''s expression warped into a more serious one as she answered, "The Navy. They''ve recently brought in two super recruits, Marine Supernova even." Damien raised an eyebrow in intrigue. "Oh, who is it?" "The first is the son of GarpбкMonkey D. Dragon," Aurora stated. "He has the ability to spawn storms and manipulate weather." The words brought a look of surprise to the Sin Incarnate''s face. ''So Dragon, the future most heinous criminal, was an enemy created in the Navy itself,'' he thought. "Though he should be quite young being Garp''s son." Aurora nodded, "He''s only sixteen but has been dubbed a rising star." Damien didn''t find it odd knowing Dragon''s lineage, though another thought came to mind: "Who''s the second?" "Well, his case is a little odd," Aurora paused for a second, somewhat unsure. "He seems to have had a run-in with you." "Is that so?" Damien rhetorically asked with a light smile, his curiosity peaked. "Yeah, he was present when you stormed G-2. He goes by the name of Shinrai." Now, it was Damien''s turn to pause in thought. A figure came to mind from that day, months ago. A brave marine, or at least a marine feigning bravery, stood up to Damien right before his supposed fall. "He should have died, let alone when I sank the base itself to the bottom of the ocean." Aurora narrowed her eyes, "He was found unharmed through the ordeal. I don''t know how that happened, but Kong is keeping a tight lid on his stars." *Vvooo!* The previous passionate demeanour vanished and was replaced with the cold eyes of an assassin. "Should I take care of them?" she asked, holding an ethereal dagger that had claimed countless lives. It was a simple statement awaiting a response. Damien smiled at her expression, which resembled a death statement to be given. "Calm down, my dear assassin," He ran his hand through Aurora''s silky hair, instantly turning her docile. His eyes turned a little more calculating following his words: "This Shinrai must have survived with the help of a Devil Fruit he found at G-2бн Plus, getting a bold recruit isn''t necessarily disadvantageous." While enjoying the touch, Aurora became curious: "What do you mean?" "A powerful Navy is bad news for me, but a weak Navy is even worse," Damien answered as a few faces of pirates appeared in his mind. "If I go around killing the top dogs, then there will be no one to contain monsters like Shiki, Big Mom and, of course, Rocks." The infamous evils of the Rocks Pirates were fresh in the world''s mind. Aurora knew of this, but she had other reservations. "Is that why you left Kurowashi alive?" She asked in a muffled tone. The Sin Incarnate paused in thought, seeing the gem-like eyes of the Underworld Emperor. He also felt the strands of apprehension exuding from her, mixed with melancholy. Sure enough, Aurora''s mind flashed with the dark memories of her home being ravaged and her family executed, all under the cold eyes of the Black Eagle. "I know your hatred for him," he softly answered, pulling her into his embrace. The warmth of his body tore her away from the dreadful past. "Don''t worry. His misery is only beginning." бн [A Little While Later] The Marines finally got the green light to move in. The fleet did so immediately. Under Sengoku''s command, they quickly salvaged what remained. The first priority was the forces at Superbia, the ones stationed at Helios Capital, and the two Forts. It wasn''t a surprise when the Admirals found the destroyed forts and walls alongside the majority of the Prideful Pirates dead. What did surprise them was that so many of them were cruelly drained of lifeбн turned to bones and nothing but fleeting minerals. A horrifying image, to say the least. . Over the next twelve hours, Sengoku, Garp, and Zephyr scoured Superbia, clearing endless collapsed buildings, landmarks, and mountains. In the wake of the Pirate Fest, huge waves and tsunamis had graced the island, leaving it in dust and rubble. Of the 300,000 civilians, at least 40% died from such causes, while many were left injured and in a critical state. While the remainder had been knocked unconscious over a half-dozen times in the past few days, it was a true hellish experience. The Marines'' actions were not simply for Morgans'' eyes but also for Sengoku''s justice. Though he wasn''t naive enough to think he could save everyone and was ready to shed blood to maintain stability, he also wasn''t the type to let innocent people die. Garp was quite vocal in his actions, smashing ruined lands to facilitate the aid''s arrival. Vice Admiral Tsuru utilized her Wash-Wash Fruit as needed, bringing in some recruits. It was a long process but necessary; after all, the Marines were the good guys. бн "Kong-san, I didn''t ask then, but the Celestial Dragonsбн what''s going on with them?" Sengoku asked over the snail. Kong''s stern voice responded, "A grand event will happen soon, Sengoku. The leaders of the nineteen Noble Houses have voiced their desire to calm the seas." "Many things are happening in the background. Cipher Pol is moving at its highest capabilities. Even Endou-san has been working overtime." The Fleet Admiral sighed in resignation, his fatigue conveyed through the snail. "I see you as my successor, Sengoku. Do as you''re tasked, don''t ask too many questions, and my seat will be yours eventually." ---------------------------------------------- [Room of Authority, Pangaea Castle] Five men rested in the Room of Authority. They were the Supreme Authority of the World Government. The Sword Elder slightly unsheathed his Supreme SwordбкShodai Kitetsu. "Balance has been tipped. The world is left hanging by a thin thread of order that weakens by the day." Marcus Mars sighed as he massaged his temples. "With Sol''s downfall, a vacuum of power has appeared in the New World. From one D to another. Rocks, Roger, Damien; they are far too dangerous to be left alive any longer." Topman Warcury gnashed his teeth, "All our efforts have been voided by those insufferable Rocks Pirates! The fateful day approaches, and we lose more and more control with the passing second!" *Shiing* Nusjuro fully released his sword, distress evident in his eyes. "Rocks has gotten stronger, and Roger has gotten far too close to the Final Islandбн" He went on to say, "And that young pirateбн Einar D. Damien. His father was just as problematic as he has now become!" Saturn also chimed in while tapping his cane in a dull beat: "The D. will always blow up a storm! It was a mistake on our part to let him grow. The little seed left behind by Ares has sprouted and grown into an entity that seems to only know how to oppose the order we impose." The voice then grew solemn as a sharp glint flooded the eyes of the Elders. It may be time to extinguish another light from history again. "..." A deafening silence pervaded the atmosphere as each Elder was left solemn. Saint Ju Peter, who had been quiet until now, finally gave his thoughts: "At the very least, the Rocks Pirates have lost a vast amount of their troops. It should take a while for them to return to their strength." However, Warcury wasn''t as optimistic: "We lost ten thousand at G-2 and another 25,000 in this Scorched Sea War; it''s unforgivable!" *Tut* *Tut* Saturn tapped his cane, reining in the others'' attention. "What of the plan? It seems Xerxes'' actions have bore fruit." Nusjuro nodded, recalling a recent report, "The Operation is in progress. Two top agents of SWORD and Cipher Pol have weeded themselves into the Rocks Pirates; they will remain hidden till needed." Ju Peter nodded in some satisfaction. "The Black Death has shown a desire to depart from Rocks'' banner; it seems the operation has a great chance of success." Warcury leaned into his seat, his eyes growing distant, "Time will tellбн" ... [The Next Day] A great storm swept the seas, bringing a flurry of newspapers that concerned the world''s stability! Alongside the plethora of news came a haul of bounties totalling an inconceivable amount! To Be Continuedбн Chapter 122: Echoes of the Scorched Sea [A Small Tavern in Sabaody Archipelago] A small group of dark figures sat at the edge of the bar, their presence dulled by the gloomy air around them. "Any news of the target?" one of the shrouded persons asked. "Nothing," a female voice answered, heaving an annoyed sigh. "As we reported months ago, she must have long died!" A short silence later, the lankiest one of the shadows spoke, "Kade has always been correct with his foresightбн our hollow answer isn''t enough!" "''Lord'' Kade needs to accept his human nature!" a bulky shadow cursed, clenching his fists. "Chasing after a dead woman while the world goes to hell, just why is he Deputy Chief anyway?" "Enough," an authoritative man spoke, silencing his companions. "Chief Xerxes sees Kade in a very bright light. Our mission holds till we bring solid proof of death for the Veil of the Night, Amethyst Aurora." "..." The lead figure lowered his head in thought, his eyes shut. ''Although rescued by the Sin Incarnate at G-4, she had taken a lot of damage and since then disappeared. If she didn''t succumb to her injuries, then just where did she go?'' There were endless outcomes for a missing pirate: death, betrayal, disease, slavery, retirement, to name a few. "If Deputy Chief Kade is correct, then it means the Veil of the Night has somehow lived off the grid for over two yearsбн that is no easy feat, and it leaves Einar D. Damien with a sharp dagger at his disposal." The other personnel remained quiet, pondering the possibilities. A bellowing cry from outside the tavern burst the bubble of thought. The lead shadow glanced with narrowed eyes at the rumbling beyond the creaky doorsбкit sounded like a stampede. "Perhaps our mission will be put on holdбн the news of the war has come!" The man shook his head and waved his hand. *Pwoo!* An ominous breeze and the shadowy people disappeared into a purple portal. бн The streets were far more packed than ever as tens of thousands of citizens, workers, merchants, pirates, and those of whatever other profession reached for the sky to grab the hail of bundled newspapers. A young and fiery merchant opened his copy, looking at the headline. After all, a war was doom for some but a money-making opportunity for others! And the bolded words did not disappoint: "THE SCORCHED SEA WAR!" The nearby fisherman sighed in disbelief, scanning a few images while scratching his balding dome. "How can these people be considered humanбн" Images of Roger vs. Whitebeard, Shiki vs. Redfield and Damien vs. Sol were just the first part, conveying a small amount of chaos that had taken place on the first day of the war. "The previous Pirate Festival saw a huge spike in violence and death all over the worldбн I still remember it to this day!" an older widow wept, wiping the tears running down her face. The newspaper fell from her grasp, showcasing the unholy sight of the armoured Damien in his Hadean Release. . "Is he a bad guy?" a childish voice asked. "Yeah, yeah, they even say he''s the incarnation of sin!" another added. A young girl ran to the sole adult, grasping their leg and not letting go. "I''m scared!" The middle-aged man sighed at the terrified group of children around him. What was meant to be a trip from their tiny navigation school to see the booming Sabaody had turned into a mess. "L-Look at thisбн he left a hole in the ocean!!!" The spanning scar of the Scorched Sea took up an entire page, leaving the thousands nearby to absently stare at the abyss, Damien''s Abyss. It was beyond anything they had seen; Mother Ocean had always been untouched, always the doom of the monstrous Devil Fruit users of the seas. But now the Sin Incarnate had torn it open and the marine fleet with it! The headmaster crouched down, huddling the quivering children. "Listen up, everyone. This is exactly what the Navy is here forбн they will protect you!" The man spoke with as much firmness as he could muster, but the sight of five beacons of justice being swallowed in flames had left most people broken. . A large family seated around a cafe table were all lost in the news. The elderly woman, perhaps the grandmother to the five younglings, waved her cane. "Remember to behave yourselves, children, or the Sin Incarnate will come for you in the night!" she howled in a scratchy voice. The woman''s waving cane drew the attention of many other families nearby, her words even more so. The demonic figure seeking to end the brave Navy''s path of justice was indeed something to fear! "At least the Navy was able to save many of the innocents of Superbia!" a family man exclaimed. His companion nodded, "Thankfully, Sengoku-sama was there." A woman on the side added, "It''s good that over 50,000 pirates fell at such a terrible event. One less pirate is a hundred innocent lives saved!" Due to the government''s deal with World Economy News Paper, they saved some of their reputation as the world''s guardians. Hundreds of thousands were saved, and tens of thousands of pirates were either dead or imprisoned. But that didn''t stop the names of the Roger Pirates and Rocks Pirates from echoing in everyone''s minds! Especially with the attached posters. -----< WANTED >----- < CAPTAIN?JOHN > < ''Pirate Bandit'' > < ?? 569,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > -----< WANTED >----- < SHAKUYAKU > < ''Black Death'' > < ?? 933,330,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > -----< WANTED >----- < SILVER?AXE > < ''Blinding Light'' > < ?? 1,134,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > -----< WANTED >----- This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. < KAIDO > < ''Hundred-Beast'' > < ?? 1,261,110,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > -----< WANTED >----- < SCOPPER?GABAN > < ''Twin-Axe'' > < ?? 1,370,550,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ---------------------------- "Heh, how ridiculous!" a rash voice boomed. A few people on the sidelines turned to the grizzly man and subconsciously gulped. After all, the burly man was a well-known bounty hunter. "Even the Hundred-Beast and the Twin-Axe can barely be considered minor foes in this war!? Griz-lalala! These pirates really are walking treasure heaps!" *Shing!* A light hum followed by an ominous breeze. Hundreds of nearby people felt chills running down their backs as they glanced at the cloaked figure. "So you''ve reached such a level," the dark figure murmured, his sharp eyes locked onto the bounty before him. It was a reward for the right-hand man of the Fourth Division''s Commander. The same pirate who had dealt a grievous blow to Admiral Basara and now brought hell to Admiral Kurowashi. -----< WANTED >----- < ZENORA?INDRA > < ''Hellspawn'' > < ?? 1,666,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ---------------------------- The hissing wind was born from the mystery man''s weapon as he glared daggers at the bounty. "Such notoriety, yet you still run away from your true nature." ''That sword!'' a young blue-haired man named Tashigan yelled to himself. A small book detailing the Meito was pulled out as he matched the blade in the unknown man''s hands. ''That''s it, the Damned Blade!'' It was a long, sleek, intricately designed katana with a dark, ornate hilt and a subtly curved, razor-sharp blade. The distinctive grip exuded elegance and lethal precision. Unfortunately, even the mysterious swordsman was quickly forgotten as the following collection of bounties evoked both awe and ridicule. A 30-foot-tall tentacle man chuckled, stretching his eight legs across five tables. "That Morgans kid is really cheeky!" The blue-skinned man slapped the table in amusement. -----< WANTED >----- < SILVERS?RAYLEIGH > < ''Dark King'' > < ?? 2,308,600,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > -----< WANTED >----- < GOLбдDбдROGER > < ''King of the Seas'' > < ?? 4,064,800,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ---------------------------- "''King of the Seas''!? Hahn-Hahn-Hahn!" the squid-man nasally laughed. "This is like adding oil to the fire!" "Good lord! F-Four billion!" a man cried out as his body fell with a thud from sheer shock. Not even the Three Overlords of the Sea had managed to enter the four billion range, causing quite the uproar. "B-But isn''t it right? After all, Roger reached the final island, Lodestar, a little while agoбн He truly did become the King of the Seas!" A scarred old man with white dreads shook his head. "The Overlords are dead, leaving two top dogsбн calling Roger the King is slinging mud at the Rocks Pirates!" he roared with gnashed teeth. "The WENP will spawn even more chaos with this blasted nickname!" "K-Keep reading! The next part is entirely on the Rocks Pirates'' top elites!" Pages were flipped aggressively as another collection of bounties was shown with separate descriptions. With the numbers written in their usual bold and eye-drawing font, it was enough to cause an island-wide silence. First, she was known for her charming appearance and world-class figure. Yet with that attraction came great dread. A woman with a bottomless belly that could destroy a village of Elbaf as a childбкa true-born monster with the power to play with one''s soul and responsible for the death of millions. -----< WANTED >----- < CHARLOTTE?LINLIN > < ''Evil Spirit'' > < ?? 2,488,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ---------------------------- The next man was known for his overwhelming strength, capable of destroying the world! His name has remained ingrained in the minds of the masses since he alone took down the Overlord, Esso Borealis. -----< WANTED >----- < EDWARD?NEWGATE > < ''Whitebeard'' > < ?? 2,846,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ---------------------------- The next name was the newest addition to the Titans. "Thaddeus Enigma, North Blue Massacre, G-4, Vice Admiral Zephyr, and the newly-archived Supreme Blade Ryushi," a traveller recalled, massaging his forehead. A young woman shut her eyes at a few images of the pirate in question. One such image unveiled Damien with torn clothes, boasting his untouched torso after taking a plethora of abuse and walking away without any glaring injuries. "I''ve seen that beast Garp flatten mountains with his fistбн so just how can this guy live after taking that on!?" a veteran pirate roared in disbelief. Four images, side by side. The first one showed the gaping hole in Damien''s chest, and the next image showed the glistening-black bones with dripping flesh. The third was of the half-regrown chest, followed by the skin that sported nothing but some purple bruises. And then, to top it off, an updated reward: -----< WANTED >----- < EINARбдDбдDAMIEN > < ''The Undying'' > < ?? 2,987,600,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ---------------------------- Beyond that was a man with just as much terrifying fruit power. With his Float-Float Fruit, he could send entire islands into the sky. He was known for his incredible arrogance and strength. He was said to equal the likes of Whitebeard and Roger but far exceed them in the slaughter and massacre of the seas. -----< WANTED >----- < SHIKI > < ''Golden Lion'' > < ?? 3,004,990,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ---------------------------- A small squadron of marines was also present, all in hopes of keeping the crowd under control. "The Sin Incarnate got a bump of half a billion for his actions this time around," the Rear Admiral admitted, his words carrying great frustration. "If not for the Golden Lion''s tendency to cause great civilian deaths, I''m sure he would have been surpassed in reward!" "Omoji-sanбн there''s one more page left." The decorated marine turned to the recruit and released a hearty sigh. Naturally, he knew what the final page of the paper hid. In fact, the tens of thousands of people over the archipelago knew it, too, but their hearts made them second-guess their desire to flip the page. After all, it documented the sole man who held the leashes of these titans. Alas, curiosity killed the cat, and a brave young lad flipped his copy of the news, looking at the savage pirate and the personification of all things evil. He was everything a pirate entailed and far more; a disaster solely meant to eradicate, boasting a death toll in the millions! The pirate''s name and appearance alone caused 200 reported heart attacks all over the world every year! -----< WANTED >----- < ROCKSбдDбдXEBEC > < ''The Abyssal Sin'' > < ?? 4,670,500,000 - > < ONLY DEAD > ---------------------------- [At a Church in Grove 67] An older man wearing the attire of a priest knelt before a giant statue. Tens of nuns did the same behind him, along with over 300 people of varying ages. A few bounty posters were laid on the ground before the mass of faithful believers. "Oh Divine One, have mercy on our souls and send these devils to the deepest pits of the afterworld!" ""Please, Lord!"" бн Similar scenes occurred worldwide, whether in the Four Outer Seas, Paradise, or the New World. People were afraid, and they went where they felt safe. Some prayed to God, some accepted reality, and some were so afraid that their primal instinct to procreate and continue their family line was awakened by the fear of death. бн "Look, they updated the Threat Index!" The Threat Index was a list of criminals categorized initially into six levels. However, due to recent events, changes were warranted. Level 6: Threats not worth mentioning by higher powers. Level 5: Emerging threats, usually Super Rookies of their respective eras. Level 4: Threats known for their brutality and destruction, usually belonging to the New World. Level 3: Threats that could cause the collapse of smaller kingdoms. Level 2: Threats that could be said to bring enough destruction that would warrant the eyes of Navy Admirals. Usually, pirates with at least a billion berry bounty. Level 1: The absolute terrors of current times with the power or the capital to cause untold amounts of chaos. Usually, these threats were the main topic of discussion in the Reverie. "''Pirate Queen'' Herja, ''Crazed Wind'' Borealis, Thaddeus ''Medulla'' Enigma, the ''Holy Terror'' Sol. All these monsters were on that list until their fall!" a man shouted as he looked over the new list. But there was a glaring change to the World Threat Indexбкa new level! Level 0: The unparalleled threat, surpassing all others, capable of toppling the very foundation of the World Government and commanding multiple Level 1 threats. This new tier had but one name: Rocks D. Xebec. A pirate who commanded four Level One threats while having an army of relentless and fearless pirates. This, along with his ambition to sit on the world''s throne, gave birth to a new level of danger. Of course, the middle initial D was not exactly invisible. Even an idiot could see the reappearances of this name, as four, including the deceased Sol, had already made their way to the first level. It was another thought for the Reverie scheduled in three years. ---------------------------------------------- [A Few Hours Later] "Haaah, I can''t believe so much happened at that Festival," a man sighed as he sat down. His heart finally calmed down from the news report. "Who could have expected the Marines to lose so many troops in a single attack? What a tragedy!" "Even the dazzling Kurowashi-sama was left so broken, and they sank the ancient Ox Lloyd''s Warship, too!" "Charlotte Linlin, Silvers Rayleigh, Patrick Redfield, Edward Newgate, Einar D. Damien, Shiki, and Gol D. Roger," a young woman with long, black hair recounted. "Seven of the current eight Level One Threats were involved in the war!" A final summary of the casualty count was as follows: Pirate Casualties: 50,000-52,000. Navy Casualties: 25,000-26,000. Civilian Casualties: 120,000-150,000. A former pirate leaned into his seat, staring at the sky. "The Overlords are dead, and Roger and Rocks remain..." As the saying goes: "There can only be one king!" With the Overlords gone, the final crews, Rocks Pirates and Roger Pirates seemed destined for another world-shaking war. бн The echoes of the Scorched Sea had made their way across all borders and into all waters, claiming a point in history, both mentally and physically: "Look at that; the historians of Ohara just sent an update, too," a man remarked, looking at a secondary note sent out by the WENP regarding Damien''s Abyss. His friend nodded with fascination, "I want to see it myself! It''s a landmark left behind by the Scorched Sea War!" The man nodded. "The ex-pirate Clover has dubbed it one of the Seven Wonders of the New World!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 123: Consequences [Two Weeks Later] [Marineford] Simple brick design, tall walls, navy markings and flags. A large building off the side of the main headquarters was at the Marineford General Hospital. "Ugh!" a suppressed cry of untold pain rang out. "Masao-san, you must rest!" a doctor yelled in a panic at the sight of his patient''s attempt to stand up. "What happened to me!?" the marine roared as he felt incredible pain. "Y-You were out in critical condition for days! Your bod-!" Kurowashi''s hand shot out as it grabbed the doctor by the throat. "I''ve been injured many times," the man spat out as his body started to tremble in pain once more. "Why does everything hurt so much!" Kurowashi was currently wrapped in bandages all over, leaving just his orifices unrestricted. *Bam!* a loud bang erupted as the door to the ward was slammed open. A burly man with thick muscles and a body that seemed the epitome of power walked in. "Enough, Masao! Settle down." "Fleet Admiral, ugh!" Kurowashi once again winced in pain as he fell to his bed. A few rhythmic steps went off as another, a much smaller man walked in. He had messy hair and a thin, dark mustache. He also wore a long white coat with a few tools draped around his neck. The man seemed to be in his mid-twenties. The badge on his chest revealed him as the head researcher at the now-ruined G-2. [Scientist Image (in Discord)] Kong addressed the scientist: "Tensai, tell him." "Masao-kun, how do I put itбн Hmm, your body, well, it''s in quite bad shape." Tensai was about to elaborate. However, he was interrupted. *Bam!* The door swung off its hinges, slamming into the opposite wall. "Bwahahaha! You look like a mummy, Masao!" Garp waltzed in with his casual marine get-up, snacking on some rice crackers. "Be serious, Garp!" a man with a thick metal arm yelled as he entered the room. . After a week since Fulcrum''s aid, Garp and Zephyr were recalled to HQ alongside the wounded Admiral. Kong sighed loudly as he gestured towards the genius researcher to continue. "As I was saying," Tensai cleared his throat, "your body took the brunt of the explosion. Apart from having your inner organs rattled by the shockwaves, you were also bathed in an inferno." "Just a few months ago, I filed a report for every major threat as directed by the Fleet Admiral. The Pulverize-Pulverize Fruit should be able to divide things into smaller parts, including the building blocks of our universe." A glance at his clipboard, he continued, "I found traces of the bomb in your muscular system, identifying it as the Jigoku Ore we once had at G-2. I can only assume the Sin Incarnate got his hands on it before sinking my wonderful laboratory, that damn pirate!" The scientist then seemed to fall into his own world as he brought together his fingers with a grin, "But I must say, his powers would truly make my experiments hundreds of times easierбн Kukukuku. How enviable!" "Ahem," Kong coughed rather boldly in an attempt to wake up the mad scientist. "Oh, right. Well, the ore was known to be highly reactive to air. Any contact would create a decent explosion, maybe enough to sink a small boat." "That doesn''t remotely line up," Zephyr commented in his usual calm tone, but the gloom in his eyes was evident. "Well, ol'' friend Z, just like how I turned that metal into a nice arm for you, the Sin Incarnate''s atomic-level dismantling would have caused the explosion to be at least a thousand times worse." Kong narrowed his eyes in seriousness. "How much of the ore did he get?" Tensai shrugged, "They are only found on cold islands with very short days, preferably no sun at all. "The man hummed, pinching his mustache in thought. "He should have at most two more." Kong gnashed his teeth, "That''s not a small amount!" "Listen, Fleet Admiral," Tensai cheekily said. "If you do by any chance get your hands on the Sin Incarnate, well, let''s just say the science world would appreciate access to his body!" Kong glared at the scientist, causing him to look away. "Get back to Masao''s condition." Tensai straightened his coat and nodded professionally, "Ah, as I was saying. It seems like the special chemical properties of Jigoku Ore weren''t fully explored at G-2. They''ve left quite the list of conditions from the point-blank effect." The doctor took out a clipboard and read off some side effects. "Fourth-degree burns." "Greatly scarred appearance." "Permanent hair loss." "Shortened lifespan." "Uncontrollable growth of cells in certain areas." "Erectile dysfunction and infertility." "Extreme sensitivity to sunlight." "A torturous itch that may never go away." Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Tensai looked away from his clipboard and shook his head in pity. "I''m afraid you''ve arrived at the stage where the living would envy the dead." "бн" A deafening silence broke out as Kurowashi soaked in the dire news, his body still rattled in pain. Even Garp lowered his bag of crackers and saluted the man with a slow nod. . While the broken Admiral was lost in thought, absorbing the information, another man spoke up. "It seems rather intentional, no? The Hellspawn purposefully led Kurowashi to the center of the Ox Lloyd''s," Zephyr claimed and recalled the events of Amethyst Kingdom with narrowed eyes, "Damien defeated me and left me alive. This... speaks loudly of retribution." Garp, who stood beside him, waved his hand in dismissal, "Eh? Didn''t he take your arm and Basara''s eye? They''re even calling him the ''Bane of Admirals.''" The others slightly nodded at the title the young generation of the Marines had given Damien. All the while, Garp was on a completely different frequency: "And that golden bastard Sengoku dared to cut down my cracker budget, hah! I can''t wait to see what Damien will take from him." "Zephyr, do you have a theory?" Kong asked, his eyes glued to the broken Masao, hiding deep anger. The purple-haired marine slowly nodded, "Kurowashi was the one deployed to execute the royal family of Amethyst Kingdom for committing the taboo of translating Poneglyphs." He then touched his cold, metallic arm, "Considering he fought me on the ex-princess'' behalf, well, it''s not hard to make the connection." Kong nodded in understanding, sighing in regret. "Ugh!" a groan resounded the ward. "Fleet Admiral, no, Kong-san, let me go and hunt that Sin Incarnate down!" Kurowashi reached for a marine coat folded nearby and threw it on to showcase his allegiance to justice. "I''ll pay him back for all of this!!!" His eyes seemed fueled with a burning vengeance as they became a villainous yellow. The sheer hatred born from the suffering even led him to rip off the bandages from his upper body, unveiling the mess below. The "Dazzling Admiral," the ancient Ox Lloyd''s Warship commander, was now a shadow of his former self. His completely bald head was marked by visible scars and charring, reflecting the toll of numerous battles. His gray face was marred by burn marks stretching from his jaw to his nose, with additional scars adding to his broken appearance. Despite his weary and aged look, a glimmer of his former charisma and resolve still lingered in his eyes, all in the hope of hunting down the man who had ruined him. [Current Masao Image (in Discord)] Kurowashi had now stood up with burning eyes. Yet those vengeful eyes dimmed in pain as his body was struck by a ray of sunlight. "Ugh! Augh!" he roared, feeling the sun''s kiss on his arm. Tensai shook his head, "The burns of your skin will leave you restless. It''s best to remain away from it." He then rubbed his chin in thought, "Maybe a full-body suit would suffice. Though with appropriate defensive capabilities." Kong decided and gave out his orders, "Masao, you are to remain here till you''ve healed. Tensai will work on your skin condition. But I don''t want any thoughts of revenge right now. Remember your position as an Admiral!" Kurowashi ground his teeth as grains of enamel fell. The man nodded helplessly and laid back down. The others walked out, leaving Masao to his misery. . "Garp, Zephyr, remain vigilant for any movement from the Rocks. I have to report Masao''s condition to Endou-san in person." Garp causally picked his nose and asked, "Eh? You want to go to the big boss in person for that?" The Fleet Admiral solemnly nodded, "I hope it doesn''t happen, but depending on his actions, Masao''s post as an Admiral may be under fire." "Plus, I''m sure Xerxes is out looking for more Jigoku Ore nowбн there''s no way he isn''t interested in the damage the Sin Incarnate brought. What a mess!" Zephyr gave an audible hum while Garp yawned in response, and the men went off to their own devices. ---------------------------------------------- [Elsewhere] "WORORORO!" "Rahahahaha!" "Ufufufu!" Two booming laughs in unison with a soft giggle resounded the seas. It originated on the majesty of the Titanic. While the three laughed, the nearby pirates gulped in fear; their minds flooded with the instinct to escape. After all, the one they laughed at seemed ready to explode any second. "Newgate-san," Damien wiped a tear from his eye. "I didn''t know you had a mistress you hid from us!" "WORORORO!" Damien and Kaido shook the floorboards, and Even Shiki seemed to join in. "Newgate, if you wanted a woman, you should have come to me!" Linlin offered from the side. . Edward Newgate, the man with the power to destroy the world, stood at the ship''s center. His eyes shut while veins popped all over his face. The mighty weapon in his hand carried the same rage as it visibly shook. "Like I said, you brats!" he roared out. "I have nothing to do with this woman!" He then pointed out his glaive at a female by the side. She was 5'' 10" (1.79 m) tall with golden hair. Quite the short-haired beauty. Her name was Stussy, Buckingham Stussy. Damien recognized her from the One Piece show. She was the self-proclaimed lover of Whitebeard and even said to have had his child, a future Warlord of the SeaбкEdward Weevil! [Buckingham Stussy Image (in Discord)] . Whitebeard raised a fist. *Purrup* A thick, white bubble around it held enough power to level an island. "Let me teach you brats some respect!" What followed was a few destroyed ships, a few hundred dead pirates and a sky with a giant gash. Stussy nodded, beaming a seductive smile, "That''s my dear beloved." бн [A While Later] Damien sat in the embrace of the rare, gentle wind of the New World, leaning on the mast with the sails nearly 500 feet off the ground. After he met with Aurora, the young pirate caught up with the Titanic and went through the past few days in peace. His face was a bit skiffed up; having eaten a few earthquakes would leave anyone with some bruises. He was currently observing two posters, ones that were of some rather special individuals. -----< WANTED >----- < FULCRUM > < ''Devil''s Architect'' > < ?? 760,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > -----< WANTED >----- < PATRICK?REDFIELD > < ''The Red Count'' > < ?? 2,773,080,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ---------------------------- The word ''fulcrum'' itself was a pivot pointбкan entity that held things in balance. This power could tip the scales in ways that may scare off many people and even greatly trouble the Marines. And she was faithful to that identity. Though she had strong connections with the World Government, that couldn''t be paraded in the streets, requiring the bounty. As for the second poster, naturally, it made even Damien curious. Patrick Redfield was a lone wolf through and through. Yet, without a single crewmate, he was able to reach Roger and Shiki''s level; it is not something that anyone could do. He was an anomaly, much like Damien himself. "Sibyl, bring up my stats. It''s been a long arc," he said with a slight yawn. And a panel revealed itself before the young man''s eyes. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Einar D. Damien] [Age: 19 years, 3 months, 17 days] [Height: 11'' 7"] (3.53 m) [Status: Thriving] [Devil Fruit: Pulverize Pulverize Fruit (Nigh-Grandmastery) б№] [Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars] [Weapon: Ryи▒shi of the Supreme Grade Series] [Ryи▒shi Combat Arts Comprehension: 78% б№] [Notable Characteristics: Black Bones (MAX), Black Body (II) б№, Fishman-Hybrid, Undying Anatomy, Seastone Resistance] [Skills: Voice of All Things, Will of D., Rokushiki, Life Return (Advanced Mastery), Deprivation, Equal Exchange, Destiny Perception, Empathy] [Haki: Observation Haki (Grandmastery (I)), Armament Haki (Advanced Mastery), Conqueror''s Haki (Advanced Mastery)] [Strength: Middle Tier Yonko] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< "My base strength is still stuck at the Middle Tier," Damien muttered. Hadean Release naturally surged his combat abilities, even allowing him to clash with those at the Top Tier like Garp; however, the strength boost was temporary, much like Luffy''s gears. There were, however, some other developments. "No wonder I''ve been feeling an itch in my flesh." The pirate reached for his heart, feeling the 10 bpm rate ever-stable. It turned out that being burned with solar flames and hammered with Garp''s Haki had bumped his Black Body into the second stage! He had embraced the way of the Shounen: pushing oneself to the limit and surpassing them to become something more! But there was still something Damien wanted more, something he so deeply yearned for. *Vvoooo* The air suddenly trembled and was shredded in a loud groan as the undying pirate''s arms burst out in a robust, pulverizing red. It was a testament to his increasingly impeccable mastery over the Devil Fruit, inching close to its greatest potential. "My powers are nearing Awakening, but at this rate, it''ll still take a few years to attain them. I need to speed things up..." To Be Continuedбн Chapter 124: The Rumbling [Captain''s Quarters, The Titanic] It was a relatively empty yet dark room filled with a stench of death itself. There were cracks all over the room; even the treasured ore and its characteristics seemed to decay under the might of a primal force against life itself. A fog of black mist filled the room as two human outlines remained visible. "So you want to leave, Shakuyaku?" a wild and raspy voice questioned. The voice lacked emotion and had nothing more than a sliver of curiosity. The black-haired woman stood rather stiff, trying to hide the trepidation in her eyes. She cleared her throat and remained strong, "Yes, Captain." "..." Rocks studied the woman before him, his crazed eyes scanned thoroughly. Cold sweat broke out from the woman''s neck as her breath grew heavy under the glare of the Abyssal Sin. Even though the man wasn''t trying to be overly malicious, his body naturally released a certain aura that anyone else would perceive as fatal. The silence was lifted after what seemed like hours to the female pirate. "Xahahaбн alright, little girl. You fulfilled your end of the bargain years ago. You can leave as you wish and continue flying my flag over Amazon Lily." He then returned to his drinking, his mind elsewhere on a different event that would take place not too long from now. ---------------------------------------------- [Few Days Later] Damien and Newgate threw a feast on Shakky''s departure. Practically everyone except Rocks joined in. Even with their numbers greatly lessened, many men and women did not get well together. However, the magic cure of alcohol tended to alter that result. It lasted five days and five nights; the entire sea of pirates was left drunk and sleep-deprived. That aside, another thousand men died throughout the party; whether it was being stabbed while drunk or smashed apart by Kaido, it was nothing new. бн It was a new day, and the Titanic finally returned to Hachinosu! The entire trip lasted around two months. Every last pirate that arrived knew that some fateful event was creeping up from far away. They weren''t sure what it was or when it would happen, but it would flip the world upside down when it did. While others would be filled with anxiety about such a pivotal day, the Rocks Pirates were instead quite excited, vying for blood! бн [Fourth Division Headquarters] "So," Damien addressed the stranger in a questioning tone, "You chose my Division?" The one he spoke to happened to be donning a white mask with an indifferent face, seeming quite mysterious. "Hensин the Faceless," came another voice belonging to the reticent Indra. "He held down a Vice Admiral for my mission onto Ox Lloyd''s Warships, a Super Rookie alongside Nomu and Agon." The swordsman passed Damien a poster documenting a reward: -----< WANTED >----- < HENSин > < ''The Faceless'' > < ?? 489,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ---------------------------- Damien hummed, inspecting the pirate. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Hensин] [Age: 31 years, 3 months, 23 days] [Height: 9'' 2"] (2.79 m) [Devil Fruit: Mask-Mask Fruit (Advanced Mastery)] [Fruit Rating: 6 Stars] [Skills: Primitive Moonwalk, Primitive Shave] [Haki: Intermediate Mastery of Observation and Armament Haki] [Strength: Bottom Tier Yonko Commander] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Mask-Mask Fruit (Hensин Hensин no Mi)] [Paramecia Fruit] [Fruit Rating: 6 Stars] [Allows the user to equip different masks, each personifying a particular emotion and granting their corresponding abilities, making them a Faceless Human.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< The pirate in question slightly shook under Damien''s undisguised gaze. He felt his entire history was being read like a bookбн and it was! Henso, alongside Wang Zhi and the other extras, were recruited into the Rocks Pirates, granting them the chance to choose a Division. "Supernovas are usually unruly. Why come to me?" Henso took a deep breath through the opening of his mask and slowly answered, "My entire crew was wiped out in the war, and I have nowhere else to go." His voice wavered in uncertainty as he finished, "I feel aimless, and perhaps an anomaly like the Sin Incarnate give me ideas of what my life shall be henceforth." Damien reined in his Haki, allowing Henso to calm down. "Alright, go find Kaen, he''ll show you around." The faceless pirate nodded and wandered off. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. . Indra stood to the side, his usual confidence shadowed by a lingering uncertainty. "Have you sensed it too, Indra?" Damien asked, his tone sharp yet curious. The dark-haired swordsman turned to his commander with a solemn gaze. "The airбн is foul. The island has always been putrid but has a vile atmosphere this time." Damien slowly nodded. "It looks like we need to up our guard," he calmly stated. "With Shakky-nee leaving, it seems that quite a lot of rats will come out from hiding." Indra understood the gravity of the situation, slowly nodding. Damien looked at the swordsman with the corner of his eyes. He could feel Indra was a little off since the Scorched Sea War. The usual stoic demeanour was ever-present, but the slight trepidation hidden deep down did not escape the Sin Incarnate''s observation. "Whatever''s holding you down, spit it out already." Indra matched his commander''s eyes while bringing out the grip of a katana with no blade. "The sword you gave me was destroyed in the battle." "Who gives a shit? It was just a Great Grade Sword. I have like twenty of them from Wano," Damien casually replied. Indra shook his head, absently gripping at the remnants of Kyoran. "The sword means everything to our creedбн losing the sword bestowed upon us is akin to the greatest failure." The emotions surrounding Indra were clouded with apology and self-anger. Such a state of apprehension caught Damien by surprise. "Your creed," the Sin Incarnate echoed. "The Warborn of Polemos Island, yes, I''ve read up on them." "From all the books I''ve read and the intel I''ve gathered, the Warborn, its entire society, ended over two decades ago as a consequence of their special nature." Damien paused his recollection, studying the silent Indra. The slight tremble down his arms, the vice-like grip of his broken weapon, the inability to maintain eye contactбкquite obviously a troubled past. "I don''t need you to revisit past pain," Damien cleared the air in a forthright tone. "But I will need your aid in the coming war, which requires you at one hundred percent." The shiver in Indra''s arm immediately stopped, the heightened heart rate returned to normal, and his wavering eyes regained composure. The Hellspawn who had terrorized the Navy was back in full force, standing tall and proud to an unnatural degree. ''It''s a subconscious response,'' Damien frowned to himself. ''He was raised to be a warrior, a machine, born for blood and combat.'' "Tell me, what keeps you so loyal to me that you''re willing to butt heads with Admirals?" he then asked, giving the swordsman no time to breathe. "The sole purpose behind the existence of my people is to become the most destructive weapon in our master''s hand," Indra replied, unshaken. "It is what we were bred for." But his concise reply was met with a scoff. "I don''t care about all that ''sole purpose of existence'' nonsense." Damien''s casual words left the warborn speechless. The undying pirate crossed his arms and continued, "I''ve already trusted you before to hold back Basara, and you did that with flying colours. My grievance with Kurowashi was even more important to me, and you didn''t fail me there." Damien stepped forward, looking straight into the slightly shorter Indraбкred eyes met black ones. "The coming year will put the Scorched Sea War to shame," he declared, his voice carrying the weight of past sorrows and unyielding resolve. "Everything I''ve fought for since my home was razed to the ground and my mother''s death before my helpless self will be on the table." "Now I need to know if my right-hand man will remain as reliable as ever." Indra had long been used to his boss'' direct style of talking, and this time, he picked up the tension hidden behind Damien''s words. It was to the point where the undying monster feared by billions was reduced to a shallow flame in a sea of uncertainty. The swordsman let out a deep exhale and returned a firm nod. "I won''t let you down." . ''He''s back to his usual self,'' the Sin Incarnate concluded based on the look in Indra''s eyes. ''But whatever mess his past was, it really did a number. He''s been practically stripped of emotion with the sole purpose of following orders.'' "I meant what I said to you when I first met you. The day where you slew ninety-nine men to come under my Division," Damien said with a smirk. "I look forward to the day you share your story." He then extended his right hand, holding it in the two-meter gap between the young men. "Until then, you''ll need a new weapon." Indra nodded, awaiting his commander''s following words. And they came with a surprise. "Both you and I need a catalyst for our respective strengths to be at least somewhat prepared for the imminent future. I''m planning on heading out to sea for a few months. While I''m gone, I expect you to make good use of these two thingsбн" *Vvooo!* A sharp gust blew about as an item was brought into the pirate''s palm, gracing the world with its beauty. "I''d be damned if someone says I don''t know how to reward the loyalty of my people. Like my Ryushi, this blade is of the Supreme Grade," Damien stated with an appreciative tone. "''Sacred Blade'' Tenmei, its graceful nature suits you well." Indra was lost in the brilliant white katana, absently reaching out to grab it, and the instincts of a swordsman couldn''t help admiring the craftsmanship. Damien grinned as his subordinate stopped himself from unsheathing the blade and extended his Haki through it. Indra held the blade with both hands, the right on the grip and the other on the white sheath. With a melodious shing, the Supreme Weapon was unleashed, gracing the world with its divinity. "It''s a beautiful swordбн" Indra appreciated the blade''s mist-like design, feeling its sturdiness like a dozen mountains. He continued to pour in Haki, but surprisingly enough, it didn''t turn black; instead, the white design over the sword began to glow brighter, taking on a genuinely sacred appearance! [Haki-clad Tenmei Image (in Discord)] The undying pirate heard the voice of the treasured blade, hearing its hum. "Tenmei approves of you." After a short while, he clicked the weapon back into its dormant state. Still holding it with both hands, he looked up with great resolve, much to Damien''s satisfaction. . "Well, that''s the first of two tools I will give you." "Commander, this is already pricelessиC" "Wrong," Damien shut his words down in a sharp voice, leaving Indra unable to form words. "Even the legendary Ope-Ope Fruit, which can supposedly grant eternal youth, can be given a price." The Sin Incarnate smirked at his right-hand pirate and said, "The only thing truly priceless in this broken world is loyalty." Without losing eye contact, another goodie poofed into Damien''s hand. Its complicated nature made it evident to be a Devil Fruit! He tossed over the fruit, leaving Indra no choice but to reach to grab it. "You said your people exist to become the most destructive weapon, right? Take these ''priceless'' treasures and prove it to me." The swordsman gulped at the absurdity of the rewards bestowed upon him. In one hand was a sacred white sword, and in the other, a blue fruit with a stem resembling a lightning bolt coursing with power. "The invincible powerбкthe Rumble-Rumble Fruit." ---------------------------------------------- [A Few Days Later] [Hachinosu Docks] A specific ship was preparing to leave, and by considering the luggage, it seemed like a one-way ticket. The weather was not friendly. Pouring rain and chaotic tides were forecasted. It''s not something anyone with a hint of IQ would want to sail in. "You don''t have to come with me, Damien-chan." The black-haired woman smiled towards the younger man beside her. "It''s nothing much. Plus, I already told the Captain I''ll be gone for a few months. Might as well accompany you, Shakky-nee." The two stood on a small ship that had just left the docks, slowly disappearing into the distance. Shakuyaku had bid farewell to the very few people worth saying goodbye to, namely Whitebeard, Silver Axe and Indra. As for her Ninth Division, it had disbanded! Without her direct supervision, it wasn''t worth much. Amber, Shakky''s right hand, had also left with some other Ravens. They had promised to keep in touch with the Black Death and to keep a chain of information ready; Shakky''s worldwide news network remained stable. *Puff* A cloud of smoke drifted about as the short-haired woman sat on the ship''s railing. She wore her usual with long legs revealed in their full glory. "I must say, I didn''t expect you to have the legendary fruit that had gone missing for over a century and a half," the woman said. "Let alone give it away so casually." Obviously, this refers to the ability in Indra''s hand that only she was privy to. Damien shrugged, "Well, it''s better than lying around unused. Plus, Indra''s name is quite literally from a Storm God. I''d say it was fate." Shakky hummed, embracing the chaotic winds of the New World. "Anyways, where do you plan to go?" she gave him a teasing grin, "Ara~! Could it be to meet your two little sweethearts you told me about?" Damien, who was leaning against the mast, rolled his eyes. "I''m going to a more hellhole of an island first." Shakky raised an eyebrow, "Well, don''t keep in suspense." "I recently arrived at a block in my fruit powers. I need a little pushбн" Shakky tapped her chin and remarked, "You don''t mean that hellish place?" Damien nodded as he saw her expression and dropped the bomb, "That''s right. I want to go to the Isle of DisastersбкExtinction Valley!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 125: No Mans Land [Five Days Later] A cheery morning rose in the mellow lands of the Sabaody Archipelago. The people were embraced in the warm rays as the birds did their usual flyover. It was peaceful. The crowd was bursting as usual. Some pirates could be seen here and there. Perhaps it was the serene weather, or the Celestial Dragons had stopped appearing beyond the safe walls of Mariejois for a few weeks now. And under the unsuspecting eyes of the public, two people walked through the mangroves. One seemed like a woman, her head covered with a hood while wearing a loose cloak. The other was a man who donned a simple hood and dwarfed most. "Ara~! Even I can''t sense you with my Haki," the woman whispered. "You''ve really grown up from that cub I found in the West Blue." Damien gave a wry smile, taking her blunt words with grace. "Well, revealing my identity right now could bring a lot of trouble to your establishment, Shakky-nee." They continued their march through the many zones of Sabaody. The lush grassy roads of the Archipelago were well maintained, perhaps for the luxury of the Celestial Dragons that like to roam here. The usual design was found throughout the land, a wide street with food stalls and markets for the crowd. бн [A While Later] [Grove 13] The two then made their way up the hill and onto a plateau. It was at least a hundred meters above the ground. Yet nothing was compared to the sheer massiveness of the mangrove, which stood even taller before their very eyes, seemingly scraping the skies. "Here we are!" Shakky said with a satisfied smile, evidently excited. Damien eyed the area. Grove 13 was near the center of the Archipelago. It was connected to the other more prominent industries: the amusement park, the hotel area, the tourist zone and even the lawless region. The one place it was far from was the marine base at Grove 66, which was quite an excellent location for a pirate establishment to flourish. . There was already a building prepped and ready. Its impressive craftsmanship spoke of the masterful workers behind it. "I paid a large sum to the best underworld construction company in the seasбн they did a decent job," the woman complimented in excitement. This building featured a large, dome-shaped green roof with a sign displaying "Shakky''s Rip-off Bar." The structure had a rustic, cylindrical design, complete with ivy growing on the exterior and a charming blend of stone and wood materials. Multiple windows with wooden frames allowed light to flood in, and the entrance was a wooden door with an "OPENING SOON" sign. Damien rolled his eyes at the bar''s name. "Well, at least you''re honest." [Bar Image (in Discord)] The duo entered, breathing the smell of freshly sawed wood and new furniture. Shakky hummed with a smile, throwing off her shroud and rushing in with her heels clicking the floorboards. Damien also took off his cloak while surveying the establishment. The bar''s layout mirrored what the younger pirate remembered from his past lifeбкsmall, simple, and cozy. A sigh of relief exited her mouth as she took her place at the center seat of the bar, turning to Damien with a smile. She flashed a teasing look in her eyes as she commented, "I''m glad I''m not the only one trying something new." The Sin Incarnate blinked at Shakky''s gaze, appreciating his new clothes. "Oh, this," he mumbled, looking down, "well, a certain someone was pretty stubborn about me changing my wardrobe." The older woman leaned in with interest, narrowing her eyes. "Now I know only a beautiful young lady could get someone as routine-oriented as you out of that edgy trench coat." The corner of Damien''s lips twitched from the sharp comment. "Hey, I resent that! It wasn''t edgy, it was stylish," he pleaded his case. "Stylish?" Shakky mused with an intriguing smirk. "Yesбн spicy young men like you tend to mix those words up." The newly-fashioned pirate took the words on the chin and stepped ahead, sitting on the seat next to the Black Death. . "..." The two remained quiet for the next few minutes, taking in the quiet of Grove 13. Life at Hachinosu had made both of them numb to death, slaughter and misery; the calm, serene and free air of Sabaody was a breath of fresh air. "You know Damien-chan," Shakky began, staring at the empty bartender''s side. "Since Captain Rocks'' crew came to be, I had weeded out hundreds of Cipher Pol agents and thousands of undercover marines. The number of pirates who tried to attack at night with poison or sneak attacks wasn''t low either." She blew out a large cloud of smoke and continued, "My Ravens were almost always there to take out these threats before they swelled up too much. But with that gone, the infighting and the betrayal will balloon." Damien narrowed his eyes in thought and couldn''t help but nod. "Mhm, even with the captain''s overwhelming spirit, the number of men trying to swipe the absurd bounties on our heads is only increasing." He paused, "But Shakky-nee, you should know I care little about a bunch of living corpses." "Ufufufufu!" The former pirate burst out into a hearty chuckle. "Of course, I know that. Some weak pirates who rely on sneak attacks can never take you down. But the one you need to be careful of is Cipher Pol." *Poof* Another cloud of smoke came into being as the woman spat out a name: "Xerxes." [A/N: Xerxes is pronounced "Zerk-seez".] "I was able to get one of the CP-3 agents to speak. Xerxes is the one who will surely have his rats sneak in. I wouldn''t be surprised if they were already on board. Plus, his Deputy Chief Typhon Kade is a sharp one, too; he''s zeroing in on your missing princess." Damien naturally knew of them, too. "Well, even the Gravity Fruit as a smokescreen would eventually fail to fool some people." A solemn look passed his eyes, "But Cipher Pol will be busy with the mess from the Scorched Sea, and Kade''s glaring eyes will be diverted away from Fulcrum for long enough." Shakky felt relieved now, knowing his thoughtfulness on the topic, and moved on, "There''ll also be peeping eyes from the Navy''s side." Damien''s lips warped into a disdaining smile, "SWORD, yes, the Navy''s super undercover force. I already found one of them, Rahaha! Though it''s more fun to keep them thinking their cover is still intact." Shakky shook her head with a defeated smile, "Well, just take care of yourself." . "Puru," "Puru," "Puru," the familiar tune broke their conversation. Shakky went through her pockets to pull out a transponder snail. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. "Katcha~!" "This is Shakky." The snail took on the appearance of a gorgeous white-haired woman. "Shakky! You finally got out from that monster''s flag-nyo!" "Oh, Gloriosa, how''ve you been?" The snail heaved a sigh, shaking its head. "I still can''t believe you went to the monster''s lairбн you should have let me take your place-nyo!" The smoking barkeep harrumphed, "You were lovestruck and zombie-like. I couldn''t let you aboard Rocks'' ship; you''d die!" The snail lowered its eyes in shame. "I, Iбн ugh, damn lovesickness!" she roared. Shakky sighed as well, taking another gulp of her cigar. "At least it all worked out. By flying the Abyssal Sin''s flag, Amazon Lily kept its Empress and its safety." . Damien was naturally interested in the political scene. He knew Gloriosa was a previous Empress who fled from her home with her Kuja Pirates, leaving Shakky on the throne. Years later, Shakky fell under Garp''s radar for some mischievous behaviour at Sabaody, only to be saved by Xebec. It was then that Shakky convinced Gloriosa to return home before leaving to work under Rocks and allow Amazon Lily to fly his banner. "I''m just glad things worked out," the ex-Empress relented, blooming a smile. "How''s Toritoma?" "Good, very good! I''ve trained that little girl with the throne and the Kuja Pirates. She''ll take over nicely when the time is right," Gloriosa answered with evident joy. "I''ll make sure she doesn''t get caught up in the hurricane of loveбн damn that lovesickness!" [A/N: Toritoma was revealed as the Empress after Shakky and before Hancock in SBS 109.] "Anyway, Shakky. Aren''t you coming back home-nyo?" The black-haired woman smiled and shook her head. "No, Gloriosa. You''ve done great things in my absence. You deserve your post as the Empress. I''ll have my Ravens help Toritoma with intel." "Okay, Shakky. I know I can''t convince you anyway." The women laughed at one another; their friendship was evident. Shakky then turned to the other person in the bar and slightly nodded. "I''ll talk to you soon, Gloriosa." . Damien was glad Shakky had the chance to escape the coming hell. She had helped him a lot, whether it was guiding him through Hachinosu, training him in Observation Haki or simply being there to recruit him from the ignorant West Blue. The newly crafted wood boards creaked as the Sin Incarnate stood up. "I should be heading out now, Shakky-nee. It will be hard to find Extinction Valley once the night hits." The woman sighed, knowing the troubles on the horizon. "Visit from time to time; you''re always welcome here," Shakky said as she hugged the far taller Damien. "I know you have a big goal in mind, Damien-chan," she said as they separated, barely reaching his upper chest. "I''ve seen you grow from a young seedling to a strong and stable tree that even the World Government can''t cut down. I guess I can only watch from the newspapers now," she said, chuckling at the last part. "I''ll be rooting for you from my little bar here. Good luck, Damien." The undying pirate nodded slightly, noticing Shakky''s lack of joking demeanour. "I''ll see you when all of this is over." The woman reputed as the Black Death could only stare at the horizon as the young man disappeared, returning to the untold horrors of the New World. "I feel like he''ll make me worry even more than usual," she hummed, walking back into the bar. бн [A Few Hours Later] A flash of black and red pierced the sea of clouds. Damien was jetting through the skies, utilizing his Hadean Form in a more reserved version. ''Awakening is fully understanding the true capabilities of one''s Devil Fruit''s power,'' he thought. Awakened Paramecia gained the ability to turn the surroundings into their powers, alongside a significant boost to their overall capabilities. A few notable Awakened that Damien had met in battle were Enigma, Basara, and Sol. "Sibyl, tell me about Awakening?" A voice erupted in his mind, [Every fruit''s final stage is complete mastery, known as Awakening. This is part of the devil fruit''s nature, and each fruit is restricted by a limit, summarized as the Fruit Rating scale.] Damien nodded. The System Fruit Rating ranged from one to seven stars. The highest, seven-star fruits, were dubbed the Ultimate-Class, while the 6.5-star fruits were called the Exceptional-Class. Damien''s Pulverize-Pulverize Fruit belonged to the latter. "Is there more to the star system?" he asked, whizzing through the skies. [Each fruit follows a specific path and has inferior or superior versions of itself,] Sibyl explained. [For example, the Chill-Chill Fruit is weaker than the Cold-Cold Fruit, which is weaker than the Ice-Ice Fruit. Similarly, the Ignite-Ignite Fruit leads to the Fire-Fire Fruit, then to the Magma-Magma Fruit.] [These differences are reflected in their star ratings. If the Ice-Ice Fruit is a 6.5-star fruit, the Cold-Cold Fruit would be a 6-star, and the Chill-Chill Fruit a 5.5-star.] Damien understood the main idea, "Does my fruit follow this pattern?" [Yes, the Compress-Compress Fruit leads to the Divide-Divide Fruit and finally to the Pulverize-Pulverize Fruit, rated 5.5, 6, and 6.5 stars, respectively.] "So, they can reach the 7-Star category?" he asked. [Usually, the 7-Star category is minimal, representing fruits that embody the universe''s governing qualities. There are twelve such Authorities:] [Life, Death, Eternity, Infinity, Mind, Time, Space, Soul, Power, Reality, Creation, and Destruction.] Damien nodded, recalling several he had already encountered. "Linlin''s Soul Fruit, Toki''s Time Fruit, Enigma''s Mind Fruit, Whitebeard''s Tremor Fruit, Xebec''s Death Fruit, Sol''s Sun Fruit, and the Op-Op Fruit," he listed. [A/N: Tremor Fruit б· Destruction; Sun Fruit б· Infinity; Operation Fruit б· Space + Eternity.] . Alas, the young pirate came to a final thought. "All of this begs the question: Can you evolve a fruit into its next star level?" he mumbled. "What do you say, Sibyl?" [It is not possible.] Yet her pessimism didn''t convince Damien, who returned a grin fit for a pirate. "Never say never, Sibyl. I''ll find a way to subvert your calculations. Just wait!" [...] Damien chuckled at her speechless demeanour and continued his journey through the starry skies of the New World. ---------------------------------------------- [Seven Hours Later] Damien had been continuously speeding through the clouds, leaving behind a trail of broken air. The man was on a mission, for sure. He put aside the thought of Fruit Evolution and focussed on his Awakening. The same thought remained in his mind as he neared his destination. Rocks had gone to the Isle of SpiritsбкDeath Valley to fully master his fruit. Now Damien made his way to Extinction Valley, one of the other two Valleys. Death Valley was a constantly mobile location that resided in an eternal hurricane. The howls of the fallen spirit were the legend that kept these winds ever-raging. As for Extinction Valley? The accepted legend states that every natural disaster known to man could be found at this hellhole. And that all the terrors that have ravaged the world originated from here. According to some conspiracy theorists, the Isle of Disasters was where quite a few destructive fruits first grew. These included the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, the Tornado-Tornado Fruit, the Hurricane-Hurricane Fruit, the Volcano-Volcano Fruit, the Havoc-Havoc Fruit and many more. Alas, there were no documented survivors from the valley and the only piece of intel to reach there was to simply turn left off the entrance to the New World past the Red Line. бн After 17 hours of northward flying, Damien arrived at something unusual. Beyond him were the usual turbulent seas, except the natural wonder was what was beyond it. He could see the giant tsunamis from far away. They weren''t regular waves either. "The waves are... upside down," Damien was left stumped. "That doesn''t even make sense." The land within his vision was bathed by tides that seemed upside down! Powerful bangs erupted as endless waves smashed down the rocky lands. It was a giant land of coastal tsunamis! Added to the constant rain, it was quite the terror of a spectacle. Damien took out a parchment. The large brown paper seemed weathered by age, left crinkly and considerably oxidized. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Map of Surroundings {Refined}] [Shows all land and sea area within 100 kilometers in all directions.] [Deprived of all impurities and imperfections, granting it a new quality of Past Preservation.] [Past Preservation: By studying prior human interactions, the map can also generate specific descriptions about distinct regions found within the map.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< "I haven''t really used this since I got it all the way back from the items of the previous System user," Damien muttered. The refined parchment seemed like it could be blown away any second; alas, it began to flutter. Damien felt the subtle vibrations as the map was blessed with ink! Slowly but surely, distinct and exact imaging became apparent as a map was drawn titled Extinction Valley. . The undying pirate studied the map. The island was encircled by mountains, creating a valley within. Eleven major regions made up this valley. In the south, where he stood, was the "Tempest Channel." Further east lay the "Desert of the Starved." To the west extended "The Unknown Regions," and to the northwest was a land ominously named "Hell." At the center of the valley was a circular region called "The Ring of Untold Horrors," within which was a smaller area known as "The Haven." Moving west from the ring led to a smaller land called "Tremor District," which in turn connected to "The Savage Lands," ultimately leading to "Stormy Beach." Two islands lay off the main one. Off the coast of Stormy Beach was the "Tundra of Fleeting Hope." Finally, to the north from the ring''s edges and across a stretch of sea was the isolated and aptly named "No Man''s Land." [Extinction Valley Map Image (in Discord)] . "Garp, Roger, Whitebeard. These guys are all Top Tier Yonko right now, yet to arrive at their peak strength. God Valley is the end of an era where everything can begin and end." Damien clenched his fists, breathing into the chaos and disorder of the hellacious land. "Awakening is my key to survival. Either I get off this rock with newfound powers or be swept away in the storm that spelled damnation on the Rocks Pirates." Black lightning arched around the Sin Incarnate''s body, sparking the thunderous air with his ambition. It had been eleven years since he departed from Renaissance, where his mother still rests. Flashes of the past decade and more went through his mind. But even under all the carnage were bright lights in the form of his Fourth Division, Shakky and Whitebeard at Hachinosu and Aurora, Toki and Kuzan at Mortem Island. A resolute smile was worn on the young pirate''s face as he welcomed the coming era, "Well, let''s begin." To Be Continuedбн Chapter 126: The Extinct "It certainly looks the part," Damien muttered at the thought of Extinction Valley, inspecting the lands. He was currently at the Tempest Channel, an area ripe with chaotic tides that defied the laws of physics. His first instinct was to check out the Haven, which felt more like the ''eye of the storm'' than anything. *Vzzzzz* A powerful gust of wind suddenly assaulted the area; it was strong enough to take a giant into the sky! Damien squinted his eyes from the raging torrents, feeling his clothes snapping incessantly. It was all from the turbulent stretch of sea and broken land with collapsing tides, a violent mix of ear-rattling chaos. Without further ado, the young pirate popped the air, rocketing through the tempestuous channel. Towards the north, he went. бн It took a total of two hours to zoom through the Tempest Channel. And much like the island''s nature, a downright bizarre atmosphere arrived. Going from the windy and tsunami-prone channel to a dusty land with heavy air. It wasn''t dry but humid. Some patches of trees were in one area, and giant lakes were in another. The biomes shifted from jungle to oak, dark oak, birch, acacia, and any type of wood the mind could imagine. Damien paused his steps, taking in the very abrupt change in environment. His masterful Haki stretched out to hundreds of meters of land, looking for anything worth mentioning. "Hmm," he mumbled, wrinkling his eyebrows with an unsure expression. "That''s odd, not a single ''destructive'' element in the air here." The pirate''s eyes then turned heavy, "But the nature all around me isбн distant." Damien continued his scan, going from biome to biome, across grass and trees, until arriving at something moving amidst 50-meter-tall trees. "A person?" he asked, his eyes slightly widening. Damien''s empathy picked up on the surge of emotions, narrowing down to fear and desperation alongside immature unsteadiness: "Noбн a kid." "To think people are living here." In a moment of curiosity, the undying pirate sprang ahead to the child over 300 meters away. The boy was noticeably surprised at Damien''s arrival, jumping into a ready position with faux confidence. Like the boy, Damien was surprisedбкthe kid had some interesting features beyond the human norm. Dark, ashy skin with hair sprung up like that of an owl, topped with dull yellow eyes with huge pupils. He wore a dark garb and a thick scarf around his neck. The boy looked at Damien like some kind of ghost, a mix of curiosity and nervousness. [Boy Image (in Discord)] Suddenly, a dull echo went off, sending tremors through the earth below and bringing the duo to a halt. Something big was here. "Corro, stranger, pik''s non wop aca, ta monsters nama miko!" The boy spoke with great fear, though it was nothing but gibberish in most people''s minds. Boom! The giant rock suddenly exploded into countless pieces, unveiling the monster that had arrived. The boy yelped, shooting ahead to grab Damien''s hand and run for it. "Corro, corro!!!" Ignoring the boy''s persistence, Damien watched the creature that had arrived. "What the hell are you supposed to beбн" the pirate muttered, taken aback by the creature. The creature was an eerie, otherworldly horse-like being with an elongated head that opened into a massive, gaping mouth filled with sharp teeth. Its thin, spindly legs and 40-meter-tall emaciated body gave it a grotesque and unsettling appearance. [Creature Image (in Discord)] {Stop.} The voice was laced with Damien''s deep connection to the world and its creatures alongside Conqueror''s Hakiбкa command that even most Sea Kings would follow. The command shook the forests with its demanding tone and drilled into the monster''s ears. An ear-rattling roar exploded from the beast, its demeanour getting far, far angrier to the point its eyes glowed a menacing red. The horse monster raised a hoof and slammed it onto the tiny Damien, sending powerful shocks through the earth. The young boy gave out a desperate cry as he saw the foreigner crushed by the massive beast, his mind plagued with dread. A brief silence followed by a casual voice: "Fine, let''s do it the hard wayбн" *Whizz* The air squeaked as a black shadow flickered in the sky, arriving at eye level with the horse monster. "You have a face not even a mother could love." The words didn''t make sense to the beast, yet it could hear the disgust in its adversary''s voice for some reason. The beast erupted with fury, opening its mouth wider than before. *Crunch!* With a swift move, it wholly enveloped the pirate, eating him whole. "..." "Gwuaah!" The beast suddenly gave out a thunderous cry, its eyes filled with pain. Under the shocked eyes of the boy, the giant horse-monster fell with a loud thump, dead. *Krrrr* A large gash opened up from the beast''s stomach, a sole silhouette walking out. "The heart is located inside the stomach," the young man muttered, shaking his head. "Never seen that before." Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. . Damien turned to the side, meeting the lad''s jaw-dropped gaze. The child gave a slight yelp, wincing in fear. "Ka''m non pata da tee to." The boy''s expression suddenly changed, turning from dread to curiosity. "To dub Han''ei Suru?" Though in Damien''s mind, the words were: "You speak Han''ei Suru?" The pirate slightly nodded, "It was an elective." Question marks went off in the boy''s mind as he looked perplexed. Naturally, the truth was Damien''s Voice of All Things working to translate the boy''s thoughts into something understandableбкa link that worked to translate Damien''s speech as well. "Stranger, we should go before it gets dark!" The boy pulled the guest away and into the forest ahead. ''He has quite a lot of strength for a boy his age,'' Damien thought, feeling the tug that would quickly snap a thin tree in half. They zoomed through the forest, an array of creatures watching their retreat. Everything was big. Even the mosquitos were the size of the average human. Hundreds of eyes watched as they continued, darkness creeping behind. "Such angerбн" Damien muttered, feeling the creatures'' mix of emotions. It was beyond anger; rather, it was pure, seething fury! They were enraged to the point where Damien''s Voice did not affect them! бн [Half Hour Later] The boy went through various hidden paths and shortcuts, dashing onwards. Along their path were some extraordinary things. Just recently, Damien had cut down a horrendous-looking thing. It stood twenty meters in height, pale in colour and somewhat humanoid. It had a giant mouth that stretched from one shoulder to the other, with a human arm peaking out as a tongue; it was like a titan but even uglier. [Creature Image (in Discord)] A swamp they ran through had some form of a sea monster. It was in the shape of a snake that had the mouth of a Kraken. Something truly monstrous. [Creature Image (in Discord)] бн "We''re here!" the boy''s chipper voice went off. Damien nodded, examining his surroundings. Unlike the odd atmosphere of the Ring of Untold Horrors, this place was heaven. There was a serene air backed up by a gentle breeze. The moon had shown itself, bathing them with cool moonlight and unveiling the area: "The Haven, a fitting name." "Come, Stranger!" The boy gestured for Damien to follow him, taking him far into the safe area. The undying pirate narrowed his eyes, feeling the gazes of dozens of peopleбкthey were human, or at least with human intelligence. "Don''t worry, the Stranger saved me!" The child''s voice calmed the tense air as a few people slowly but surely walked out from the shade of the trees. Damien was a little taken aback by their features. They all looked human but had some animalistic characteristics about them. Some resembled frogs, some snakes, and some birds. A few women had a half-snake body, while many men had animal arms and body partsбкnot in the sense of Minks, but rather human-animal hybrids. . "Fukuro, where did you find this Foreigner?" came an elderly voice. The owl-like boy smiled brightly, "He saved me from the Forsaken Horse!" The people seemed surprised by the news, looking at Damien in a new light. The surge of wariness also calmed down. However, the spread of entities ready to fight impressed the pirate. He saw one of them even plop down a giant boulder the size of a shed, doing so with ease. A woman with feline features placed down two giant trees that she seemed to have uprooted from the ground. An old man rubbed his back, calming down the dense black energy coating his arms. "You saved Fukuro, many thanks to you, Foreigner." Damien gazed at the pale man who seemed to be the leader of these people. He had glowing yellow eyes that had no pupils. His facial hair floated in the air, giving off some ambiguous vibes. He needed the assistance of a cane to move around. "I am the Village Chief Choro." "Damien." The two eyed one another, equally surprised by the other''s appearance. [Choro Image (in Discord)] "Please join our feast as a welcome." Damien nodded with a smirk and went forward. бн Night fell, though its darkness was shunned by the bright torches that lit up the Haven, showcasing the thriving community. Damien drank some odd-coloured liquid that had alcoholic attributes, gulping it down. "I didn''t know foreigners could drink so well, so here, take another one!" "It''s a good day, let''s enjoy it!" Damien soaked in the primitive culture, enjoying its simplicity. The folk danced under the campfires, a cheerful mood settling in. "Old man Choro, can you tell me how you can live so cheerfully while surrounded by such hellish lands?" Damien asked the old man. The Elder sighed, putting down his drink. "We are protected," he replied solemnly, "protected by the Spirit of Fear!" His words quieted everyone else, robbing the feast of its energy. A silence crept in, leaving the crackling flames as a sound source. Choro saw Damien''s curious eyes and elaborated, "I don''t know what it is, but it was a being of fear born in our most desperate time! When the Forsaken Beasts rushed into our home twenty-one years ago, the Spirit saved us! It declared our Haven its territory, forcing all other beasts to comply." Choro looked at the guest with dreadful eyes, "It''s a being of primal fear, but it saved us. It saved us all!" Damien felt both gratitude and fright in the old man''s voice, which made him even more curious. However, before he could address his further thoughts, another voice arrived: "Chief, it''s almost midnight." The words came from a shirtless mandrill-human hybrid with vibrant facial markings and a muscular physique. "Roark, yes," Choro acknowledged with grim realization, reaching for his cane to stand up. "You''re welcome to stay with us, Young Damien. The Spirit likes to hunt at this time, so we should sleep." [Roark Image (in Discord)] Roark sought to help the older man return to his home; meanwhile, another Extinct came to the pirate''s side. "You''re the outsider. Hmm, if it weren''t for Fukuro''s words, I would have pummelled you!" the giant boar-man standing 15 feet (4.6 m) bellowed. "But since you''re a good person, I''ll give you this drink before we all go to slumber!" The warthog-human named Buta passed a barrel of alcohol, grinning through his giant tusks. [Buta Image (in Discord)] бн [A While Later] It was an eerie remnant of the boisterous feast now plagued with silence. Damien placed his empty cup down, looking at the surroundings. "They really all went to sleep without a single lookout," Damien muttered under his breath. It was truly odd. The people of the Haven, barely a few hundred of them, who call themselves the Extinct, were comfortable with their location to such lengths; they trusted this entity with their lives and their very lineage. While enjoying the tranquillity, Damien pieced together some information about the geography that Choro had given him: Tempest Channel: An area with endless tides that grow more chaotic as the moon arrives. Stormy Beach: An area of constant rain. It usually cycles through all types of precipitation over the day; sometimes, it rains, then snows and hails, but never a second of serenity. Desert of the Starved: A dry and barren land. It was a long stretch of heat with endless sand and dustбкno dunes or elevation, just a blanket of radiating sand. Hell: An area coursing with active volcanoes that erupt every few weeksбкInstead of lakes of water, this area had lava lakes. Tremor District: A dry land that trembled with earthquakes daily. Ranging from gentle shocks to apocalyptic quakes. Ring of Untold Horrors: Surrounded the Haven with various forests filled with a plethora of enraged beasts that were far stronger and bigger than their standard counterparts. Tundra of Fleeting Hope: A land far northeast with pure cold. It also saw no nighttime and was perpetually bone-chilling bright. The Unknown Regions: Filled with poisonous lakes, boasting a daily schedule of acid rain. No Man''s Land: An area that experiences unpredictable changes in its gravitational fields every few minutes, from floating in the sky to being crushed into a paste. . Damien inhaled the fresh air of the Haven, lying down on a bed of hay, somewhat lost. The truth was that the pirate was unsure of what exactly he was still missing. "Hadean allows me to touch at atomic-level dismantling," he recalled. "But that also means my Awakening isn''t just this." Damien was aimless. Extinction Valley boasted a vast array of chaotic elements, all converging into a single territory, but that didn''t exactly hand him the keys to the final stage of the Pulverize-Pulverize Fruit. The first day brought him to a single thought he would abide by for the next few months: "Each region has its unique trait. Perhaps it can inspire me in some wayбн I guess there''s one way to find out." To Be Continuedбн Chapter 127: A Death Wish [Two Months Later] A full sixty days since the arrival of the Sin Incarnate to the chaos that was Extinction Valley. Yet even now, he remained far from the primary goal. "It would be nice if I could just soak in the environment to Awaken my powers," a young man''s voice resounded in the area. He wore a rolled-up dark grey shirt with intricate designs, leading to a pair of tactical pants. [Clothing Image (in Discord)] However, the disgruntled voice was overshadowed by the island-rattling explosions and vibrations that continuously went off. Earth shook to the point that it seemed like a liquid, trembling incessantly. As the tremors died, another, many times more powerful one arrived and brought its hell with it. *Rumble* The entire area never stopped shaking. It had been going on for decades now! Damien walked through the barren place, looking down at the cuts forming along his shirt. "Tch, I''m running out of clothes for this," he complained, annoyed from hopping around the broken terrain. Every so often, the earth below would open up with new crevices and ravines, while other rock formations would be shoved at one another, birthing hills and even mountainsбкsuch was the nature of Tremor District. The pirate''s complaints fell on deaf ears as he leapt from a shifting cliff and landed a good 50 meters away, dodging a gaping crater that had just opened. "Feels like Whitebeard is playing with a pogo stick." бн For the past two months, the undying pirate had travelled from region to region, inhaling the vast disasters in the hope of having an epiphany. He went to hell and enjoyed the frequent rain of fire, then shuttled to the Tundra of Fleeting Hope to cool off or the Desert of the Starved for a nice tan. He even went to the Unknown Regions to bathe in the highly poisonous swamps, practically taking his body''s immune system to another level. Unfortunately, this wasn''t the kind of story in which one could settle down in a lotus position, absorb some disastrous energy, and break through to the next realm. "Huh, I guess that wraps that up." Damien looked around and saw that the ground slowly began to change, the very biome shifting. He had already walked through the entire Tremor District! However, the clearing trees revealed a far more absurd sight that even left the infamous pirate with question marks: "What the hell is this?" The ground was fractured into jagged pieces, glowing with ominous red light as though the very earth was bleeding. Spires of rock jut out at unnatural angles as if they''d been violently displaced from deep within the earth. Dark clouds loom overhead, laced with red lightning that crackled through the sky, mirroring the destruction below. Damien smelled the rusty air as his boots dug into the broken ground. "Thisбн should be the start of the forest-y Savage Lands," he scratched his head in confusion, pulling out the map to confirm his recollection. A span of Haki later, Damien understood the setting. It turned out that this shattered land was indeed previously a forest but had been laid to waste by some destructive, unnatural power. "Whatever caused this, it must have been a Devil Fruit... a powerful one at that." [Wasteland Image (in Discord)] Alas, there were no answers here, and Damien could only move on. The ruined area only spanned a kilometer or two before the Savage Lands'' actual appearance was here. As expected, it was a sprawl of trees in an endless forest. бн Damien spent most of the day simply walking through the forested areas of the Savage Lands. It was now nighttime. It felt primal. "These plants have zero connection with me. They''ve evolved beyond nature itself." Damien studied the overgrown greens of the land, bewildered by it. Giant vines hung about from the sky-high trees that stood at least two hundred meters off the ground! Any further exploration was paused as a thunderous roar echoed in the pirate''s ears. Damien blinked in surprise as the monstrous roar originated from a living plant. The plant monster was an eldritch abomination, its twisted body of green tendrils wrapped tightly around a massive tree. The tendrils were lined with thick, thorny spikes and topped with mouths to devour prey. The Sin Incarnate was quick to dodge, just before a giant crater opened up beneath where he was. [Plant Image (in Discord)] *Krrr* *Kirririri* Odd sounds resounded behind Damien; he was surrounded by more such monsters. "This place has quite the inhabitants." Such was the truth of the Savage Lands. A foreboding forest where twisted and grotesque plant monsters roam, transformed by unnatural, eldritch powers. These abominations, once ordinary trees, now possess dark, decaying bark adorned with thorn-covered vines that pulse with malevolent life. Some have grown clawed limbs and spindly legs, allowing them to creep through the shadows with a spider-like grace. In contrast, others sport multiple grotesque heads with hollow eyes and gaping mouths that emit eerie whispers and distorted screams. "It''s grown a conscience," Damien muttered. "They all have." [Images (in Discord)] Damien sighed and hopped to evade an incoming punch from a grape tree shaped like a gorilla. Meanwhile, he pulled up some interesting information: >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Forsaken Mushroom Monster] [Birth: 93 years ago] [Fate: It flourished for the first 26 years of its life. Then, a change in the atmosphere mutated it into a carnivore, granting it conscience and mobility over the next 21 years.] [Death: Killed by Einar D. Damien in six seconds for blocking his path.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< "It''s the same fate as the beast all over this hellhole," Damien muttered. "Something crazy must have gone down 47 years agoбн" . "Obliteration Pulse." . At the drop of Damien''s words, an overpowering energy pulsed out in all directions, shredding and crushing everything in its path. "Auu-" the beasts couldn''t even finish their wailing cries before they were turned into particle-sized bits. Going from a rowdy concentration of carnivorous monsters to dead calm, lacking any sound. There was no blood nor traces of the hundreds of mutated plants, just silence and ruined earth. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. "My Pulverization is almost at the atomic level, and Hadean Release has also been perfected," Damien noted. "But this isn''t Awakening." Two months of adventure and training had brought him to the cusp of his powers; it felt like a single piece of the puzzle remained, so close and yet so far. "Let''s see if No Man''s Land can unveil somethinиC" "!!!" Suddenly, the pirate felt eyes locking onto himself. They differed from the mutated plants and unruly beasts; whatever was peering at Damien had a high intellect. Damien turned to his 5 o''clock, the direction the gaze originated from. It was there he met a pair of shining eyes, brimming with frightening spiritбкthey lacked humanity and were filled with thirst for violence. "Is this the Spirit of fear I''ve heard so much about?" And then they disappeared, leaving the pirate on his lonesome. The pirate shrugged with a scoff: "Like hell I''m not going to follow." *Vvooo!* The ground erupted as Damien rocketed through the Savage Lands. His advent was hidden under the darkness that had arrived, moonlight gracing the island. The wind howled under the pirate''s rush, following in the direction of the fearsome presence. бн Soon enough, Damien found himself at the edge of the Ring of Untold Horrors, deep to the North and atop the surrounding mountains. Rotten trees clung precariously to the jagged slopes of a dull mountain, their twisted forms silhouetted against a bleak, stormy sky. The air was thick with an eerie black fog that seemed to seep from the very ground, winding its way through the gnarled branches of the dead trees. The landscape was desolate and of decay, where the lifeless trees stood as sentinels to the mountain''s haunting, unwelcoming presence. And at the core of the horrid setting was a sole entity, a cursed being amidst death. "Quite the fearsome thing; no wonder they fear you so much." Damien''s lax voice seemed to annoy the beast, which stood a solid 20 feet (6 m), though it didn''t attack haphazardly. The menacing creature''s body was a grotesque blend of skeletal remains and twisted, rotten branches. Its ribs, formed from splintered wood, jutted out from its torso, intertwining to create a ribcage that seemed fragile and unnaturally strong. The limbs extended into sharp, bony claws, with branches that twisted and coiled around its skeletal frame. *Puuhhhh* A black fog leaked from the monster, slowly invading the surroundings. The high mountain was swamped with dread, darkening far more than the night sky ever could. [Creature Image (in Discord)] The fog quickly reached Damien, grabbing his legs in its mysterious, dark nature. *Szzzz* The young pirate''s clothes began to sizzle, and his skin started to crack. The blood vessels began to pop in a dark, almost black colour. It looked as if the mist was digging deep into Damien''s legs, beginning to rot away the flesh! However, within moments, all the damage disappeared, and its effect ran dry as healthy skin returned. "!!!" The beast was visibly shocked at the sight of the healed flesh; whatever soul was trapped within the frightening entity immediately raised a strong guard. "Rahahaha, it feels almost like Rocks'' death powers," Damien noted, feeling the creepy effects dying out. "But it has a curse-like edge to it. It took three whole seconds for my body to become immune to it, not bad." The monster leaned its head forward, bellowing out a mighty roar: "Graughh!" Its talon-like hands clenched in fury, and it rushed ahead. *Thud!* *Thud!* *Thud!* Drumming sounds echoed from the dark figure rushing ahead, its heavy weight shaking the mountainous path below. It whizzed at great speeds, leaping across the rugged landscape, with the darkness trailing behind it like a living shadow, bringing desolation with every bound. As the behemoth soared through the air, the surrounding landscape seemed to wither under its presence, the trees rotting further and the ground cracking beneath its monstrous power. *Kaw!* *Kaw!* Dozens of bloodthirsty crows formed from the surrounding fog, flapping a dreadful beat and gnawing at Damien''s flesh from all over. The air grew thick with malice as the creature''s approach brought a suffocating darkness that swallowed all light. The victim of the assault watched with patience, noting the sharp beaks trying to rip his skin open while staring down the incoming attacker. The creature released another unholy roar and slammed its razor-sharp nails onto Damien''s chest, shooting a black poison deep inside, spreading tendrils of fear and decay. But even under the abyssal powers, Damien remained unphased. He locked eyes with the monster twice his size, noting the soul hidden within. "Looks like you ate a very rare fruit. Let''s see what''s under this form of yours!" Both hands shot out; the right one locked the wrist made of rotten branches while the left was balled into a fist. And before the towering creature could fathom a response, it was met with a punch arching with endless power. *Purrup* A crimson bubble coated the fist as it was nailed into the creature''s chest, driving it deep and hard. *Crack* "Auugh!" The Spirit of Fear couldn''t even react before the pain assaulted its every fiber, ringing its head like a bell. It was launched backwards, zooming down the tall cliffs and opening a tunnel in the mountains. The force of the impact sent shockwaves through the air, shaking the very mountain as the Wendigo''s cursed aura dissipated in its wake. Soon enough, it went cleanly through the giant mountain and into the sea of trees below. After knocking down dozens of trees, the monster finally reached the end of its journey, stuck in a crater. "..." *Vvoosh* A dark shadow flickered; it was Damien. He stood before the giant cavern created by his attack, looking down at the fallen monster. Its skull-like face began to crack, causing shards of bones to decorate below. A dull wind leaked out as the nearly 20-foot-tall creature transformed, becoming smaller. Damien curiously watched; seconds passed as a human lay in front of him, knocked out of his misery. "A being that weaponizes fear. Such monsters only live in the story books," he muttered, drawing up the specifics of the power: =-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Human-Human Fruit иC Mythical Model: Wendigo] [Zoan Fruit] [Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars] [Allows the user to transform into a Wendigo. The user can create curses, plagues and haunting illusions from harvested fear, weaponizing the horror of their victims.] =-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< Damien nodded at the power of the fruit. Like every other Mythical Zoan, it came with an added ability resembling a Paramecia. In this case, it was the black fog''s plague-like nature and the ability to control and manipulate fear. Damien stepped forward and placed his foot on the man''s chest: "Wake up." A stream of Pulverizing energy dove in, bouncing through the victim''s body and rearranging their insides; it could be considered a gentle wake-up. "Ugh," came a groan from the man''s bloodied mouth. His eyes jet open, unveiling the dark pupils. The man had slicked-back dark hair that matched his eye colour. Tattoos ran across half his face and down half of his body. He was left in blue pants, unveiling a muscular yet bruised torso. [Image (in Discord)] "The Spirit of Fear? Not that menacing in this form." The man audibly growled, his eyes a mix of anger and pain. His fury leaked out in a resounding boom, sending ripples of pressure through his body. "Such raw Haki," Damien examined with narrowed eyes. "Not exactly what I was expectingбн What''s your name?" The man gnashed his teeth in defiance, only to be left shaken as Damien unleashed an overpowering weight onto his body, forcing him to the floor. "...Solomon," he spat out. [A/N: Pronunciation: saw-luh-muhn.] Damien smiled and sat at a fallen log. "You protect these people even if they look at you in fear?" Solomon coughed out a wad of blood from the internal damage, glaring daggers at his adversary: "I don''t care how they see me; I protect them because I want to. What''s it got to do with you, outsider?" Damien noticed the venomous tone, especially at the ''outsider'' part: "Jeez, you guys are really touchy with foreigners." "..." The pirate silently examined Solomon with a questioning look, leaving the latter man to get further aggravated, "What!?" "Well, you look like you''re in your mid-twenties," Damien commented, cocking an eyebrow. "Choro told me you saved them twenty-one years ago... I find it hard to believe a brat could push away all those feral monsters." His eyes grew curious as he hypothesized, "I can only assume your power tapped into some fear deep within those beasts..." Solomon''s annoyed expression warped into shock. This time, he glared at the enemy with some speculation, "Why do you know so much about my curse?" The question left Damien chuckling, again annoying the young beast further. "Curse, is it? Sure, whatever. But you know, Mythical Zoans are quite rare to spot in the wildбн did you eat a disgusting fruit before turning into that form?" Solomon slowly sat up, leaning his aching body onto another collapsed tree. He frowned at the question, "I became like this when I ate a hideous-looking bird in hunger." Damien blinked, "You ate it alive?" "I got lost in the woods and fell hungry. What''s so wrong about that?" Damien chuckled at the answer, connecting the dots: "Host Devouringбн devil fruits really are quite the thing." Solomon didn''t seem to listen to Damien''s mumbling and demanded, "Whatever! Just kill me already!" The undying pirate looked at the man''s fiery eyes, brimming with acceptance of death. Emotions of helplessness, anger, and relief flooded from Solomon''s body. Damien entirely ignored the dark-haired man''s words and got up to leave. "Am I not worthy for you to kill!?" Solomon roared, rushing to his feet only to fall from the residual pain. Grunts echoed from the Zoan user''s mouth as he looked up to see Damien tear open a 10-meter-tall hole in the mountain, providing a straight path to the sea beyond. A chilly wind assaulted the injured Solomon, forcing him to shield his face. The opened mountain had unveiled another landmass in the distance, across the turbulent seas at the Extinction Valley''s shores. "No Man''s Land," he mumbled, shaking his head from the chills running down his spine. "No one can survive thereбн it''s a death wish!" Meanwhile, Damien breathed in the chaotic air rushing from the distant hell, a place even worse than the regions he had already visited. The previous two months had already churned some new ideas and understandings of his power. Now, the final island was calling out to him. He returned a signature pirate smile to the kneeling party, waving aside the warning: "The Extict were quite hospitable, so I''ll let you live. See ya around." And much like before, Damien was gone, shooting across the darkness of the night into the unknown, all under the speechless Solomon. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 128: Pandemonium [No Man''s Land, Extinction Valley] *Splash!* A massive column of water erupted as a silhouette emerged from the depths. Water clung to the young man''s clothing as he breathed in the salty sea air. Naturally, it was just Damien enjoying a nice swim across the whirling seas of Extinction Valley. It was a long swim over with annoyingly difficult currents to traverse, reflected in the approaching sunlight creeping past the horizon. With a quick pulse of crimson energy, all water droplets were shredded at the molecular level, drying Damien off instantly. He was welcomed into the dusty and rugged No Man''s Land by a rather dramatic sight: a giant shadow looming over him. Damien''s eyes widened at seeing a floating mountain nearly 300 meters in size! That wasn''t allбн *Bang! Bang! Bang!* Three simultaneous chained explosions went off near his feet, opening up 30 craters in a chaotic pattern. The ground beneath him trembled as if alive, each explosion sending tremors through the unstable earth. The slight distraction passed as the mountain above underwent another drastic change. *Crunch* Within seconds, the giant landmass was crushed with a loud bang; gravitational forces from all sides rendered it into oblivion, the remnants pulled in different directions by unseen forces. Another colossal mass of earth slowly floating in the shadow of the previous suddenly plummeted with catastrophic speed, exploding into a shower of debris and creating deafening rumbles that echoed across the landscape. No one nor thing was spared from this randomized chaos. "!!!" Damien narrowed his eyes as he felt the bones in his arm creak under a sudden, crushing force, while the other side of his body felt as light as air. The bizarre sensation was like being torn between two worlds, one of overwhelming pressure and another of near weightlessness. The ground beneath him crumbled to bits, only for its fragments to shoot skyward in defiance of all natural laws. "No Man''s Landбн an area with unpredictable gravitational changes," he muttered. "Hmm?" Damien looked up and saw a giant hill of earth suddenly materialize from the sky, hurtling toward him with lethal intent. He was about to disintegrate it when, without warning, his body was swept away, flung sideways across the chaotic terrain. It felt like being slammed with a violent tsunami with no time to breathe or respond. "Horizontal gravity!" he grunted as his towering form was hurled through the air, colliding with a floating mountain that had appeared out of nowhere. Before Damien could react, another force arrivedбкthis time from above at a diagonal angle, as if the very fabric of gravity was twisted in some nightmarish contortion. His body was flung downwards to the side, crashing into a boulder the size of an island whale, which exploded into dust upon impact. But the onslaught didn''t stopбкhe was lifted from the ground and tossed into the sky, caught in an invisible vortex of gravitational forces. Fwing! Vvoosh! Fwoooo! Damien clicked his tongue as he was ragdolled through the air. "Torsion gravityбн looks like the author got a little too creative!" The pirate frowned as a tornado of forces approached. It looked like a whirlwind, but it was gravity spiralling in a mad dance of destruction instead of air. Even with Damien''s Haki, he could only predict the chaos some seconds ahead. No matter how far he looked, the landscape remained in a constant state of upheaval, a circus of violent gravitational storms that tore apart anything in their path. [No Man''s Land Image (in Discord)] бн The screaming winds echoed in his ears, bits of earth collided with his body, and the powerful forces tried to crush him into nothingness. It was like a rollercoaster ride, albeit a deadly one. "Wait a secondбн" Damien muttered, completely ignoring his body being flung around like a ragdoll. He went with the flow and focused on a singular event happening not too far away. An unseen force yanked a large hill into the sky, ripping it from its roots. *Rumble* Within seconds, the hill collapsed into itself, splintering into dozens of smaller shards of earth. The gravity shifted again, pulling each shard skyward in a chaotic swirl of debris. Then, with another sudden shift, the shards of earth converged with tremendous force, slamming together and fusing into a single, massive piece of rockбкa new formation born from the remnants of destruction. What was shattered came together to create something new; from destruction emerged creation, a scene that sparked an epiphany for Damien. ---------------------------------------------- While the world of No Man''s Land twisted and reformed, far away at Marineford, another kind of reformation was being discussedбн ---------------------------------------------- A large banner hung from the wall, written in bold ink: "Hidden Justice." Its warm shadow filled the simple and modest room, which boasted no more than two sofas, a desk, and a carpet. The owner of the office was Asahi, codename: Hakuchин, Director of the MCIS. He looked rather refined, a man in his early fifties. He had medium-length white hair styled backwards while sporting a pristine white goatee. Asahi donned a more unique attire to the Marines. He wore a green suit with a black shirt and purple tie. In addition to the marine coat draped over his shoulders was a green vest interlaced with said coat. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. The marine also had a giant gun leaning at his desk, presumably his choice of weaponry. [Hakuchин Asahi Image (in Discord)] "What do you mean his location is unknown?" The man''s questioning voice zoomed in on the transponder snail atop the desk. "I, I''m not sure, Director! But ever since the Black Death''s departure two months ago, we''ve been unable to track down the Sin Incarnate." Asahi leaned into his chair, staring at the white ceiling. He massaged his temples in frustration, "Masao, I am sorry, but it seems I really can''t aid you," the man mumbled. "Alright, it''s fine. At least now we can monitor the Rocks without much problem." The snail nodded, relief evident through its eyes. "They lost quite a few during the Scorched Sea War; it''ll probably take them a while to recover those losses." Asahi nodded in agreement, tapping his index finger. He went on to say, "But things aren''t going as desired; the flow of pirates has ballooned by 40%," the Director sighed. "Even with the news in our favour, many pirate captains have deduced our weaker grasp over order." "Paradise has reported a cumulative assault of 20,000 pirates attacking throughout the sea, even reaching major Kingdoms. It''s terrible!" The snail remained silent, used to the Asahi''s habits of droning on to himself. "There is one thing you should know, Director," the snail said solemnly. "It''s regarding the Hellspawn." Asahi narrowed his eyes, "Zenora Indra?" The snail nodded its two eyes, "Our reports have confirmed that the notorious pirate has consumed a Devil Fruit, a mighty one at that." Hakuchин heaved a dull exhale, a foreboding feeling swamped his thoughts: "How bad could it be?" "That remains unknown; the pirate is not known to boast his strength, though one of our deepest agents can confirm that it was a power handed down by the Sin Incarnate himself!" "Damn it!" Asahi cursed, clenching his weathered fists. He reached for a pen and quickly scribbled down a few notes, leaving the grand office temporarily silent. Alas, he finished, put aside the pen, and ended the call: "Alright, Agent. Exercise caution in your endeavours; your safety is as important as your mission." The snail''s eyes slightly widened, then quickly nodded. "Y-Yes, Director!" "Katcha~!" Asahi scrambled out of his humble room. His boots rung over the blue spanning carpet, the prestigious floor made of the most solid wood of the seas. The array of hung-up portraits of legendary marines was ignored due to the man''s haste, reflected in his destination: the office of the Admiral of the Fleet! *Knock* *Knock* "Enter." Asahi stepped in, breathing in the authoritarian smell of the office, one of the stacks of paper and ink. "Fleet Admiral," he saluted with dignity. A solemn Kong sat across the vast room and wooden desk, busy with reports. The muscular man made no strides to welcome his subordinate and hummed without prying eyes from his work: "Still no news on Ares'' spawn?" Asahi shook his head, "No, but we have some intel on his second-in-command. Our joint task force with Cipher Pol has unveiled that the swordsman has eaten a powerful Devil Fruit." Kong paused in his work, his pen slowly letting ink loose into a black blotch. However, the pause was brief as the man returned to his scribbling. "Keep your focus on the Four Titans; the Warborn of Polemos Island were destroyed decades ago," he answered, his voice carrying little interest. "The Swordsman hasn''t showcased the Warborns'' greatest power and can only be considered a failed experiment, much like his entire tribe." Asahi understood his boss'' thoughts but had some clashing thoughts: "The Hellspawn has shown great intellect in his combat. If he got his hands on a destructive ability, theиC" *Dung* Kong tapped his finger at the desk, sending a dull clang echoing through the office and silencing the esteemed intelligence director. "The Warborn was indeed a worry decades ago when I was an Admiral, but that is in the past," the man said with an air of nostalgia, looking up from his work. "I understand your unrest, Asahi. But right now, we lack the forces to tackle every potential problem, let alone our current ones." Kong sighed, massaging his weathered forehead ridden with wrinkles. "For the next little while, the Rocks Pirates will remain quiet. Didn''t you get a tip from your agent in the West Blue regarding the War God''s son? Go and verify its authenticityбкwe must focus on the top members under Xebec to dismantle his threat." Asahi looked at the Fleet Admiral''s solemn eyes and respectfully nodded, "Yes." . The tense air quickly disappeared, prompting Kong to question another important topic: "What about Paradise? Is it still messy there?" Hakuchин took out a sheet of paper from under his coat and read off some information: "Dozens of crews have crawled out from the gutters, using our lack of forces to spread their destruction." "There was even a storm in the South Blue, and two affiliated Kingdoms of the World Government, Roshwan Kingdom and Samda Kingdom, were hit hard by the pirates. They''re requesting backup." Kong stroked his beard with narrowed eyes. "Send some support from G-14 across the Styx Passage. If that isn''t enough, have G-1 divert a fleet to handle things." Asahi nodded as the orders came, storing them in memory. "Also, seven new pirate crews stampeded a few non-affiliated nations. Today, they hit five separate islands. Namely, Cactus Island, Jaya, Banaro Island, Yozora Island, and Long Ring Long Land. Fires and death are all they brought with them." Asahi gazed at his boss with hopeful eyes, "Although they are outside our jurisdiction, we can''t just let innocent lives be left to slaughter." Kong took in the information, remaining silent. "I see. Send our two Star Marines to the five ruined islands; let them see and deal with the destruction first-hand." Asahi was slightly surprised by the order, "Aren''t they too young to lead an entire operation?" Only to be met with a firm rebuttal, "Be that as it may, we do not need timid talents. Let them show us their brilliance through their work." Hakuchин nodded, stood up, gave a military salute, and exited the office. ---------------------------------------------- Back in the heart of No Man''s Land, Damien watched the chaotic forces around him with new understandingбн His eyes widened as the realization hit. His mind raced as he connected the chaotic forces of No Man''s Land with his own abilities. He had always focused on the destructive power of his Pulverize-Pulverize Fruit, revelling in the sheer force he could unleash. But here, in this unpredictable environment, he saw something more. The land was not just torn apartбкit was also reforming, creating something new from the ruins. Creation and Destruction, two sides of the same coin. He had neglected the potential for restoration, for rebuilding what he had broken. A power he had barely used. "Hmm," Damien pondered, lost in thought as his body was flung through the chaos. A new understanding dawned on him, the final piece of the puzzle falling into place. . "Death''s Cradle." . A translucent stream of Pulverization energy was released at his command, quickly encasing the young pirate in a shell. The chaos was locked away in an instant, leaving Damien behind to develop his thoughts. He held a fist-sized rock in his left palm, staring at its mundane nature. *Purrup* A crimson energy current crackled out, spreading its volatile characteristic onto the rock. The sound of pixelation fired out as the rock was covered in a checkered pattern, resembling tiny red boxes. Moments passed as the rock was broken down to droplet-sized levels, purposely done. Damien focused on the dust-like debris in his palm, willing his powers to do something different. . "Restoration." . Like a magician''s trick, the pieces floated up and slowly but surely began to move toward one another, remodelling themselves into the rock''s original shape. "It''s the same power I used to keep Sol down some months ago," Damien acknowledged but was quick to frown. "So that''s it; my destruction is ready to Awaken, but I''ve neglected to bring my restoration to the same level." His ability to reconstruct went back all the way to Wano, where he had Ryushi forged for him, and he could make it change forms. In addition, only against Sol did he use it in combat, neglecting it otherwise. Determination flashed in his eyes as he murmured, "Hadean Release." Metallic clangs went off as the armour appeared all over Damien, plating him in its excellence. The wings spread out in their glory, unveiling a menacing figure. The humanoid brought in a few more rocks from the outside hell, applying his powers again, but at a much smaller magnitude this time. With a poof, the rocks were reduced to pieces the size of grains of sand. His concentration locked onto the messy substance in his hand; it was so light that it would have flown by the wind right away if it had not been for Damien''s cradle. Once again, Damien covered each piece with his powers, spreading it to every million or so grains and repeating what he had done before. "бн" "Tch," he clicked his tongue, feeling the sand-like mess explode away, unable to reform, unable to restore. The Sin Incarnate then grabbed another rock, breaking it down into slightly larger pieces and redoing the experiment. Time passed as Damien continued without delay, spending days in a row to perfect his ability and restore to the atomic level, relentlessly pursuing the path to power. He could feel it; Awakening was within grasp! To Be Continuedбн Chapter 129: Solomon [Three Weeks Later] [The Haven, Extinction Valley] "Guest, here, try our delights!" a man with horse characteristics proudly declared. He passed a few skewers of beast meat to the far taller male before him. Damien, naturally the person in question, smiled and took the food. *Munch* He wolfed it down before the beast-man could even blink! "Say, don''t you get a little iffy on eating animal meat," Damien mused. "You know, considering yourбн heritage." The horse-man broke out in laughter and slapped his thighs, "Neigh-Neigh-Neigh! We only eat the meat of the forsaken beasts in the Ring of Untold Horrors." Damien hummed at the news, devouring thirty more skewers. бн Sometime later, the pirate walked through the Haven, soaking in the rich culture of the Extinct, enjoying the fresh air of the relatively untouched island. Hours went on as night was upon them, the darkness creeping into the village. Distant cries and roars of the beasts echoed throughout the surrounding land, though it was ignored by the folk. They gathered up once more, celebrating their peace before a large bonfire. Totem poles stood tall, enclosing their dance within a large area. Damien sat by the side, his hand holding a few rocks. "Mister Guest, look at this flower!" The pirate turned to the chipper boy with the appearance of an owl, Fukuro. The boy held up a primal flower of a beautiful purple colour. Damien humoured the boy''s enthusiasm and took it with grace. "Here, watch thisбн" *Zwip* A dull sound broke out from the pirate''s hand, that of pixelation and dismantling. Fukuro watched in awe as the palm-sized flower was split into thousands of different pieces, some of the stem, some of the petals and some of the roots. Each of the 2,394 pieces floated over Damien''s palm, gently spinning in a circle. The torches nearby amplified their magnificence. Another sound resounded as each piece began to move. Fukuro''s jaw dropped as he saw what happened next: the thousands of pieces came together. They formed into the beautiful flower again, gently swaying in the breeze. "Wowбн!" The boy snatched the flower and ran off to check whether it was real or not. . "Although I can restore most things now, I can''t bring life back to something that has been reconstructed," Damien surmised as he lay down on a patch of grass, glancing at the moon. Naturally, the flower that had been picked was no longer alive, allowing it to return with temporary brilliance. In other words, Damien could bring together a dismantled person or animal. Still, it wouldn''t bring them back to life, leaving empty shells. "But all of this goes well beyond pulverization. Crushing things is only a portion of its power," the pulverizing human complained. [Fruits are named based on a simple idea. I would hypothesize that no one has reached your level of mastery before,] Sibyl explained in her usual straightforward voice. Damien breathed in the cool nightly air and hummed in acceptance, "I suppose so. Only at Advanced Mastery was I able to restore things, beginning with Ryushi. Hadean Release amplified it further." The topic of fruit mastery naturally led to thoughts of the final stage. If it hadn''t been for No Man''s Land, Damien would take another year or two to figure things out on his own. [If you wanted a percentage, you''re 99.9% of the way to Awakening your ability.] Damien smirked, slowly standing up. He had already spent three weeks living off random animals and sleeping ten hours weekly to reach microscopic reconstruction. "It''ll take another month or so of grinding away at rocks, trying to reform them at the atomic level," he sighed. "Dammit, me and my edgy inclination toward destructionбн if only I had prioritized reconstruction a while back." "Hmm?" the pirate paused, feeling a distant concentration of emotion. "Looks like we have a guest." He shot up, walking to the large bush where he sensed the eyes. бн A man stood, hidden in the veil of foliage nearby, great longing present in his eyes. He watched the celebration at the center of the Haven, feeling their happiness, yearning for it. Usually, his days were spent in silence, yet a voice boomed in his ears: "Are you gonna live the rest of your life watching from afar in your fear, or will you confront it like a man?" The man watching recognized the voice. He glared at the young man who had appeared next to him, "This has nothing to do with you!" Damien smirked in return, clicking his tongue mockingly: "You''re such a fearsome entity, and yet you''re scared of what they''ll think of you." Solomon was slightly shaken; his breathing hitched, unable to respond. "You''re a native of this village, no?" The words invoked quite a deep breath from him. Damien shrugged, "I can sense your emotions. And the waves of longing and despair from you are like a bright light in this night sky." Solomon seemed stumped and couldn''t form any words, though he didn''t need to, as Damien gave him no time to react to what happened next: "You''ll thank me later for this." The undying pirate''s hand shot out, grabbing the unsuspecting Solomon, and dragged him out from the bush. "W-WaiиC!" бн Fukuro, who had come to see more magic tricks with a band of his friends, saw Damien pulling a man clawing at some ripped branches. "Another outsider?" the boy muttered, blinking his owl-like eyes. After all, Solomon did not resemble his fellow Extinct much. "Not exactly." Damien flung Solomon ahead, his body soaring across the Haven and landing near the dancing folk with a loud thud. "бн" Solomon jumped up, looking at the crowd that had surrounded him. They watched with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. The only sound was the flickering flames mirroring the state of the man''s heart. ''Noбн!'' Solomon''s thoughts raced as he looked around at the faces staring back at him. ''They''re all afraidбн just like before.'' His heart pounded in his chest, each beat echoing with the terror of being damned to live as a monster in the shadows. ''I shouldn''t be hereбн I should''ve stayed hidden.'' He could feel the sweet, magnetic pull of their fear, an instinctive urge to harvest it surging through him. His hands clenched into fists, trying to suppress the dark hunger that had become second nature. ''I can''tбн I can''t let them see me like this.'' Solomon exhaled loudly; all the while, the Extinct readied their weapons from his sudden movements. But it was one elderly yet resounding voice that stumped them all: "You, a-are you Solomon!?" The few hundred Extinct looked uncertainly at their shocked leader, Choro. "I-It is you!" the old man broke out in tears, slowly raising his quivering hands as if to grasp at the strange man. ''He remembers me? He still remembers us?'' The shaken voice reduced the throbbing in Solomon''s heart. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Choro''s following words broke his drumming heart: "You are Liona''s child!" ''Motherбн'' Solomon''s mind reeled as memories of his mother''s gentle face flooded back. The name, spoken aloud, brought with it a torrent of emotionsбкgrief, longing, and bitter loneliness that had gnawed at him for years. ''We weren''t forgottenбн'' He looked at the pale man and, with great difficulty, nodded. Choro was immediately swamped with emotion. His bright yellow eyes dripped with tears, forcing him to drop the cane in his hand and almost fall with it himself. "Y-You were alive this whole timeбн?" the man questioned with a broken voice. "Where have you been, nephew?" Solomon subconsciously clenched his fists, looking to the floor in shame and indignity. His one and only blood relative was weeping his eyes out, and he was unable to respond. Damien''s voice broke the lost man: "He was always here." The comment evoked a few hushed whispers amongst the crowd. It didn''t matter their age or size; they each looked at Solomon in confusion. The lost Extinct absently looked toward the casual pirate, who replied with a gesture to continue. "Haaah," Solomon deeply exhaled, letting out any further hesitation. *Vvvooo!* An ominous wind blew as black fog erupted from Solomon''s position, bringing about a frightening change. It crept out from his shadow, spreading its unholy gloom to the ends of the Haven. *Snap* *Crack* The sound of branches being split boomed out, flooding the man''s body as it grew in size, reaching a whole 6 meters (20 ft)! Thick antlers and the face of a cow''s skull; just the creepy presence of the beast alone would send shivers down a person''s backбкthe personification of fearбкthe Wendigo. Kids began to scramble, and the women yelled while the men gulped in dread. Some of the senior Extinct raised their weapons, clad in Haki, ready to fight for their home. Solomon sensed the blanket of fear, his instincts firing to harvest it immediately. He took a step back, sending tremors through the earth. The sheer density of doom under his every step evoked a thunderous bang, further amplified by his urge to reap the horrors. Chaos broke out in the Haven once more, but it was silenced by an authoritative yell from the village chief: "What are you doing!? Put down your weapons!" The people seemed unsure as they looked at their elderly guardian, but they did stop in their tracks. A tense atmosphere fell upon the Haven, blanketing it with its eerily glow. . "He is the Spirit of Fear that has protected you for so long," Damien commented. He was the only one whose expression had remained unchanged since the drama began. His words earned a glare from Solomon, one of anger, gratitude, and ambivalence. *Snap* The Wendigo began shrinking, shedding its thick branches and returning to Solomon''s human appearance. The fog dissipated just as quickly, sparing the crowd a time of hell. "I should have known," Choro sighed in a trembling voice, using his cane to push himself up. His facial tendrils were all over the place, conveying the man''s shaken heart. "You disappeared into the forest during the Day of Reckoning when beasts attacked, the same time as the Spirit of Fear appeared. A child with such a power developed a fear of his own people." The old man raised a weathered hand to wipe his tear-stricken eyes, "I failed my sister, your mother, to let her child bear such a painful life!" Solomon froze at the name of his mother. He had spent a lifetime being a monster in the woods, living day in and day out as a beacon of terror, hunting beasts that would give most people nightmares, and now, he was lost for words. The spectators remained quiet, leaving all but Choro''s broken voice to pervade. "..." Solomon suddenly felt warmth in his hand: "Huh?" Looking down, the owl-like boy from before was smiling at him. The sight left Solomon taken aback, forcing him to take a deep breath of air. For the first time in two decades, he felt something other than fear from his own people looking at him, all from the innocent smile of a young boy. Fukuro''s childish actions immediately calmed the Haven as the others regained their composure. The air of fear began to disappear, surprising Solomon. "Let''s welcome Solomon back home!" Buta roared from the side, raising a barrel of unhealthy delights. The others joined in, blooming in gratitude and joy. Choro smacked his cane to the floor and loudly declared, "Let''s begin the feast all over again! To commemorate the return of my nephew, who has also been our protector for over twenty long years!" Cheers erupted as a far more boisterous round of celebration commenced, sweeping away any strands of worry from Solomon''s face. His perpetually tense face showed a thin smile, embracing the change. бн [Few Hours Later] "It looks like a happy ending," Damien said with an ironic chuckle. He had returned to a distant corner, away from the noise, to enjoy some Extinct sakиж. [I didn''t expect you to help someone reunite with his home without reason.] Damien rolled his eyes, "What is that supposed to mean? I''ve always been a warm and approachable person. I take great pride in that." Sibyl no longer talked, calculating that logic was no longer part of the discussion. . Damien then felt a presence walk toward him. Considering the height of 14'' 5" (4.4 m), it was easy to guess the person. Solomon took a deep breath and opted to address the pirate. "You''re welcome." "I came here to thaиC" Solomon paused in surprise. Damien shrugged, "Consider it one of my powers." "How did you do-" Damien flashed a grin, "Indeed." "You can see the futurиC" Solomon failed to continue speaking, opting to slump down to the ground, "My head hurtsбн" Damien threw a jug of sakиж at the man, who gladly gulped it down. One voluminous sip later: "I always dreaded how they would see me, turning into a monster at the age of five," Solomon sighed, staring into the little sakиж left in the cup and swirling it around. "I still can''t believe that it went this wellбн" Damien nodded from the side, lowering his cup to glance at the taller man, "You did look quite hideous. I''m surprised you didn''t scare away the kids, let alone give one of the geezers a heart attack." Solomon froze midway through a sip, blinking at the words echoing in his head. They made him question the desire to show his thanks. "Rahaha! I was in a good mood, so I helped you out. Don''t overthink it." The two didn''t speak any longer; they busied themselves with the alcohol and enjoyed the peaceful night. бн "Young Damien, I am endlessly thankful for you reuniting my long-lost nephew with his people!" came a chipper exclaim from the Chief. The pirate felt waves of gratitude as bright as the sun and asked, "If you want to thank me, why don''t you give me a history lesson about this island?" Choro looked at the sharp eyes of the young man and nodded. "It''s the least I can do." The village chief took a seat, plopping down, hoping not to break his back. Then came the lore Damien wanted to hear. "It all began 47 years ago. I was but a vigorous young man enjoying the peace of our land. The island was nothing but peace and serenity. The beasts of today were docile and small in size; they even helped us during sudden storms and mishaps." Choro shook his head, unable to let go of the serenity of his past. "One day, it all changed. The peace, the joy, the warmth, it all changed!" Hands balled into fists as the Chief continued, "Our land was plagued with disasters, swarmed with all kinds of natural disasters. The changes in the land also affected our people and turned the friendly animals into savage beasts; even the plants grew carnivorousбн" "And finally, twenty-six years after the Great Change, the beasts attacked our Haven in endless hoards, ripping apart everything in their path and dropping our population from tens of thousands to mere hundreds." The elder looked to the sullen Solomon with heavy eyes: "My nephew was lost in the woods then, his worried mother following behind. I thought them both deadбн but it seems he was our saviour all along." "The Day of Reckoning," Damien muttered, recalling the phrase from earlier. Choro nodded, and his grasp over his cane grew stronger from the pain of his memories. "Only the older ones like myself remember, but most of those my age died from the Change." Tears ran down Choro''s wrinkly face as he voiced his most painful frustration: "All of that done by the hands of an outsider!" Damien raised an eyebrow in surprise, though the third person present was not the same; Solomon shot up from his seat with a blazing expression, "You always told us children that it was a natural occurrence that brought this change, uncle!" he roared. The Chief glanced at his last remaining blood relative and felt the furious confusion in his eyes. Choro sighed and slowly shook his head, "We brought upon this lie so that your children needn''t live in vengeance in such conditions." "We couldn''t change itбн so why damn our children with such painful truths." . Choro still remembered the days when he would share his stories of exaggerated conquests through the Ring of Untold Horrors or when he slayed a 50-meter viper to the brats. Just the thought of it brought a smile to the man''s face. He looked at the two young men and admitted a shocking truth: "We had a treasure. It was passed down from Chief to Chief, and we protected it every generation. But one day, that man came here. He waltzed in with no respect for our people and our practices. He demanded that very treasure, and we refusedбн earning his ire." Solomon''s eyes brimmed with blaze as his body leaked the cursed fog. "What treasure could be worth so many of our peoples'' lives!?" Choro clenched his hand, drawing blood from his anger, "We called it the Box of Woes. Our ancestors believed that if the box were ever opened, it would bring endless disasters to our home! We warned the man of this, but he did not falter! Such a dreadful person!" The cane exploded into bits, showcasing the older man''s rage and strength. "He opened the box right in front of us and, without care, released the calamities! It brought plagues, frost, heat, tremors, violent tides and storms upon our humble land, leading to the Day of Reckoning!" Choro''s breathing grew turbulent from his memories, his facial tendrils spiking up in anger. Solomon felt the grief of his uncle and quieted down, allowing the Chief to collect his thoughts. However, the zoan user couldn''t hide seething rage building up inside from Damien. "..." After a brief silence, Choro continued in a defeated voice, "Aside from the disasters, he also took a fruit out from the box. I remember it like yesterday. It was such an odd thing, yes..." Damien''s eyes clicked at the man''s murmurs, ''A Devil Fruit?'' "He then left, leaving us with our island like it is now," the Chief finished, his breathing was all over the place from the previous emotional surges. "Do you recall what the man looked like?" Damien questioned, his eyes carrying great haste. "How could I ever forgetбн" Choro looked to the dark sky, almost as if he could see the face of the man responsible for Extinction Valley in the clouds above. "The man had black hair and a thick beard, a scarred face and the body of a monster. Unbelievably strong!" His following sentence brought more tremendous shock to the Sin Incarnate''s eyes: "A white coat draped over his shoulders, labelled with the word ''Justice'' upon it! How damnable!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 130: Twist of Fate "A white coat draped over his shoulders, labelled with the word ''Justice'' upon it! How damnable!" "A marine did all of this?!" Damien jumped from his seat. Many things could have surprised him, but the revelation was genuinely shocking to the core. Choro didn''t answer; he was still lost in his devastating memories, giving way to the other man present: "What is a ''marine''?" Solomon asked with a dangerous glint in his eyes. The question left Damien to pause. "Right, a closed-off society like this wouldn''t knowбн" He turned to the taller man and briefly summarized: "The seas are ruled by an organization called the World Government," he began. "They hold the peace and balance of the seas with the Navy as their fist to knock down the pirates that plague their waters.б▒ б░The marines are the soldiers of this Navy, usually seen with those white coats over their shoulders." The Chief blew up in anger, his facial tendrils jumping to the sky: "Peace!? Is this peace? Such a horrendous life we''ve been doomed to live!" Damien narrowed his eyes at the ironic twist of fate. He leaned back into his seat, shaking his head. "The innocents of such islands are collateral. As long as balance exists and the World Government holds strong, those at the top are content with how things are. That''s just how it is." *Boom!* The jug in Solomon''s hand exploded to bits. The black mist appeared again, emanating from his body alongside ripples of overwhelming weight. "My mother was torn apart from the sandworms. I still remember coming across her ripped-apart corpse! We lost everything because of what that man damned us with!" The bushes and trees nearby began to wither, losing life and rotting away. Damien saw the effects and waved his hand, cancelling everything the Haki with his own. "Calm down now. Although it was in the hands of the Marines, I have no right to preach what is right and wrong," he cleared up. A single thought of Shiki or Rocks made it clear who the true villains were. "I''m a pirate who does as he pleases. Some pirates are far, far worse than that marine. Though the Navy has plenty of bad apples, it would be wrong to say the entire tree is rotten." Damien shrugged at the irony of the situation, "If anything, those at the top of the World Government are the truly evil ones." Solomon gnashed his teeth, "Then what should I do with this anger!?" The undying pirate turned toward him, seeing a familiar glint in the furious man''s eyes, amplified by the chaotic Haki. It was a whirlwind of hatred, hatred toward the people who damned his home to hell. "You remind me of myself," Damien calmly stated, looking into Solomon''s dark eyes. "But you''re too weak to do anything." ''Too weak,'' the words echoed in the man''s mind. He slumped to the ground in broken vigour, helpless in his rage. Damien thinly smiled at the sight, finding an interesting possibility. But first, he wanted one final question answered: "Chief Choro. The Great Change, did it also affect your community?" The old man nodded with a light chuckle, raising his pale arms. "We looked much like you back then, but that day changed us just like it changed the beasts. In fact, my dear nephew is one of the rare cases of non-mutation, much like his mother." The thought of his deceased sister brought some emotion to the man''s eyes. Still, he continued with a firm voice: "Many of our people turned inhuman, with a beast-like appearance. With that came a great boost in our strength and understanding of our Extinct Plating." *Fwwm* Choro showcased what he meant as he wrapped a solid-metallic armour over his arm, giving off a dull luster. "All our children were born with great talent in this technique. It has saved me on a great many occasions." Damien nodded in understanding, piecing together the earlier strength he saw from even the likes of a young boy, let alone an old manбкIt seemed their disasters did come with some silver lining. . Finally, he turned to the shaken Solomon: "Let''s make a deal then." The words demanded the other''s attention; Solomon listened attentively. "Like I said, I''m a pirate." Damien looked into Solomon''s eyes and offered, "I will be raising my flag very soon. But I need more powerful men at my side. You ate a mighty fruit, and I like the look in your eyes. You get what I mean, Solomon?" The Sin Incarnate looked up and onto the bright moon in the middle of the night sky. "You have lived here for your entire life. Haven''t you ever thought about what lies beyond these seas, the greater world?" The tattooed man gulped, his eyes showing deep desires buried years ago. He finally shook his head, "I am indebted to youбн but I can''t leave my people to die to the beasts outside!" Damien couldn''t help but laugh, "Rahaha! What, you think I can''t handle a bunch of rabid dogs? If you come under my flag, I will deal with the beasts'' infestation." The words came in a calm tone yet carried great confidence in the hauling task. "бн" The other two men were left with widened eyes; their minds felt the pursuit of strength echoing from the young man before them. Choro looked at Damien, then at Solomon''s expression and firmly demanded, "Nephew, go." He ignored the look from the zoan user and continued, "You have lived for over two decades protecting us in the shadows. If young Damien can clear those beasts, you have nothing to worry about! Live freely!" Solomon heard the words and faltered, his mind shifting to ponder what lay beyond Extinction Valley''s mountains. Damien felt his thoughts immediately, knowing he needed a little push: "Give me a second." The pirate reached into his coat, brought out a transponder snail and dialled a number. бн [Sabaody Archipelago] On top of a root found in the lawless region of the Archipelago sat a small bar. Inside were a dozen customers, each trying to hide their fear of the bartender. A few bodies lay on the floor, beaten to a pulp and robbed of their goods. A sole woman stood at the bar, smoking with one hand while dusting the countertop with another. "Clean up your buddy''s mess," she sharply said. Another man by the side frantically nodded, jumping to action. He scrambled about, picking up his dead brother-in-arms and left swiftly. "When you said you were washing your hands from pirating, this is not where I expected you to end up-nyo." The one who spoke was a gorgeous young woman with white hair. She wore Amazonian clothes with a lot of skin, which showed off a desirable figure wrapped up with a female snake. She was roughly the same height as that of the barkeep. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. "Shakky, come back to Amazon Lily already. How can you spend your youth here-nyo?" "Ufufufu. You know you can''t convince me, Gloriosa." [Gloriosa Image (in Discord)] Shakky turned to the beautiful woman, also the Empress of Amazon Lily. "I like it here. It''s nice, it''s quiet, and it''s peaceful." Gloriosa looked at the bloodied floorboards and the cracked windows with a defeated expression. "Puru," "Puru," "Puru." Shakky picked it up with a "Katcha~!" "This is Shakky. How may I rip you off?" The snail warped into a familiar face, bringing a warm smile to the woman. "Yo, Shakky-nee. Been a while." "Ara~! It''s been a few months since I heard your voice, Damien-chan. I was thinking you forgot about me." The snail chuckled, and the woman also returned one. Gloriosa watched from the side with curiosity. "Looks like you have company." Shakky smiled, "It''s just Gloriosa." "Oh, the Empress?" The snail''s eyes turn to the white-haired woman. "It''s nice to meet you." Gloriosa saw a few bounty posters by the wall, and matched the features of the snail to one said reward: "Damien the Undyingбн you''re close to Shakky-nyo?" The snail hummed, "She helped me out a lot when I was a newcomer, I owe her a lot." The Empress narrowed her eyes in speculation, almost as if trying to zoom into Damien''s soul through the snail. "Well, it''s much better than that pestering Rayleigh." The snail felt a little curious at her words: "Rayleigh found Shakky here?" The black-haired woman puffed out a cloud of smoke, "Mhm, he tracked me down somehow. I think he''s trying to court me, Ufufufu," she giggled. "Huh, the Dark King is sliding into the Black Death''s bar, not what I expected." Gloriosa nodded with contempt, her pet snake mirroring her contempt. "A big-time pirate trying to befall a Kuja Empress. He thinks too highly of himself-nyo!" "Former Empress," Shakky corrected. "Hmph, it''s the same thing." The ex-pirate then addressed the elephant in the metaphorical room: "So, Damien-chan, how can I help you?" The snail beamed a familiar smile, one looking for some intel, "I want to know about someone from around 45 years agoбн" бн [The Haven, Extinction Valley] Damien was on call with the former Head of Intelligence of the Rocks Pirates. Meanwhile, Solomon and Choro gawked at the talking snail, marvelling at its magical nature. The pirate had already imbued it with his Voice of All Things for translation. "A marine with powerful Devil Fruit from then. Black hair and a bearded, scarred face. Ring a bell?" "..." a pause ensued before the snail responded, "Oya, there is such a marine who made quite the name for himself over four decades ago. I wonder what you want with him." Damien ignored Solomon''s angry eyes and continued his query, "I have a future ally here who wants to know." The snail''s voice was curious: "Oh, I see. Are you thinking of breaking away from Rocks?" Damien thinly smiled, feeling the woman''s thoughts through the snail''s speculative eyes. "I don''t like putting all my eggs in one basket, Shakky-nee." "Well, whatever. I''m sure you know what you''re doing. As for the marine you want to know about, well, just be careful around him. He has quite the weight in the Navy." Damien waited as the snail''s demeanour became more solemn, "After all, he reigns over both the Navy and even Cipher Pol with an iron fistбнб▒ б░...The man you''re looking for is the current World Government Commander-in-Chief, Endou!" "...б▒ "Pfff, to think such a person would cause this," Damien snorted at the absurdity of the situation. "Truly a twist of fate." His voice was picked over the receiver, leading Shakky to elaborate, "Although he is older and much weaker now, be wary of taking action against him. He was known as a ''Pirate Butcher'' in his prime, and his powers earned him the title of ''Great Disaster.''" "I''d guess that from just his title," Damien nodded. "For those Five Geezers to give him such power, he ought to be quite the challenge." "No, Damien-chan, you don''t get it," a solemn Shakky interjected. Her serious tone brought tension: б░His power spreads havoc and disharmony everywhere. It rips apart the very fabric of anything it touches, leaving nothing but chaos in its wake. In some ways, itбпs similar to yours.б▒ The Sin Incarnate looked at the snail with narrowed eyes. In all his readings and intel-gathering, the tales of Endou rarely described his powers in detail. At the time, the World News Agency was a stooge under the World Government, and they wanted to showcase their top dog in a bright light, hiding away the devastating details from all books. "...You left me with some thoughts. Thanks for the intel. I''ll talk to you soon." The snail conveyed the woman''s smile, "Mhm, come visit me at Sabaody when you''re free. I promise not to rip you off too much." "Katcha~!" The pirate turned to Choro and asked, "Were you able to see the man use his power when he ate the fruit?" The Chief frowned and returned a half nod. "He ''spared'' us by using it near the edge of the Savage Lands. I didn''t see it with my own eyes, but the scar he left there tells me enough of the monster he was." Damien''s eyes widened in realization. He recalled some weeks ago when he went past Tremor District and ran into a wasteland of utter devastation compared to the forest-y Savage Lands. The ground was fractured into jagged pieces, glowing with ominous red light as though the very earth was bleeding. Spires of rock jut out at unnatural angles as if they''d been violently displaced from deep within the earth. ''I concluded it was a fruit ability that caused it then,'' Damien mused, cupping his chin. боSo that was Endou''s trial run of his fruit power.'' The thought of a fruit causing such mayhem with its first-ever usage brought the pirate to a solemn spirit. Oddly enough, the result did indeed resemble the effects of Damien''s Pulverize-Pulverize Fruit. "You have quite the prey on your dish, Solomon," he called out. The man in question reined in his emotions and sighed, "I take it he''s well out of my league." Though his words maintained an ounce of hope. "He''s left you in the dust." Damien then stood up, done with the conversation. "I''ll be at No Man''s Land for another little while. My offer remains till theиC" "I agree!" Solomon''s declaration surprised even himself. His heart pounded with a mix of apprehension and conviction. ''The only way to avenge herбн to avenge us is by killing Endou with my own hands!'' He could feel Damien''s confidence in every wordбкhe also wished for this. Solomon''s resolve hardened. He wasn''t just joining a pirate crewбкhe was stepping into a new life, one where he wouldn''t be defined by fear alone. The sheer strength shown by Damien was also a wake-up call. The ambition in Solomonбпs eyes was burning in a fiery light, боThis is my only chance to set things right for my people!бп "..." The undying pirate returned an undisguised gaze, almost as if peering deep into Solomon''s soul and excavating all his secrets. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Solomon] [Age: 25 years, 9 months, 25 days] [Height: 14'' 5"] (4.39 m) [Status: Healthy; Enraged] [Devil Fruit: Mythical Model Wendigo (Intermediate Mastery)] [Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars] [Skills: Primitive Shave, Inborn talent in Armament Haki] [Haki: Armament Haki (Intermediate Mastery), Conqueror''s Haki (Awakened)] [Strength: Pseudo-Yonko Commander] (Bege, Hawkins level) >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< Raw, untamed powerбкthat''s what Damien thought of Solomon, a rough stone with the potential to become a gem. The Zoan user waited no longer for the pirate and loudly declared, "I know you wield incredible strength. Teach it to me!" The undying pirate''s crimson eyes carried an air of amusement, almost as if seeing Solomon''s hopefulness as a toy to test out. "Alright then," he casually answered. "I just hope you are ready; my training is ratherбн gruelling." Solomon unconsciously gulped, though he reined in that uncertainty immediately, returning Damien a determined nod. ---------------------------------------------- While the Haven at Extinction Valley continued to celebrate their hometown hero, a far more solemn fleet was sailing the seas of Paradiseбкone that carried the name of justice but, in some eyes, did anything but. ---------------------------------------------- "We will arrive at Yozora Island in five hours. You''re both in charge of the recovery operation!" a booming voice said. It originated from a man donning a Vice Admiral coat addressing two young men. ""Yes, sir!"" "Be careful. This won''t be like Cactus Island, Jaya, or even Banaro Island! Unlike those three, we have zero intel from Yozora Islandбкit exists only on paper!" The lead marine''s face grew malicious as he thundered a new order, "Beyond that, the nature of our mission has changed from recovery to a military takeover!!!" The words garnered some doubts in one of the Star Rookies'' faces. "But Vice Admiral," he objected with confusion. б░Yozora Island has no history of criminal actions. Shouldn''t we go in peacefully as the Fleet Admiral instructed?" The towering marine did not agree, and he was confident in showing that disposition, "Listen up, greenhorn. These orders were issued by the Commander-in-Chief, overruling the Fleet Admiral." He glared at the rowdy star recruit, "As a soldier, you do not ask ''why,'' you simply do it!" The answer was blunt and crass, but it was enough for the leading Vice Admiral. A final command was issued, one lacking humanity: "If the natives resist, you have the authority to cut them down as you please!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 131: Siege "This is all wrongбн" a defeated voice said. It came from a young male still in his mid-teens, around sixteen. He had medium-length black hair and a serious face. He wore dark-coloured clothing, black and blue. The other person in the room heard his words, but he had different thoughts: "Missions change all the time, but we can''t falter because they clash with our morals," the other young marine bluntly added. Orders are absolute." This one was of similar age and height of around eight feet (2.44 m), but he carried a vastly different air around him. He wore a white coat over his white trousers, leaving his chest bare. His black hair messily ran down his face and around his bright, turquoise-coloured eyes. A scar ran down his left eye. Both of them were bruised and bandaged up from previous battles that seemed to have occurred only days ago. Their combined faction was known as the Marine Super Rookies, Monkey D. Dragon and Shinrai. Much like the Pirate Supernovas, these two had great potential, even enough to grasp the rank of Admiral! [Dragon Image (in Discord)] [Shinrai Image (in Discord)] . The two were chatting in a small room onboard a Standard Marine Ship en route alongside five other such ships. "I saw you once at Marineford. You seemed compassionate and timid. Just what made you so reckless?" Dragon questioned. Shinrai deeply exhaled. His eyes narrowed at the memory of endless flames and great destruction around him. "I saw hell close-up and felt so pathetically weak," he cursed himself, clenching his fists. "I could only watch as a beacon of justice crumbled from the attack of pirates!" Shinrai locked envious eyes with his colleague: "You have a strong stand in the Navy with your father being as powerful as he is. I don''t have that. The only way for me to rise through the rankings is by completing missions without question!" The young marine burned with conviction, passionately declaring, "I''ll become an Admiral and lead entire fleets to ensure the world is peaceful!" Dragon heard the bold words and had no intention of admonishing who they came from. Instead, he focussed on Shinrai''s quest: "We both have very different views on peace." бн Meanwhile, determination fueled the fleet as it sailed relentlessly toward the dark island of Yozora. Their mission: a military takeover for reasons shrouded in secrecy. Yet, even in their wildest imaginations, they could not foresee the ordeal that awaited themбн бн [Five Hours Later] [Yozora Island, Dracule Estate] "Hawk-chan, stay here. Your parents will protect you!" The middle-aged woman led the child to the uppermost room, hugged him, and ran off on her own. Her mind had only two things to focus on: her child and her husband. The woman''s haste was warranted as five marine ships had arrived off the coast of the dark island. They dropped their thick metal anchors to the depths below, stopping completely. Five hundred troops made their way down, holding a packed formation. They were greeted by a shroud of utter darkness, broken only by the occasional flicker of fireflies and the silvery gleam of moonlight reflecting off the still waters. The air was thick with the stench of swamp and death, a nauseating mix that clung to their senses. The only sounds that reached their ears were the incessant chirping of crickets and the slow drip of water from the towering trees, creating an ominous symphony that made the hairs on their necks stand on end. The marines looked toward Shinrai, the operation''s deputy commander, and saluted: "Yes, sir!" The half-thousand men began spreading out, a single battalion of a hundred troops staking the island sector by sector. The supervising Vice Admiral nodded from the side, "Good work, Shinrai." He then looked up and felt the perpetual darkness with speculation, "Such thick darkness makes everything eerie," the decorated marine murmured. "But where did all the pirates go? There aren''t even any bodies." Yozora Island was one of the many land masses outside of Navy jurisdiction that had been hit with the new wave of pirates spawned from the Scorched Sea War. Naturally, the Navy was on the island of darkness to liberate them of their troubles until the new orders arrived. . "Vice Admiral Orlov, there''s a manor in the distance," Dragon''s deep yet straightforward voice resounded, reporting the strange sight. "Hmm, if there are natives, then that''s where they''d be," Orlov concluded. He zoomed in on the distant structure and ordered, "The two of you are leading. I''ll watch from the side." Dragon and Shinrai nodded, and the two began a march to the castle, catching up with a hundred men. Along the way, they were graced with remnants of a vast fight with crimson soil, but once again, no corpses. бн [Fifteen Minutes Later] "Augh!" "Euughh!" "Guaaahh!" "Kwauuah!" Dozens of miserable cries echoed from a snail in Shinrai''s hands. The young marine looked serious as his grip over his snail receiver tightened to almost breaking it: "That was the Fourth Battalion. We lost contact with them entirely!" Dragon heaved a dull breath. He could feel it; someone was watchingбкa predator stalking his prey. The same enemy who had already taken out a battalion. "!!!" The instincts drilled into the lad by his father spiked, zooming onto a sole shadow that had appeared atop a tree a few hundred meters away. The hundred marines cocked their weapons, waiting for the order with hidden fear. Before they could speak, the distant figure''s voice arrived: "You would be wise to turn around. Only death awaits your men here." It was a cold voice lacking emotion. The sharp words sent chills down the marines'' backs, forcing them to take a step back. The walk to the forest had already been graced with battle, and now the marines were on the platter. Naturally, they were shaken up by this significant threat. "Don''t get panicky," Shinrai yelled from his position. "It''s just one of him and a hundred of us!" Dragon, however, took a more peaceful approach and called out to the distant figure, "If you lower your sword, we can all get out of this unharmed." The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The star marine didn''t know who the person was, but he felt the piercing vision fall upon him like a waterfall. Just the gaze alone could force someone into a panic. ''I won''t let any more men die.'' Dragon knew the enemy was inspecting him and stood tall in return. "A man must stand up for his values," the swordsman lightly spoke, but the hissing wind carried over his voice. "I will not watch as my home is taken away by the likes of you." *Shing!* A bright flash went off, blinding the marines, followed by a loud grinding sound. But by the time they looked back, the figure had disappeared. However, the Marines were more focused on the scar on the earth before them. As one of them pointed out, "I-It''s a line!" "Is it a warning?" Shinrai murmured, gnashing his teeth. "He''s trying to intimidate us, push forward!" "We don''t know his capabilities," Dragon disagreed, waving his hand and halting the assault. "We should scout him out first, or we risk the lives of hundreds of men!" Though his words only evoked a scoff from Shinrai: "You can barely see through this thick darkness. There''s no point in sending scouts ahead." He then turned to the waiting marines and gave the command, ignoring his fellow super marine, "Continue onwards!" "All other Battalions converge on the manor!" Shinrai finalized through his snail, much to Dragon''s dismay. бн The disappearing shadow had sent the marines with racing hearts. Still, they continued moving aheadбкthe ominous silence amplified the dread plaguing their minds. Soon enough, they had arrived at the castle with reinforcements imminent. бн [Dracule Manor] "And here I thought the Navy was on the side of the people," a disdainful voice graced the hundred marines. Dragon, on the other hand, was left shocked. He looked past the thick darkness, making out the sole figure standing in opposition to the dozens of guns, swords and cannons. The man had all but one arm grasping an oddly thick katana, reflecting enough of the moonlight to unveil the aged face and chill-inducing yellow eyes. *Drip* *Drop* Blood slipped the hold of the weapon, creating a dooming melody in the soldiers'' earsбкthe blood of their fellow brothers-in-arm. "Navy high command has seized this island and all of its assets," Shinrai proudly declared, matching the old man''s eyes with his equally bright turquoise ones. "Do yourself a favour and stand down, or you will be taken down!" Dozens of other marines roared alongside him, bolstering their morale; this was a mission of justice. Vice Admiral Orlov was present as well, looking at Shinrai with appreciation. The swordsman, Dracule Vlad, didn''t respond. He simply watched the marine''s movements with his hawk-eyed vision. He sighed lightly and said, "Very well then." *Vvooo* An ominous wind blew as the one-armed man disappeared into the darkness, spooking the soldiers. Shinrai and Dragon jumped into action, spanning their instincts to respond to the inevitable threat. "Above," Orlov warned, still leaning on a faraway tree. . "Night Sword Style: Midnight Shadow." . A gray-coloured slash erupted from the sky, cleaving through the darkness and toward the battalion. "Take coveиC" Boom! The attack rained heavily, taking out two dozen men who didn''t react in time, bleeding away their cries with the howling winds. *Vvoosh* Thud! The air whistled once more as the one-armed swordsman appeared before another dozen soldiers. The marines nearby were all close-range units, choosing to charge at the man from all directions. . "Night Sword Style: Crescent Moon Slash." . The blade swung in a full circle, carrying zero forgiveness nor any hesitation. It sliced the air without difficulty, doing the same to the first neck it reached. *Swish* The fountain of blood followed behind the graceful blade before it claimed its second victim. Blood splattered in a perfect circle, dyeing a dreadful design around the swordsman. Vlad remained unwavering, but he was met with some offense: . "Graceful Gust!" . A whirling torrent of raging wind erupted from the side, blasting at the sole enemy with great precision. However, Vlad''s weapon was more than ready to meet it: . "Night Sword Style: Dimension Slash." . The oddly thick blade ran downward with great speed, leaving a black trail of energy soon lost in Yozora Island''s darkness. The howling winds were like rabid beasts, roaring and barking to obliterate their target. Vlad''s thick blade, however, silenced the assault with a simple slash. "..." Yellow eyes peered past the center of the torrent as the two halves were divided past the swordsman, exploding toward the surrounding marines while leaving Vlad untouched. Dragon clicked his tongue, seeing his attack fail. His boots dug into the dark soil, showing hints of hesitation. "I see pity in your eyes. It will cost you." The whisper in his ears shocked Dragon to his core, but soon, his expression turned painful as he felt the guard of a blade dig into his side, jabbing at his liver and even cracking some lower ribs. "Augh!" The young star was shot flying to the far right, his body bouncing over the ground and slamming into a leafless tree. "We''ll take you on!" Thirty soldiers ran in, half of them unloading their clips. Their clenched jaws and sweat-ridden faces conveyed the terror in their hearts, opting for them to carelessly pull the trigger. Vlad zoomed in on the incoming blade, his incredible eyes tracing the projectile closest to him and watching in slow motion. Five meters away, four, three, twoбн *Voosh* The man flickered upwards, leaving the bullets to burst past his afterimage and into the crowd. With a thud, Vlad landed as ten bodies fell from the crossfire. бн At the edge of the battlefield stood a hurried Shinrai, calling out to his ally, "Dragon!" He traced his hands over the injury, hearing Dragon''s grunts and feeling the broken ribs. The pained expression of his sole friend left Shinrai furious as he rushed toward the enemy: "You''ll pay for this!" "How reckless," Vlad mused, seeing past the terrified marines and locking onto the incoming Shinrai. A light whistle as the blade was raised, dripping with fresh blood. There wasn''t even a tiny chance for the swordsman to miss this strike. *Swish!* A simple yet unforgiving slash at Shinrai''s throat. Vlad felt the flesh being cut, evident from the ever-so-slight resistance in his motion, alongside the blood that followed. But there was something elseбн "!!!" The swordsman was left shocked as the slice he was making, and the separation of the head was somehow mending itself! The spurting blood died down as new flesh took place before death could arrive. *Shing!* Vlad met airбкShinrai should have been decapitated by now, yet no head thumped to the ground. It was beyond unnatural. ''A Devil Fruit,'' the man concluded, but it was too late. "I told you you''d pay for this!" A furious Shinrai had taken the open shot to land a fist on the enemy''s chest. BAM! Vlad grimaced from the punch at his chest; his aged body was easy to harm as he was sent flying across the ground and slamming into a hedge bush with significant momentum. . An ominous silence followed until the deep voice returned. "Such a curse aging is," the old swordsman mumbled past bloodied teeth. Even in his injured state, he never looked away from Shinraiбкthe piercing yellow eyes tracked the young marine as he returned to Dragon''s side. Shinrai placed a hand over the broken ribs and lightly huffed, "I''ll fix you up." "Thank you, Shinrai," Dragon thanked, feeling his ribs remedy themselves. Within seconds, he was up and running, back to new. Vlad ignored the pain as he eyed the enemy. The two yellow-ringed pupils vibrated as if the man was zooming into every fine detail: "It''s not even some form of healing ability. Rather, he is simply undoing all the damage I didбн" Orlov''s booming voice broke any further standstill: "You two, step back. This swordsman''s power is a little beyond you." Shinrai looked at the towering marine and couldn''t help but cry out, "I can deal with him, Vice Admiral! Please give me a chance!" His voice was laced with desperation. He was clawing for the chance to complete his mission with as much perfection as possible. Orlov sighed at the star rookie''s persistent eyes. He appreciated the drive toward justice, but there were limits to everything: "That''s enough. Just take another look at your enemy." Shinrai turned to the swordsman impatiently, but one good look brought pure shock to his faceбкVlad''s weapon was far too thick and bulky to be a katana! "No wayбн" the young lad absently mumbled. "He was swinging a sword with the sheath still on!?" Vlad, on the other hand, exhaled a tired breath. He gazed at his prized katana and the sheath that still encased it. A dark image of the past flashed by his weathered eyes, snippets of the previous siege on Yozora Island that claimed the lives of almost all the other Dracule people. He even remembered killing his brother with this same sword to alleviate him from the sickness born from infection to his wounds. "I vowed never to allow blood to spill on behalf of this blade, but now it seems I cannot honour those words." Shing! The air was sliced and cleaned under the unleashed blade. It had dark characteristics, was flooded with stars and had a design that encapsulated the night sky. However, there were marks of wear and tear from years of neglect. "This is ''Yozora'' of the twenty-one Great Grade Swords," Vlad introduced, holding the blade up at an angle to cover one of his eyes, allowing the other to peer past the ethereal blade. "Remember the blade that will cut you down." [Sword Image (in Discord)] . The Vice Admiral growled and cracked his knuckles. The sight of the old man waving his treasured blade was akin to obstructing justice, a grave sin in Orlov''s book. "I didn''t think such a masterful swordsman could live on this desolate island, Orororo!" the burly man said, appreciating his target. "Considering your lack of hesitation from cutting down so many marines, it is a good thing that we found you before you chose to stand against the World Government." "I am Orlov, Admiral Basara''s right-hand man. I suggest you surrender, old man!" Vlad showed no change of expression; he stood still, his single arm grasping the sharp blade in the face of a battalion of marines, a Vice Admiral and the two star rookies. *Fwwm* A thick coat of Haki was wrapped around the weapon, unveiling a dangerous luster. His razor-sharp yellow eyes locked onto Orlov, resembling that of a predator to its prey. "You laid siege to my home," Vlad''s indifferent voice cut the air like a knife. "Do not expect any mercy from this blade." To Be Continuedбн Chapter 132: Ultimatum "Mercy? Orororo! You should be the one asking for mercy!" Orlov roared; his entire body was coated in thick Haki, a full body armour! He shot from his position, shooting his fist at the swordsman like a raging bull. *Clang!* The sound of metal hitting metal as Vlad''s blade collided head-on with the punch. Sparks flew from the sheer friction of their clash, bringing about an orange hue in the middle of Yozora Island''s darkness. The one-armed man felt he was losing strength, prompting him to tilt his blade at the perfect angle and force Orlov to fall forward. The blade sliced mercilessly, slashing at the man''s exposed neck. "Shave." Orlov flickered away moments before his head was liberated from his neck. "Moonwalk." The air popped as the 15-footer soared to the sky, his arm clenching into that of bulging muscles. . "Iron Body: Meteor Slam!" . He fell like a comet, collapsing upon the much smaller Vlad. . "Night Sword Style: Black Tornado." . With a swift movement, the man''s sword unleashed a whirlwind that immediately took Orlov into the air, throwing his aim off and littering him with micro-cuts. By the time he crashed into the ground, there was another attack waiting for him: . "Night Sword Style: Dimension Slash." . Orlov was out of his league and couldn''t dodge away from the brutal blade. He crossed his Haki-clad arms, brimming them with Iron Body. *Clang!* The naval officer grimaced in pain from the blade digging into his arms, cutting through the skin and sawing away at his bones; such was the majesty of a Meito. "Ugh!" He cried out, the blood splattering and pain shooting up his nerves. Yet even under such stress, the man spat an order: "Now, take the shot!" Vlad didn''t have time to be surprised; all he heard was a continuous volley of bullets from all sides, even a rocket launched from above. The blade weaved through the air, cutting bullets, shredding projectiles and slicing most attacks. But a one-armed man could do only so much; he was soon hit with three bullets in the chest and another two in his left thigh. The veteran Vice Admiral quickly exploited such a window: . "Tempest Kick!" . Orlov unleashed a blinding flash of energy from his armoured leg, slashing at the wounded swordsman with no mercy. It dug away at the blade that was barely supported by one hand, pushing at Vlad''s ribs. The swordsman was launched back, colliding with a stone statue of a knight and collapsing with the bits of rocks. Blood dripped onto the lawn, seeping into the hedge maze of the Dracule Estate. The wind cried alongside the island''s caretaker, conveying its pain. Orlov''s thick boots dug into the shaken soil. The man raised his massive hand and held out a single finger: . "Finger Pistol Barrage!" . The condensed air pockets rained down on the fallen Vlad, hoping to turn him into Swiss cheese. *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* It was Orlov''s ''Stubborn Justice'' at work! "Orororo! If you wanna blame anyone for this mess, take it up with the Sin Incarnate!" The battle-hardened marine had naturally spotted the condition of the fine bladeбкit was chipped and rusty, perhaps due to Vlad''s desire never to unsheath for decades. *Clatter* The burly man smiled as he heard the sword break near the gripбкYozora fell apart! Still, it wasn''t enough for him to stop his assault. *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* бн "Is he dead?" Dragon muttered from the side, feeling sickly at the Navy''s actionsбкall this mayhem for a one-armed, old man. "Either that or he will be processed at Enies Lobby for his crimes," Shinrai answered in his own way. Even now, his eyes carried irritation from having to sit out from the battle. The two watched the dark shadow at the core of a giant dust cloud that spanned the entire hedge mazeбкthe Marines hadn''t taken any chances! "Wait, he''s reaching for something!" The soldiers barely saw the enemy drag himself to the center of the flattened maze, but soon disappeared under the dusty veil. "My father trained me for decades to one day wield you," came a tired voice. "I know I remain unworthy to hold your power, but please, let me at least protect the one who is worthy!" These are words that echoed out from the foggy hedge maze. "I have a bad feeling about this," Orlov muttered. Shing! The air shrieked from the sudden sharpness, sending out tremors through the atmosphere. A bright light reflected through the hazy fog and dust, lighting the way. Orlov was finally able to make out his surroundings. He saw the crumpled hedge maze as before, but the giant sword fixed into the thick rock had disappeared alongside the yellow-eyed man. . "Night Sword Style: Last Stand!" . Orlov had no time to react. All he saw was a gray-coloured blade slash away at his neck at incredible speeds. There was the dust in the air and cricket chirpings in the background before, and now, there was silence. The Vice Admiral blinked in confusion, ''I''m deadбн?'' he thought, unable to voice it out. The last thing he saw was a fountain of blood erupting from a headless body before darkness took over. ""Vice Admiral!"" Dragon and Shinrai rushed to the fallen marine, springing to action. Under Vlad''s sharp and tired eyes, the latter tried to use his powers. "Stay with me!" Shinrai held the head, still dripping with blood, and connected it to the neck, an orange light shining at the connection. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. However, Orlov''s lifeless eyes remained lifeless. "It seems your powers have limits, young marine." Vlad breathed out, coughing some blood. Meanwhile, a mighty wind spun around the other rookie, increasing vigorously. "No wonder you both are touted as the Future of the Navy. You have good talent and notable abilities at your disposal." Though the final words came at more and more expense, the swordsman slowly succumbed to his injuries. Yoru fell to the ground, lightly trembling. *Szzz* Vlad''s hand was left scarred, his Haki unable to without the might of the Supreme Blade beyond a single slash. Dragon noticed such a sight: "I haven''t seen a masterful swordsman as yourself; that must be an excellent blade to leave such a mark." However, his face warped into a mix of anger and reluctance: "You should have surrendered, and now nothing is stopping your execution!" The old man smiled back, even though his waning strength had left him on his knees: "We all have our time on this planet. I will accept my end graciously." His hawk-like eyes locked onto his young adversary, scanning every detail, "But I wonder, can you take pride in this endeavour, young marine?" "бн" All the swordsman saw in the young man''s eyes was apprehension. "Life is truly filled with ironies," Vlad muttered, reading the enemy''s hesitation like a book. "Enough, old man!" Shinrai roared, furious at the fallen Vice Admiral. "There''s another three hundred marines that''ll be here any second; you''ll pay for what you did!" "Commander Shinrai!" a low-rank marine rushed across the dry soil. "W-We lost contact with Battalion Three and Five!" he yelled. "Only a hundred from Battalion One made it here!" Dragon narrowed his eyes, looking at the near-dead Vlad, "You''re not alone." This was news to even Vlad, who helplessly cursed under his breath, "Mina, I told you to stay with him." A person arrived at the fallen swordsman''s side: a woman. Though much older than the young rookies, she still maintained elegance. "What kind of a wife would I be if I didn''t stand beside my husband in his weakest moments." Vlad sighed, though he couldn''t help but lightly smile, even in the face of such darkness. Their connection was undeniable, forged in the fires of countless battles and strengthened by their unwavering commitment to each other. The woman gave one last smile at the fallen man, beaming life into his soul, and looked at the two soldiers with distaste: "You mischievous Navy rookies don''t know how to respect your elders. I can''t believe there was a time when we admired you people!" Dragon sighed, extending his hands. *Vvooo* *Wururu* A powerful gust of green air spun about, though it now crackled with electricity! The ground was left charred, showcasing the destructive nature of the rookie''s powers. Meanwhile, Shinrai leapt ahead as well: "Shave." Mina sensed the two attacks and returned with one of her own: . "One Sword Style: Bloody Mary." . The blade was swift and elegant, carrying no hesitation: three consecutive attacks, each slashing at the coming enemy. "Tch!" Shinrai, who had rushed forward, halted, though not fast enough to evade the hits. The young lad felt the throbbing pain of having his chest, thigh and neck cut open; it was like magma coursing through his nerves. Alas, it lasted but a brief second before mending. He saw the alarmed Mina watching with those same piercing eyes and opted for something else. With a quick swipe, the broken Yozora was picked up. Shinrai flexed his arms and sent the weapon with just its grip remaining at the woman, aiming for her throat. "!!!" The female swordsman didn''t know why the broken blade carried far more danger than it was present. . "Remedy." . Shinrai''s words echoed through and were overshadowed by the flying weapon suddenly transforming! A sharp blade regrew about its broken stem, almost like a blooming flower! Within seconds, it went from the size of a dagger to a full-fledged swordбкYozora was reborn! *Clang!* Due to Mina''s proactiveness, she was able to divert the blade, parrying it to the side, but not before leaving herself open. . "Abyssal Gust!" . A massive stream of raging winds abruptly arrived, slamming onto the woman''s body. The blade was guarded, protecting her body from most of the attack. Cuts opened along her arms and legs, and the howling winds were as sharp as her sword! Mina didn''t wait and leapt to the sky with her weapon. Unfortunately, she was one step too late: . "Seismic Thunder." . *Rumble* A bright flash followed by the roar of thunder. Mina was bathed with millions of volts, her raised weapon acting like a lightning rod, credit to Dragon''s attack. Shinrai joined in the assault as well, picking up a pebble and aiming it at the woman frozen midair. *Fwooo* the harmless stone soared across the sky toward its enemy. At the last second, Mina regained control over her tasered body, but not before the innocent pebble was at arm''s length from her. . "Overhaul." . *Click* *Clack* The tiny pebble suddenly mended to its original shape, which it had previously broken off, transforming into a boulder over five meters in diameter! Mina was struck, and her lithe body was thrown to the far end of the maze and nearing the stone manor. A disgruntled Dragon flicked his finger at the last second, sending a gentle gust of air to slow her fall. Her life was spared from any damning injuries, but her ribs were long broken. Such a brutal, one-sided victory was met with a round of applause: "That''s the future of our Navy! They''re incredible!" "For Justice!" "Orlov-sama has been avenged!" The nearby marines, accounting for 120 or so men, burst into a cheer, exclaiming in favour of the two young stars. Even in the eternal darkness of Yozora Island, these men felt like they were bathed in the light of justice, carrying out the will of their fallen hero, Orlov. ''Soon, I''ll have all the Navy cheering me on,'' Shinrai clenched his hands, smiling triumphantly. ''The Commander-in-Chief will surely give me merit for this!'' The young lad could taste the imminent glory; it was his first step on the path to power. Dragon was different. His face carried great ambivalence as he stared at the miserable couple, both left near death in their own home. A single thought circled his mind: ''What could warrant such a damning assault. To attack an island with no history of piracy to thisбн'' Shinrai''s voice brought the storm-bringing marine out of his reverie: "Arrest them both." "I have the cuffs, sir," a Commodore reported, rushing up and attempting to click on the metal bracelets over the downed Vlad. However, even with a hundred-plus reinforcements absorbed in the glow of victory, the man couldn''t stop what was to come: . "Oblivion Press." . Boom! The leading Commodore went through the five stages of grief as he felt the cold voice echo in his mind. The others barely even processed the words before they were pressed with a colossal amount of force, their very bodies being stapled to the ground. It was a dark curtain of despair, drawing over the battalion with its climatic doom. "Ugh!" "Auugh!" "Kauuwh!" The 120 or so men all cried out in unison as their bodies were subjected to weight far beyond gravity, their organs threatening to pop. It was like being forced under a towering waterfall. "Who is it!?" Shinrai shot back, creating distance from the despairing sight. Meanwhile, a dull wind carried Dragon away, each of the Star Rookies jumping to action. "Help me, pleиCguh!" A marine managed to beg before the damning weight pressed him to the floorбкthe shrieking earth overshadowed the soldiers'' misery. It took Dragon a few moments to find the culpritбкa lithe figure standing near the fallen couple. He observed her sleek, black outfit, its sharp gold accents catching the dim light. The form-fitting design emphasized a commanding presence, each movement precise and deliberate. She exuded an air of elegance and menace, a figure of undeniable authority in the shadows. [Clothing Image (in Discord)] "The power to command gravity," Dragon murmured, staring at the masked woman with a shaken spirit. "Devil''s Architect, why are you here!?" Raging winds encased the marine, his body crackling with lightning, conveying his strong guard against the woman feared in the Underworld. Shinrai was just as confused, though his anger at the sight of his fellow marines being pressed overruled his befuddlement. Another voice greeted the two, a voice of disparagement: "You two brats aren''t worthy to stand before our Boss. We''ll take you on!" The Star Duo turned their attention to the other two men who had arrived alongside the Underworld Emperor. They were well-known. The one at the forefront had pale skin and resembled more of a white humanoid snake than a human, especially considering the cracked skin and yellow eyes. He had purple tubes connected to the back of his head and neck; whether they were for purpose or decoration, the man was a demon from appearance alone! "''Bone Baron'' Kaiser," Shinrai spat out. "Bounty of 282 million berries." [Kaiser Image (in Discord)] The other attacker growled through his sharp canines like a wild dog. The creature donned Egyptian clothing, leaving his brown-coloured upper chest bare. He had pointy ears with the face of a jackal. "''Voice of the Dead'' Nekrиоs, a reward of 420 million berries!" Nekrиоs, previously named Ebi, had a power many fearedбкa power to produce endless soldiers! A power he proudly showed off: . "Arise!" . The black orb floating over his staff shone with blue light, dawning over the sea of corpses, giving them life. "You bastard!" Shinrai roared, seeing a fearsome sightбкhundreds of corpses stood up in undead glory. A giant body was also there, eclipsing the others in stature and presence. "E-Even Orlov-sama, you demon!" It was the headless Vice Admiral! Dragon wanted to move in and ensure his fallen comrades weren''t desecrated but met a brick wall: "Nuh-uh, I wouldn''t do that if I were you." The young marine felt a cold blade aimed toward him, emanating primal sharpness. He saw his enemy, one with white bones protruding from his body; it was Kaiser. Shinrai gnashed his teeth impatiently, feeling helpless, "The two guardians of Unso Islandбн The Hounds of Fulcrum!" "..." Dragon looked away from Kaiser, even though the latter was within range to kill. The marine''s eyes traced over the risen dead, following on the true master of the newly arrived enemies. "Fulcrum, do you really want to do this? Even if you''re in good grace with the Government, you can''t just do as you please!" The words drew a short silence, the attention of others falling on the masked woman. Her black mask had no designбкit was a simple black sheet. Its simplicity, in tandem with the endlessly pressing weight of over a hundred marines, painted quite a frightening picture! Being blanketed by Yozora Island''s darkness amplified the woman''s ominous existence even further. "The Government values my Styx Passage far more than the both of you; that little you should know," came the young woman''s voice. Dragon felt eyes lock on him from under the dark mask, her words bringing forth an ultimatum: "Go back and tell Endou and the geezers at Mariejois that Yozora Island is protected by Fulcrum. Any further trespassing will be met with brutal resistance from the Underworld!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 133: Purging Shadows "You actually want to risk the single agreement of the Styx Accords that allows you to exist for this little island!?" Shinrai thundered in confusion and anger. "What''s so special about this place?" The reply Shinrai was given was a little more painful than he expected; the young marine was bombarded with extreme force as the woman''s voice echoed, "You''re not the one who asks questions in this scenario." "Ugh!" His near-8 foot frame was crushed with the downward force resembling gravity, pushing onto every ounce of his being. The marine fell to his quivering knees, though stubbornly glaring at the enemy with malice. "Who allowed you to look at our Boss with those eyes?" Nekrиоs swung his staff, slapping the glare of the young marine. Blood spat out from his mouth, along with his ego. But under his desperation was a power worthy of merit. "R-Remedyбн" he slowly muttered, fighting the overwhelming weight with great spirit. Like magic, the copious weight disappeared, restoring gravity to its original level! Shinrai''s hand shot to the side, grasping a dozen pebbles. He threw them separately, one aimed at Nekrиоs and Kaiser, the other at Fulcrum. . "Overhaul!" . Boom! *Crash!* The two men dealt with the pebble-turned boulders easily, while Fulcrum didn''t even move, and the three boulders coming at her were crushed to fine powder and pathetically clattering to the floor. However, it allowed Dragon to exercise his powers and pull Shinrai to safety, appearing fifty meters away. Such a unique ability made the Egyptian god smile: "They ate some interesting powers." Kaiser didn''t speak and aimed his right arm in the direction of the super rookies: . "Dead Bone Pulse." . Thick bullets of pure bone began shooting out from the man''s fingers, raining upon the marines. The digits were like a machine gun, releasing the bony rounds. Dragon was quick to defend, creating a raging wind barrier: . "Tempestuous Wall!" . However, things didn''t go as plannedбн Bang! Pain shot through his systemбкlooking down, there was a bony spear spiking from below. The grunting Dragon looked to Kaiser, seeing his left arm dipping into the ground. The bone gun was a feint, and the actual attack came from below! Shinrai saw the blood spurt from his friend''s stomach and jumped to help. He touched the hole in his colleague''s stomach, emanating warmth: . "Remedy!" . As the wound undid itself, it also left them open for attack. A shadow flickered ahead, and a thick fist slammed into Shinrai''s face, sending ripples of force through his brain. "Aaugh! D-Damn it, let the Vice Admiral''s body go!" Nekrиоs, still in his Anubis form, returned a menacing grin, puppeteering the veteran marine with joy, "You two rookies aren''t ready for this stage yet. Unfortunately, you flew too close to the sun!" "Surround them!" His words carried great authority over the hundred-plus risen. They flooded the Marines without mercy, even running over one another without care; they existed solely to complete their tasks. Soon, the two were surrounded by a thick sea of bodies. "Damn itбн" Dragon cursed, stabilizing his breathing from the earlier injury. "Hehe, what is it? Are you hoping Daddy will come to save you?" Nekrиоs mocked from beyond the horde. "Even Garp will fold if the fossil Endou orders him to. You should know how important our Styx Passage is to them!" Kaiser added his agreement by transforming from a white-bone demon to a black one, clad in Haki. . Both sides were turbulent; death was creeping around the star rookies, and the Guardians of Unso Island were more than ready to ensure it. *Thump* *Thump* Thump* However, a few distinct footsteps resounded the chaotic scene, silencing the rowdy horde. Nekrиоs slightly lowered his head, his Arisen subconsciously following suit to allow their true master a view of the marines. "Fulcrumбн" Dragon muttered, all the while crackling with storms in preparation. Nekrиоs scoffed at the defiance and raised his magical staff, "I''ll kill them at your order, Boss!" But no reply came. The necromancer blinked, "Boss?" Fulcrum stood tall, her body only topped by Orlov and the transformed Nekrиоs. Her elegant garb and starry presence overshadowed all others, acting like a magnet to draw their attention. "Calm your Arisen down." The order left the man confused, but he did as told. With a tap of his staff, the zombie-like monsters roaring and clawing ahead turned docile, becoming mannequins. Kaiser turned to his master and cautioned, "These two will surely become great threats in the future." "They do have dangerous powers..." The young woman''s distorted voice mused in thought. The casual conversation flooded Dragon and Shinrai with dread. They knew it; their fate lay in the Fulcrum''s hand. The Underworld Empress glanced at Shinrai first: "A survivor of the Fallen G-2, one that was fortunate enough to have eaten a Devil Fruit, which saved him from definite doom." Shinrai looked gloomy, but he didn''t speak. "We''ve classified your fruit, an interesting Paramecia-Type," the King of Shipping calmly announced. Her voice shifted into that of intrigue as she shared her findings, "The Fix-Fix Fruitбкa power that allows its user to fix anything they deem broken or faulty." She then turned to Dragon: "A Stormbringing Human... the Storm-Storm Fruit." The woman hummed, almost as if debating different ways this could end up. "..." Her silent stance filled the marines with dread; from her mysterious figure, further amplified by the indifferent nature of her mask and overpowering strength, Fulcrum was truly unpredictable in her actions. And finally, the order was given: "Release them." The words shocked the Marines and the two Underworld men: "B-But Boss!?" "Do it." "Yes!" Nekrиоs waved his hands, breaking the encirclement. Kaiser exhaled heavily, retracting his bones hastily. Shinrai, ignoring his embarrassing condition, jumped up and roared, "Release the others too!" His mind was constantly on the hundred or so soldiers still being pressed without mercy. Their bodies were subjected to such weight that all but a few whimpers and quivers leaked out. However, his tone wasn''t appreciated. Shinrai''s face warped from anger to livid shock as he saw the marines burst into a bloody mist and explode into a red paste, splattering over the cold soil. "Y-You bitcиC" Boom! This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. The marine instantly blacked out as his body was nailed to the ground by an influx of force. *Crack* *Rumble* Scars formed all over the dark soil, Shinrai being embedded deeper and deeper; the earth cried in pain alongside the miracle marine. "Stop!!!" Dragon cried, rushing to defend his fellow rookie marine. "I''ll apologize on his behalf!" Fulcrum didn''t stop, still squeezing Shinrai to a pulp. *Krrrrr* The weight began to vary. The force near the fallen marine''s chest and head remained the same, but the one on each of his limbs quintupled, instantly turning them all to mush! "Shinrai!!!" Dragon''s eyes shook at seeing his fellow star rookie reduced to a head and chest. At the same time, everything else was turned to paste. The stress over his throat stopped any screams, but his twisting torso conveyed the pain. "Take back his top half back with you. Don''t worry, his heart is still beating," Fulcrum casually said. "I''m sure Shinrai can fix himself once he wakes up." Dragon was left speechless; his helpless eyes glared at the titanic threat before relenting. He summoned a collection of clouds under him and slowly floated up, bringing Shinrai toward him with a soft gust of wind. Coils of electricity arched through the cloud, cauterizing the wounds instantly. The shaken marine clenched his fists from the helplessness and looked to the elegant Fulcrum one last time. Although he couldn''t make out her face, he could still feel the firm confidence in the womanбкshe really could have ended their career here! . The woman felt the distant gaze and turned to the side. The two parties grew further apart, but her voice reached Dragon with ease: "You attacked someone''s home and nearly killed his family..." Dragon followed the Underworld Emperor''s gesture, his eyes eventually landing on a little boy who had appeared at the unconscious couple''s side. Although they were far away, He could still feel the piercing eyes locking onto him. No, it wasn''t onto him specifically, but rather the Navy emblem on his tattered shirt. The distorted voice returned to the rookie''s ear, "I hope you Marines are ready for his future hunt." The young soldier gave no reply; he heaved a tired sigh and flew away, the remains of Shinrai in tow. бн [Thirty Minutes Later] An unmasked Fulcrum stood before the gravely injured husband-and-wife duo; Nekros and Kaiser had returned to the ship. They had moved to a warmer setting: the living room of the Dracule Manor, which overlooked the now-flattened hedge maze. "I''m sorry I was so late... Things have gotten so hectic these past few days," The previously ice-cold voice had become soft and apologetic. She addressed the injured couple that had woken up. They each rested by sitting up and leaning onto a sofa, green candles lighting up the vast room. Kaiser, an orthopedic doctor on his down-time, had already administered aid and painkillers to them, granting them vague mobility. Although in their fifties, the two expertly hid any further pain or injury, purposefully doing so to calm the girl sitting across from them. Aurora spoke candidly, "The fleet was previously helping clean up the other four islands of piratesбн But their mission was changed at the last minute. The orders ignored policy and came straight from the Commander-in-Chief to Orlov." The young woman''s purple eyes were filled with regret, "I didn''t receive any word of it. If not for another dark island being taken over, I would have never rushed here." "Don''t be ridiculous, Aurora-chan," came the elegant voice of Dracule Mina. The middle-aged woman reassured Aurora with a smile: "You already saved us from those rabid pirates a few weeks ago. Now you saved Hawk-chan from becoming an orphan. How can we accept your apology?" Vlad nodded alongside his wife, showing nothing but gratitude. Aurora was briefly unable to respond. She could feel the duo''s thankful nature and sighedбкthere was another side to the chaos. "No," she shook her head in guilt. "I should have long guessed their interest in this island." An image of the Scorched Sea War flashed in her eyes, which she truthfully conveyed, "It has to do with the way Damien ended the war some months ago..." ... [Stygian Archipelago, North Blue] A dark shadow stood tall in a forested atoll at the center of the archipelago. Its name, Stygian, conveyed the dark nature of the chain of islands. The archipelago was littered around a giant volcano that continuously spewed ash and smoke into the atmosphere, creating a thick, suffocating blanket of ash that blocked out the sun, allowing only a fleeting glimpse of the sun through a temporary break in the cloud cover each day. Footsteps rang through the grass, and a black-clothed marine rushed toward the man standing tall under the veil of darkness. The soldier gulped at his superior, noting the fierce expression of the scarred man. His hair was long, flowing, and golden-brown, with a mane-like appearance that framed his face and extended past his shoulders. His intense, piercing eyes reflected a lion-like ferocity. "L-Lord Xerxes, we found a small vein deep in the island, almost eight hundred meters down!" he reported with a salute. Respect was warranted as the man was tied in authority with the Fleet Admiral; he was Xerxes, the Chief of Cipher Pol! The authoritative figure firmly nodded, his eyes narrowing in thought. "That confirms five dark islands of the nineteen we took over do indeed have the ore," Xerxes'' deep voice resounded. He cupped his chin, his eyes returning to the agent: "It seems Tensai''s words held merit." ... "A metal that rarely forms in places that see little to no sunlight," Vlad echoed Aurora''s words. "Jigoku Ore." The young woman nodded grimly, "Damien recovered the same ore from G-2 and ended the Scorched Sea War with it..." "So that''s why they came here," Mina understood. She took one peak at her husband who returned a knowing nod before turning to the regretful Aurora. "Is that why you have that my-dog-is-dead face on?" She smiled in question, reaching out for the girl''s hands. "We would never blame you for this scuffle." "ButиC" The woman quickly hushed Aurora''s rebuttal: "We might live on a small island which sees no visitors, but we aren''t blind to the seas outside. I''m sure they didn''t make it easy for you to get here in time either." Her voice was mostly unwavering, but Aurora easily grasped the trembling in the woman''s hand. She looked into her ringed eyes and saw the worries Mina was hiding. "Is it Mihawk?" she slowly asked. The middle-aged woman''s eyes widened as she looked away, choking back a sob. Vlad reached to grab his wife with his only hand, comfortingly nodding at the shaken Aurora. "Mina''s just a little frantic about him, don''t worry." Aurora sighed in dismay and deeply regretted her late arrival. She pictured Mihawk''s lost eyes that remained after taking care of the Marines, the sheer betrayal and darkness growing in those piercing eyes. Even the stoic Vlad wasn''t free of concerns; Mihawk was a lone child raised in darkness and silence. His parents were the only humans he grew up with, the same two that almost died before him. "He''s too young for those emotions! H-His innocence is gone!" Mina cried. Her voice was breaking with grief, remembering the look on her son''s face before he ran into the forest. Vlad pressed a calming touch on his wife''s shoulder and reassured her, "Mihawk is strong. He will rise above this." The man stood up with Mina in his arm. "We are grateful to both you and Damien. Just know this: Mihawk is our only concern." Aurora deeply exhaled and stood up. Her gem-like eyes met those of a hawk''s and firmly declared, "The Navy will never bother you here ever again." The conviction boomed through the mundane living room, leaving the Dracule couple with faint smiles. "I believe you," Vlad nodded. "But it will change Mihawk." Aurora''s gaze shook under the grave thought of the child, but the older man''s following words calmed her down: "I''m endlessly glad that Mina and I can be there to help him through this." Mina left her husband''s arm, turning to Aurora and grasping her hands like a friend''s. "Aurora-chan, can you tell Damien that when he''s free," she glanced at Vlad to confirm her intentions, then turned back to the girl, "We''d like to talk to him about something important." "Of course." ---------------------------------------------- The conclusion to the military takeover at Yozora spawned a chain of events that would quickly burn any shred of peace remaining in the seas. For where there was warmth and relief on the island of the Night Sky, there was turbulence at another such island... ---------------------------------------------- "What did you say?" Xerxes''s grizzly voice shook the Stygian Archipelago. The shrieking air revealed the man''s fury. A lone marine official stood by the side, fearfully watching as his superior roared into a transponder snail. ''H-He was satisfied just a moment ago,'' the black-suited man murmured. The agent gasped as the air around him suddenly turned bone-dry, each breath scraping painfully down his throat and chest like inhaling sandpaper. His lungs burned, desperate for moisture, while his vision blurred from the rapid onset of dizziness and dehydration. Xerxes was too focused on the conversation to rein in his ability, which left the poor agent on his knees. "Only Garp''s son and Shinrai made it out, Chief. It was Fulcrum who had declared Yozora under her protection," the snail explained. *Shhk* *Krssh* The soil under Xerxes'' feet was stripped of moisture, transforming into fine grains of sand. He squeezed his grip around the snail as his nails elongated into sharp claws, and his eyes grew feral, glowing with an unnatural intensity: "Five of nineteen islands have revealed small veins of Jigoku Ore, and Fulcrum would dare to obstruct our takeover!?" Meanwhile, the kneeling agent was on his last leg, grasping his throat with bloodshot eyes, ''I-It burns!'' But as the world darkened around him, the agent was freed from his struggles as the air regained its moisture. "This changes everything, Kade," Xerxes calmly continued, staring at the snail. The man on the other end was his right-hand man, the Deputy Chief of Cipher Pol. Kade hummed through the snail, offering his thoughts, "Shall I resume my investigation on the missing princess?" "Bring me results," the Chief ended the call and began striding away from the ashy island. "Fulcrum... Amethyst Aurora... Sin Incarnate," he murmured, dialling another number on his personal snail. "Puru," "Puru," "Puru." "Katcha~!" The snail assumed the appearance of a black-haired, bearded man. His scarred appearance conveyed his veteran status. "Commander-in-Chief," Xerxes grew respectful. "I would like to personally confirm the location of more Jigoku Ore and a link between Fulcrum and the Sin Incarnate." "And what are your thoughts?" Endou''s deep and hoarse voice held little emotion. It was an attitude born from his vast years in service; there were no surprises he had not already witnessed. "I''m unsure if they are allies, but they surely share interests based on Fulcrum''s reckless actions," Xerxes confidently shared. "Can you ensure the transport of the Jigoku Ore from the islands to Tensai''s new lab?" Endou questioned, once again, without emotion. "I cannot." A hum echoed from the broody snail''s mouth. There was a lot of politics to consider. Fulcrum controlled the Styx Passages that provided safe transportation of goods and even the Heavenly Tributes, alongside aid to marine bases worldwide. "So either we attempt to transport the ore, and risk losing it to Fulcrum or leave it behind for the Sin Incarnate to weaponize," Endou surmised. "I''ll handle the World Economy News Paper. Xerxes, I leave the clean-up to you." That said, the snail went to sleep with a "Katcha~!" . The Chief of Cipher Pol lightly smiled at the trust instilled in him. "You see that, Kong? Your goodwill with Endou-san is slipping away!" the man rejoiced, clenching his fists. The grinning Xerxes turned to the panting marine trailing behind and commanded, "Call an evacuation at the nineteen dark islands. I''ll give their inhabitants twenty-four hours to leave..." The look in the man''s eyes was driven and unshaken: "After that, have Kong order a Buster Call at every single one of them!" The soldier was left stumped; he froze in place and absently murmured, "B-But only five islands had the ore? And most of these islands have primitive societies. They won''t leave just because we orde-" Xerxes raised a hand, shutting the marine up. His voice was cold and relentless, each word cutting through the air like a blade. "If sinking nineteen islands means preventing the Sin Incarnate from amassing more of his doomsday bombs, then so be it." The marine, still reeling from the order, could barely process the magnitude of the decision. "Sir, the innocent lives..." Xerxes turned, his intense orange eyes glowing with a chilling resolve. "Their fate is sealed. Let them perish with their land, consumed by fire and blood!" The soldier stood in stunned silence, the weight of the command settling heavily in the pit of his stomach as Xerxes walked away, leaving a path of devastation in his wake. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 134: Allegiance Here is some canon info: Over 20 million islands are in the One Piece world. So, take that as context when it comes to purging a couple dozen insignificant islandsбкa drop in the ocean.

Two weeks went by as hell arrived in nineteen islands throughout the world, all at the hands of pirates! According to reports, these infernal individuals were claiming territory in the name of the Rocks Piratesбкan offering to be recruited under their unholy banner. To control this chaotic stream of terror, the invincible Admiral Basara had led nineteen excursions and purged all forms of tyranny alongside the islands themselves! In the name of the innocents, the Navy had struck a deal with the Underworld, using their ships to evacuate the islands on behalf of the benevolent Government. Some forces smelled the stench of a cover-up, but even the liberated World Economy News Paper had confirmed it, leaving them no choice but to accept the justice employed by the World Government. The hidden truth behind everything went down in a snail call between the Commander-in-Chief Endou and the ''Devil''s Architect'' Fulcrum, leaving the seas ignorant. ... [No Man''s Land] A lone Damien stood at the center of the chaotic and damned No Man''s Land. He had long become used to the absurd surroundings over the two weeks he''d been here. "The Pulverize-Pulverize Fruit can not only crush things apart," a calm voice echoed through the hellish lands, "but it can also reconstruct crushed things back to their original appearance." "Be that macroscopically, microscopicallyбн" He played around with palm-size rocks, sporting the appearance of an angel from hell. First, he crushed it into coin-sized pieces and reformed it. Then Damien turned them to a size smaller than the naked eye could see. And once again, it reformed. Finally, the young pirate mobilized his powers to break the reconstructed rock into smaller and smaller pieces. From the size of a coin to grain sand to the size of common bacteria. *Viz* Another round of pulverization reached a truly miniscule stage. The limestone, reduced to around 1000 nanometers, and the very molecules that built up the solid were all that remained. The crimson energy continued to seep deeper and deeper, turning the individual molecules into that of a checkered pattern and dividing them further! It broke the ionic bonds of the molecules. At the young man''s discretion, even the gases that happened to be near the rock were stripped of their covalent bonds. "... or even atomically." The sound of pixelation echoed through the nearby land; the atomic dismantling was done precisely, reducing the rock to its atoms! Oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron, calcium, sodium, potassium, and magnesium were the elements that remained, all moving at the command of the demonic winged figure, staying afloat in the middle of endless hell. *Purrup* Out of nowhere, a current of crimson energy burst out. It formed a small, uniform hexagonal prism that appeared around the dusted rock, floating in the young man''s hand. The shape was made of tens of trianglesбкthe most durable shape in reality. It was stable, entirely encircling the palm. [Prism Image (in Discord)] . "Atomic Modeling." . The hexagonal prism lit up with an eerie crimson glow, slowly spinning. Within a moment, it disappeared into a mist of red energy that attached itself to the loose elements from before. "..." A moment later, a rock materialized into the palm of the pirate''s hand. It was the same rock, left in the same position, still the exact same size and shape, seemingly untouched from before. Simply put, it had gone through atomic dismantling and was remodelled into its original appearance, completing a circle of life: creation to destruction! Boom! The winged demon began to transform. The wings receded, and the armour disintegrated. The loose energy was returned, unveiling the satisfied face of the Sin Incarnate. His crimson eyes shone brighter than ever, filled with certainty. A surge of power ran through the young pirate''s veins, a new feeling blossoming in his mind and heart. It felt liberatingбн like a newborn breathing its first breath, expanding its untouched lungs. Damien breathed in the ruined atmosphere of No Man''s Land, a thin smile etched on his face: "It''s finally done," he clenched his fists in triumph. "My Devil Fruit has Awakened." ... The feeling of wanting to test the extent of his powers was strongбкDamien soon found himself in the den of beasts. ... [Ring of Untold Horrors] "So, you''re just gonna run wild?" A surprised Solomon questioned. He had tailed his soon-to-be boss once he came out from No Man''s Land. "I''ll bring down their population to a more manageable number," the pirate answered, fully locked in. Solomon blinked and scratched his head: "But there are tens of thousands of themбн" "Tens of thousands of test subjects for me to fully realize my new abilities." The frank reply left the Spirit of Fear speechless. He looked at the endless confidence in the eyes of the outsider and cautioned, "All rightбн but I gotta warn you, too much noise on this island, and you might end up drawing out worse things." бн The duo of Damien and Solomon had begun to venture through the regions of Extinction Valley. Although most of the creatures inhabited the Ring of Untold Horrors and the Savage Lands, the other areas had their goodies. Solomon was mainly a side character. He would watch and study Damien''s techniques and Haki usages, trying to break out of the simpler and primal fight style that worked only against mindless beasts. A total of two weeks passed by as the pirates went on a massacre, cutting up the Forsaken beasts like they were made of clay, going around the entire Valley that spanned hundreds of kilometers. The undying pirate spent the days polishing the array of powers he had attained. What Damien learned was that his Awakening was far, far more than simply atomic-level pulverization. It also worked incredibly well with his Life Return technique. What followed his crusade were the deaths of the Forsaken, thousands by the night; their blood was sucked into the soil, even staining the air with a red hue. The Extinct celebrated as their nights grew quieter and quieter, a sense of peace gracing their hectic lives. That was until Damien ran into a fascinating creature. A creature that stood out even amongst the terrors of Extinction Valley. It was a nightmarish creature that stood around 6 feet tall and had a grotesque and otherworldly appearance. Its body was made of a web-like, organic substance riddled with holes and tendrils. "SKRRREEEEEAAARRRGGGHHH!" Damien winced under the deep, guttural growling, echoing with an unnatural, bone-chilling resonance. The endless tiny holes that covered the monster were singing the horrifying sound from all angles and frequencies. This symphony came together in an unholy union that would strike fear into anyone who heard it. "Oh shit!" The pirate''s eyes shot to the side where a shaken Solomon stood. He was carrying some dead animals for food, only to run into the nightmare that was forced to kneel before Damien. The pirate glared at the shirtless, tattooed man with confusion. Solomon felt the deadpan stare and woke up from his reverie. "W-What, that''s a freaking Malvora!" He protested to preserve some dignity. In his haste, he gave another look at the growling creature and gagged right away, "D-Dammit, all those holes make me queasy." Damien was left without wordsбкthe man who could manipulate fear was now doing his absolute best not to look at the tiny Malvora. [Malvora Image (in Discord)] With a wave of a hand, the creepy thing was atomically dismantled. "Each day, you make me question your title of the ''Spirit of Fear.'' First, it was the sand, now a creature with holes." Solomon sighed in relief at the dusted abomination and turned to his Captain: "Hey, don''t put it like that!" "..." Damien was unamused, prompting the Zoan user to continue, "Malvora are like the creepiest things out thereбн" Solomon''s voice grew venomous as he finished his plea: "...as for sand, I just hate it!" You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. The dark-haired brute''s eyes sharpened while a boom of thunderous Haki stretched itself to the ends of the visible earth, leaving tears and cracks in its wake. Damien narrowed his eyes at the growling Solomon, recalling what he said a few weeks ago: "My mother was torn apart from the sandworms. I still remember coming across her ripped-apart corpse! We lost everything because of what that man damned us with!" "Blaming yourself for her death won''t solve anything, you know?" the pirate questioned. The words broke Solomon out from his anger and forced his eyes to the ground: "What do you knowбн" "I know." Solomon looked to his Captain absently, feeling the somberness in his crimson eyes. "..." "You won''t get anywhere until you embrace those powers," Damien finally responded, having read the Extinct like a book from the past two weeks. "They aren''t a curse." "So, why don''t you tell me what happened to you all those years ago." Solomon once again looked away, growling at the memories resurfacing. His mind drifted back to a night long ago when everything changed... бн [Twenty-One Years Ago] Bated breaths echoed through the endless forest of the Ring. A young child with dark hair and eyes rushed through the green while his bare feet left bloodied footprints behind. His young heart was pounding in his chest. Fear, exhaustion, panic, despairбкthe five-year-old was in a broken state, aimlessly running through the thick of night. "Solomon!" a voice called out from behind. The lad gnashed his teeth, ignoring the woman''s cry and continued his sprint. The sound of rusting trees and distant monsters boomed in his ears, slowly driving away the woman''s voice from behind. A smell of rain and humidity assaulted his nostrils, mixed in with some other gases released from the giant plants and trees. But it wasn''t just the fear of the unknown that drove him. It was angerбкanger at the life he was forced to live, a life of constant hunger, of gnawing desperation, of watching his people eat scraps and rotting food just to survive another day. He was sick of it, sick of the hopelessness that clung to the air like the humid mist of the forest. бн "Why do we have to live like this?!" Solomon had screamed earlier that evening, his tiny fists pounding against the rough walls of their shelter. His mother had tried to soothe him, but the frustration and exhaustion had boiled over. "We''re strong! We shouldn''t have to eat filth and hide from monsters!" he had shouted, his voice trembling with the emotions he couldn''t fully understand. When his mother''s gentle words couldn''t calm the storm within him, Solomon had done the only thing he knewбкto run. Run far away from the misery and despair that seemed to swallow his people whole. As the night closed in around him, the reality of his actions began to sink in. The fear that had fueled his rage was now feeding on his exhaustion, turning the forest into a maze of shadows and dangers. "Solomon! Please, come back!" his mother''s voice grew fainter, the distance between them widening with every frantic step he took. But Solomon didn''t stop. бн "Motherбн" Solomon whispered, waking from his mindless dash as the reality of his surroundings crashing down on him. He was deep in the Ring of Untold Horrors. Heбпd damned himself by coming hereбкand maybe her too. The boy''s dark pupils jumped from tree to tree, plant to plant, cloud to cloud. After another ten minutes of backtracking, he was in an area that looked the same as the previous one. ''Never go into the forest alone,'' Solomon recited the one rule of his people. *Lub* *Dub* He gulped. The boy could hear his own heart beating out of his chest. "Noбн I have to find her," he told himself, clenching his hands in determination. The heightened senses of the Extinct came into play as Solomon pieced together his earlier dash. Slowly but surely, piece by piece, he was finding his way back. No Forsaken beasts were jumping to gnaw on his flesh for whatever reason. бн Two hours and he knew he was closer. Solomon sniffed the airбкsmoke. A sudden tearing sensation washed through the boy before he could approach the foul smell. "Ugh!" he cursed, falling to his knees while clutching his stomach from hunger. All that running was very demanding for an emaciated five-year-old. He wanted to rush back, but the adrenaline wore off, and every step grew heavier. He needed energy to get him to rush back for the few hours it would still take. "Squaw!" "!!!" Solomon''s eyes darted to the side, and he saw a tiny bird glaring at him. It was barely the size of his palms but all the more appetizing. With speed that he couldn''t imagine outputting, the starving boy grabbed the rather grotesque bird with both hands. As the bird squirmed in his grasp, Solomon hesitated, the grotesque sight of its exposed bones and hollow, gaping holes making his stomach churn. ''It''s disgustingбн but I have to.'' He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block the revulsion clawing at his mind. ''If I don''t eat this, I won''t make it back.'' [Bird Image (in Discord)] With a grimace, Solomon forced the bird into his mouth, the sharp bones scraping against his throat as he pushed it down. The bitter taste of decay filled his mouth, and he gagged, nearly retching it back up. His body trembled with every swallow, each more painful than the last. The creature was pecking at his throat and down his esophagus, ripping holes and tears along his food pipe. The rumbling lasted a good two minutes before calming down, leaving the hungry child breathing heavily. ''It''s done. I did it.'' "!!!" He felt it instantlyбкa burst of energy and strength he never knew existed within his slender, lanky frame. The distant noises, the smells and even through the night, he could sense through it all. But he recognized another collection of shaken emotions immediately: "Mother!" The child''s eyes widened in haste as he exploded from his tired feet. The rush of energy was strange but welcomed. Boom! A leap off the tree left it torn apart, while another was used to propel him ahead, toppling it as well. бн "Mother!" Solomon''s voice was shaken and plagued with despair. He knew the endless possibilities that could have caused such a spike in his mother''s heart. Finally, at the heart of the collection of fear, he made out the beastsбкgiant worms. The monstrous sandworms slithered through the torn-down forest, their massive, segmented bodies covered in thick, grotesque scales that glistened with a sickly sheen. Their gaping maws, lined with rows of jagged teeth, pulsed and writhed as they moved, leaving trails of churned earth and rotting foliage in their wake. The air around them was thick with the stench of decay, making their presence even more horrifying and unnatural. [Forsaken Sandworm Image (in Discord)] ''I lead her right to them!'' he cursed, blazing through the darkness. Solomon''s heartbeat with untold courage as he dove into the group of beasts; an instinct deep within told him he could survive this. But there it was. "Noбн" the boy absently muttered, freezing in his tracks. The surrounding predators dripping with blood and spit were ignored as all but one sight in Solomon''s eyes. Even in the giant splatter of blood and fluids, he could make out the shattered bones. Some limbs were missing, eaten by the sandworms. The mangled clothes and dripping flesh were all topped with a head that somehow remained intact. "..." The world around Solomon froze. He saw her eyes wide open, staring into the darkness where the boy stood. They were lifeless; she had been dead for at least ten minutes. A shrieking roar exploded from the five-year-old, and thenбкdarkness. One minute, he was standing there, staring at his mother''s lifeless body, and the nextбн nothing. бн [Present Time] "Nothing?" Damien echoed. He found himself seated on the corpse of a Forsaken Alligator within a sea of trees, gazing at the troubled Solomon. The forest was quiet and calm, a boon of their two-week-long excursion. "...When I woke up, I was near the Haven. I saw the ruins of the Day of Reckoning. I listened from afar as the survivors talked about a towering, frightening creature driving away the beasts with a single roar." Solomon sat on the grassy floor, slumping in confusion. "I know it was me lost in my powersбн but twenty years later, and I still can''t drive them away like I did as a kid." Damien hummed in thought. The pirate glared at the lost Wendigo, piecing some theories together. ''Such intense emotion with the addition of awakening Conqueror''s Haki in the state of starvationбн then returning to see his home in ruinsбн'' ''Must have been too much for a five-year-old to filter through,'' Damien mused. ''His subconscious must have buried it not to face his most damning mistake that led to his mother''s death.'' [But he''s also burying deeper extents of his ability,] Sibyl interjected with her usual down-to-the-point attitude. ''He sees his powers as a curse. The same power which could drive away those Forsaken Beasts right after being eaten. He''s chaining himself without even realizing itбн'' Alas, nothing could be done right now. "Damn, you need a therapist," Damien huffed under his breath, massaging his forehead. The pirate stood up with a sigh and offered Solomon a hand. "Come on, we still got another stretch of the forest to clear." The much taller man blinked at the gesture and quickly took it. Solomon exhaled a heavy breath, once again returning to his more brash self. бн The duo of a pirate and a Mythical Zoan continued to trek through the tranquil Ring, making their way to the core. They brought with them a sense of peace and quiet, which had been lost from Extinction Valley for almost half a century. бн [The Haven] "I shaved off the Forsaken''s population by seventy percent," Damien explained to the old village chief. "The remaining fraction can be used as a good food source for your people." Choro felt his mouth dry, unable to respond as he saw the young man before him. "I-I can''t believe it. This air is almost the same as before the Day of Reckoning," he muttered. "I-I-I never thought I could breathe in such pleasant air!" The man teared up, his pale face struck with disbelief. Solomon nodded at the side with a hint of disbelief, "It really feels quiet around here. I didn''t think it was possible for our chaotic home to ever be this sereneбн It brings out the beauty of primal nature." The tattooed man glanced at Damien with a grateful look. In return, the pirate shrugged at their tearful faces, not just found on the two but even the hundreds of Extinct who surrounded him. "I fulfilled my end of the bargain." Solomon nodded, even smirking at the pirate''s nonchalant demeanour. He spared a final look at the home he had wished to return to for the past twenty years. He breathed in the tranquillity of his home and people, and his eyes finally returned to the sole outsider responsible for the purge. Suddenly, the much taller Solomon went down on a knee, lowering his head to Damien. "Kneeling is something we, the Extinct, only do at the death of our parents or when swearing allegiance to someone else, aligning one''s life under another," Choro explained, satisfied with his nephew''s actions and clearing up the confusion. Damien hummed with a curious look. He stepped ahead and extended a hand toward the Zoan user. *Fwoo* A cup appeared in the palm while a gourd in the other. "We, as pirates of the seas, swear loyalty through sakиж cups," Damien explained, meeting the questioning eyes of Solomon. "I''m not one for traditions or alcohol even, but this is the right time to bring it out. Here, just drink with me." Solomon felt enlightened by hearing the pirate''s tradition and even relishing its simplicity. With a grin, he stood up to grab the cup, holding it in both hands. In a moment of seriousness followed by a firm nod, he brought the cup to his lips and gulped down the sakиж. *Gurrug* *Gurrug* "Then, I guess that makes you my leader?" he mumbled, licking his lips of the alcohol. "Or should I go with Captain? Supreme Leader? Boss?" Damien''s smile twitched: "Just pick one and roll with it." "Boss, it is!" . However, what happened next even surprised the pirate. He saw Choro, the Village Chief, kneel alongside the other 200 or so people. One by one, the entire population lowered their heads. "What''s all this about?" Damien asked curiously, though he could naturally guess the answer. Choro placed his cane flat before the pirate and spoke for the people. "The Great Change left us both blessed and cursed. But you''ve freed us from these chains... You are our saviour. Lord Damien! " The old man raised his pale face as his tendrils floated in subservience. A bloom of Haki and the kneeling folks'' limbs glistened black with varying density. "Though few in numbers, every single one of us, ranging from the newborn to the old few, can utilize Extinct Plating." "If you ever need our strength, we will raise arms for you!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 135: Dawn of the Awakened Damien scanned the kneeling crowd. It included many animal-like humanoids, most resembling animals, while a small number were more human than beast. Each of them was either born with or mutated to comprehend Armament Haki. "Alright, don''t blow your back out, Choro. I''ll call you when I need your guys'' help, but until then, remain prepared." Choro looked up with a smile on his wrinkly, non-human face. "Fighting''s in our blood, Lord Damien. We''re always ready." He then stood up with some aid from Roark. The Chief looked at another giant man, even taller than the mandrill-human. He had the features of a pitbull, mighty and wild: "Kyинken, go bring our offerings." "Yes, Chief." A little while later, the giant grey-skinned humanoid, Kyинken, returned and stood before Damien. [Kyинken Image (in Discord)] "This from Extinct People to Lord." He slammed a massive sack of goodies, their brilliance spilling out from the bag made of straw and grass. Damien examined the goods he found: gold, antiquities, Forsaken animal bones and organs, fine gemstones and more. Choro walked up, cane in hand. "From what he told us, the man you called Endou gave us a brief idea of the world''s wealth. "This is what we could gather as an offering." He then raised a finger, as if to make a point, "Alongside two of those demon fruit things you spoke ofбн" Choro tapped his cane. "Kemono," he called for another Extinct. The man who next walked up to Damien was shorter, seven feet in height (2.13 m). He had long golden hair that was wildly spiked back. Scars lined his face, and a metal mask covered his mouth, giving him the menacing look of a battle-torn hyena. [Kemono Image (in Discord)] His docile expression created quite the contrast with his wild nature. Kemono extended his hands, holding two fruits, "Uhhh, I don''t know if they''re useful to you, but these are all that the Scavenger Unit could find." Damien recognized the identity of the fruits quite quickly, the pristine memory coming into play. One was a pink physalis fruit: Sharpen-Sharpen Fruit: Grants the user the ability to sharpen anything they touch, making them a Sharpening Human. The second was a vibrant green fruit featuring intricate swirls and patterns accented by purple highlights with an ominous fan-like design: Rad-Rad Fruit: Grants the user the ability to absorb all forms of radiation into strength, making them a Radiation-Fuelled Human. [Fruit Image (in Discord)] "They''re of great value to me," Damien commented, holding either fruit in his hands. The green one was the most intriguing. "Really? That''s good!" Kemono grinned a toothy grin. Finally, Damien turned toward the newly sworn-in pirate. Solomon remained in his previous attire: simple navy blue trousers, his top hanging around his waist, leaving his chest bare. The intricate tattoos, distinct and dark in colour, ran over the left side of his body and up to his face. "Solomon, let''s go." бн And just like that, after spending a total of three long months, the disappeared Sin Incarnate had finally returned to the seas of the New World. He also left behind books and information about the outside world, letting the Extinct slowly absorb everything beyond their tall mountainous bordersбкespecially language. бн Soon, they were on Damien''s small boat. The pirate captain had also thrown on a fresh pair of clothes. He fashioned a shirt with a red gradient, going from a brighter top to a darker bottom. The brown pants were tacticalбкthe day was a special occasion, so Damien wore some nostalgic colours. [Clothing Image (in Discord)] "The sea is so damn vastбн" The towering pirate was lost in the infinite water, stretching from left to right, front to back, covering everything one could see in its bright blue magnificence. "Um, Boss," he muttered. "What exactly do Pirates do, by the way?" Damien glanced at the confused man and shrugged, "We do what we want." This was a simple reply, further reinforced by the next words: "Those who get in our way get destroyed." Solomon clenched his hands, his brash nature showcasing through the bright gleam in his eyes. He was hungry for war! "Other pirates, the Navy and the World Government are our greatest foes. Though there aren''t many pirates left that can threaten us." Solomon grinned, "Then let''s go hunt down the Marines!" *Thwack!* "Ouch!" Solomon massaged the back of his head, seeming confused. "Don''t get cocky," Damien warned, lowering his Haki-clad hand. "They''ve ruled for centuries because they''re strong. Even with my crew, we''re not there yet." Solomon had been told of Damien''s current crew, but he had difficulty believing that a man whom even Damien respected still couldn''t challenge the status quo. "So what now?" The Sin Incarnate smiled, his eyes locked into a portion of the sea a few kilometers away, South of the Valley. "Looks like we have guests to welcome us back to the seas..." бн [New World Sea] "Keep heading North, and we''ll be at the Styx passage soon enough!" a Vice Admiral commanded. The man stood aboard a marine Warship the size of the average Giant. The ship spearheaded a fleet of two other such ships, carrying 3,000 soldiers total, led by three Vice Admirals: Olgar, Nouveau and Zazzaz. Their banner had not only the Navy Flag but even that of a Marine Branch. It read "G-1" with pride. Marineford protected Mariejois from Paradise, while G-1 protected it from the New World. Naturally, the fleet was leaving G-1 and travelling to the Calm Belt toward the North Blue. [Fleet Trajectory Image (in Discord)] бн "Vice Admiral Olgar, there''s a small ship heading toward us," a low-rank marine reported. Olgar, the little giant in terms of height, picked up a telescope. He peered across the deck of the warship and onto the distant vessel. "I can''t make out their faces, but they aren''t making way for us to pass." Olgar narrowed his eyes, "Prepare to fire." "F-Fire?" The marine was taken aback by the sudden order and protested, "Shouldn''t we send a warning signal firstбн?" The grizzly Olgar growled at his insubordinate soldier, "Our duty is to provide relief to millions in aligned kingdoms. Anyone who slows us down is putting all those lives in danger!" The low-ranked marine shrunk under the towering superior and ran to echo the commandsбкit was a hasty decision, even for a man under Admiral Basara. *Hweee* *Clunk* *Thud* Dozens of cannons aligned themselves, aiming toward the coming ship. "Either they''re brave or foolish. No matter, I''ll sink them all the same!" Within two minutes, the tiny ship was in range. "Fire!" Bang! Bang! Bang! Nearly fifty cannonballs were shot simultaneously, zooming through the sea and leaving a trail of exploding water behind. They soared across and were accurately shot, reaching the target. BOOM! Giant explosions went off, creating a huge black cloud of smoke that easily overwhelmed the tiny ship. "Alright, stay on course. We need to reach Ballywood and Illisia Kingdom by sun-down, or the Fleet Admiral will be angrиC" "Hmm? No way, it didn''t explode!?" Olgar gnashed his teeth, seeing the vessel zoom right through the smokey cloud, not having slowed down whatsoever. "Olgar, you''re too rash! You can''t just open fire on anyone you deem deserving!" a marine admonished from the other ship, another Vice Admiral. "Do you blame him?" This time, the third top marine was more accepting of what had transpired. The two veterans watched from the other ships, breathing in the smoke under the calm skies. "Just a month ago, his brother was decapitated, and his corpse was turned into a puppet. It''s not alarming for him to lash out a little." бн Olgar''s fury erupted in a roar: "Keep firing!" Bang! Bang! Bang! Fire, ash, dust and water burst out in chains of explosions, lighting the region with chaos and disarray. No matter how many projectiles they fired, the incoming vessel did not slow down! "Looks like we caught a big fish. Prepare for possible close combat!" Olgar warned through the snail that resounded over the three warships. His face was warped in madnessбкthe anger of losing his twin brother Orlov while being forced to remain in G-1 and swallow his frustrations. ''Damn the Government for protecting youбн Just you wait, Fulcrum, I''ll come for you as soon as you trip up!!!'' Olgar''s fury was disrupted as a hefty shadow shot out from the plume of smoke, crashing onto the ship to the left side. The wooden deck shivered against the enormous momentum of the intruder, his spanning shadow stretching across the mighty vessel. *Click* *Cock* *Click* Hundreds of guns were aimed ready. These men were the gems of the Navy, tasked with protecting the Holy Land from the New World! Nouveau, the blue-haired Vice Admiral at the helm, responded quickly: "Take down the invader!" He watched as the thousand marines on board either began shooting or swinging their weapons. Suddenly, his personal snail blared. "Katcha~!" "What is it, Zazzaz?" he questioned the other Vice Admiral on the line. "..." The snail''s face warped into one of trepidation, dripping with cold sweat. To Nouveau, it seemed it was out of fear of angering the Fleet Admiral: "Don''t worry. I can hold down this one alone. We''ll make it in time." "...We have a bigger problem, Nouveau." The snail audibly gulped, its eyes shaken, "Look at the man on the boat." Nouveau turned his attention to the tiny little boat gently floating, all the while being surrounded by three marine Warships with their cannons drawn. The smoke had lifted just enough to unveil the young face and pair of sharp crimson eyes. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Curious eyes warped into dread: "...shit." He didn''t have much time to think as Olgar, the leader of the Fleet, hurriedly spoke through a megaphone: "Sin Incarnateбн" he called out in a somber voice, "...why don''t we act like we never saw one another? Spare both of us the trouble." The words carried faux confidence, but it was a worthy try. "бн" Olgar heard no response and thought his words made a difference, so he continued, "No more bombardment, no trouble, no difficulties," he offered. "How about it, huh, no hard feelings?" The Vice Admiral was hopeful as he watched the undying pirate return a smirk through the thin cloud of dust: "No chance." Olgar crushed his megaphone, his face warped in anger. He turned to his troops and addressed them all, "He may be called ''The Undying,'' but I doubt he can survive being bombed from all directions," Olgar proclaimed. "Fire at will!" Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Hundreds of cannons at close range, all firing at the same time. A chain of explosions lit up the seas, sending vigorous rumbles through the seas. Boooom! The resounding eruption was akin to the roar of a mighty beast, loud enough to shatter eardrums. The tiny vessel was instantly smoked and charred; the debris itself exploded into a fireball, giving birth to a mushroom cloud. "That ought to do it!" a marine Captain yelled heartily. бн "Kuhuhuhu, you marines are an optimistic bunch." Nouveau turned away from the carnage and back at the sole invader at the center of his ship. "A no-name who can''t even speak basic tongue, take him down!" The attacker, Solomon, smiled widely at their charge. Bang! Boom! Bang! Dozens of bullets flew toward him, yet they could not pierce through his skin. The clattering sound from the mayhem brought a grim air to the ship, but their experience shone through. "Cut him apart with Haki!" a Commodore suggested, rushing with a giant blackened sword. "Kuhuhu!" Solomon held out his right arm as it began to transform. *Krrrr* *Snap* The sound of branches snapping apart, growing out from the man''s arm and encasing it wholly. The wood was dark in colour, rotten to its core. The Commodore roared past the unnatural sight and violently slashed his vast weapon. *Clang!* Sparks flew, and the ground shook. The veteran marine''s arm trembled from the recoil, leaving it aching. "H-How tough is his arиC guahh!" The officer''s miserable cry silenced the sea of marines. They saw the Commodore being lifted to the sky as a branch-like arm tearing through his stomach. Fresh organs dribbled out, splattering with bright red blood, falling from nearly 20 feet in the air! The towering Extinct took a whiff of the smokey air, a smile etched on his face: "Is that fear I sense?" With the flex of his raised arm, the body of the marine exploded into red paste, showering on the unlucky few nearby. He then swiped his left hand horizontally, looking like he was grasping the air. The shocked marines felt hollow as a whirling black mist swirled in Solomon''s handбкhe had harvested their fear! "Tasty, tasty, beautiful fearбн!" the monster spat out with his raspy voice, opening his palm to release a fog of virulent plague: . "Deathly Curse!" . *Fuuuuu* It flooded through the ships at incredible speeds, encasing the thousands of marines with its gloomy nature; what was a bright day suddenly warped into dreadful darkness. "W-What''s going on!" "M-M-My arm, no, my body..!" "HELP ME!" "Auuugh!" "It hurts, it hurts!" Hundreds of marines cried out in pain as the mist corroded into their pores, oozing through their veins. It left their blood vessels black, almost like they were rotting away! "Uaghh!" They collapsed one by one, clutching at their arms and legs, some even their heads, as they inhaled the substance. "More fuel for me." Solomon swiped his arm once more, smiling at the sight. But it was then a shadow flickered at him and his extended limb. BAM! A blackened fist drilled into the pirate''s arm. With a thunderous snap, the wooden arm in the way crumbled into hundreds of pieces and a cacophony of rotten shardsбкthe entire limb was gone! Nouveau scoffed at the sight, looking up at his enemy with disdain. But the man was left baffled as more rotten wood shot out from the shoulder, twisting and turning back into a limb, reforming the arm. "Kuhuhuhu! You''re a worthy foe!" Nouveau narrowed his eyes, refusing to back down. He charged, unleashing a barrage of attacks. . "Finger Pistol: Brutal Assault!" . The Haki-clad fingers rained down, stabbing into the much taller Solomon with no mercy. BAM! BAM! BAM! It was like repeatedly hitting a drum. Nouveau roared in anger while the sounds of his weeping soldiers fuelled his spirits. "You''re no Logiaбн I''ll just keep shattering you apart until you can''t regrow anymore!" Veins popped along the marine''s arm while his face warped into a rage. He sent out a thunderous finger blessed with dense Haki at the enemy once more. *Fwoo!* A body shot across the deck and was nailed into the tall walls of the warship, sending out a resounding boom. Bated breaths of Nouveau echoed the dull ship. The man cautiously watched the dust cloud, only to hear a broken voice: "Ow-ow-ow! That stings!" "No wonder Boss said not to get carelessбн you understood my power pretty fast!" It was odd. The enemy clearly spoke gibberish, but they understood his titanic threat while onboard a confined space. Solomon spat out some blood, driving away the ringing sound from his head. His pained face switched to glee in the form of a wild smirk. "Kuhuhuhu!" He revelled in combat, his blood boiling with impatience. *Krrack* *Snap* His entire body began to transform, hearing the bloodthirst. Rotten branches swarmed over Solomon''s body, encasing his limbs, torso, and head. *Puuuuuuu* A black mist emanated from the dark figure, spreading across the ship. The eerie atmosphere was entirely overshadowed by the creature that had appeared at its center. "A-A Zoan!" The skull-face opened slightly, speaking out with a broken voice, "So even so-called Vice Admirals can release fear. I like this sea more and more!" *Szzzzz* Nouveau suddenly felt stinging across his arms. Looking down, they were turning a rotten black! "Damn it, stay away from his mist if you don''t have Haki!" His orders reached a few hundred men who had survived, but it was too late; the fog had covered the entire warship, and those who could use Haki couldn''t focus on keeping it up: "My head, it''s terrifying!" "Mother, no, don''t die! "Auugh, n-not my children?" "Wife, why would you kill meбн?" Dozens of delirious thoughts echoed out from the marines. They all fell under Nouveau''s eyes: "The mist is preying on their fear!" He watched as the panic-struck men began to drop like flies, their bodies rotting away as their minds collapsed. Darkness dawned over Nouveau. He returned to the 20-foot tall Wendigo, gnashing his teeth, "Just where did this monster come from!?" бн "Sin Incarnate, you want to wage war?" Both Olgar and Zazzaz watched Solomon run wild, but they couldn''t back him upбкDamien remained untouched, calmly seated at the edge of the central warship with his legs stretched out in comfort. Even with thousands of weapons trained on him, Damien smiled serenely, the fresh breeze tousling his hair. "You guys fired the first shot," Damien said flatly. "This is simply the consequence." Olgar''s hands clenched, a mix of anger and helplessness flashing across his face. He was at the edge of reason, and in a fit of desperation, he grabbed a rocket launcher and aimed it at Damien. "Get off my ship!" Bang! Sparks flew as the black rocket soared across the deck, aimed directly at Damien''s head, ready to obliterate him. Olgar and everyone else expected the projectile to failбкmaybe to be deflected, perhaps even dissipatedбкbut not what actually happened. *Pweew* A sharp, pixelated sound rang out, almost like an arcade game. The rocket reached its target, exploding into a fireball. Damien''s upper body, including his head, disintegrated into fine, cube-shaped particles that floated erratically midair, spasming and crackling with thin arcs of crimson energy. The marines'' eyes widened in shockбкDamien had exploded into tiny red pieces! [A/N: Sound Effect in Discord.] *Crinkle* One by one, the particles flew back together, reconnecting in pairs, rows, and columns. The chest, arms, neck, and finally, the head reformed, leaving behind the undying pirate with a wicked grin. "L-Logia fruit!?" Olgar had the same thought but quickly denied it: "No way! His ability has been classified as a Paramecia: the Pulverization Fruit!" Bang! Bang! Bang! Olgar fired three more rockets, each resulting in the same effect: Damien''s body shattered into particles, only to reform moments later. "I''m afraid your intelligence is outdated!" *Phwee!* Damien''s entire 11'' 7" frame turned into a stream of crimson particles and surged through the air. "Watch out, he can fly now!" The volatile current of particles floated toward the ship to the right, reforming into Damien, who hovered calmly above the sea by the warship''s edge. With a grunt, Damien dug his hand into the ship''s thick barricades, leaving deep cracks. His body floated effortlessly as the ship, nearly twice the size of a giant, was lifted into the air with ease. The massive vessel cast a dark shadow over the sea, forcing marines to skid across the deck and scramble for balance. "Ahhh, someone grab me!" "I''m falling!" "I-I can''t swim!" Hundreds of marines fell into the sea below as Damien''s empathy picked up their panicked emotions; he decided to grant them a final thrill. *Purrup* Like a volcano, his hand glowed crimson, releasing energy across the vessel. The colossal ship instantly vanished with a poof, reduced to particles invisible to the naked eye. Damien then held out his left palm, summoning the countless particles back to him, forcing them to obey his will: . "Atomic Modeling." . With a thought, the particles reassembled into the shipбкthis time, a hundred feet in the air, without sails, its bow pointing straight down, ready to plummet. "He''s going to bury us!" With the embrace of gravity, the sixty-meter ship dropped. *Fwooo!* A howling wind erupted as the massive vessel crashed into the sea, forcing giant waves in its wake. Amidst the panic, a bold Zazzaz appeared in the sky, arm''s length from Damien and roared, "Logia or not, Haki is supreme!" . "Zaza Punch!" . The fist coursing with thick Haki shot ahead, nailing at Damien''s core. Zazzaz''s eyes widened in shock as he felt absolutely no resistanceбкit was like punching through the air! Tiny red particles crackled along the man''s extended fist, zapping and quivering frantically. "W-What the hellбн Augh!" Suddenly, a hand shot out and grabbed the Vice Admiral by the throat. He struggled like a fish out of the sea, desperately trying to escape the hold. Zazzaz, in a moment of dread, reached into his pocket and slashed with what he was looking forбкa dagger. "!!!" Damien''s eyes flashed red, showcasing a future where he would fall out of his current state. *Phwee!* The pixelation reappeared, and his abdomen dissolved into tiny particles, allowing the black dagger to go right through like the fist from earlier. "Seastone dagger, nice try." Zazzaz felt the suffocating grip, slowly losing conscience. . Olgar watched his colleague''s lifeless body fall to sea far below. By now, only the leading ship under him remained with marines, one-third of what they originally had. "You''ve turned your fruit into a Special Parameciaбн?" he echoed Zazzaz''s final thoughts. With a twisted face, the man commanded the remaining thousand men, "Get ready!" But his mind struggled to comprehend the escalating impossibilities. He watched in disbelief as the floating Damien extended his hand, palm down, fingers spread wide. Was that a blue glow emanating from his hand? . "Primal Charge." . A blinding flash of light followed by a sharp zapping sound cut through the air, and then the heat hit like a wave. The eerie chorus of birds singing assaulted Olgar''s earsбкonly it wasn''t birds, but the shriek of lightning. His eyes tracked the vivid blue arcs of energy, crackling and leaping from Damien''s finger. The air around them grew suffocatingly hot under the relentless surge of voltage, and the marines were caught in the storm. *Crackle* Boom! *Rumble* The electric current surged forward, its tendrils reaching out like the fingers of death, seizing the first marine in its grasp. "Gwuah!" The soldier''s scream was guttural, a howl of agony as the electricity charred his body black. But it didn''t stop there. The current tore through him, splitting off and lashing at two more marines. Their bodies convulsed as the electric storm claimed them, their cries mingling with the relentless hum of power. *Zap!* *Pop!* One became two, two became four, four became eightбкthe electricity leapt from man to man, each marine a helpless conduit for the deadly energy. The air sizzled as the chain of electricity multiplied, spreading like wildfire through the ranks. Flames erupted from the sheer intensity, adding to the chaos as charred bodies hit the deck. Ash and smoke filled the air, suffused with the pulsing blue light of the electricity бкa spectacle both terrifying and awe-inspiring. [Primal Charge Image (in Discord)] . A puzzled Olgar instinctively retreated, shielding himself as best he could from the static electricity that crackled all around him. His mind raced, struggling to make sense of what he was witnessing. "What''s going onбн first that strange Logia-like ability, and now lightning? This doesn''t make any sense!" The blinding light and his men''s screams were overwhelming. He took another step back, trying to distance himself from the chaos. "!!!" Olgar''s eyes widened in horror as his boots landed in a large puddle of seawater. *Crackle!* A million volts surged through him in an instant, the current driving into his brain and frying his synapses. The Vice Admiral had no time to screamбкhis body went rigid before collapsing to the ground with a dull thud, smoke rising from his charred form. бн A few moments passed as a stream of particles reformed into Damien. He stepped over a few fallen soldiers shivering with bloodshot eyesбкhe had come to the left ship. "Boss, I didn''t know you could use lightning too!" "Electricity, not lightning," Damien corrected, raising his left hand with vivid blue energy crackling through his fingers. "Solomon, don''t you know that all living cells have their own bioelectricity?" The man seemed somewhat confused, but he didn''t intervene. "With my Awakening and Life Return, amplifying and weaponizing this primal charge is simple." Nouveau, the Vice Admiral who lay on the floor with shaken eyes, heard the explanation too. The man''s tearful face and hollow eyes regained spirit. "Awakeningбн I-I have to report thisбн" Solomon glared at the man crawling across the deck with disdain. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* The enormous Extinct walked up, his right arm swirling with rotten branches. Without hesitation, Solomon drove his transformed arm into the man''s heart and lifted him two dozen feet up with fresh blood dripping onto his bare chest. "You guys are too used to taking the first shot and not expecting the other party to fight back," he scornfully spat, watching Nouveau''s eyes lose their shine. "You can speak basic tongue all of a sudden?" Damien''s curious voice resounded the deck. Solomon threw the corpse aside and undid his arm''s transformation. Turning to his Captain, he responded, "I picked it up after absorbing their fear." The revelation impressed the leading pirate, who once again marvelled at Devil Fruits. But distant splashes of water interrupted their conversation. "Looks like we got runners." Damien''s eyes turned to the far East and saw a group of ten marines swimming with great zeal. "Hmm." The notorious pirate picked up a cannonball from the rack, casually tossing it up and down in his palm. It was a dense, iron sphere, heavy with potential. At Damien''s mere thought, the solid iron began to dissolve, every atom disassembling and dispersing into the air like dust in the wind. *Fwooo* An ominous air blew about, even leaving the marines with a chill down his spine. They swam three times harder, feeling the shadow of death upon them. . "Atomic Remodeling." . Damien''s creativity was boundless as the disintegrated atoms obeyed his command, swirling together in the air to form something entirely new. A red flash of energy later, and ten swords materialized, hovering menacingly in the sky. *Snap!* A mere thought from Damien and the swords liquified, reshaping themselves into deadly spears. *Snap!* Another thought and the spears transformed again, morphing into sleek, pointed arrows. Solomon watched in awe, realizing that he had only glimpsed the true extent of his Captain''s Awakening over the past two weeks. Damien had become an Atomizing Human, a being whose power allowed him to reshape the physical world at its most fundamental level. His art was limited only by his creativity. *Purrup* With a final snap of the finger, each projectile turned pristine black, and a crimson aura surrounded them. Ten simultaneous sonic booms echoed across the seaбкthe Haki-infused arrows shot forward with merciless precision. They didn''t just fly straight; they followed their targets'' every move, twisting and turning through the air before delivering fatal headshots with unerring accuracy. . "Listen up, Solomon," Damien spoke, turning away from the sinking corpses. "Even though we''re pirates, we live by a set of rules." The words brought a spark of uncertainty to the Zoan-user''s face: "Rules?" "That''s right. Simply put, we don''t go around slaughtering people as we wish. If these guys didn''t open fire on us, then I would''ve left them alone." The two crimson eyes washed clarity on Solomon, "But if someone tries to challenge us in war and combat, then you''re free to unload hell itself upon them." "If they mess with us, then you''re free to unload hell itself upon them; otherwise, let them be." "Kuhuhu! I didn''t think you were so kind-hearted, Boss!" Damien lightly smiled at the remark and shook his head, "It''s not about kindness. It''s about principles. I know you lived your entire life hunting and slaying those Forsaken Beasts, but now you''ll go against real people who won''t all be trying to make your kind go extinct." A memory of the Hachinosu flashed by his mind, reminding him of the worst humanity had to offer. "Without rules, we live with the animals." Solomon''s confusion warped into a grin as he reined in his bloodthirsty nature. Even with his rather brash demeanour, he understood the worth of human life. "Don''t worry, Boss. I pride myself in my self-control!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 136: Invitation Damien was no saint, but he had no desire to slaughter aimlessly; in fact, he looked down on those who did. Others, such as Whitebeard, were no different. Solomon grew up alone and against an endless supply of monstrous and savage creatures intent on nothing but chaos, leaving him bloodthirsty and adopting a bolder and reckless nature. Naturally, Damien had to ensure that such a person''s humanity remained aliveбкhe didn''t want him to become an evil existence like Shiki or Rocks. "Puru," "Puru," "Puru." The noise drew both the pirates'' attention. Solomon looked at Damien while the latter looked around; it wasn''t coming from the famed pirate. "Puru," "Puru," "Puru." Damien''s atomized body reformed before Olgar''s charred corpse. He reached into a pocket to bring out the ringing device. ''How do these things not get destroyed is beyond me,'' he thought as he answered the call. "Katcha~!" "Ahem. You''ve reached Damien''s Pizzeria. What can I get for you?" "Yes, I would like an extra largиC" "бн" "...Who the hell is this? Where''s Olgar!?" Damien winced back; his ears were ringing from the roaring transponder. "God damn, you''re gonna blow my eardrums out." The snail conveyed the pirate''s annoyed expression: "You''re on the mic. What''s your beef?" Solomon snickered from the side; all the while, Damien knew full well who was on the other side of the call. *Hisss* The two could have sworn the snail was releasing smoke from its eyes, seething from rage. Its mountainous hair and weathered face made guessing the caller''s identity easy: "Okay, okay. Calm down, Mister Fleet Admiral." The snail reined in anger, though remained agitated, "Who is speaking?" "Einar D. Damien, nice to make your acquaintance." The snail''s eyes suddenly widened. Its breathing grew somber as he questioned, "Is Olgar dead?" Damien spared a look at the fresh corpse near his feet and hummed, "I''ll leave his body on the ship. Please collect it before it sinks. I''m not one to rob a family of the closure from burying their loved ones." The snail gnashed its teeth and thundered, "How dare you strike down a Navy Vice Admiral!!!" Damien scoffed, his look shifting to disdain. "Olgar had his fleet take a shot without knowing who was on board. You should train your men to be more patient and mindful." The snail quieted down for a moment. If Kong knew it was technically Damien''s fault for Olgar''s enraged attitude, then who knows how he would react? "...I should have hunted you down after your father made a mess at Marineford." Damien narrowed his eyes, befalling the ship with a tense atmosphere, "So my old man was big enough of a pirate to warrant your attention? Marineford, eh?" It was Kong''s turn to scoff: "Don''t worry, I''ll make sure your entire existence is erased, much like your father. You have no idea what you''re up against, brat!" Damien allowed the man to continue: "The World Government has reigned supreme for over seven centuries! There is no force capable of bringing them down. Both Rocks and you have just angered them," Kong said hoarsely. "Your days are numbered." Even Solomon felt the weight of those words, his mind wandering to his ambition to hunt down the man who ruined his home. "The winner isn''t the one who survives, and the loser isn''t the one who dies, Kong," Damien began, his voice calm but carrying a weight that suggested these were beliefs he held close. "Survival is just the start; it''s what you do with the time you have that defines you. Anyone can surviveбкjust look at the rats scurrying through the gutters. But to shape the world, to carve your will into it, that takes something more." The snail squinted its eyes at the pirate, almost as if they were having a face-to-face conversation. Kong could sense it, that blasted tendency for causing chaos that every D possessed. "The winner is the one who has the last laugh. I look forward to seeing you in the flesh, Fleet Admiral." "Katcha~!" Damien clicked the receiver into its place, setting aside the snail. Solomon''s following question interrupted the Sin Incarnate''s thoughts: "Boss, Endou should be one level higher than that guy, right?" Damien nodded. "Kuhuhu! I''ve got a lot to learn." бн The plumes of smoke from the wrecked warships had long dominated the horizon. Any ship within a few kilometers would be able to find such a mess with ease. бн "Captain! There''s fresh wreckage of ships to the West!" a man yelled down from the mast of a glorious ship, lowering his monocular. His words echoed down the massive sails, reaching the pirates below. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "They''re probably from G-1. There''s no need to go out of our way to pick a fight," said a refined voice meant to advise the captain of the ship. "Wait! T-The Navy ships are on fire! It looks like one even sank. There must have been a fight recently!" However, these words left the crew captain with a curious smile: "Oh? That sounds interesting. Sail toward the wreckage at full speed!" бн "Hey, Boss. I think I see a shipбн" Damien turned his eyes to the other ship and saw the Zoan user looking at the far seas. The words left the Sin Incarnate solemn, ''I didn''t sense a ship.'' A sound of pixelation went off as the pirate''s body dissolved into innumerable red particles. *Pwee!* The stream of red energy flooded through the air and reformed at the other pirate''s side, all under a second. It didn''t take long to recognize the incoming party, "Rahaha! This day just keeps getting better and betterбн" "Is it some big-name crew?" A confused Solomon asked. "You think just any random loser can kill my Observation?" The pirate turned to the enclosing ship and studied its appearance once more: thick wood made from the Treasured Tree, deep-red sails and magnificent design. "That manбн can change the world." Solomon gulped at the high praise and looked at the ship with crimson sails with admiration and apprehension. "I sense a beast on board that ship. Should we prepare for a fight?" "..." Solomon blinked, glaring to his left where Damien no longer was. бн The approaching ship carried thirty or so men, each glaring at the wreckage intently. "Captain, I think I see two figures watching from the marine shipбн they don''t look like marines! I bet we can swipe everything they got from the Navy!" "Wahahaha! Don''t waste your time. He''s already here," the grinning captain said, his eyes flashing red. "It''s a tough opponent." Though the man talking had a shift in tone, almost becoming friendly, "But a familiar one." *Rumble!* Neither of the two had to wait long as their mighty ship abruptly shook, almost sinking a few meters below. "Rahahaha! I didn''t think to meet you guys here." Shing! *Click* *Fwwwm* The pirates shot to their positions, each unsheathed or releasing their weapons in the direction of the man who invaded their ship. "Enemy onboard!" "How dare someone land on our ship!" "Be careful. This guy is strong!" Haki swam freely, attaching itself to the weapons of the men present. Their eyes carried no fear, almost as if they had already seen everything there was to see, everything there was to fear. "Oye, Oye, calm down! Those weapons aren''t gonna do anything to himбн" The man at the front of the pirates extended both arms to reassure his men while staring at the invader. A mix of surprise and excitement waved across his eyes, "Wahahaha! What brings you here, Damien?" The young pirate returned a grin matching the frenzy of the other lead pirate, "I saw you guys approaching, and I thought I''d say hi." "Come on then!" The captain unsheathed his blackened cutlass, sharp beyond belief. Meanwhile, Damien waved his hand, summoning a clawed blade bubbling crimson energy from its ring configuration. *Kurru* *Crackle* Black lightning crackled off their weapons, releasing an overpowering momentum. . "Broken World!" . "Divine Departure!" . Boooom! *Rumble* A breathtaking sight followed as the two Haki-flooded weapons slammed into one other. The black lightning of their respective blades sent out ripples of pressure that raged wildly. Giant tides formed from the sides of the ships, growing larger by the second. A pirate covered his face, trying to remain standing, but every second of the clash sent out such shockwaves that it took the majority of the pirates to the skies! Their bodies even reached the clouds. The treasured ship groaned from the battle at its deck, the sails waving rapidly, threatening to collapse. Solomon, who was still on the faraway ship, felt the powerful collision. A crushing force slammed onto every pore of his body, digging into his skin. His fingers dug into the railing to hold on, but his eyes were locked onto the display of strength: "T-Their blades aren''t even touching!?" He gulped in disbelief, with tingles running down his back. "Looks like both our Captains are quite reckless." Solomon''s eyes widened as the hair on his arms stood up. ''W-When did he get here!?'' Rotten black branches grew out from his body, taking the shape of a towering figure reeking with malice and disaster. "Woah, you''re one fearsome-looking thing." Solomon growled from under the darkness of the skull on his face. A black fog leaked from his body, swarming the relaxed enemy. "It''s an interesting power." The Wendigo saw his ability having no effect on this person, bringing irritation to his dark pupils. "Tch! Try this one!" His palm was surrounded by the harrowing mist that sought to drive its victims mad with their fears. His sharp talons shot out, dripping with fear-inducing toxin. . "Profane Hex!" . The opponent''s eyes twinkled with curiosity, but the shine of his glasses hid his amusement, "Don''t be so hasty, young pirate." Solomon sighed in disappointment, seeing his attack stopped by a single finger! "Kuhuhuhu! There really are monsters like you guys everywhere!" бн The pirates aboard the creaking Oro Jackson slowly landed in the salty sea. Their faces stretched with anger as they felt being thrown around like a ragdoll, "Damn, what do we do?" A man with twin axes sighed, sitting cross-legged over a broken piece of wood, "Just look up." The others did so and saw the breathtaking sight, "The skies have been divided. There''s nothing you can do." бн "Wahahahaha!" "Rahahahaha!" Damien cracked his neck, releasing the stiffness over his joints. He also felt the throbbing pain in his fingers; it was the feeling one got after smacking a wall with a metal stick. "Your Haki is really something, Roger." The man he spoke to was sporting a thick black mustache and rather sharp attire, topped with a captain''s coat fit for a pirate. "Hehe, it looks like you''ve grown even stronger. I almost feel bad for the Navy to worry about you day in and day out!" The air cracked with loose electricity in the form of black lightning. . The wooden boards through the deck and the fencing were left cracked and out of place, but overall, the ship held strong and required some touch-ups. Damien glanced to the side and felt the three dozen or so men in the waters below. "I guess that''s the bonus to having a crew that doesn''t rely on Devil Fruits," he commented with appreciation. His words invoked a hearty laugh from the older pirate. However, Roger''s eyes soon fell on the weapon in Damien''s hands. "So the rumours were true, Wahaha!" The Sin Incarnate smirked, tracing his open hand across the powerful weapon; it hummed back with a warm pulsation. "Your sword is just as solid as my Ryushi, Supreme Grade." Roger grinned, displaying his relatively simple cutlass. "His name is Ace!" The pirate then pulled out a pistol from his hip. "This one is called Ann!" Damien looked at the gun with narrowed eyes. "I didn''t take you for a gunslinger." "I''m not. I just like its name," Roger blew up in laughter. "Heck, if I had a daughter, I''d name her that!" Damien''s smile twitched. With a helpless voice, he wagered a knowing guess, "And if it were a boy, the name would be ''Ace''?" The notorious man''s jaw fell comically, "How''d you know that!?" "..." The younger pirate sighed, massaging his forehead. Ryushi exploded into tiny particles, reforming over his finger in the shape of a ring. Meanwhile, Roger watched Damien with interest. His Haki spun wildly, almost as if trying to figure out the pirate before him. Not only did he observe with his eyes, but he also listened to the voices around him. "There''s something different about you, Damien. I felt it back at Borealis'' Auction," he muttered. "But I can never place my finger on it." The words left Damien with a few thoughts he chose not to address. "Well, whatever!" Roger grinned and proceeded to throw a wild question with nothing more than a signature grin: "Hey, how ''bout instead of Rocks, why don''t you come along in my adventure? Let''s turn the world on its head!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 137: A Monumental Event "Hey, how ''bout instead of Rocks, why don''t you come along in my adventure? Let''s turn the world on its head!" The question alone left both the Roger Pirates and even Solomon flabbergasted. Meanwhile, the distant Rayleigh face-palmed, sinking with irritation of his impulsive Captain. "Hell no." The blunt reply washed away the surprise, leaving the rest even more speechlessбкa pin-drop silence swamped the area. "Wahahaha! I expected as much." Roger then sheathed his cutlass and loudly declared, "You guys, no need to worry, there won''t be a big fight anymore!" бн [Five Minutes Later] "Chug! Chug! Chug!" Solomon sat at the deck of the mighty Oro Jackson, inhaling litres upon litres of sakиж. Roger''s crew members cheered him from the side while enjoying their own drinks. "Let''s celebrate the Navy''s ashes!" A boisterous environment befell the ships while being at arm''s length to over three thousand fallen marines. Rayleigh leaned against the solid frame of the ship, sipping away at a canister. "Damien," he whispered, ensuring no one else would hear him. "How''s Shakky?" The pirate who was asked the question twitched. He returned a sharp glare, "Why don''t you go ask her yourself? You''ve already found where she is." The swordsman cleared his throat and sat up straight. He took a refined sip of the sakиж and expressed his troubles, "I don''t want to seem too pushy." Roger grinned from the side, slapping his right-hand man''s shoulder with a resounding thwack, "Partner, you really seem to like that girl." "Women like her are rare on these seas," Rayleigh shrugged a reply, long used to his Captain''s loud nature. бн The random banquet lasted a few hours, leaving quite a few of the Roger Pirates in a drunken mess. "Should we worry about marine retaliation? Three dead Vice Admirals alongside 3000 troopsбн it''s not a small amount," Scopper Gaban asked out loud. Such a question would usually damn anyone nearby. So many losses in a chaotic time could see even an Admiral respond! Rayleigh waved his canister in the air, sighing at its emptiness. "They''d need to dispatch all Three Admirals to deal with us," he casually stated. "The only thing they can do is quietly watch from afar and hope we don''t ally up to sink G-1 out of sheer boredom." A few other pirates laughed at one another at the possibility of that going down. After all, G-1 was the wall put up to protect the Holy Land from the New World; if it were to sink, even the Five Elders would be left on edge! . "I hear you reached the final island, Roger." The man extricated himself from his drink and glanced at Damien. There was a brief silence before the reply: "Mhm." The future Pirate King then heaved a helpless sigh, "But something tells me that it wasn''t the true endбн It really left me wanting more!" Damien smirked, challenging the bold claim, "You think there''s another island out there?" "I know there is!" Roger declared, his eyes carrying a yearning desire as he smashed his spanning cup to shatter on the deck below. *Tap* Damien placed his empty barrel of sakиж and looked at the pirate thoughtfully. "So, what now? Do you plan on stopping here?" The words visibly pissed the man off: "No one''s stopping anywhere! I, I just don''t know what to do nowбнPerhaps it''s time to hang up my hat, at least for a little while." His words created a solemn atmosphere, even leaving the pirates feeling melancholy at the thought of ending their adventure on such a sour note. Naturally, such thoughts bounced off a man as charismatic as Roger as if it were nothing, and he returned to drinking. "So, why did you become a pirate?" the older man questioned with curious eyes. "Let''s just say that there was a time when my life was left in shambles, and I was too weak to do a damn thing about it," Damien candidly said, breathing in the salty sea air. The undying pirate glared at Roger with conviction, "The Government labels it as a sin, fighting for what you want to protect. Rahaha! No matter what, I will never let that happen again!" "..." Roger didn''t respond for a while; instead, he absorbed the look of his young frenemy, trying to decipher everything. "The World Government will always get in your way. Are you ready to rip them off at that height?" The question may force many into second-guessing their attempts, but it didn''t work on Damien: "Rahahaha! I''m ready to die trying if that''s what it takes!" "You really are a crazy guy, Wahahaha!" Roger''s voice suddenly warped into a more serious tone, and he warned, "But you know, Damien, it''s easy to get lost on that path to power, much like your Captain." "But then again, you''re smart enough to see that yourself." These thoughts fuelled his true question: "So why stay under that madman?" "..." Another deafening silence arrived. Rayleigh curiously awaited the response alongside both Roger and Solomon. All that came in reply was a smirk. Yet it was enough for Roger to get the idea. "I see," he chuckled. "You''re using Rocks." "It''s a bold move," Rayleigh quipped, sighing at the thought of the Abyssal Sin. Damien shrugged, "You seem to hate him." The words were confirmed accurate as a spiteful look passed by Roger''s boisterous face. "Rocks, the guy wants to grab the seat as the King of the World. And if he can''t get it, he''s ready to take the rest of the world down with him!" The light in the pirate''s eyes suddenly transformed into a seething inferno. "I want to be the freest man in the world. I can''t do that if someone like Rocks is around. It just can''t happen!" Damien matched the crazy pirate''s eyes, dropping his thoughts, "Even you, Roger, can''t take down the entirety of the Rocks Pirates." One may interpret his words as demeaning, but they lacked any strands of falsity. "I know, but I''m not the only enemy of your Captain." Roger tilted his head, recalling a piece of news. "Just recently, the Celestial Dragons have been running around like headless chickens; I''m sure some big thing is about to happen." "I can feel it. That event will decide the fate of the world!" Damien exhaled heavily, Roger''s words leaving him contemplative: "Then I guess I''ll be seeing you soon, Roger." "Wahahaha!" ---------------------------------------------- Where there was laughter and joy in the New World, there was gloom and turbulence in another part of the Grand Line, one caused by the other. ---------------------------------------------- [Marineford] "What do you mean you saw Roger and the Sin Incarnate meet up? Just what the hell happened!?" The snail formed the face of a Vice Admiral, the same man at the helm of G-1. "F-Fleet Admiral, a few scout ships identified the Roger Pirate''s ship and made an identification on Damien the Undying, both drinking together. They seem to be in good tidings." Kong massaged his temples, his seat creaking from his frustration. "One problem after another, that damned D family is nothing but trouble!" With a resolute punch, the desk before the weathered marine crumbled, and the transponder snail squeaked as it fell onto the rubble. "The death of three Vice Admiral and 3,000 marines, does he really think he can do as he pleases!?" The snail wobbled a little before the call proceeded. The Vice Admiral at G-1 saw it as a chance to impress his boss. "I-If you command, all our men at G-1 are ready to march at the pirates and take them down!" Yet his courageous remarks were met with disdain from Kong. "Do you think you can take on a force with a combined bounty of over ten billion berries?" "..." The dry and stern voice left the Vice Admiral shaken. "N-Not at allбн" "Then don''t waste my time with your nonsense and remain on standby." "Katcha~!" Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! . The burly man leaned back in his chair in the serene, well-organized, and tidy office. A large banner reading "True Justice" was hung up. Yet its peaceful ambiance after Kong''s roar was once again disrupted as the door flew open. *Bang!* "Knock next time." The marine who had blasted his way froze in his steps, "Apologies, Fleet Admiral, but it''s a word from Tensai, the head scientist!" Kong nodded, "Go on." "He said that the lightweight metal suit has been prepared and is awaiting your permission to equip Admiral Masao." It was finally a piece of good news, and Kong gave the green light instantly, saying, "Begin immediately." "Roger that!" The marine ran out after a salute, not wanting to stay in front of the perpetually annoyed Kong. If anything, the Era of Rocks had left him pulling his hair out. The Fleet Admiral leaned back into his seat again, looking nostalgic and disappointed. "Masao," he muttered, a memory of a young boy coming to mind. "Endou-san overruled my authority the other day just to make me remember that even if my position isn''t set in stoneбн Don''t fail me anymore!" ---------------------------------------------- Roger and Damien were only one half of the storm plaguing Marineford and Mariejois. The other was the Underworld. The shaky bridge between the World Government and the Underworld Emperors had been upset by Fulcrum''s actions, forming cracks and tears. ---------------------------------------------- [Tomb of Storms, Unso Island] A tired Fulcrum sat at the throne at Hell''s Peak. The white marble decorating the esteemed location gave off a brightness uncharacteristic of the Underworld. The elegantly-clothed woman was in a conversation, speaking directly to a dark-skinned, white-haired snail. "Fulcrum?" the snail asked in a dignified voice, one fit for a king. "I wasn''t expecting this." The masked woman leaned forward as if in the same room as the mysterious ruler: "Now, now, Sovereign Kairo, I''m sure you weren''t expecting Sol''s downfall either." "..." The snail briefly paused and even narrowed its comical eyes at the woman it knew was sitting across from it. The bright room was reflected in the elusive Underworld Empress'' mask as she continued, "Arkaos will soon become of interest to the World Government and other crews now. Perhaps it''s time for you to consider alternatives now that Sol is no longer protecting you." The Sovereign hummed at the offer, not shaken at the slightest. "You are after Arkaosi treasures, no? Our Elastium." "Of course," Fulcrum candidly replied. The straightforward nature of the mysterious Empress left Kairo without words. His dark brown eyes closed in thought before he responded, "...I am willing to consider it, but now is not the time." "Do you think you can survive the coming chaos?" Fulcrum questioned, her tone carrying audible pessimism. However, the Sovereign of Arkaos was unshaken as before. "Far too many titles have changed hands in the past few years. I am willing to bet that even the monstrous Rocks isn''t free from such a fate, let alone the World Government." "If you seek our Elastium, perhaps we will have a fruitful talk some years later down the line. Until then, I bid you farewell, Fulcrum." "Katcha~!" . Hell''s Keep remained brilliant as the snail hung up, but the woman on the throne was annoyed: "Tsk," she clicked her tongue. *Hisss* A sharp gust of air whistled while the beautiful face hidden under the mask was revealed. Aurora stood up from her seat and walked toward the spanning window. The two purple eyes scanned the Empire before them but carried turbulence. "As expected, the Sovereign of Arkaos isn''t easy to shake even after losing Sol''s protection." The assassin sighed in her recent helplessness. First, her ''reckless'' declaration to protect Yozora sparked much turbulence in the Styx Accords. On top of this, there was the heightened lookout for agents snooping in her Empire under the order of Typhon Kade, the Deputy Chief of Cipher Pol. She could still remember the conversation regarding Yozora between her and the young bird some time ago. бн "Huh, you want me to cover it all up!? The big news? Don''t joke around, Fulcrum!" The young Morgans squawked through the receiver. "I find it as irritating as you do, but if I use the Styx Passage to blackmail them anymore, they will connect the dots between Damien and me immediately. I already have Kade breathing down my neck!" The Empress argued back. "Do you know how quickly they''ll send Admirals to obliterate Unso Island down to the ground once they figure out that they gave the reins of the Underworld to a pirate under Rocks?" The tension caused a brief silence before the woman continued, "I was able to buy a full week before the Buster Call commences. In the meantime, I''ll be sending ships to every island to evacuate their people." "Are these his words?" the disgruntled star reporter questioned. Fulcrum''s eyebrows furrowed under her mask, and the grip on the phone tightened. She gave the young lad no room to disagree: "They''re mine, and you will cover it up, Morgans." "This is not a request; it''s an order. My loyalty is to Damien, not to your ''big news.'' Don''t let your position at the WENP get to your head, or I''ll have to remind you of your cage." The albatross on the other end felt a chill run down his spine. He saw the intense eyes conveyed through the snail and caved in, "...Yes, Ma''am." Aurora hung up the phone. The only thing Damien told her to do was to ensure the safety of the Dracule. And such compromises were the price of protecting Yozora. бн Although annoying to relent to the World Government, there were other things Fulcrum was busy with. Elastium was one such treasure she wished to acquire for Damien. Arkaos, like dozens of other islands, was once under the umbrella of the Overlords of the Sea. After the fall of Borealis, Enigma and finally, Sol, these lands of the New World were left open. Aurora absently bit her fingernails while watching the Sea Kings in the distance, feeling overwhelmed. Ultimately, she heaved an annoyed sigh. "Cheh, what an annoying old man, that Kairo!" she cursed. "It''s so tempting to raid and steal all your wealth; no wonder there are so many pirates out there!" Although the twenty-year-old Emperor was pouting her frustrations, her words reflected the recent surge of piracy. Although the one outside of the New World had been quelled, the Government did nothing for those in the New World! The nations previously under the Overlords were now sheep stuck in a wolf''s den. "It''s getting harder and harder to keep any semblance of control." Aurora tapped the thick pane of glass, drumming an uncertain melody: "I hope everything is well with you, Damienбн" ---------------------------------------------- The young man at the center of the recent storm was making his way through the latter end of the New World Sea and toward the Red Line. "Get ready. We will dive to Fishman Island soon." Solomon smiled wildly, "I really want to see the life 10,000 meters below; the outside world is amazing! I also wonder if these fish people eat fish or not." Damien left Solomon to his devices, and they stayed in a borrowed Navy Warshipбкconvenient transport with installed coating devices. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* The Sin Incarnate''s heavy steps echoed the empty vessel. He sat down on Nouveau''s leather seat, his mind busy with something. "Sibyl, I''ve been feeling an itch since Roger. Outline his strength for me." ''Sibyl, outline Roger''s strength.'' [Here it isбн] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Gol D. Roger] [Age: 37 years, 9 months, 5 days] [Height: 9'' ] (2.74 m) [Devil Fruit: None] [Weapon: Ace of the Supreme Grade Series] [Skills: Incredible Talent in all Colours of Haki, Will of D, Plot Armour, Primitive Rokushiki, Great Talent for Swordsmanship, Voice of All Things, Liberation Sense, Laugh of Revolution] [Haki: Observation Haki (Grandmastery (I)), Armament Haki (Advanced Mastery), Conqueror''s Haki (Grandmastery (II))] [Strength: Top Tier Yonko] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< "His Conqueror''s is ridiculously dense... And just the little push I needed to upgrade my own!" A notification appeared in his mind to support his thoughts. [Conqueror''s Haki Mastery has reached the Grandmastery (I) Stage.] It prompted Damien to clench his fists, subconsciously releasing thick strands of black lightning. A relaxing Solomon at the top felt a shiver run down his back. He looked to see the clouds trembling and whispered, "That the roar of Supreme Kingsбн It feels even heavier!" Solomon''s thoughts were reflected in Damien''s mind: >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Einar D. Damien] [Age: 19 years, 7 months, 20 days] [Height: 11'' 7"] (3.53 m) [Status: Thriving] [Devil Fruit: Pulverize Pulverize Fruit (Grandmastery (I)) б№] [Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars] [Weapon: Ryи▒shi of the Supreme Grade Series] [Ryи▒shi Combat Arts Comprehension: 89% б№] [Notable Characteristics: Black Bones (MAX), Black Body (II), Fishman-Hybrid, Seastone Resistance, Undying Anatomy, Body Dismantling Form {New!}] [Skills: Voice of All Things, Will of D., Rokushiki, Life Return (Grandmastery) б№, Deprivation, Equal Exchange, Destiny Perception, Empathy, Primal Charge (New!), Natural Dread (New!)] [Haki: Observation Haki (Grandmastery (I)), Armament Haki (Advanced Mastery), Conqueror''s Haki (Grandmastery (I)) б№] [Strength: Top Tier Yonko б№] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< Surely enough, many things had changed, so many that even the author had to re-read the data. Damien felt a little overwhelmed by all the words and gave a simple order: "Bring up my newly unlocked stuff." [Okay.] [Body Dismantling Form иC Combines the Awakened nature of the Pulverization Fruit, the Future Sight of Observation Haki and Paper Arts. It grants the ability to emulate a Logia fruit user.] [Primal Charge иC Combines the Awakened nature of the Pulverization Fruit and Grandmastery of Life Return to amplify and manipulate the bioelectricity of cells to surge out from the user''s hands.] [Natural Dread иC A unique Ultimate Skill unlocked by reaching Grandmastery over Conqueror''s Haki. The body naturally releases Conqueror''s Haki, making others with weaker strength tremble in fear and vanquish thoughts of treason.] "It''s like Rocks'' Shadow of Despair. Heh, did it manifest because of my unease for the coming fateful day?" Damien shook his head with amusement but welcomed the abilities with open arms. ---------------------------------------------- [A Week Later] [Mortem Island, Paradise] "Is it actually true?" Is Damien-san coming back!?" came a question from a chipper young voice. A green-haired girl softly sighed at the incessant young boy beside her. "Like I said for the sixth time, Kuzan-kun, he should be returning today." The ice-boy sheepishly smiled, though unable to hide his excitement. Even the girl before him had similar thoughts, smiling in memory of a figure. . The two remained at the core of Mortem Island. It had resumed its peaceful nature after the battle that had taken place last time. The sun shone brightly, lighting up the new day. Birds flew around, making habitats and feeding their young. The plants flourished under the bright ambience, bathing in the sun''s warmth. Though suddenly enough, the entire island seemed to tremble. The greenery shifted to the far South, similar to plants'' tendency to grow in the direction of sunlight. The animals, even those in hibernation, felt a homing instinct to wake up. An island blessed by a particular individual gave birth to entire ecosystems that were more aware than most living things. Toki felt their cry of joy, matching them with her bright smile. At the same time, a mighty vessel docked on the coast of Mortem Island, and two people disembarked, taking in the fresh air. Damien felt the familiar atmosphere upon his first step on the soil and could feel Mortem''s welcoming hand. He had stayed here in the past; it was a home away from home. He gazed back at the curious Solomon and said, "This might be one of the few sunny days in the coming futureбн A storm is brewing, Solomon, and we''ll need all our strength to weather it." To Be Continuedбн Chapter 138: Knowledge "Damien-san!" A green-haired girl patiently waited as the two guests made their way from the docks to the upper level. "Toki," Damien whispered as the girl warmly entered his arms. She smiled in his warmth, embracing the young pirate with a soft smile. "Cool, you came back on a Marine ship!" Damien continued to hold the girl in his arms, looking toward the chipper voice. "Kuzan, have you behaved with Toki?" The young boy returned the fist bump, smiling excitedly. Solomon was still processing the girl that had appeared. "This isбн Boss'' Lady?" he muttered. "Boss Lady?" The girl leaned back from the hug only to see the towering Solomon. The man''s tattooed chest and face, alongside years of war and combat, brought an imposing air that would suffocate most folks. Toki knew Damien trusted the stranger, regardless of the war-torn aura around him, to step foot on the island. "Welcome to Mortem Island," she warmly greeted with a soft smile. Solomon felt a pang of embarrassment at his current look after being so ardently welcomed by his Boss'' woman. That is, until a boastful voice came to his ears: "Hah, I bet I can beat this guy up!" Solomon''s brows furrowed, and he glared at the darker-skinned proud boy, flashing a challenging grin. Kuzan was wearing a stylish blue shirt with gold buttons and a long, black coat draped over his shoulders. [Clothing Image (in Discord)] "Try me, brat!" Kuzan smirked, aiming out a hand. . "Ice Time Capsule!" . It was a burst of bright blue chill, instantly leaving a thick ice trail toward the older pirate. The air and soil solidified instantly, plunging a foggy white vapour into the airбкSolomon was frozen as well. "бн" "Hehe, I''m a big deal now!" Kuzan cracked a victorious smile at Damien, only for a few cracks to resound. The lad turned to the ice sculpture decorated with cracks right before exploding into tiny shards. "Kuhuhuhu, it was a nice chill right there! Why don''t you cool up some refreshments for the Boss and me?" Kuzan clicked his tongue, still not accepting Solomon. . "Ice Block: Partisan!" . A dozen ice spears appeared around the boy''s freezing chill, sharp in nature. *Fwoooo* A chill shot through the skies, following the ghastly manifestations of pure ice. Kuzan smirked in success, seeing the individual spears nail his enemy from multiple fronts. "Look closer, Kuzan." Damien''s voice brought the boy out of his reverie, and he proceeded to do what was advised. And he saw something weird; the towering frame of Solomon, though hit hard with the spears, didn''t seem to bleed or bruise. The frozen limbs fell off their sockets while fresh, rotten wood took its place. "Logia!" Kuzan exclaimed, pointing out a finger. Though he felt that wasn''t right, the boy had been given a lot of study material; part of it even included the types of Logia fruits. "Noбн in that case, either a Special Paramecia or Mythical Zoan!" Solomon, who stood unaffected, was somewhat surprised at the boy''s insightful guess and confirmed the guess. *Fuuuu* A creepy fog, black in nature, slowly emanated from the man, following a loud snapping sound. A vast shadow spanned across the grassy earth, covering up the younger foe. It was a frightening creatureбкa Wendigo! "Awesome!" A bone-chilling cold pervaded out from Kuzan, freezing the moisture in the air and leaving it as a dense solid. . "All right, that''s enough." The words were overshadowed by the dangerous sounds breaking out from the two, yet somehow they instantly destroyed the tense atmosphere, shattering it like glass. "Hmph, be glad you were saved by the bell, Kuhuhu. I won''t be merciful next time." Kuzan absorbed the threatening words and could only return a childish grin, "I''ll freeze you down to the bone, old man!" "Don''t worry. He''s a little brash and reckless but has a good heart," Damien whispered to Toki, who nodded. The girl narrowed in on the 20-foot beast more than twice her height. Its nature was akin to all things frightening, surrounded by death, darkness and gloom. The green-haired doctor walked up and gave a trademark Wano greeting, "Hello, my name is Amatsuki Toki." Solomon was still in his menacing form but suddenly felt such a bright light emanating from the girl. Toki was dressed in an elegant outfit featuring a flowing, off-shoulder kimono adorned with a vibrant orange floral pattern. The ensemble included white thigh-high stockings and matching shoes. [Clothing Image (in Discord)] Faced with such a warm heart, much like his late mother, Solomon''s menacing persona collapsed. "бн" He transformed back, scratching his head in defeated spirits, "I''m Solomon, the Boss'' right-hand man!" But his words didn''t sit well with someone... "Hah, Damien-san already has a right-hand man, and he''s much stronger than you!" Kuzan pointed at the much taller pirate with an accusatory finger, mocking him. "Hmph, then I''ll just beat him and take that spot myself." The ice lad crossed his arms, his expression not believing the bold statement. "He''s already gone toe-to-toe with an Admiral. You stand no chance!" It left Solomon growling in irritation. . You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. "What do you know about Indra?" Damien questioned with amusement. "Hehe, I''ve been reading a lot!" Kuzan claimed. "Zenora Indra has made a bigger name for himself after challenging the likes of the Evil Spirit and even the Golden Lion in the past few months while you were gone." Many people are saying that he''ll be the Sin Incarnate''s greatest weapon!" Kuzan''s chipper voice suddenly turned uncertain as he finished his admiration, "But the papers never tell me the power you gave himбн Something about the clashes knocking everyone out to tell the tale." Solomon wasn''t overly pleased with the information, but he remained silent. He had been humbled by Rayleigh a little while ago yet had trouble reining in his ego. "Tch, just wait, I''ll take him down soon enough!" he declared. . "Damien." The soft and yearning voice was that of a female. Solomon felt a cold wind as a purple-haired young woman to Damien''s left. Soon, he felt a sharp glare from the woman swirling with aetherial energy. The cold gaze forced the pirate into overdrive, his body beginning to release copious amounts of black mist. However, Damien''s actions once again broke the atmosphere. His large hand reached out and traced the newly arrived person''s long silky hair, dissolving her penetrating gaze. "Aurora, you''re here too," Damien said as he continued running his hand over the girl''s head. He then turned to Solomon. "I already gave you two weeks of hellish training. I''ll be off to another island very soon, so I''ll let Aurora train you in my absence." The girl''s amethyst eyes narrowed in on the tattooed Solomon. She had seen a fair share of brutes in the Underworld and felt the same bloodthirst from this one. "I know I''ve got a lot to learn, but I doubt a pretty lady can train me." His brave words left Kuzan snickering from the side, greatly awaiting what was to come. Boom! Solomon''s face warped in difficulty as he felt a heavy weight befall his body, forcing his bones to creak. Veins popped along his forehead while he struggled to stay standing. "I, I''m sure I can train myself!" A thin smile stretched on the purple-haired girl''s face, her expression that of someone toying with a person''s confidence. "You remind me of one of my Hounds, Kaiser. I broke his ego just like this." *Vvoooo!* A sharp wind shrieked from the increasing force, making it visible. Purple lines appeared in the air, all of them crashing up Solomon. "I-It''s just like No Man''s Landбн" He entered his Wendigo form but was left on his knees and locked onto the amused Empress. Boom! Another sharp increase in weight as the only thing Solomon could fight back to at least remain looking up with was his stubborn nature. A repulsive wave of gray energy pulsed out from the trembling man with bloodshot eyes, desperately trying to hold up against the crushing weight. Yet shocking enough, the desolate Haki was shredded apart from another burst of spirit, one originating from the tall young woman in purple streaks. "I hope you didn''t think my girls were weak," Damien said with a smirk, satisfied by the crumbling ego of the Wendigo. "Toki, lock him up for a while. He can listen quietly." The other young girl hummed, doing as asked. . "Clockworks: Chronostasis." . An archaic clock materialized behind the green-haired girl, ticking ever so slowly. A green shell formed around the desperate Solomon, instantly freezing him in his place. The clock ticked so slowly that it seemed to have been broken, yet its slow speed was reflected on Solomon, who felt time pass at a thousandth of its original pace. "Don''t worry. My time powers will keep your injuries at bay. I''ll heal your 37 broken bones when Damien-san wants you freed." The voice was sweet and caringбкanyone would want to hear it from their family doctor. Kuzan greatly enjoyed the proceedings. He finally saw another person''s spirit broken by the two ladies. "What are you snickering about?" The young lad turned to the famed pirate and asked something completely different. "Did you say you were going somewhere else again? Can I come too!" Damien raised an eyebrow at the scruffy-haired boy''s pleading expression. "I was planning to take Toki. I don''t know if you''d be interested in where I''m going." However, the words didn''t whittle away the boy''s excitement at the possibility of coming along. Damien shrugged, "Whatever, it will only last a few weeks at most." He then addressed the others, "Our destination is the Island of KnowledgeбкOhara!" ---------------------------------------------- [A Day Later] Damien had set sail with the company of the cheerful Toki and excited Kuzan. The three leaned off the Warship''s bow, breathing the cool breeze of the Paradise. "I heard of the Tree of Knowledge that had stood for over 5,000 years. How is that even possible?" came Kuzan''s voice. "The people of Ohara were scholars by nature, but that can''t explain such a magnificent tree," Toki chimed in. Damien nodded, "The Tree of Knowledge. Treasured Tree Adam. Sunlight Tree Eve," he listed out. "All these three trees have stood for thousands of years, even though I have no clue on what makes these trees so incredibly durable." Kuzan tapped his chin, imitating Damien''s thinking gesture. "Are you going to read about something?" Much to his chagrin, he didn''t receive a direct answer: "A wise man once said, ''To defeat an enemy, you must know them. Not simply their battle tactics, but their history, philosophy and art''." Damien turned to the boy and said, "My greatest foe will not be any little pirate nor the Navy. Rather, it will be the World Government. Do you know why no one has ever been able to challenge their supreme rule?" Kuzan shook his head while Toki listened attentively. "It''s because no one truly knows the extent of their strength. They''ve reigned for more than seven centuries." "Devil Fruits, Haki, Ancient Weapons, the Five Elders, God''s Knights, lost truths and hidden pastsбн Oda is always cooking things up." "What is an ''Oda''?" Kuzan suddenly asked, picking up Damien''s mumbling. "Rahaha! You won''t get it. For now, just enjoy the fresh breeze beyond Mortem Island." The Ice-boy nodded, opting to go run around the stolen marine Warship, admiring its impressive build. . "Damien-san, thank you for taking me as well," came a graceful voice. "Of course, I know how much you value your knowledge. I''m sure they have an entire section that suits your interests." He then embraced the girl. She was quite traditional and didn''t showcase the affection she wanted near strangers. The girl smiled and closed her eyes. Damien gave her an affectionate kiss on her soft lips. "I missed you, Damien-san." бн [Few Days Later] [West Blue Sea] "I see it, it''s huge!" Kuzan''s eyes widened at the sight in the distance. The tree was incredibly thick and spanned half the island. Buildings surrounded the massive tree, lining its grassy fields with human life. The island had a vibrant atmosphere, and there was even a rumour that it smelled like books all year round! The three guests arrived at the docks, walking down the ramp and onto the bright island. [Ohara Images (in Discord)] A few inquisitive glances fell upon the guests. It was certainly odd; a marine Warship that could house up to a thousand soldiers had all but three people. "Amazingly, the World Government permits their quest for knowledge," Toki murmured, enjoying the air outside Mortem. "Within reason," Damien interjected, his two words carrying a certain weight. бн "Welcome, pirates." It came from an older gentleman. Damien examined the man while he examined the pirate. He wore a red-and-white striped shirt with a large belt at his waist, pants and a blue-and-black jacket. The man''s appearance didn''t match his age. The historian looked at most forty even though he was 68 years old! He had a shaved top, with his green hair adjusted jutting on the sides and the back top, combined with a large beard reminiscent of a three-leaf clover. "My name is Clover. I am the Director of the Ohara Library," he calmly introduced himself, easing the tension among the other scholars. [Clover Image (in Discord)] Damien nodded in return, matching the man''s identity with someone from his memories. Unlike the other two, Kuzan was quite confused by the warm welcome. He thought Damien would have them dress up like marines to get here. "Does Ohara welcome pirates, too?" Clover laughed at the boy''s innocence. "Of course, we welcome anyone thirsty for knowledge. As for pirates, I was once a pirate in my younger years. Who''s to say a man with a bounty can''t be curious?" "A-ra-ra, you were a pirate?" Clover smiled, his eyes flashing with nostalgia. He breathed in the memories and shared, "I was an ardent researcher and adventurer obsessed with the Void Century, hehe. It got me into quite a lot of trouble, though." "Arrested by the Marines on ten different occasions, although you managed to break out every single time," Damien finished his words. "And you''ve fully given up your life as a pirate." Clover''s eyes lit up in surprise: "The man touted as The Undying has done your homework about me; I''m humbled." He glanced at the glorious Tree of Knowledge with reverence, "I''m far too old to swing a swordбн Now I just look after the vast knowledge I had collected alongside the one the people of Ohara had attained over the past centuries." A thin smile appeared on his face as he mumbled, "Nearly all my life aspirations have been accomplished." Toki tilted her head and curiosity, feeling some melancholy in Clover''s voice. "Is there still more you want to do?" The librarian sheepishly laughed, scratching his unique hair. "Well, I wanted to meet a man known for his stories and lost talesбн It''s a historian''s dream. You''ve probably never heard of him." "Oh? Now, you''ve intrigued me. You know, I''m something of a historian myself," Damien quipped, expressing his curiosity. Toki also blinked at the book-loving Clover with her big green eyes. Kuzan, on the other hand, didn''t care much for it. The older gentleman cleared his throat, once again humbled by this attention given to him by such a titanic pirate and a lovely young woman. "Well, it was a figure that I heard of in my years of study, a man whose tracks are impossible to findбн" A bright line shone in the older man''s eyes, conveying his deep-seated desires. "They call him ''The Phantom Bard''. A man with an arsenal of stories that the World Government had tried again and again to extinguish for centuries!" Clover shook his head, almost disdaining the Government''s actions. "They wish to hunt down an unarmed man, deeming him a danger for the knowledge he holds. Even spending endless gold and berries to find the Bard." The man gazed at the famed pirate with an air of solemnity and loudly proclaimed, "But they don''t get it... Knowledge is better than moneyбн You have to protect money, but knowledge protects you!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 139: Beneath the Surface This is a significant AU chapter. Make sure to read the Author''s Corner, which contains some critical notes.

"I respect your outlook on knowledge, Clover." The historian heaved a sigh of relief. Ohara was undefeated in its knowledge warehousing but lacked any firepower to protect that knowledge. A pirate worth three billion berries was far beyond their capabilities! бн The band of three pirates was welcomed to the giant tree without any real supervision; they each went their separate ways to check out whatever they wanted. The inside of the Tree of Knowledge was extraordinary. The air itself felt archaic, almost as if it were blessed by the endless shelves of books dating centuries back. The chamber was vast, leaving the trio to space out into different sections. Soon enough, Damien was invested in knowledge. "Huh, so my guess was true," he muttered, holding a thick book on anthropology. The title read: "Humans and Giants." According to the proposed work by a chain of researchers, the human race had a direct connection to that of Giants! It was to the point that giant genes were found in almost any human, though it varied from 0.1% to even 70%! "So these genes are what allow normal humans to grow to absurd sizes such as Whitebeard and Linlin." Damien then picked up another book. "A Talk about Sea Kings," he read the title. It wasn''t anything revolutionary but rather another dot that Damien had connected himself. "Sea Kings get more nutritious the further along the Grand Line you go. Even people with low Giant genes can grow far beyond their limits by consuming high-end meals... Enigma''s research notes came to the same conclusion." бн Damien was entirely invested in the books. There were some crazy ones, like a theory that proposed that the ancient user of the Sperm-Sperm Fruit mated with animals and fish to spawn Fishmen and Minks. At the same time, some held merit. "Devil Fruit Theory," he read over the words. Some references included the Devil Fruits to be birthed from a Devil Fruit Tree, much like the Tree of Knowledge, Treasured Tree Adam or Sunlight Tree Eve. This was the most cited and developed hypothesis for the origin of the fruits, but there was another section with random thoughts on the same subject. One such thought was that Devil Fruits were born from humanity''s deep and earnest desires and imagination. But they came with a price: Mother Ocean would turn her back to any who consume such fruit. Yet this lacked any support and was primarily a tale rambled on by a drunk fellow and stored in the archives. . Damien even found a book that documented the Meito (Famed Blades)! It listed every blade, ranging from the Skillful 50 to the Great 21 and, finally, to a recently updated page, the 13 Supreme Blades! Two significant updates of the index were the birth of the Thirteenth Weapon, the ''Pulverizing Blade'' Ryushi and the transfer of ownership of the ''Sacred Blade'' Tenmei to Zenora Indra. Wano was often cited as a place of incredible artisans, a genuinely significant location for the world of swordsmanship. бн [Four Hours Later] Damien soaked in a plethora of knowledge until he encountered an interesting sight. It was Kuzan seated on the floor across from a table, holding up a book, but he wasn''t alone. "I see you made a friend." The boy was nose-deep in a book when the voice shook him. "You startled me! Couldn''t you be more tactful?" The pirate hummed at the boy''s scowl and glanced at the dozen thick books laid out on the wooden table, all fashioned with either Navy or World Government flags. Some were opened halfway, while others were waiting to be read. He turned to the other party, a young girl, and asked, "Have you been helping him find all these books?" "Y-Yes, sir." She was probably in her mid-teens, with long white hair and bright blue eyes. She shrunk under the heavy weight of Damien''s eyes, unable to meet them. "Hey! Don''t throw your Haki around like a pirate!" Kuzan exclaimed, standing up as the chivalrous ten-year-old he was. "I''m not doing it on purpose," Damien lightly responded before actively reining in the natural dread that leaked from his body. "Anyway, it''s good to know your enemy... That is why you''re so interested in these Navy Records, right?" Kuzan gulped as he saw the smirk at the edge of Damien''s lips. He glanced at the tower of books with Navy emblems and returned a dry laugh: "A...ha..ha... Right, that''s right. Olvia just happens to know Ohara like the back of her hand, so she''s helping me around." The girl quiveringly matched the notorious pirate''s eyes, the same pirate responsible for so much havoc and even forcing Ohara to write it down as history. Damien studied the white-haired girl before turning away, "Well, do as you please. Just be ready to leave in an hour or two." His attention then fell on another piece, titled "The World Government''s Top Brass." Damien walked away from the academic duo and scanned the abstract: "So it outlines the entire World Government hierarchy. Let''s see what we have..." >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< Tree of Authority:

The Five Elders.
Commander-in-Chief of the World Government.
Head of Celestial Dragon Houses (19 may hold this position).
Fleet Admiral of the Navy Headquarters || Chief of Cipher Pol || Supreme Commander of the God''s Knights.
Celestial Dragons.
Admirals of the Navy Headquarters (3 may hold this position) || Commissioner of the RTB.
Admiral Candidates (3 may hold this position) || Director of the MCIS.
Vice Admirals.
Rear Admirals.

. Glossary: RTB = Revenue and Taxation Bureau. MCIS = Marine Criminal Intelligence Service. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< "If only this were fully accurate," Damien muttered, chuckling at the irony. At the end of the day, the greatest weapon of the Navy were the Admirals, followed by the Admiral Candidates. He hummed at the passing thought, "I''ve seen neither hide nor hair of the Candidates besides Zephyr, which means they are probably stationed at Mariejois!" Damien then went through a few pages and came to a more exciting topic: details on Fleet Admirals! The only ones he cared about were the ones still alive, of which there were two. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< Name: Endou. Age: 70. Epithets: Great Disaster, Pirate Butcher. Personal Code: Dominant Justice. Position Before Fleet Admiral: Admiral of the Navy Headquarters. Feats: --n------d ''--e G-- -- -a-'' ----; Vanquished ''Bloodspawn'' Mors; Stabilized the Navy for three decades. Reigning Period: 1450-1480. Current Position: Commander-in-Chief of the World Government. . Name: Kong. Age: 46. Epithets: Strange Beast, Titan. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Personal Code: True Justice. Position Before Fleet Admiral: Admiral of the Navy Headquarters. Feats: Oversaw the Destruction of the Three Overlords of the Sea; Oversaw the capture of ''Fallen Angel'' Herja. Reigning Period: 1480-Present. Current Position: Fleet Admiral of the Navy Headquarters. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< "One of Endou''s feats has been scrubbed off. Is it classified?" Damien thought to himself. However, his open thoughts were picked up by a nearby person who chimed in immediately: "Cipher Pol marched here a while back and erased certain truths while I was still a pirate." Damien glanced at Clover with a hum, "I wouldn''t expect anything less of them." He then gestured to the blue elephant in the room: "Looks like you''re still doing some rather delicate research." Clover trailed the pirate''s eyes and reached the giant blue stone at the base of the entrance. "Oh, you mean the Poneglyph?" He returned a meaningful smirk, "Researching Poneglyphsбн that would be forbidden." "бн" "Rahahaha! I''m the only one here, and you can be honest with me, Clover. If I didn''t know any better, you are as much of a D as I amбн" . The two soon found themselves before the giant stone. A blue hue was given off, bleeding into the surroundings and even the large bookshelves nearby. [Room Image (in Discord)] "Have you deciphered the language?" Clover paused, looking around to ensure no one was listening. "You should know the grave danger you put yourself in if the World Government finиC" Damien looked away from the rambling man and instead turned toward the stone. Each word seemed to resonate with the past as if the stone held whispers from a world long gone. "The Great Kingdom alongside Joyboy ruled over the World before it was destroyed by the First Twenty during the Void Century, later forming the World Government as it is known henceforth." "..." "You can read it as well!?" Damien shook his head. "It looks like gibberish to me," he answered. "Although I can''t read it, I can hear it." Clover blinked, realization dawning on his weathered face. "Voice of All Things? I thought that was a myth." Damien grinned at the man''s words, patting his back. Although their height difference left Damien twice as tall as the historian, leaving the exchange to look somewhat comical. "Don''t get hung up on the details, old pirate. Say, where do you keep the more forbidden knowledge?" Clover felt his mouth dry up. Damien''s antics left him speechless. Ultimately, he caved in: "This way." бн Damien stood in front of a rotten shelf holding a few thick books, their pages visibly aged beyond the reach of the historians'' preservatives. Surely, centuries had passed since these texts were written! "I''ll take my leave. Do as you please," the head librarian told him. He ran off before being dragged around any longer. The undying pirate shrugged and browsed the tantalizing collection of knowledge. His eyes landed on a fascinating section. "As Clover explained in the anime, a Great Kingdom existed until the end of the Void Century. The First Twenty emerged from their ashes to create the World Government in the year 724." He paused at a passage detailing their technology, reading aloud, "The great civilization, before their annihilation, had machines far more advanced than today''sбкIron Giants, robot-like creations the size of Ancient Giants, powered by a mysterious energy source." Turning a few pages, he found another crucial entry. "Within a few years of the founding, the Lunarians were killed off, and their home claimed by the First Twenty. The royals would leave behind their kingdoms, moving to the top of the Red Line. Among the First Twenty were Imu of House Nerona at the helm, Tnaryt of House Amas-Rohtua, and Lili of House Nefertari as Imu''s close companions." [A/N: The ''t'' in Tnaryt is silence; pronunciate it as "Na-rit."] "Sometime later, Lili of House Nefertari would depart Mariejois to return to Alabasta." The pirate mulled over the pieces of the grand puzzle he had just uncovered. "Imu of House Neronaбн so that''s the one pulling the strings alongside the Five Elders. And Lili is obviously Vivi''s ancestor." A few silent minutes passed as Damien pondered before returning to the text. "Sixty years later, in the year 786, most of the founders had grown old. It was then that one of the remaining Nineteen, Tnaryt, would bring up the thought to cement their divine right to rule and for their descendants to be coined as Celestial Dragons." A grin appeared on the pirate''s face as his eyes landed on the following section that was important today: "Tnaryt would host the canonization ceremony in his abandoned kingdom of God Valley. Here, the Nineteen and their children were declared Gods of the World and Mariejois as their sacred capital. Since then, a grand event has been held every century to commemorate the official birth of Celestial Dragons." Damien''s eyes flickered as he continued reading. *Clack* Damien closed the aged book, sinking into thought. "It''s late 1485, which sets next year for another celebration. And it also coincides with this Triennial Native Hunting Competition I''ve been hearing Morgans talking about." He looked around, peering at some other books Clover had collected in his years as a pirate. A quick ten-minute check revealed one thing: There was nothing about the century before the World Government was established, not even a sliver of useful information. "The secrets of the Void Century remain uncovered. Maybe a future Clover or someone else can piece it together," Damien mused, cupping his chin. "Imu, Lili, Tnaryt, Joyboy, Poneglyphs, Ancient Weapons, Iron Giants, Lunarians, Shandoraбн all pieces of the same, incomplete puzzle." Damien sighed, massaging his forehead, answering one question only for two more to take its place. "Finding the remaining Poneglyphs may shed light, but the complete answer surely rests in Laugh Tale, waiting to be found!" бн [Elsewhere at Ohara] [Some Time Later] . "Divine Remedy." . A green glow went off from a few Scholars. They watched in great astonishment as a broken arm was easily mended back into perfect shape, healing within moments. "What an incredible power!" They marvelled at the ability, and a small line formed before the young doctor. It took the young girl an entire hour to fix the residents'' various problems. Yet Toki would graciously heal every single one of them. бн "Your kindness is refreshing to see, Toki." Two arms suddenly grabbed the girl from the back, locking her in a warm grip. "D-Damien-san!" The pirate held onto the green-haired girl and her little collection of books. "Ancient Medicine, A History of Viral Outbreaks in the Past Millennia, A Dive into the Amber Lead Syndrome, An Almanac of Remedial Plants, Lost Medical Techniquesбн Quite the collection you dug up." Toki smiled, leaning her head onto Damien''s chest. "The people of Ohara gifted me these books to heal them; they are nice and curious." "Sometimes one''s curiosity can be their downfall," Damien hummed, pitying the historians. "You have a habit of saying mysterious things, Damien-san." бн The couple waited for another half an hour as a speedy Kuzan exited the divine tree. Damien noticed the boy''s thoughtful expression and spoke nothing of it. The trio were quick to leave, masking their travel with hasteбкClover, a D himself, made sure to have his fellow historians keep the news of Damien''s visit under wraps; he felt he owed it to the bold Sin Incarnateбкonce a pirate, always a pirate. бн [Ohara] "I take it you enjoyed our little outing, Kuzan." The boy nodded while drinking some of his favourite coffee before disappearing into the marine lounge for further exploration. Toki smiled from Damien''s side, carrying a stack of her collection of books. The three had officially left the scholarly island, still using the stolen Warship as a means of transportation. "Are we headed back home?" Damien shook his head, "We''ll make a small stop at an island in Paradise along the way." The pirate quieted down after answering the questionбкhis eyes seemed a little distant as he stared into the familiar seas. They were leaving the West Blue. Toki hummed to herself, placing the books aside and walking up to the taller male. She took in the salty sea air, lightly grasping Damien''s right arm. She watched the calm waters rise and fall by the passing wind. The girl''s soft voice broke the pirate from his thoughts, "How long has it been since you came back to your home sea?" "I never came back ever since I joined the Rocks Pirates," Damien breathed, putting aside any memories burning up. "I thought it wouldn''t bother me coming this close to home..." Toki watched Damien carefully, feeling the weight of his words and the burdens he carried. She could see the subtle tension in his shoulders and the quiet way his eyes flickered with unresolved pain. He was always like thisбкstrong, unshaken on the outside, yet battling a storm within. Knowing how much he had endured, how much he still carried alone, made her heart ache. Toki reached out to hold his hand, smiling at his foresight. "By keeping away, you protect her rest." Toki could feel the weight of Damien''s wordsбкhis unspoken fears, the tension in his body. He always took the world on his shoulders, even when it crushed him from the inside. Toki knew he wouldn''t show it, not to anyone but her. Her grasp over his hand tightened as she firmly said, "What are the chances they know about it?" The Sin Incarnate narrowed his eyes. He thought over his previous excursions and chats with Aurora to protect Renaissance. "I had Aurora place operatives in islands near Renaissance some time ago. If the Government does know, they''ve yet to make any moves. But I can''t be sure." Uncertainty flashed in his eyes. "The only traces I could have left behind were at either Greta Island or El Pavor. But El Pavor was long in ruins when the other Mafia Families struck; all the Gambino members were killed and their wealth absorbed." Toki remained quiet, allowing Damien to think while she acted as a hearth to comfort his unease. "Greta Island is the only link that can connect me to Renaissance, but there are over five dozen tiny and primitive islands neighbouring itбн It would take a huge operation to try and narrow down to my home without alerting Aurora''s agents." Damien''s eyes became firm. Although he was somewhat reckless in assaulting an entire Mafia Family all those years ago, he couldn''t think of any specific person who could tie him back to Renaissance. "But there''s something else, isn''t there?" The male pirate leaked a smile, knowing he had been read. The look in his eyes grew thunderous over one truth that has remained constant since his mother''s death: "I still don''t know the person behind it all, Toki. The one who forced Gambino Delago to raid my home, the one who killed her with a borrowed knife." "Did Aurora-san not find anything?" Damien shook his head. "Which is what makes me anxious. There''s someone out there, someone who knows of my home turf. Someone who hasn''t acted upon it for over eleven years now. But with the fateful day approaching, I can''t help but fear for Renaissance." "Eleven years is a long time," Toki''s soft voice drew his attention, soothing his troubles. She returned a smile, "Damien-san, you''re the most incredible man I have ever met. But you have a tendency to get hung up on every little thingбкto control it from going wrong." "If Aurora-san''s network failed to find the dark hand, then maybe it wasn''t as deep as you think? Maybe there was no dark hand, and Delago was spouting nonsense to get you to spare him." Damien silently stared into the pair of vibrant green eyes, hearing her soft voice continue: "I have tried to force the world away from its darkness. But even with the power to bend time to my will, it always went awry." The girl entered his embrace, speaking into his crimson shirt with a muffled tone, "Worry won''t rob tomorrow of its sorrow, but it will empty today of its strength. Sometimes, you have to find peace in the chaos." The Sin Incarnate absently ran his fingers through her hair, smelling the fresh aroma. He pondered her words and exhaled away the trepidations in his heart. "You''re right, Toki," he mumbled in resolve, his eyes sharpening toward the coming storm. "I''ll come back home when everything''s done with. Until then, there''s no use trying to control everything to my will." He saw the girl return a bright smile, prompting him to kiss her forehead. "The final countdown has begun, and I already have my key to survival. The World Government, the Rocks Piratesбн I look forward to shaping the era from their ashes!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 140: Shadows of Departure [Two Days Later] The borrowed warship arrived at a remote island bathed in darkness. A thick black cloud floated above, perpetually solidified in place, leaving eternal darkness to grace the island below. "What a gloomy place," Toki muttered, stepping onto the cold soil. "At first glance, yes," Damien agreed, smelling the swampy smell of the dark isle. "But the silence has its charm." The trio breathed in the chilly location while Kuzan oohed and aahed at everything, fascinated by the darkness and all the changes it had imposed onto the wildlife. бн "It''s just me, Vlad." *Shing!* The sound was light, but it resembled a blade being put away, followed by a light click. "Taking a marine warship as your transportбн It''s certainly your style." Damien smirked at the piercing yellow eyes that walked toward him, Dracule Vlad''s face clearing up. "This must be the second one," he said, examining Toki. The words brought a wry smile to Damien''s face. Toki, however, felt a little embarrassed under the swordsman''s sharp eyes, it felt as if he was assessing her threat level. "This is Toki, and this is KиC" "Kuzan," the boy finished the sentence, giving a salute with two fingers. Vlad nodded a greeting and led them through, "Follow me." бн "Looks like I caused quite the mess on your island," Damien candidly commented, seeing the carnage left behindбкFallen trees, shattered walls and ruined land. "We don''t choose the disasters that befall us; rather, it''s our ability to rise above them that truly matters," Vlad said, not minding the mess. "If your partner Aurora had not aided us against the pirate horde, things would have been far worse." They soon reached the haunted-looking mansion. The green candles lit the halls with their eerie glow, sending shivers up Kuzan''s spine. "You''re here, Damien-kun," came a woman''s voice. Dracule Mina''s smile deepened as her eyes fell upon the other female in the room. "Ara~! This must be Toki." The green-haired girl curly greeted the older woman. "Aurora-san told me about you. It''s nice to meet you finally." "Ooh, I don''t know where he finds heartthrobs like you!" Mina squealed, pulling the girl away to interrogate her. With the ladies out of the picture, Damien asked the million-dollar question, "Is he still brooding?" Vlad sighed, rubbing his weathered forehead. He stared at a small green candle; its flickering flame reflected the ambivalence in his heart. "Not exactly. He just incessantly trains without causing us any trouble, and he barely speaks. I didn''t think our son''s mature response would be so worrying." Damien hummed, standing up from the crimson sofa. "I''ll talk to him. Kuzan, come with me." "Uhh, okay." бн [Outside] Boom! Shing! Bang! A katana slashed into the thick concrete on a giant pillar. There were already hundreds of cracks and scars on it. The sleek weapon continued without pause, yet every strike came at a different angle and with various strengths. It was almost as if the wielder was playing out a sequence in his mind. "Yo, Mihawk." "..." The sword paused mid-air. A pair of piercing yellow eyes peered at the towering pirate who had arrived; their sharpness was more evident in the island''s perpetual darkness. "Damien-sanбн!" "Looks like you''ve done well with Kagekiri," the pirate commented in appreciationбкthe boy was swinging the sword gifted to him. Mihawk nodded, his mood slightly rising up. Yet it wasn''t enough to stop his practice. Bang! Damien watched with some intrigue, surveilling the landscape. "You''ve already collapsed tens of those pillars. Here, try with this one." Mihawk blinked as he saw the pirate grab a young boy, a little older than himself, by the neck and place him in front of his blade. "Uhh, this isn''t what I signed up forбн" Kuzan muttered. "Go ahead, slash all you want." *Shing!* Kuzan twitched as he felt the weapon cut toward him, effectively cutting him in half. The slicing air was followed by an explosive clattering of ice shards. A cold chill washed Mihawk as he stared at the blue crystals twinkling in the darkness, glittering like stars. The hawk eyes trembled and shook with speculation, watching the shards fly back to one another and reform the body. "I can''t cut himбн He''s a Logia." Damien nodded at the comment while the lad returned a grin through the frost. "The name''s Kuzan!" he exclaimed past the white fog. Mihawk gave a half-nod, his eyes still examining the intangible and invincible nature of the older boy. "Let''s go inside. Your father seems to have something important to discuss." "...Okay." бн The entire group of six people sat across the circle of sofas in the living room. A chandelier of a dozen green candles bathed the room with its green hue. It contrasted with the moonlight from the giant glass wall overlooking the replanted hedge maze. They had finished a small conversation about mundane things. Toki and Kuzan had acquainted themselves with the Dracule Family, which brought them to a critical point. Mina and Vlad looked at one another, then at Mihawk and finally at Damien. "We asked you here in the hope that you would fulfill our selfish wish," Vlad started. Damien felt a deep reluctance from the two parents, both from their disposition and Vlad''s tone. Mina nodded, looking at the pirate with a smile that evoked emotions from hope to melancholy. "We want you to take Mihawk with you." Mihawk was the first to react, though it was without any verbal response. Instead, the boy simply stared blankly at his saddened mother. "He''s only four years old," Damien brought up, crossing his arms. "Aren''t you being too hasty?" "Just the other day, we almost lost our son," Vlad bluntly said with a shaken voice. He took a deep breath before continuing, "...This is no place for him to remain. I can''t protect him, and I don''t wish to damn my boy to a life of cold, lonely darkness." He sighed helplessly, sparing a look at the speechless Mihawk. "The seas are unforgiving to the weak, you know this. Both Mina and I think it''s best that you take him away from this dark and decrepit land." The woman nodded, holding back tears. She put on the bravest smile a mother could offer when giving away her only son: "Please, Damien-kun. I won''t rob my child of a healthy childhood any longer." She reached out to ruffle the sullen Mihawk''s jet-black hair, "We may be old, but we can tell when something big is about to happenбн" "The omens are there; the sea grows tense, the winds are far more chaotic this season, and even the skies grow somber by the passing weeks," Vlad solemnly said. "Though I know not if it will affect us, we will not gamble our son''s future on it." "..." A silence pervaded the large room. Suddenly, it felt like it had gotten even darker and colder, though the last part may have been Kuzan. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Toki looked at quivering Mina thoughtfully, ''How crushing could it be to be forced to send away your only child?'' Mihawk, the main character in this scenario, was puzzled. His childish face could not fully showcase the rollercoaster of emotions he was experiencing. Damien, on the other hand, leaned into the conversation. Meeting the parents'' eyes, he bluntly asked, "You''re willing to trust me with your son?" Mina was the first to respond. Her tired face bloomed with an honest smile as she nodded, "It''s because it''s our son that we can trust you. I don''t know why, but I''ve seen the way you''ve tried to nurture the boy. I have no doubt you can keep him safe from the coming tides." "..." Vlad looked at Damien with a sharp glanceбкhe had a different outlook on the matter than his wife. "I understand what you''re looking for. I assure you, Mihawk can most certainly grow into the powerful aid you need," he calmly stated. The one-armed swordsman then lowered his head, bowing toward the pirate. "I just hope you can allow Mihawk to choose his own path." "Fatherбн!" Mihawk called out, seeing the proud swordsman lowering his head. Kuzan wasn''t mature enough to know what the handicapped man was implying, though both Toki and Damien caught on immediately. "You''re not wrong, Vlad. Like any other pirate, I have my own goals and reasons for everything I do." He turned to the reticent child, narrowing his eyes, "Mihawk has the potential to be something great; I value that deeply." Vlad was surprised by the pirate''s honesty, letting him continue, "Though I will give you the same promise I gave Kuzan." "Huh?" The ice boy blinked, unsure how he got pulled into this conversation. Damien''s voice was firm and reassuring, "I can provide Mihawk with the safety you ask for and the chance to grasp his future with his own efforts. He will get what he earns." Vlad sighed in relief, though not before earning a sharp jab from his wife''s elbow, "Don''t mind my cynical husband. We both know you''ll do what''s best for Hawk-chan." Toki clapped her hands, conveying her brightness, "Damien-san is a nice person, even though he has destroyed a few islands and ended some civilizations! I''ll make sure Mihawk-kun will be well cared for." Both Vlad and Damien gave a wry smile to one another. The parallel between the two ladies was quite evident. Kuzan also jumped from his seat, giving Mihawk a thumbs-up: "Don''t worry. The island we''re staying at is very peaceful and jolly, well apart from the eventual storm that can sink a ship or two." бн The ''deal'' was reachedбкMihawk would accompany Damien from Yozora Island and stay with him. Although there was much to discuss, time was never an ally, and soon, the pirates returned to the ship, with the Dracule couple bidding them farewell. "Hawk-chan, remember to write to us often," Mina lightly directed. She held up a transponder snail with the same piercing eyes. The boy stood in front of his parents, reaching quite tall for his age. The two older folks recognized Mihawk''s look of uncertainty. "Don''t worry. We''ll always be here if you ever want to come for a visit." Vlad then stepped back, letting the more emotional Mina bid her farewell, accounting for a bear hug that could crush a tree. бн "I agree with you," Damien said, earning Vlad''s curious eyes. "He has the potential and the drive to lift that sword." The words left the swordsman with a proud look. "Yoru has waited centuries to be lifted and be shown to the world. Our Dracule Family has always considered it our duty to wave that glorious blade aroundбн I await the day my boy can honour those wishes." Damien smirked, "Give him a decade." бн Meanwhile, Mina was embracing the child. "Be good to Damien-kun; do as he tells you." The boy clawed his way out from the vice-like grip and nodded. He slowly looked up from the ground, finally meeting the expectant eyes of his mother. The boy had always been reticent, and after the recent Navy siege, he had grown quieter. Yet even with this, his mother was able to read his thoughts from a single glance. She patiently waited with a knowing smile, allowing the boy to utter his jumbled thoughts. "I''ll make you proud." Mina''s face lit up to brighten the entirety of Yozora. She stood up with delight and lightly nudged him to Toki. "This is a goodbye for now." ---------------------------------------------- Opposite to the warm atmosphere at Yozora Island was a far more somber one elsewhere, all in the same sea of Paradise. It was at an inconspicuous base hidden under a quiet town in the middle of nowhere, nearly a hundred meters (328 ft) below. It was huge, spanning dozens of large rooms built with thick concrete and stone. If one looked closely, one would see a bright luster over every square meter of the material used as the structure''s frameбкit was Seastone! The alloy of various metals with the seastone made this base essentially impossible to penetrate by ordinary or even extraordinary means. The flag drawn into the blue walls made it obvious who this facility belonged to: the Navy! . Within one of the central chambers was a group of men around a sole test subject. "Kukuku, it''s ready!" a man laughed. He had a thin mustache that matched his short hair in colour, brown. He sported circular tinted glasses that hid his eyes away. He was the man in charge of the Marine Science UnitбкTensai! The researcher donned a white lab coat over his rather well-dressed body, boasting green collars. A mad grin was stapled to his face as he cackled at the sight before him. "Go on, don''t be shy and put on my masterpiece, Masao!" His words were mainly ignored by the much taller man wrapped in bandages. Only his pale, scarred, hairless head was free from the mummy-like appearance, yet most who looked at him would''ve hoped that that wasn''t the case. "Ughh," the man deeply exhaled, not from the anxiety but pain instead. A throbbing itch had been torturing him for the past few months ever since his ''accident.'' Any attempt to calm the itch would force it to double and appear elsewhere, which, alongside the pain of simply moving around, left him in seething rage. The yellow irises drove fear into those around him, all but the already mad Tensai. *Thump* *Thump* Slow footsteps went off as the Admiral walked up to the suit placed on an armour stand before him. "Is that gasmask necessary?" Tensai scoffed from the side, feeling offended. "Do you think I would add it just to make the suit look cooler and more creepyбн Do you think that lowly of me!?" Masao glared at the scientist, growling under his breath, "Whatever." The Admiral reached out for the suit and began to put it on. бн The main part of the suit was made from the treasured Elastium of Arkaos, a refined ore known for its lightweight and flexible properties that could solidify when hit with force. Thin plates of armour further toughened it. Tensai was a fan of edgy suits, so he left his trademark black, gray, and purple accents to design his creation. It was a fearsome sight. Masao clicked on the pieces, slowly donning the suit. He then grabbed the marine coat, but it wasn''t the usual white with yellow epaulets; instead, it was a simple black cloak that ran down his shoulders and onto the ground. The word "Justice" was imprinted on the back in purple ink. The damned Admiral took his first breath through the gasmask: "Ghooo-aaaallбн" Some particular properties of the suit provided relief from the insufferable itch. "Bhurrr," he exhaled. . "Ah, it''s beautiful!" Tensai marvelled, his lips drooling in delight. "!!!" He suddenly felt a chill up his spine as he saw the burning yellow pupils lock onto him, pulsating from the darkness of the hood that hid most of the Admiral''s face. The genius man gulped and slowly said, "I hope the mask is doing its thingбн stifling the itch." The Admiral nodded. Though the device made his breathing quite loud and distinct, it did an excellent job of helping the marine entirely focus his thoughts. Haaaa* *Huuu* He looked around, finally feeling an ounce of freedom in his own body. "Did the Fleet Admiral approve of my request?" Tensai woke up from his reverie, feeling a cool chill run down his spineбкit was the voice; Masao''s voice had become distorted and raspy under all the weight. "Oh, that. Yeah, it''s being spread across the world in today''s newspaper." He grinned cheekily, approving of the message, "Henceforth you are no longer codenamed ''Kurowashi''..." The previous Black Eagle was a beacon of hope and light for the Marines, lighting up the darkest of times with his Pump-Pump Fruit and Ox Bell, earning his keep as the Dazzling Admiral. Now, all that remained was the husk of his former glory, a beast with a desire to take down the pirate who had left him broken and robbed him of his charisma and flair. Tensai gave out a mad grin, his smile stretching so wide that his glasses almost fell over, "...the world will know you as ''Kurojи▒'' from now on!" [Admiral Kurojи▒ Image (in Discord)] ---------------------------------------------- [A Day Later] A lone marine battleship slowly came to a stop at Mortem Island''s shore. "How''s the first sunny day of your life?" Damien asked, releasing the anchor of the vessel. His question was directed to a young boy standing under the shade of the warship''s mast. "I''m almost used to it." Mihawk looked up and saw the endless evening daylight, somewhat excited. Every so often, he would walk out and into the light, his skin absorbing all that juicy Vitamin D. "It''s still a little hard on my eyes, all those years in darkness." Damien nodded in understanding and offered, "I can get you a hat later." бн There was a small party to welcome the pirates back. "Another brat?" Solomon''s grizzly voice broke out at the sight of the wincing Mihawk. The boy was trying to travel in the shade of the trees, hopping about from the warm sun. "Watch out, he bites," Kuzan snapped in Mihawk''s name. The boy scrutinized the shirtless Solomon, his body laced in sweat and bruises. Suddenly, another voice came into the young swordsman''s ears, a familiar one. "Mihawk, Damien told me you would stay with us here; welcome." The boy''s lips were slightly raised as he saw the familiar figure of the purple-haired girl. Some dirt crunched under Damien''s boot as he stood beside the lad, his tall frame offering some shade. "Aurora, how did Solomon do in your training?" The words siphoned the colour from the monster''s face. "Boss, she''s crazy! She spent the first 48 hours holding me down with ten times gravity; every time I moved, she increased it even more! I was eating dirt for two whole days!!!" Damien hummed. He spared a look at the smirking Aurora and then at the turbulent Solomon, "That is indeed a sin." Solomon sighed in relief. "She should at least start off with twenty times the gravity. I guess she was feeling nice." "..." Damien walked up and gave a kiss to the girl''s forehead, much to her joy, leaving behind a battered and speechless Solomon. "Alright, we''ll have dinner, and then there''s something you all should know." бн Toki had long prepared meals over the past few months. Her powers perfectly preserved any cooking. She simply imposed a chronostasis upon it, warding off any possibilities of rot and decay and keeping it nigh-perpetually fresh. Yet, considering the occasion, Toki wanted to cook it right now. The main course was a perfectly grilled, mouthwatering Sea Cow Steak. One could picture a thick, juicy ribeye steak seasoned to perfection with a blend of coarse sea salt, cracked black pepper, and a hint of smoked paprika. The steak sizzled as it hit the hot grill, filling the air with an irresistible aroma of charred meat and smoky goodness. Cooked to a succulent medium-rare, where the center is pink, juicy, and bursting with flavour and enriched with rare herbs and fantastical spices. бн [An Hour Later] *Burp* "Man, that hit the spot," Solomon muttered, leaning back on a thick log. He ate well enough to ignore the gravitational bruises that left behind at least eight broken ribs and one collapsed lung. Mihawk and Kuzan sat beside one another, nibbling at a piece of meat. Toki and Aurora sat next to Damien. The doctor-cook was adding stuff to his plate that disappeared just as fast. Eventually, he paused in his meal, letting the peaceful moonlight bathe the hearth at the center. "I''ll be off tomorrow morning with Solomon," he began. He noticed the girls slightly deflated; even Kuzan was sulking. "No matter what, this should be the last time we split up. Though it will also be the most monumental event of this era, there''s no doubt about thatбн" His words attracted everyone''s attention, noticing the solemnity in Damien''s voice. "Even a pirate with 3 billi'' is wary of it? A-ra-ra, now I wanna come with!" *Bonk* A pink bump formed on the boy''s head, forcing him to wince in pain. Oddly enough, the scolding had left Damien''s knuckles with a hint of frost. "Not bad, kid." Kuzan grinned, forgetting the pain as he heard words that were music to his ears. . "Anyways. I have given up trying to plan every moment of the chaos to follow," Damien glanced at Toki, who smiled in return. "But that''s all the more reason to use the time we have left in training." "I''m sure the Underworld will be in shambles too," he said, directing his words to Aurora. The purple-haired girl''s expression warped into determination, a firm pair of amethyst eyes fit for the King of Shipping. "Don''t worry about me or the Underworld. I''ll keep them all in check." Kuzan and Mihawk turned to one another, nodding with similar conviction. The ice boy grinned, "Hehe, I''ll turn anyone looking to touch Mortem into an icicle!" Meanwhile, the broken Solomon huffed a burst of energy, momentarily washing the warmth of the fire. "I''ll be there with you at the Den of Scum, Boss!" Damien smirked at the confidence blooming in those around him, satisfied by their outlook. "No matter how long it takes, I will return when the time is right, I promise!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 141: The Humbling [Ten Days Later] Damien had long left the comfort of Mortem Island, not before enjoying a nightly session with his girls. He departed first thing in the morning, accompanied by Solomon only. Routing through Fishman Island and back to the New World to arrive at Hachinosu. "Hey, look, a Navy Warship is heading straight for us! Qurererere! Someone''s got a death wish!" "Isn''t it weird for a single ship to head our way?" "Who cares? I want to see it burn!" *Bang!* Something exploded, and it wasn''t the muzzle of a canon; instead, it was the head of the pirate who had spoken. "Don''t bother, I was eavesdropping on the comms of that shipбн it''s dead silent." "Dulululu, that means it''s one of usбн Makes me want to sink it even more!" They even subconsciously tossed aside the recently-deceased ''friend'', his headless body collapsing to the floor. бн When the battleship finally docked, two figures walked down under hundreds of pirates who had come to watch in curiosity. "Damien the Undyingбн a big name just returned!" "Hehe, looks like things are about to get better!" Damien naturally heard all the statements, but as always, he simply allowed them to leave his mind. One thing that stood out from his return was the stench of the island; it had gotten truly toxic. He could sense the pirates welcoming him in their own way, but he also sensed deep hostility from every other one of themбкsideways glares, muffled comments, snarky thoughts. "First time I''ve smelled such disgusting air," Solomon scowled, plugging his nose from the assaulting stench. Damien hummed, exercising his Empathy skill. Strands of emotions appeared, emanating from the pirates. He picked up greed, envy, lust, wrath and even curiosityбн There were people with a large array of motives present. Rats hid under the shade of the island, spying openly. ''Things have really fallen apart since Shakky''s departure,'' Damien thought. Solomon slightly frowned at the hundreds of corpses lining the outer parts of Hachinosu. Bodies floated near the waters, dulling their vibrance. Vultures and other scavengers were prevalent, eating and clawing at the fresh meals. "Augh!" A distant cry went off. Solomon glanced at where the sound came from and saw a man fall to his knees, slowly falling to his face. On his back was a sharp dagger piercing through his lungs and heart. Meanwhile, in other corners of Hachinosu, there were incessant fights and duels, the winners of which were decided by who lived to tell the tale. Women ran out in fear, only to be caught by scum and dragged into the darkness as their fingernails were scraped across the ruddy floor. Chains clicked and clacked as dozens of slaves were seen in the hands of some piratesбкtheir eyes were hollow of any emotions, nothing left to save. . The Sin Incarnate''s face was indifferent, almost as if he had locked away all moral codes from his mind long ago. Even the cruellest and vilest of settings could become normal if one stayed there long enough. "Breathe it in, Solomon. This is the world of the pirates," he emotionlessly stated. The newly-risen pirate followed behind in silence. Going from the freedom of the seas after having his home island damned by a Marine had left him with deep prejudice against the Navy. ''Maybe there does need to be some kind of force to put these trash into order,'' he thought, realizing the reality of the world. бн A path cleared open for the duo. It wasn''t from the bounty on the table; instead, it was from the dread leaking from Damien, forcing the scum to retreat and rethink. The pathway spanned from the port through the stone streets of Hachinosu, getting closer to Skull Rock. Eventually, they ran into a certain pirate. "What a powerful man!" Solomon muttered at the sight of a pirate that towered over even himself. His instincts, trained over decades of battling Forsaken Beasts, were going haywire. "Gurarara! Things have gotten worse since you left." The Sin Incarnate laughed in reply, "Rahahaha! I didn''t think Hachinosu would become this miserable after just a few months. It really is a hellhole." The giant man with the glorious hair nodded, sparing a scowl at the creepers nearby. "None of these trash have any control over themselves. A part of me wants to send them to the bottom of the seaбн" "Maybe that wish will come true soon," Damien smiled. With a hint of scrutiny, Newgate turned to the other person and asked, " Where''d you find this one?" Damien eyed Solomon as well, the latter not wavering under their sights. "Extinction Valley. Let''s hope he doesn''t become the first part of his hometown''s name." "Gurarara, he ought to be impressive to meet your standards." Solomon''s face twitched under their words; he wasn''t sure whether to laugh or cry. . "Where''s the big bad wolf?" Newgate picked up a giant gourd hanging on his hip and inhaled a few liters of his drink. "Captain Rocks has been out in North Blue for the past while," he offhandedly answered. "What could possibly interest him there?" The man shrugged at Damien''s question, spinning the jug and hearing the liquid swirl around. "He isn''t the type to communicate much, but his departure left Hachinosu bursting with new recruits. All worthless trash." Whitebeard''s scorn warped into intrigue as he brought up another topic, "Your right-hand guy has been making quite the ruckus the past little while, Gurarara! Reminds me of you, I even taught him a few tricks." Damien raised an eyebrow in intrigue. "Indra? So I''ve heard." Whitebeard narrowed his eyes at the undying pirate and asked with curiosity, "You gave him quite the powerбн you trust him that much?" "That''s right." "Well, whatever, as long as you don''t regret it." Their little conversion had drawn Solomon''s attention, especially regarding the self-proclaimed right-hand man of the Sin Incarnateбкhis desire to clash with this Indra had swelled even more, evident from his clenched hands. бн After catching up, Damien made his way back to a less stinky areaбкthe Fourth Division Headquarters. "What a mess," the Division Commander muttered at the sight of the blood-filled alleys and walkways. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. The air was humid and crimson-hued. The once decent architecture was filled with spiderweb-like cracks, while bits of debris littered the Stoney areaбкit seemed as if great battles had been held here recently. "Mwahahahaha! You''re back, Commander." The greeting came from a tall pirate wearing a mask and expressing pure anger and seething fury. "Still oscillating between your many personalities, Hensин?" The masked man chuckled again through his mask. "I like to add a little flavour to my life, Commander. Today''s dish is a little spicy!" He bowed in farewell, heading to the docks to bathe in blood. "Weird guy," Solomon muttered. Things got weird as a spanning shadow enveloped the duo. "Arai glad Commander back, Arai celebratingбн eating rocks." This time, it was a giant man with stone-like skin. His red eyes and sharp teeth made him quite fearsome, and his hairless features gave him quite the flair. Arai placed a giant rock into his maw, crunching it with delight. The giant man was long used to stares but saw one from a stranger this time. In welcoming spirit, he extended a hand of fresh gravel to Solomon: "New friend want rocks?" "...I''ll pass." "Okay." the Stone Man shrugged, jamming the goodies into his mouth instead. . "Arai, where are the others?" The giant man scratched his chin, and a few earth shards fell where he scratched, clattering to the floor. "Training." Damien nodded and moved on. However, before he could move another step forward, something happened. *Rumble* A burst of light followed by a deafening sound went off, and an 11-foot tall man (3.35 m) appeared at the crater. "Commander." Damien smirked at the use of power, "It looks like you''ve got quite the handle on that ability." The dark-skinned swordsman nodded. He was wearing simple dark pants and a black vest. "Is this a recruit?" he addressed the new face at the Headquarters. His words left Solomon frozen. "Well, you could say that." A smile stretched across the Sin Incarnate''s face as he saw Solomon bubbling with anger. "So you''re that Indra guy, eh? I''m here to challenge you!" *Snap* *Crack* Rotten wood and branches protruded from the man''s arms, transforming into a Wendigo. Within moments, he had grown to a fearsome 20-foot size (6 m), almost double that of his opponent. "I''ve been hearing so much about you. Let''s see how strong you really are!" Solomon roared, shooting toward his opponent. A black mist emanated from his arms, credit to his storage of fear. . "Profane Hex!" . The bony fingers in the shape of knives rushed ahead, aiming for Indra''s chest. Unfortunately, he saw no surprise in his adversary''s gaze. Boom! Solomon''s eyes widenedбкhis attack being stopped by nothing but a single finger swarming with dense Armament. "Damn!" Solomon saw the range between strengths and exercised his full power. A scratchy sound broke out, flooding out from his body. "Quite the ability," Indra muttered, still unfazed. "I''ll wipe that lax look off your face!" Solomon growled, booming with the familiar withering mist. Again, Indra did not reply as the impatient challenger shot ahead again, bathed in his corroded mist. The Wendigo unloaded a barrage of hits, using his fully transformed hands to stab his enemy without a shred of mercy. Every hit was blessed with Haki, crashing hard against Indra while sending in thick strands of the withering mist. However, the outcome remained unchanged even after a few minutes of constant attacks. ''He''s not even fighting me with full strengthбн no rage, no desperation. Is that why I can''t land a hit? But I''m not like himбкI need the rage!'' Defiance filled Solomon''s eyes, "Our gap can''t be this wideбн I aim to hunt down someone far stronger. I can''t struggle so much here!" Alongside the incessant banging from the man''s bombardment was a rippling field of energy. It pulsed out with a dull grey hue, aiming to overwhelm the swordsman''s mind. "Hmm," Indra felt the weight increase over his arms and mind, finally upping the difficulty. He narrowed in on the savage assault and found a gap within a mere second. . "No Sword Style: Hell Stab." . "Aughh!" The Wendigo was shot back, rocketing into a brick wall and shattering it with his large frame. The swordsman glared at the crash site, feeling the pulsating energy waves. "Such raw Haki, no wonder the Commander sees potential in you." Solomon quickly burst out from the rubble, ignoring the pain from the deep gash at his sternum, growling in defiance. ''Such a deep-seated desire to prove himself worthy but overshadowed by this inclination toward overpowering one''s foes.'' Indra had read the opponent like a book. The rippling Conqueror''s Haki earned Solomon nothing more than disdain from the swordsman. "A man''s ambition should never exceed his worth." Solomon''s enraged eyes shook briefly. They shot across the trembling earth, climbing up a cracked building and landed on a casual Damien sitting at the roof''s edge. The same man he had sworn loyalty to. Shing! The air whistled a damning tune, drawing Solomon''s solemn eyes. His gaze fell on the beautiful white blade in his enemy''s hands. It was graceful and sacred by appearance, blessed with heavenly light. The Haki poured in, and instead of darkening the blade, it made it brighter, warmer, and more sacred to the eyes. "..." For the first time in the duel, Solomon chose against bum-rushing at his enemy. He took a deep breath, concentrating on his strength. *Fwwm* His talent in the Colour of Arms debuted, rushing across his arm to his chest and legs. The strands of Extinct Plating, there from childbirth, left him clad in dark energy, from his toes to the top of his headбкa full-body hardening! "I''ll put everything into this!" He declared, clenched both fists. *Hiss!* The black mist reappeared, coursing through his veins and out from the pores of the rotten arms. It stretched across the tattered region, bringing down a blanket of despair and dread. Solomon shot forward, leaving a trailing of corroded earth. The dusty land below began to blacken, losing its spirit and rotting away. . "Ancient Curse!" . The air bubbled from the mist, shrieking and howling in the Wendigo''s wake. ''He has intelligence,'' Indra commented, feeling the mist attempting to strangle him from behind. He locked onto the incoming threat with narrowed eyes. *Crackle* Indra lightly hummed at the popping sound in the air, which was continuously pouring out from his fingers and into Tenmei. *Crackle* It was arcs of light blue lightning. Pure electric charge in the hands of a Lightning Human. Not only was it destructive in all ways, but the lightning also allowed its user to move at incredible speedsбкSolomon, in his rush ahead, had only made it halfway over! *Crackle* The sacred heat of Tenmei not only whitened Haki but also affected Devil Fruit abilities! The burning blue lightning burst into a white glowбкwhite lightning crackling around the Supreme Blade! [Rumbling Tenmei Image (in Discord)] The ground beneath Indra seemed to shudder, the pressure around him intensifying as the very air crackled with impending devastation. In a split second, he launched forward, becoming a streak of light, a blur of blinding white lightning that cut through the distance in a heartbeat. . "Rumbling Sword Style: Sacred Charge." . There was a pin-drop silence as a black-and-white spectacle broke out. It lasted only a fraction of a second, but half of Hachinosu was plunged in its quiet surge. The oddly peaceful sight died out in a moment, and a booming sound burst out from the source of the clash. The sacred energy obliterated the darkness, shattering endless windows and rumbling chunks of earthбкa chasm was born under the roar of thunder! The towering Mythical Zoan didn''t even realize when he was sent soaring through the air, his mind falling in and out of conscience. He whizzed across 100 meters of shrieking air, crashing through dozens of buildings before finally being embedded into the earth. бн It took two minutes for the dust to settle, unveiling a broken Solomon engraved into a crater. It was a spanning hole with a diameter of at least 100 metersбкcharred and blackened with thick ash blanketing over molten rock. [Crater Image (in Discord)] "..." A pair of shaken eyes slowly panned to where the pain wasбкhis chest had a deep gash in the shape of a lightning bolt spanning from his left hip up to his right shoulder, spurting with fresh blood and resembling a chasm. "I lostбн" *Thud* The branches fell apart as the body hit the floor, and the transformation dissolved away, leaving the fatally wounded human behind. With a humble click, Indra sheathed Tenmei, calming down the electricity coursing through his body. "Awareness and ego cannot coexist; your pride holds you hostage." Solomon heard those final words before his consciousness disappeared, leaving him with whitened eyes. Indra''s dark pupils left the dying man, reaching the lone spectator still seated with little concern. "Why not humble him yourself?" the swordsman looked up and asked curiously. The reply came right away: "He''s been bested by me before. Another loss with my hand wouldn''t do much good." A pixelation sound followed a burst of crimson lightбкDamien was beside Indra, his body reforming through the innumerable red particles. "Solomon had the time to hear your name and know your worth to me, seeing you as a rival to his ambition and obsession," the Sin Incarnate muttered, gazing at the collapsed pirate spurting copious blood. "He needed this loss. If he can push past his pride, he''ll be a force to be reckoned with. But if notбн he''ll be washed away in the coming storm like the others." Damien''s eyes were as sharp as his words: "Hopefully, when he wakes up, he will take things a little more seriously from now on..." To Be Continuedбн Chapter 142: One Shall Remain Solomon was now dead asleep with a good chance never to wake upбкa pool of deep red blood had formed around him, stretching for three meters in all directions. The cut Indra left behind was intense, even cutting through his rib cage and slicing and kissing the lungs. "The toughness of a Mythical Zoan never ceases to surprise me. That attack should have at least opened up his heart," Indra commented, unsheathing his sword once more. Indra raised the blade over the spurting chest of Solomon, aiming its tip at the heart of the injury. A light hum later, and he lowered the katana to barely touch the core of the gash. *Crackle* White lightning burst around the blade once more, gracing the charred region with its sacred light. The living corpse trembled under boiling heat and the blinding light before things began to settle, unveiling a Solomon with a cauterized chest and a huge scar. The scar snaked across his chest like a bolt of lightning frozen in time, jagged and erratic. It stretched from just below his left shoulder, crackling toward the center of his chest, where it struck deepest, right over his heart and down to his right hip. The tissue had been violently torn apart, as though the lightning itself had ripped through his body, leaving deep, uneven grooves that were forced to close. The scar would serve as a permanent reminder of the immense force that had struck him down, both chaotic and deliberate in its devastation. [Scar Image (in Discord)] . Damien nodded in satisfaction. Solomon would surely remember this day, waking up to the indicator of his weakness. "I''ll leave him under you for noиC hmm?" "!!!" The Division Commander felt a disturbance coming toward him as he looked to the sky, his eyes flashing red. "Let me take care of this, Indra," he sighed, calming the swordsman to the side. Boom! An overwhelming presence arrived, floating in the air, bringing turbulence alongside him. "Jihahahaha! So all that ruckus was your doing, Damien!" The Sin Incarnate glared at the floating enemy. He was right at the center of the warm sun, making it difficult for most to make out his identity. "What do you want, Shiki?" The Golden Lion grinned, his eyes vicious. "I''m bored and felt like playing around." He then directed his hand toward the younger pirate, almost as if he were extending an invitation. . "Universal Pull!" . Damien''s eyes widened as he felt an arm grab around his body. Then came the howling winds as his 11.5-foot frame was hauled to the sky. Shiki laughed at the sight, licking his lips. "Jihahaha, let''s see what you got!" *Fwooo!* Damien ignored the shrieking winds echoing in his ears. He flexed his left hand as he neared the floating enemy. "That''s a dangerous weapon!" Shiki leaned into the chaos, grinning at the sight of Damien directing Ryushi. The clawed blade was at most one meter away from ripping his chest open! . "Almighty Push!" . Damien clicked his tongue as his body was once again shot through the sky, though this time away from Shiki. Boom! The momentum suddenly ended as the Sin Incarnate paused midair, his legs turning into crimson particles. He scanned the surroundings before glaring at the Golden Lion. "Your Float-Float Fruit doesn''t apply to living things, bar yourselfбн in other words, this is your Awakening." Shiki laughed once more, "Jihahaha! That''s right! I can control the air molecules near meбн So get over here!" . "Universal Pull!" . Damien embraced the attraction force, using it to boost his momentum. "Ryushi Combat Artsбн" The Golden Lion felt a crushing Haki divert into the bubbling blade and felt like playing it off. He pointed his palm toward the incoming pirate, hoping to shove him back again. "!!!" For some reason, he couldn''t push Damien away as he had done just moments ago. The man gave a vicious grin in realization, "Hehe, you crushed my air; looks like you''ve Awakened too!" Shing! He unsheathed his two blades, meeting the attack without hesitation. . "Lion Two Sword Style: Tornado Strike!" . "Crimson Comet!" . Black lightning crackled along their weapons, giving birth to island-rattling shocks. The sky rumbled as the morning sun disappeared under their clash, bringing about a red and golden spectacle! Booom! The explosion arrived with cataclysmic shocks, rippling through the sky and seeping into the island''s core. The ground shook uncontrollably, cracking buildings and forcing the pirate to cower. A giant gash appeared in the sky above their collision, leaving it in shambles. Yet even under all that force, the two had to actually touch! Damien smirked under the weight of the heavy attack and had no intention of falling short. Shiki cackled from above, and his blades swarmed with dense Haki. BOOOM! бн Dust rained from the ruined streets of Hachinosu. Men were buried under the broken hell, trying to claw out from the debris before suffocating. Blood dripped from unpredictable collapses of nearby terrain, leaving the pirates in a wreck. "Jihahaha! Looks like you''ve arrived at the big stage." The pirate in question seemed relaxed. He waved his hand as his weapon dissolved into the air and reformed around his finger. "That blade of yours makes me jealous," Shiki snickered. His envious eyes were locked onto the draconic ring around Damien''s left index finger. "It''s too bad you''ll never be able to realize its true powerбн" The words brought a frown to Damien''s face. He subconsciously rubbed the ring with his thumb, ''I would pass it off as Shiki''s rambling, but he is one of the three greatest swordsmen aliveбн But what does he know of Ryushi?'' The Golden Lion quickly lost interest in the prized weapon and brought up another matter. "Since you''re the last one here, you''ll have to go get the Captain back." "Why don''t you send one of your useless commanders?" The younger pirate made a face of recalling distant memories, and he said, "Oh wait, they''re dead." The Golden Lion scoffed, "Respect your elders, brat!" He then zipped away, flying to god knows where, leaving behind an annoyed Damien. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Shiki] [Age: 40 years, 7 months, 12 days] [Height: 10.5'' ] (3.2 m) [Status: Thriving] [Devil Fruit: Float-Float Fruit (Grandmastery (I))] [Weapon: Oto and Kogarashi of the Great Grade Series] [Skills: Great Talent for Swordsmanship, Conqueror''s Heart, True Pirate] [Haki: Intermediate Mastery of Observation Haki, Grandmastery (I) of Armament Haki, Conqueror''s Haki (Grandmastery (I))] [Strength: Top Tier Yonko] ----- [Conqueror''s Heart: Nothing will ever faze the user''s heart, granting them endless confidence and patience.] [True Pirate: Convert greed and envy into Conqueror''s Haki.] (A/N: I will make a glossary for these unique skills in Discord.) >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< "He must be a late bloomer, considering his Conqueror''s Haki and Fruit Mastery haven''t reached their potential," the Sin Incarnate surmised. Shiki was quite old already. Although the strength of a Top Tier Yonko put him near the top of the list, Damien estimated that he would go even further. After all, he was one of the few touted as equals to prime Roger and Whitebeard! "Gurarara!" A laugh broke Damien from his thoughts. "You put on quite the show." The Fourth Division Commander turned to the side and met the mighty guest. "Do we really gotta go out of our way to call back the Captain?" Newgate shrugged, paying no mind to the carnage. "Kaido went to get him a week ago but got caught by Zephyr. Lucky for that brat, Linlin broke him before reaching Impel Down." Damien smirked in deja vu, amused by the intel. "Which island did Rocks even go to visit?" "Seigi Island." Whitebeard saw the curious glint in Damien''s eyes, "What, you want to check it out?" The younger pirate cupped his chin in thought. "I kind of want to see what might interest our humble Captain." He looked to the far North and said, "North Blue is pretty close; I know a shortcut." "Indra, make sure Solomon wakes upбкget some Forsaken to clean up the mess too." бн Damien transformed into red particles, crackling through the air with his weightless body that defied gravity. A crimson trail of broken air followed in his wake as he headed to the Calm Belt. It only took a day to reach the edge of the New World and into the Calm Belt that led straight to the North Blue. ---------------------------------------------- "Xahahaha! What a nice smell." The feral voice erupted from a towering man standing tall across a ruined island, smoke and dust filling the air. Blood stained the earth for great distances, leaving a look of a field of war. Plumes of smoke littered the skies from devastated buildings and homes; they were thick enough to leave the entire island in darkness. Lightning crackled from the sheer heat, bringing about an apocalyptic sight. . Under a shadow of despair and misery in his eyes, Rocks glanced to the side. A dashing pirate had arrived with a light thud, donning a red shirt and dark pants. Damien''s crimson pupils examined the surroundings, feeling a shadow of death cast across its broken remains. He then saw his Captain standing tall, his hair as wild and thick as ever. The stench of inhumanity around Xebec was as assaulting as always. Rocks sported a manic grin, though his attention was currently somewhere else. "A kid?" Damien muttered at the sight of Xebec picking up a young boy by his throat, lifting him far above the ground. "That''s a nice fire in your eyes, boy, Xahahaha!" The lad was tossed aside like a sack of potatoes, bouncing across the floor with bruises and broken bones lining his body. He happened to land at the Sin Incarnate''s feet, broken and hollow in all ways. ''Such hatred,'' Damien thought, seeing the fiery eyes lock onto his own. The young victim had dark hair, a stern look and a battered-up body. He looked a few years older than Kuzan. "What''s your name?" Dark eyes glared at Damien, hiding away the pain through the hatred in his eyes. "Sakazuki," he replied in a dead tone. "I will kill all you pirates one day!" The Sin Incarnate hummed at his words, recalling a figure in the future. He shook his head, pitying the boy. "If only it were that easy." Damien then walked away, leaving behind the teenager to stare into the ashy clouds. He ignored the broken ribs and arm, simply breathing in the hell around him. A sea of corpses littered the surroundingsбкthe once peaceful home was left in ruins. Sakazuki''s eyes grew colder and dull, lost in the flames of vengeance. A guttural roar echoed across the broken land, filling in seething rage. бн "Are you that bored to go around destroying islands?" Rocks dryly chuckled in his hoarse voice, guzzling some rotten sakиж. "I was curious about somethingбн" Damien eyed the casual villain with a hint of scrutiny, "And it happened to be at Admiral Basara''s home island?" A heavy glare fell upon the Sin Incarnate, followed by a laugh. "Xahaha! I''ve visited quite a few places that gave birth to powerful menбн" However, the conversation dissipated as Damien''s transponder snail woke up: "Puru," "Puru," "Puru." He looked at his captain''s crazed eyes before answering the call: "Katcha~!" "This is Damien." "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma!" The young male pirate rolled his eyes, looking at the snail, which had taken the form of the voluptuous woman, beaming a seductive grin. "Who gave you my number, Linlin?" Unfortunately, his question was left ignored. "Hehe, the newspaper just announced a huge thing at God Valley. Did you find Rocks?" Damien glanced at the insane man not too far away and answered, "He''s here with me." Xebec''s scarred and weathered face stretched with a hungry smile. Malice flashed through his hollow eyes: "God Valley?" Shrieking black Haki exploded out, singing a deathly tune to the weeping Seigi Island. It was a roar of pure hatred and viciousness. "Gather everyone at Hachinosu, Linlin!" ---------------------------------------------- [Another Day Later] [Hachinosu] Rocks and Damien had promptly returned to the Den of Scum. It was evident by the large fleet on standby that the other top dogs were back as well. The Four Titans and the Five Tragedies were seated before their Captain at Skull Rock. Something demanded their attention, spelling doom for any hint of peace in the seas. "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma! That little bird guy is interesting. He actually leaked everything!" The giant, curvy woman snacked on a cake with one hand and held a newspaper with the other. "It will be held on the first day of the second month, the same day the First Twenty came together to form the World Government 762 years ago!" "I even received a hidden transmission that the Dragons will have two powerful Devil Fruits to give out as a prize for their little Hunting Competition!" Silver Axe was usually quite reserved, yet he spoke up with his gentle voice this time. "All to take place at the Isle of Deities: God Valley. A land blessed with natural reserves and serenity." His silver eyes shone through the thick armour, conveying his interest in the topic. "From what I have heard, the Triennial Hunt will be the appetizer to their celebration. Consisting of a hunt for rabbits in the form of slaves as a game to earn points." "WORORORO! I say we kill them all!" came a loud resounding exclaim. Meanwhile, Shiki grinned from the side, liking where this was going. However, Newgate was the only one who seemed visibly solemn about the grant event. . "Xahahahaha!" a feral laugh exploded. It carried great ambition and yearning as the sound echoed through the halls, leaking out the windows. The laugh boomed across Hachinosu, laced with Conqueror''s Haki, sending chills up the pirates'' spines. All the ten big names glanced at their maniacal Captain and saw the crazed glint in his eyes. It was beyond what they had ever seen. The scarred-up face was etched with a grin that ran from one end to the other, flowing in tandem with the bloodthirst. The air grew sickly and a withering mess, plunging the surrounding area with its unsettling odour. "The World Government stole something from meбн God Valley is our next destination! I can''t wait to massacre those golden pigs and bathe the seas in their divine blood!!!" бн An array of orders were dropped all across the board. They came straight from the Big Boss himself! Rocks had decided to bring an army with him, but they differed from his past choices. After Shakuyaku''s departure, there was a change in the Rocks Pirates Grand Fleet: 1) The Supreme Leader of the Rocks Pirates иC Rocks D. Xebec. 2) The Four Titans иC Whitebeard, Shiki, Charlotte Linlin, Einar D. Damien. 3) The Five Tragedies иC Captain John, Silver Axe, Kaido, Zenora Indra, Wang Zhi. 4) The Pillars иC Shiki''s new commanders, Mr. Noir, Buckingham Stussy, Ifrit, Goose. 5) The Fiends иC Elite Infantry. 6) The Forsaken иC Mid-Level Foot-soldiers. 7) The Condemned иC Low-Level Foot-soldiers. . After the Scorched Sea War went down, there was a complete rehaul in the Fleet, alongside a few new additions and changes. Whitebeard''s D-1 had 800. Shiki''s D-2 had 11,600. Charlotte Linlin''s D-3 had 5,400. Damien''s D-4 had 9. Silver Axe''s D-5 had 3,300. Wang Zhi''s newly commanded D-6 had 4,200. Kaido''s D-7 had 4,400. Captain John''s D-8 has 5,300. Damned D-9 had 9,800. бн Unlike in previous wars, the fleet readying departure would not have every division setting sail to God Valley. "I wouldn''t have expected Captain Rocks to leave behind such firepower," Indra spoke on his way back to the Fourth Division''s headquarters. Damien hummed, recalling the final order that graced the unholy halls of Skull Rock: "Division Three and Seven will remain at Hachinosu." "He wants them dead, every single Celestial Dragon," he surmised. This was evident from the black strands of hatred that swirled around Rocks at the thought of God Valley. Indra nodded in agreement. "The Government will do everything in its power to escort the World Nobles to safety in the case of an enemy attack," the swordsman mused with narrowed eyes. At the end of the day, Charlotte Linlin and Kaido were to remain at Hachinosu alongside 10,000 pirates! However, the beehive island was situated relatively close to Calm Belt with direct entry to the West Blue... Indra quickly picked up the true intention behind the order: "He''s leaving behind a sizable enough force to hunt down the Celestial Dragons who escape God Valley through the Calm Belt!" "That''s right," Damien nodded, continuing his return back to base. "This is a once-in-a-century chance to cut off every generation of the ''gods.'' A force of Linlin, Kaido and ten thousand scum is enough to take down any Admiralбн" The pirate broke out in a chuckle, "Rahaha! It''s so risky but so bold! Xebec has deemed God Valley to be the climax of this era." They returned as the sun set behind the broken headquarters, spreading somber warmth. Damien stood at the building''s entrance, staring at the orange skies. "Either the Rocks Pirates or the World Governmentбн" he murmured, his eyes flickering with cold determination. "...only one shall remain." To Be Continuedбн Chapter 143: The Beginning of the End [Briefing Room, Marineford] [New Year''s Day of 1486] It was a prestigious gathering; the highest available level of the Navy was present. The dozens of top dogs and their penchant for cigars had created a small cloud of smoke at the ceiling. However, the smoke didn''t take away from the authority in the roomбкa U-shaped seating to accommodate those of Vice Admiral rank and higher. "Usually, a new year marks a time for celebration, for the future to come," a deep voice mumbled in disappointment. It came from a highly muscular man with a mountainous hairstyle and freshly shaven face to appear more youthful. His voice turned solemn and heavy: "Yet now a cloud of war and mayhem has taken over the New World. I''m afraid what''s to come will determine the next era." Naturally, the man talking was Kong, the Fleet Admiral of the Navy Headquarters. The next man to speak had white hair and a stylish goatee of matching colour. "We attained a new row of intel from our agents at Hachinosu," Asahi, the Director of the MCIS, informed. "Rocks D. Xebec has exercised the majority of his firepower: 35,000 pirates in total." Such words were disputed by the only admiral presentбкSengoku''s eyes scanned the intelligence report through his glasses with furrowed brows. "Rocks isn''t the type to leave behind top officers, let alone one of his Titans." Another voice, this time female, added to the conversation: "His particular distaste for the World Government must converge toward the Celestial Dragons. He must be after every single one of them." It was the Great Advisor Tsuru. She placed aside the information while the purple-haired man to her right aired his thoughts. "He''s willing to give up a Titan to ensure the massacre of the World Nobles," Zephyr mused, crossing his muscular arms in solemnity. "That leaves three Titans and four Tragedies, led by their Supreme Commanderбн Such a force can easily overturn nations, let alone the entire New World!" Kong heaved a dull sigh, his eyes narrowing in thought. The collective bounty of the Fleet leaving Hachinosu was around the twenty billion mark! "..." The silence continued in the large room and across the round table. Dim light peaked through the shut windows, reflecting off half the people present. "Let''s focus on the Titans." Asahi lightly coughed, showcasing his mastery over the subject. "I have been in touch with CP-0''s findings and corroborated it with SWORD," the man informed. Bringing up another sheet of paper. "We found the weaknesses of Titans other than the Golden Lion." The Director of the Intelligence Service went on to list: "Edward Newgate, aka Whitebeard. He has a strong connection to his homeland of Sphinx Island, frequently sending back ship''s worth of resources. He even struck dead a fellow countryman and former Overlord, Esso Borealis, for betraying Sphinx." "Charlotte Linlin tends to become lost in her hunger pangs, leaving her in a berserk state that may be exploited to take her down. Outside of that, her children are young, and some of them can be used against her." "Einar D. Damienбн Originated from the West Blue. One of my oldest agents, Raiden, the Commander of the 111th Branch Base, confirmed the young pirate''s first movements at Greta Island five years ago." Asahi finished with a solemn declaration: "Although Raiden is no longer an active agent and has chosen to exile himself, I can vouch for his wordбкEinar D. Damien''s first sighting was at Greta Island!" A nearby Vice Admiral was the first to react with a hurried question, "Are you saying you can track his home island!?" "We should hold the island hostage, demand his leave from Rocks, or even use it to get him to backstab his Captain!" One of the youngest top marines roared, smashing his fist on the table. "I agree! It would go well with the Protocol!" бн The fresh intel took the briefing by storm as a vast array of havoc-inducing suggestions were thrown out. ''The Fleet Admiral would have acted on this already, which means there are obstacles,'' a thoughtful Zephyr mused. He ran his left hand through the cold, metal right limb, recalling the young pirate who had disarmed him. "Our outposts are most barren in the West Blue due to the Four Mafia Families. It makes it difficult to send agents to investigate the dozens of islands neighbouring Greta and confirm the origin of the Sin Incarnate," Asahi added, shutting down any further discussion. Kong leaned into his seat and took a loud sip of his tea before giving further orders. "We lack the time and resources to narrow down a location...for now." He addressed Asahi again: "What of the Fourth Division in general?" The White Swan took a breath to put together an answer. He recalled the recent addition to Damien''s Division alongside other surges. "There is a Solomon who the Sin Incarnate brought along. He has no past for us to trace. Unfortunately, before any intel regarding his abilities could be sent, the agent was forced to end the call and go dark till the storm settles." "As for the Hellspawn, the only thing we''ve confirmed is an ability that allows him to generate electricityбкthere are too many such fruits to narrow down." Further talks regarding the Fourth Division were quickly ended; it was only one piece of incoming threat to consider. . Suddenly, Sengoku, who usually only spoke on essential matters, audibly cleared his throat. "Can we address the elephants in the room, or missing from it in this case?" The others all drew their attention to the two empty seats of the remaining two Admirals. "You already know about Basara. Rocks left his home island in flames; thankfully, his sole pupil was spared," Kong answered with little emotion. "I believe he even left the young lad a Devil Fruit." "If Basara sees value in a young lad, then I''m sure he can help maintain the peace of the seas," Zephyr commented; he felt great sympathy toward the mountain maker. "And what of Kurowa-I mean, Kurojи▒?" This time, it was Kong who went quiet. Hesitation flashed in his eyes, only for him to reluctantly sigh. "His task is to transport the World Nobles to God Valley." However, Kong paused with uncertainty and breathed out, "But I''m afraid he won''t stay for the inevitable battle." "!!!" "An Admiral missing such an event is unfound!" Tsuru exclaimed, her raised voice conveying her disbelief. "Let alone his Devil Fruit can bolster the morale of our armies!" "I know he has been lost in his rage, but he is still an admiral; his presence is necessary!" Zephyr expressed his thoughts as well. Kong huffed, tapping his finger on the glass table. *Crack* Spider web-like cracks spread across by the sheer force, conveying the man''s frustration. "In his current state, Masao''s Devil Fruit ability has no use; he has lost his ''Dazzling Justice'' and can no longer help in that sense." Kong clenched his fist, gnashing his teeth. "I''m just as frustrated as the rest of you. I raised that boy, and now he actually dares to flaunt his ''Miserable Justice!''" A few days ago, he had a long talk with Masao. It was then that he learned of his newfound ''justice through misery'' бкa code that sought to make people yearn for the Navy''s peace by forcing them into suffering and pain. *Huuuu* The Fleet Admiral loudly exhaled helplessly, shaking his head away from the aggravating thoughts. With a softer tone, he continued, "Though it''s not all bad news. With the Evil Spirit and the Hundred-Beast staying at Hachinosu, his existence is an asset." The top marine went on to set his point in cement, "Enough about Masao; we have more important topics." His voice grew resolute and authoritative, and his face wrinkles were stretched to the fullest. "The Five Elders have shared their thoughts for the coming war. I will echo their orders to you allбн" Dozens of veteran marines straightened in their seats; a direct command from the Overseers of the World was even above that of the Commander-in-Chief! And it was as short and sweet as it was daming: "The Rocks Pirates will no longer exist beyond this sacred event." The words plunged the room into dead silence. Such a thought was unfounded, but it wasn''t unexpected considering the grave taboo they were en route to commit. "Cipher Pol, under Xerxes, will aid us in our efforts. Everything will work out fine. This gathering will be our greatest chance to remove the scourge of the pirates!" *Click* Kong then reached for his Transponder Snail and dialled a number, leaving the room in suspense. "Puru," "Puru," "Puru." "Katcha~!" "Are you finally done with your little vacation, brat? I want you at God Valley to spearhead the assault on the Rocks Pirates." The snail conveyed its caller''s lax nature, matching a person lying at the beach. "You want me to go way out to the boonies to fight? What''s the point?" This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Kong sighed, massaging his forehead. "I can''t say, Garp. But we need you there! Our reports haven''t been verified, but if the danger is real, it''ll be a disaster for the World Government!" The man on the snail proceeded to pick his nose, waving off the emergency. "This is about the Celestial Dragons'' little field trip, isn''t it?" the man asked. "Why should I care if they''re in trouble? I always said it''d come back to bite you if you messed with Hachinosu. It''s their fault for poking the hive!" The other top marines zipped up their mouths in the hope of not pissing Kong off anymore, allowing the conversation to go on. "What did they expect? You don''t just swipe the crown jewel of Pirate Island! Of course, Rocks would come to take it back!" "!!!" Kong''s eyes widened in shock. "Where in the world did you hear about that!?" he thundered. Garp continued, ignoring the question, "You must''ve assigned them extra protection for their stupidity, right? So what''s got you so flustered that you need me there too?" Kong sighed once again, putting his daily sigh count into the hundreds. "Well, there''s something we didn''t account forбн it seems Roger''s on the move there too!" "!!!" This time, it was Garp who was left in shock, "Lead with that next time! I''m on my way!" "Katcha~!" бн Kong then leaned into his chair and spoke to everyone present. "Our enemy is the most fearsome pirate crew to have sailed the seas in centuries," he solemnly stated. "Rocks D. Xebec holds the reins to the pirates of the New World. Therefore, his death will not only end this damned pirate era but also pirating itself for good. Failure is not an option; the entire Navy will be put into action, and no matter what, justice will prevail!" ---------------------------------------------- [The Titanic] The Fleet had prepared to depart. Damien now stood at the magnificent ship, walking out from the Captain''s Quartersбкjust now, he had a little chat with Rocks himself. He recalled the meeting: "Xahahaha! This is a little special; the Government will be in full swing since they wanted to mess with meбн" "Guess I missed the whole stealing of the crown jewel thing," the Sin Incarnate commented. "Hehe, Xerxes, that wily fox has some stealthy agents. But it''s fine. I can drive those golden bastards to extinction while retrieving it!" Damien narrowed his eyes, wondering about his captain''s confidence. "You think they''ll crumple that easily?" "Xahaha! I have a secret weapon that the Government stands no chance against!" бн ''Maybe it''s from his Awakening?'' Damien thought on his way back. The pirate shook his head, unable to fully decipher the meaning behind Rocks'' words. Now, he could examine his surroundings, which were similar to those of the Scorched Sea War. But this time, they had 35,000 troops spanning over a hundred ships. ''So much evil intent, but that has nothing to do with me.'' Damien''s Empathy skill naturally decoded the emotions around him; all seven deadly sins were present. "!!!" The young pirate suddenly felt a vile and snake-like stare from the side. Matching the eye level, he found a familiar face. A man with long pink hair, a coat and a wild grin. ''This guy still feels odd, but I can never sense anything truly out of place from him with my Haki,'' Damien thought to himself. The only things that flared were his instincts, something he had grown up never to ignore. Captain John smirked from afar before walking away. "Speaking of snakes...it''s time to cut a few loose endsбн" бн Damien eventually made his way to his ship with eight other men on board. They each stood across the deck, breathing in the salty sea air, watching as the dozens of ships came together into a formation. "Kuhuhuhu! It''s quite the spectacle," came a dull laugh from the towering Solomon. He wore his usual get-up, simple trousers that showcased his tattooed and muscular body. This time, he also sported the spanning scar he acquired from Indra alongside the pulsating stamp of the sacred lightning. Kaen poked Solomon with his elbow, joining his admiration for the line of ships covered with thick smoke. "Hehe, I like this guy. He can appreciate my taste in art!" The much smaller Pablo said, through his smokey breath, "This advent feels quite somber. I hope to see you all on the other side, mi amigos!" "Arai hopes everyone well." "Majajaja! Let''s destroy the Navy and the World Nobles!" "I, too, wish to see the despair in the faces of those Celestial Dragons; I hope to carve their fear into my memory," Hensин commented, boasting an indifferent mask. "I''ll ready the drinks after we''re done with this mission. It''s all on me, or in me, I should say!" Voyd Nomu laughed, chuckling at his sakиж fruit power. Damien smirked at their enthusiasm, though his eyes hid a sharp gleam. "Unfortunately, not all of us will return alive." "..." The pirates blanked, staring at their boss. Their Commander ignored their questioning gazes and dropped a few words: "The two things I find the most despicable are liars...and traitors." The words were laced with a solemn air, bouncing across the ship as if silencing the rowdy pirate fleet gathering around them. The Suicidal Rambo, who had seen much war, was swamped with grim topics; the boisterous atmosphere quickly dissolved into panic. "And well, when those two come in a package, then I can''t help but want to eradicate it." The crimson eyes fell onto a single pirate amongst the others. The rest of the Division Mates followed Damien''s gaze and began to space out subconsciously. The one under the Commander''s cold eyes had long, nicely-combed white hair. "Ehh, w-what do you mean by this, Bossman?" The dark-skinned man audibly gulped, "T-The joke is going too farбн" Damien''s gaze conveyed nothing but silent disappointment, forcing the man to take a few shaky steps back. Sweat ran down his facial markings, but his confused expression quickly warped into pain: "Auugh!" He was quickly lifted off the wooden deck nearly ten feet into the air, a sharp blade protruding from his chest. Miserable grunts spat from his mouth as his quivering hands grasped the katana responsible for his pain. "Voyd Nomu," Indra''s collected voice broke out. He stood 11 feet tall, his arm extended to hold the enemy in the air, with Tenmei piercing through a lung. "A new generation pirate hailed as a Supernova when the World News Agency was still in power," the swordsman recounted. "All your feats were awfully loud, yet no one actually knew of your existence even after boasting a bounty of two hundred million." "You claimed to be born in a Cult of West Blue, yet your home island exists only on paper." Nomu, who was leaking copious amounts of blood, grasped at the white blade with both hands, desperately clinging on to life. "I-I-I am no traitorбн!" Indra narrowed his eyes, lacking even a hint of pity. "Don''t insult my intelligence. You''ve been desperately trying to unearth my Devil Fruit ability to report to your superiors. Do you really think I wouldn''t notice?" Nomu gulped; his breathing spiked. He painfully looked around, hoping to find an anchor to latch on to to save himself. Yet Nomu saw disgust in the other''s eyes and felt his life slipping away. . Damien finally spoke, this time with a smile, "You wanted to know what power I granted my right-hand man?" "Well, it happens to be the invincible Rumble-Rumble Fruit." Shockingly enough, even after Indra''s thirst for battling top opponents in the past year, he never let the extent of his powers show. And when he clashed with Kaido and Big Mom, none remained conscious long enough from the thunderous battles. Nomu heard the news, feeling despair cloud his vision. "Twenty-four calls," Indra spat. "That''s how many times you rang up your leader at SWORD. A marine agency that has left the Navy, existing as a secret force." The revelation brought shock to the dying pirate''s face, feeling wholly seen through. Indra pulled back his blade, forcing the man to collapse to the floor in a pool of his own blood. "I heard every word your transponder snail conveyed. The only things you leaked were things I wanted you to leak." "Haaa, Huuuh, Haaahбн" Nomu clawed across the ground, his bloodied fingers digging into the floorboards. He looked up and saw the eyes locking onto his body and knew his time was up. . "G-Golden Supernova!" . Like a grape, his body exploded into a spectacle that reached the ship''s crow''s nest. The others watched as a few droplets from across the ship and toward the sea suddenly shook. Voyd Nomu''s body splashed into the familiar liquid, reforming from the few droplets away from the Suicidal Rambo. ''No matter what, I need to report this to the Captain!'' the man told himself in deep panic. Nomu willed his body to turn fluid, dancing across the sky and toward a random ship nearby. By now, the other pirates had naturally noticed the Fourth Division''s antics, watching in great interest. Damien sighed in disappointment, not faltering by the turn of events. "Kaen." The man in question moved immediately and pointed a hand toward the distant stream of sakиж. A vicious grin appeared on the red-haired man, "Hehe, I enjoyed billowing flames with your ability, Nomu! So I''ll give you the privilege of going out in a blazing glory!" *Snap!* Instantly, the steam of sakиж ignited in the air, sending out a massive plume of fire. Boom! It burst so sweltering that it began to melt a few ships nearby while burning dozens of sails as well. "Auuughh! Uuguh! Ahhhh!" Miserable cries echoed from the conflagration, voicing out the mind-numbing pain of being burnt to death. It was mixed with a hundred other pirates and celebrated by thirty-five thousand others. . Indra ran a stream of Haki, burning away the blood on his sacred blade. Turning to Damien, he said, "His final call was to both the Captain of SWORD and Hakuchин, the Director of MCIS. I know every detail of their planбн" The next few minutes left the Sin Incarnate privy to the fine details the Navy relied uponбкa long list of enemies, plans and backup plans. One such protocol would cement the death of thousands within seconds. Indra then expressed his last remaining thought, "Should I alert the other Division Commanders of their plan?" "..." "No." Damien lightly chuckled, his eyes locked onto the distant horizon, no longer caring about the dead Nomu. Indra paused momentarily, examining the look in his Commander''s eyes, "As you wish." ---------------------------------------------- The fateful day approached while both sides were preparing for the storm. The tremors affected even the Holy Land. While the Celestial Dragons were more than excited to let loose, their overseers had one final box to tick... ---------------------------------------------- [Pangaea Castle, Mariejois] Five elderly men slowly walked across a dimly lit hall. Each looked solemn as they continued, slowly arriving at their destination. *Creak* The giant doors to the Throne Room opened, allowing the five old men inside. They were the Five Elders, also known as the Five Elder Planets! They stopped to kneel across the long red carpet, bowing their heads to the throne far aboveбкthe Overseers of the World were submitting! Such an act that would leave every living soul in shambles! The Empty Throne symbolized that a single figure did not rule the worldбкit sent a message of peace by making all royals equal before it, with none greater or lesser than the other. Even the First Twenty plunged their swords at the side of the seat, showcasing their unanimous agreement for the throne to remain vacant. Yet the Five Elders waited in patience and deep reverence. [Empty Throne Image (in Discord)] *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* Light, rhythmic steps echoed as an elusive figure appeared, slowly scaling the staircase to the throne of the world. "!!!" The person took the seat, draping their arms over the gold armrests designed to look like lion head statues. Instantly, the Throne Room was plunged with the sanctity of gods! . "Balance has been shaken as you prophesied," Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro calmly stated. Shepherd Ju Peter continued their unanimous thoughts, "We will carry across your words to bring the world back into its orbit." Marcus Mars spoke next, "Have you decided which ''light'' needs to be extinguishedбн" "...from history this time?" Jaygarcia Saturn finished the sentence. Topman Warcury concluded the thoughts of each of the Five Elders: "If so, share the name with us." "..." A deafening silence pervaded the fresh air of the throne room. The Elders no longer spoke and continued to kneel for however long it may take. After what felt like an eternity, a sole piece of paper flew down from the throne above. It fluttered in the divine air of the spanning hall, slowly falling before the loyal servants under the throne. The Five Elders peered at the paper and examined the figure in the picture. It was the bounty poster of Rocks D. Xebec, spelling his doom. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 144: Cradle of the Gods (I) [God Valley, West Blue] The island was small and situated in the Outer Sea of West Blue. It had tall, steep clouds and canyons covered with vegetation. Between the central two tall peaks was a small city, once home to a thriving population, now in shambles. The Celestial Dragons had always seen this land as their ownбкit was the Cradle of the Gods, after all! The citizens were descendants of the slaves owned by the original King, Amas-Rothua Tnaryt. They were allowed to live here by his grace, but that didn''t mean they would be treated well by other World Nobles. [God Valley Image (in Discord)] The might of the World Government had been exercised to ensure the protection of this divine occasion, overseen by the Fleet Admiral and the Chief of Cipher Pol. "This is Xerxes," a hoarse voice echoed through hundreds of transponder snails. "All agents are advised to be on the lookout for any enemy ships. Continue your mission with absolute success." As of now, dozens of ships arrived at the coast of the sacred land, depositing entire groups of World Nobles. Already, 100 Celestial Dragons had arrived at the heart of God Valley, with a few more ships still arriving. Such a gathering was essentially priceless to the World Government; they could not fail! Meanwhile, giant ships slowly docked on the opposite side of the coast. They carried rare slaves, artifacts, weapons, treasures, and fine goods. бн A towering man wearing a brown uniform stood with an oppressive shadow around him. His sole eye locked onto the marine reporting to him. "Admiral Basara, everything is all set." The Mountain Maker lowly hummed, breathing in the fresh air of God Valley. It was his duty to command 100,000 troops stationed here! The soldiers filled the sidelines of the island, turning its previous green appearance into the white of sailor''s clothingбкthe entirety of God Valley was strongly manned, invincible even! бн [Two Hours Later] A small squad of marines walked with a dignified spirit. They were tasked with escorting a caravan of mystical beasts collected across the seas. The fact that they were allowed to step so deep into the Cradle of the Gods had left them breathless. "Even looking at the castle from afar leaves me without words!" Rear Admiral Fod breathed. His eyes were twinkling from the golden majesty of what stood before him. His companion, another Rear Admiral, was just as dazzled. "This is the palace where the First Twenty came to declare their descendants as Gods of the world! It''s been standing for seven hundred years!" Although they were only disallowed from entry, the two elite marines were endlessly humbled. The air they breathed was the same that canonized the World Nobles seven centuries ago! The castle, an opulent masterpiece of architecture, stood majestically amidst the verdant hills of God Valley. Its golden fa?ade shimmered under the sunlight, adorned with intricate carvings and large, sparkling gemstones embedded in its walls. Towering spires reached towards the sky, crowned with ornate domes gleaming with precious metals'' brilliance. The grand entrance, flanked by elegantly sculpted statues, welcomed visitors with a sweeping staircase leading into the heart of the palace. Surrounding manicured gardens, lush with greenery and carefully shaped hedges, added to the enchanting atmosphere, while distant cliffs loomed protectively over this regal abode, embodying a sense of both beauty and power in its design. [Cradle of the Gods Image (in Discord)] Thousands of Holy Guards stood tall every few steps. They were like robots; they didn''t move or talk, and it seemed that they did not breathe either. They wore thick armour over their torsos that covered their faces and heads. Each held a spear. [Holy Guards Image (in Discord)] бн Dozens of Celestial Dragons continued through the halls and into the main seating area. The ceilings were nearly fifty feet high! Giant golden chandeliers hung from above, emitting light that shone in tandem with the giant windows at the front. Nearly 200 golden seats decorated the area, each plated with rare gems and minerals enough to buy small nations. [Main Area (image)] Name tags were embedded in each chair, reading the names of its designated host. Each of the 19 Houses was present. This included: Donquixote Family. Figardland Family. Amas-Rohtua Family. Marcus Family. Ethanbaron Family. Jaygarcia Family. Shepherd Family. Topman Family. Nerona Family. The other ten were also present, though they were lower-class than those mentioned earlier. . Soon enough, everyone was accounted for, and the host could begin. He looked around the sacred room and continued in a humble tone. "Welcome, Saints and Saintesses. I am your humble servant, Spandune the Hunter, who has been granted the divine privilege to welcome you to God Valley!" A few scoffs went off in the younger Nobles as they saw a mere human as their host, though they didn''t voice any complaints. The biggest complaint was, "Why were they breathing the same air as this commoner?" After all, none of them sported their usual fishbowl helmets, as God Valley was considered sacred. . The black-haired Spandune sheepishly smiled, trying his best to stay standing up. He was one of the lucky ones who got the Five Elders'' approval a few decades ago by bringing crucial intel on the now-ruined Polemos Island, a feat that would greatly ease the destruction of a treacherous people. "I would also like to express my undying fidelity to the Noble who granted me the opportunity to stand before youбкSaint Figarland Garling!" Spandune widely directed his arms towards a sole person who sat not too far away. The Noble was tall and enchanting, with sharp features and handsome. He wore burgundy regal attire topped with a coat that reached his shins. His hair was styled to resemble half a crescent moon. Unlike the other Celestial Dragons, Garling had a mighty and illustrious aura around him, sharp as the prized saber at his hip, truly befitting a man with the blood of the Creators! That, alongside his esteemed placement in the God''s Knights, left him deeply respected, even among other World Nobles! [Saint Figarland Garling Image (in Discord)] . Garling expressed no visible happiness and half-nodded at Spandune, something the latter took as a great honour. "Ahem, well then, let us begin the glorious event in the Cradle of the Gods that has been held every century since the birth of the World Government 700 years ago today! By the blessed sun, it also fell on the same day as the Native Hunting Competition!" "By the orders of the once-king Tnaryt, these mortals were allowed to care-take God Valley, but their identity of sub-human exists till this day!" Upon the host''s words, a company of waiters and servers rushed in from the side. They held up incredibly delicious and mouthwatering meals made from the highest-quality food the world had to offer! Meanwhile, the back doors opened to bring something else in. "Do enjoy the Prime Slave Auction as you enjoy the delicacies!" Spandune explained, welcoming the guards with chains. They slowly brought in the prized goods, lining them up. Spandune rubbed his hands with a bright smile, doing his best to accommodate the Nobles'' needs. "Giants, Mermaids, Minks, Former Royals, Battle Maids, Veteran Piratesбн everything you would want is present!" he exclaimed. The Dragons oohed and aahed at the marvellous stock; some of the younger ones even pointed at the slaves they wanted, begging their parents. One such Noble was a young woman with pink hair fanning out in the shape of a star. She wore a stylish outfit in mint green and white adorned with gold accents and featured a bold "L" on her chest. "The slaves here are top notch qualityбнbut the one I want is the most handsome of them allбнI want Einar D. Damien!" She was Donquixote Skymoor Roxiaбкan avid collector of slaves, particularly those of high status, either in virtue or infamy. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. The usually stoic woman bloomed a creepy smile, twiddling her gloved fingers. "He''s earned the privilege to be my favourite, Kya-nanana! I can''t wait to have him host my teacup parties!" [Roxia image (in Discord)] "Ahahaha! You are your weird fantasies, Roxia," a young man''s voice cut the lady''s imagination into pieces. The pink-haired saintess glared at her fellow God. He had white hair and hazel eyes covered by dark sunglasses. The man boasted a wide grin, showcasing his teeth. He was dressed in a white, unbuttoned shirt with a dark undershirt, conveying the man''s casual yet somewhat flamboyant style. "Amas-Rohtua Vadin!" Roxia snapped with crossed arms. "Don''t you have better things to do than annoy meбн Considering your habit of splurging your House''s wealth!" [Vadin Image (in Discord)] Dozens of other gods laughed to themselves as well. This was their dayбкa sacred day where they could spend their wealth after being forced to stay at Mariejois due to the pirate threat. It was music to the Spandune''s ears as he slowly began listing the goods and their prices. бн Meanwhile, in a different part of the island... "What a damned event," came a suppressed voice. A man with a giant afro sat in a large room that broadcasted the event. It was the Navy''s temporary command room. Sengoku massaged his forehead as he saw the auction going down. His justice clashed with it, though he could only relent to reality in favour of the vast majority. However, a shaken snail diverted his attention: "Puru," "Puru," "Puru." "Katcha~! This is Admiral Sengoku." "It''s me," Basara said as the snail took on the one-eyed Admiral''s appearance. "We''ve lost contact with our Northern fleet; they all went offline together!" "...I see." A deep tremor disrupted their chat, leaving Sengoku with narrowed eyes. The snail confirmed his guess: "They''re hereбнthe Rocks Pirates." Meanwhile, a few Celestial Dragons were shouting to quiet the noise, hoping to enjoy their meal. Sengoku ignored the three transponder snails linked to Cipher Pol as he felt another tremor. Boom! This time, it was loud enough to echo in the divine halls, disrupting the ceremony. "I''ll be right there, Basara." бн *Rumble* A dull sound bellowed out at the Northern coast. A huge platform made of pure earth was soon raised, almost looking like a new part of the island. Moss and seaweeds littered the newly-birthed ground, making it obvious who was behind this. "Basara, I sent the order to move in the troops." Sengoku''s eyes were currently hidden by the shine across his spectacles, making it impossible to know what the man was thinking. "Fifty thousand will fight first; the rest will wait and act as backup. This won''t be a quick fightбн we''ll cycle the troops to ensure they remain at maximum stamina." Basara heard the explanation and nodded in agreement. . While the army moved into the newly risen platform, a line of pirate ships debuted. They spanned from end to end of the horizon, creating quite the sight. Many ships boasted their own Jolly Roger, though the ROCKS banner at the top made it obvious whose flag they were under. The Admirals waited as a few other big names arrived. Thud! "They''ve brought quite the array of shipsбн Bwahahaha! I like this side of the island more." "For once, I can agree with you, Garp." The tens of thousands of marines rejoiced, raising their weapons to the sky. "Two Admirals, Admiral Candidate Zephyr and Vice Admiral Garp, are with us!" they exclaimed. The morale hit the skies, roaring across the seas. . "No matter what, the pirates cannot break beyond the coast!" Sengoku warned his colleagues. Basara hummed, raising his arms. *Rumble!* Boom! At his command, giant walls soon rose from the bottom of the sea to nearly 100 meters in the sky! The surging seas displaced Dozens of enemy ships. The situation worsened as the twin walls shifted toward one another, pushing the pirate ships into close proximity. It stopped with just enough room to accommodate the Titanic. "Sailing to their deaths so foolheartedly," Basara sneered, his concentration locked onto the long line of enemy ships forced within a narrow channel. They also no longer needed to worry about any flanks. Sengoku hummed in agreement at the enemy''s boldness. This was different from Borealis'' Auction or Sol''s Pirate Festival; before, it was the Navy having to venture to pirate seas, but now, they had the chance to prepare for the enemy coming to them. ''The seastone will be the final nail in their coffin,'' the Buddha thought, admiring the metal plating at the inner part of the two walls. [Damned Channel of Ships Image (in Discord)] A sharp hissing wind picked up, carrying the aroma of the salty sea air. With a click, the Buddha picked up his snail. His eyes sharpened at the distant enemy fleet while his authoritative voice reached thousands of ears. "Initiate Protocol Sixty-Six." бн [Pirate Side] The joyous scum roared out in delight as they sensed the endless treasures of God Valley not too far away. The advent of hundreds of ships were forced into a channel barely 80 meters wide, but it had little immediate effect. "Are we supposed to be scared of these measly walls? Give me a break!" "I want to bathe in their Gods'' blood, dine at their flesh and enslave their young!" "Cough-Cough-Cough! We of the Pandemic Pirates will lead the charge!" Thirty-five thousand pirates! Not just any pirates, but the worst in existence! Yet that broken relationship between their forces left glaring problems. "Puru," "Puru," "Puru." Thousands of snails went off simultaneously. Their nostalgic ringing brewed up an ominous atmosphere. Thousands of fellow "pirates" took in a deep breath as they heard the four words. Shing! Boom! Pew! Pew! Kaboom! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bam! "What''s goin- Augh!" "Ouugh!" *Splatter* Boom! Across the hundred-plus ships was chaos. It sparked like a virus, spreading across every vessel. Blood rained and splashed without mercy, creeping into the floorboards and dyeing the sea below with a fresh red hue. Heads rolled, bodies fell, and lives ended. Thousands of personnel acting as pirates jumped into combat. Bullets flew, cannons fired, blades slashed. Backstabs, headshots, kills, it was all there. Within a heartbeat, thousands of men died; their lives ended before they could even react. BOOM! Suddenly, an entire ship exploded! Debris rained down from above: wooden planks, metal bars and limbs. Boom! Kaboom! Boom! Dozens of ships carrying hundreds of pirates went off like a chain explosion, bringing red-hot flames to the air. An orange dawn fell upon the mountain channel, baking the others in heat and fire. Mushroom clouds dominated the now-ashy skies, hiding wails and cries of pain under its damning darkness. BOOM! Thousands died by the second as the insurgents attacked together, and Rocks Pirates were quickly reduced from 35,000 to 28,000! "Damn it! We got rats!" A pirate roared upon his battle-torn ship. He was Ruben, a mighty pirate who had joined Rocks'' banner after the Scorched Sea War. Grim reality flashed in the man''s eyes as he felt the deaths around him. A rifle was raised, striking down three marines many kilometers away. Ruben smirked and looked at an enemy commanding officer through the scope. *Click* "Dammit! These trashy guns jam so often!" He cursed, tossing the rifle away. Seeing the prey escape, Ruben instead picked up his bone sword, reeled it back like a spear, and shot it across the turbulent seas, nailing the enemy''s heart. "Heh," the man chuckled. He found pleasure in the chaos, that is, until it came to him. *Swish!* The sharp pain shot up his spine, freezing his body. If not for the anger in his eyes, Ruben may have succumbed to the fatal stab. "Vanheim," he growled, recognizing the curved blade''s userбкit was his own right-hand man who stabbed him in the back! "You bastard!" Ruben roared through the pain of the blade protruding thirty centimeters from his chest and bashed his right elbow into the figure behind him. The cry of pain from Vanheim brought no satisfaction to the Captain. Vanheim''s pink eyes widened from the pressure around his throat. He squealed while his back slammed into the wooden railing, his mind shaking. "We made a pact to conquer the seas togetherбн Why''d you do this!" The traitor grunted through the solid grip, meeting his Captain''s eyes in fright. "Y-You''re leading us to our death!" Ruben sneered, wasting no time for talk, and grabbed Vanheim by the back of his head. With a quick show of force, he jammed Vanheim''s right eye into the blade still protruding out of his chest. Blood dripped from the writhing pirate before he was tossed aside. BOOOM! Ruben''s ears rang from the sudden explosion. A quick look revealed the ship was sinking fast. The fire had already spread through the cabin and onto the sailsбкmore traitors. The veteran pirate cared little for his ship, and like many other top dogs under the Rocks Pirates, he jumped off the weeping ship and into the cold seas below. The water was filled with debris and blood. Ruben glanced to his left and right and lightly grinnedбкtens of thousands of his fellow monsters had done the same as him. They would swim a kilometer to the shores to take their anger out on the Marines and Nobles! Then came the grim reality. Ruben paused in his stroke. He took a deep breath from the ashy skies, slowly lighting up in flames. "What the hell is that!?" "That''s a bit much now!" He ignored the nearby pirates'' dismay and clenched his jaw in solemnity. *Ruuhhh* An ominous wind blew as giant globs of hellfire made their debut. They didn''t know where it came from, but a voice echoed within the walls of the channel: . "Meteor Volcano!" . Ruben clicked his tongue, sighing his frustrations, "Basara, that crafty fox!" Some ships remained floating through the chaos, having dealt with the insurgents. "The volcanic rocks are aimed in the mountainous channel. So I''ll just rip apart these metal walls!" Soon enough, the thin fleet continued its advent, caring little of the men they lost. One such ship belongs to the Captain of the Bomb Pirates. "Boo-Boo-Boo! Let''s see if your little wall can take my heat!" He grabbed a fistful of hair along his extremely long mane and clumped it into a ball. "Watch out, Grendel is using his Bomb-Bomb Fruit!" . "Keratin Bomber!" . Grendel shot out the clump of hair that flew across the sea and onto the metal walls. *BOOM!* The explosion was beyond that of the ships; instead, it was enough to melt metal! It waved across the thick walls, bathing it with the hot flames. "..." "N-No way, the wall didn''t even budge!" "Seastone plating! Damn that Fulcrum!" The swimming Ruben grunted at his inevitable deathбкthey couldn''t break out from the walls, and they couldn''t get to the shores in timeбн He looked up to see a twenty-meter-wide boulder doused in lava aiming right at him. The attack would surely claim his life, and yet his eyes were defiant. "You can burn us to the ground, but we will rise from the ashesбкno one can stop the massacre of your Gods!" [Attack Image (in Discord)] бн Basara continued to release his rocky lava fists, courtesy of his versatile Devil Fruit. The mountains he erected acted as a natural chokepoint, and the fireworks show considerably whittled down their numbers. The marines gulped as the heat assaulted their faces, but that soon turned into a boisterous roar of morale. The Admiral watched without a hint of pity, continuously releasing his infernal attack. His one eye watched the crumbling fleet. Flashes of his beloved Seigi Island baked in flames seemed to overlap with the hell before him. "Rocks...you brought war and death to my home. Now, I bring the same to your people!" Basara''s words were venomous, and his heart was burning with justice. "This is the end of the line for the Rocks PiratesбнI''ll make sure of it!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 145: Cradle of the Gods (II) Twenty-three thousand, that''s how many pirates now remain. It had been only twenty minutes since the battle began and considerably shifted in the Marine''s favour. Or so they thought. *Crack* A single crack appeared in the seastone alloy that built the wall. BOOM! The marines shielded themselves from the rain of rocks and debris as the loud bang echoed in their eardrums. "Two of the Titans are on the move!" "A-Above!" The marines'' jaws dropped as they saw the sky blackout. Giant shadows spanned across hundreds of meters. The previous hellfire was voided entirely out by the coming destruction. It looked as if the heavens had been shattered! *Fwooo* *Vvoooo!* Loud howling winds erupted as the giant landmasses broke through the clouds and covered God Valley with their massive glory. "Damn you, Shiki!" Sengoku immediately took to the skies, transforming into a Buddha on the way up, lighting the uncertain future with his brilliance. A dark shadow glowing in warm Haki followed close behindбкit was Garp! BOOM! The two of them let loose a single punch, Conqueror''s Haki flowing alongside their simple yet mountain-crumbling attacks. It began with a golden flash and then with an ear-rattling explosion. Three giant landmasses were turned to nothingness just like that, flooding the region with screeching winds. "Cheh, of course, there''s more where that came fromбн" Garp muttered, sensing a dozen more tiny islands en route. бн "Charge," Basara commanded, his words washing away the surprise in the marines'' eyes. They roared a war cry in unison, rushing head-first at the pirates that had docked in the ruins of the walls. It was a full-blown war now, 50,000 versus 23,000. Explosions went off from distant cannon fire, and dust and blood shot into the sky. Wails of pain and suffering broke out as bodies dropped by the minute. Shing! A sharp slash from a pirate, and three marines lost their heads. Bang! A sniper took out the pirate, and his writhing body fell, eyes still wide open. BAM! A Haki-clad punch sent out a powerful shockwave, obliterating the platform and swallowing the sniper and other gunmen without problem. Such scenes repeated across the battlefield, leaving the coast swamped with bloodshed and dull screams. бн "Wawawawawa! Come one, come all!" "Such bloodshed is unsightly, but I''m afraid my axe has no eyes." "Johohohoho! I got enough bullets for all ''ya!" Boom! Shing! BAM! Within moments, a thousand marines were pummeled and destroyed by these three notorious pirates. "Captain John, aka the ''Pirate Bandit''...he''s got a reward of 569,000,000 Berry!" "Wang Zhi ''the Crisis.'' A bounty of 670,000,000 Berry!" "''Blinding Light'' Silver Axe. He''s worth 1,134,000,000 Berry!" The sight of the three men left the marines shaken. "Dammit, the Tragedies of the Rocks are here!" . "Bink''s Bane!" . "Kingdom Crisis!" . "Silver Cathedral!" . The combination of pink, blue, and silver attacks exploded an entire area about fifty meters wide, annihilating anyone in the middle! The shrieking winds and showering flesh masked their miserable cries and wails. The air quickly turned ruddy and tasted of metal. *Thud!* Yet some soldiers could hold these men down. Silver Axe peered through his armoured body. "Ten Vice Admirals," he muttered. бн Other conflicts broke out, even in the skies! "Bwahahaha, you''ve gotta get some new tricks, Shiki!" Garp cracked his knuckles, easily shredding apart a giant landmass the size of a mountain. He zipped through the sky, obliterating any such attacks from the skies. "This is just another Tuesday for me!" He rocketed at every mountainous island, turning them to debris every minute. The streak of white marine attire crushing apart such damning projectiles acted as a morale booster for the soldiers. Sengoku had returned to the ground, but his shockwaves were loud and clear. They would make quick work of any escaping shards of earth, even if they spanned an entire warship. . Alas, while the two top marines held down Shiki, another Titan was making his moveбн BOOM! A barrier of earth suddenly shattered apart like glass, littering the ground. It was a fantastical sightбкit was like the fabric of space being broken apart! The marines nearby were blown away and into the air by the sheer force of the quaking winds; no place was safe from the tremors. A grumpy Basara stood tall against the havoc, raising one hand to cover his face. He peered past the gaps of his fingers, witnessing his troops being eradicated. "Gurararara!" The laugh alone pissed him off. "This sacred land won''t survive if you''re allowed to wreak havoc." His words were intended for the titan that had appearedбкhe was more than twice Basara''s height. His glorious blond hair danced in the chaotic winds while he imposed his dominance with his signature ''stache. "Then why don''t you protect it?" Edward Newgate offered with a grin, rushing forward with his prized naginata. бн All top marines, be it Vice Admirals or even the Admirals, had made a move. Yet one such man remained calm and collected, a powerful reserve unit. "Haaaaah," a dull sigh escaped his tired lips. It came from a purple-haired marine with explosive muscles. He had a metal arm finely crafted by the world''s finest. "No matter what time, these pirates only know war." "!!!" The Admiral Candidate suddenly narrowed his eyes, feeling a ship close in. He ignored the chaotic air, cries of misery, and hordes of Marines, instead focusing on a sole vessel making its way through the debris-ridden shores of God Valley. "In all this carnage, a lone ship remains untouchedбн" Zephyr murmured. It wasn''t long before he recognized the owner of the ship, the same ship that had skillfully docked at the pier. "The Fourth Division of the Rocks Pirates Grand Fleet." Zephyr''s eyes fell onto the pirates disembarking in front of him, and his fingers dug deeper into the seastone arm. "''Drug Lord'' Droga Pablo, ''Stone Serpent'' Arai, ''The Rampage'' Majin, ''The Inferno'' Ignio Kaen; you four alone combine to over a billion berries now." He found a new face. "You must be Solomon," Zephyr inferred, much to the man in question''s delight. The Admiral Candidate looked around, trying to find the others, but was left confused. "But where is your leader?" "Kuhuhuhu, you should be worrying about yourselfбн" бн Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. [The Titanic] One of the two ships that were still in working order was the ship that carried the true spirit of the Rocks Pirates. "Look how they massacred my boy," Damien muttered, examining the once magnificent ship. He was present when the Titanic was born and even named it. Yet after years of abuse and misuse, the mighty vessel had suffered quite the damage. The once-thick masts were littered with cuts and slashes that had been deeply carved in. The ore that could perfectly spread forces had been hit with endless gunshots, cannon fire and other projectiles. As it was never truly cleaned, the previous blood droplets had rusted into the metal, leaving it prone to damage from within. The sails were cut up and filled with scratches; at first glance, the Titanic was crying! The undying pirate sighed, ignoring the thick stench of blood that had seeped into every fiber of the once-mighty ship. . "Commander, we have incomingбн" Damien nodded, his eyes flashing red in Observation. *Fwoooo* A sharp whistle blew about as a shadow crashed into the Titanic, digging through the main building and shredding deep into the ship''s core. Black lightning courses across the ravaged ship, leaving cracks and scars behind. *Purrup* Water bubbled under the ship, ever so slowly finding tiny gaps to drip into the very bottom of the ship, rotting it from within. "That seemed to have been Vice Admiral Garp," Indra concluded in curiosity from Damien''s side. "The sky is Shiki''s territory, after all," Damien casually answered. "But Garp also crashed into that roomбн" BOOM! A loud explosion went off as the same white figure suddenly launched from deep inside the Titanic and soared out. The haunting Haki following the Marine''s advent was thicker, crueller and more menacing than what Shiki could produce. Damien tracked the soaring Garp as he arced from one end of the Titanic to the edges of God Valley, landing in what was now a crater. "..." The marines all paused. So did the pirates. No matter who they were, they each took a deep breath as a particular figure stood atop the fallen Garp. The towering figure with wild hair sported a crazed expression and a feral smile. Spit dribbled from his maw as the man felt a great thirst for battle and war. The wrinkles and scars that decorated his unholy visage stretched into a cruel grin. A thick stench of death and blood emanated from the haunting figure, filling those nearby with pure dread. His presence alone knocked out a good five hundred marines to the floor. "Xahahahaha!" The creepy, hoarse laugh sent shivers up the Marines'' back, echoing across the battlefield, sending shivers down everyone''s backs. Damien watched with narrowed eyes. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Rocks D. Xebec] [Age: 47 years] [Height: 14'' 11"] (4.55 m) [Devil Fruit: Death-Death Fruit (Complete Grandmastery) б№] [Fruit Rating: 7 Stars (Ultimate-Class Fruit)] [Weapon: Mokushiroku of the Supreme Grade Series] [Skills: Unholy Talent in all Colours of Haki, Overwhelming Strength, Overwhelming Presence, Shadow of Despair, Will of D, Screams of All Things] [Haki: Grandmastery (II) of Observation Haki, Grandmastery (I) of Armament Haki, Complete Grandmastery of Conqueror''s Haki] [Strength: Beyond Yonko] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< "Looks like Rocks'' Devil Fruit has reached its potential. Can he still be killed?" Damien fell into thought while Xebec lost interest in the downed Garp. His manic eyes stretched across the corroding terrain, peering through the lively forest. "Xahaha! This island is blessed beyond what is naturalбн I''ve never felt such life before." The monster licked his lips. He felt it fitting for the ''Gods'' to be canonized here. And it''s all the more fitting for them to die here, too. With a feral grin, the evil pirate stepped ahead, every step leaving behind blackened earth. He paid no mind to the 5,000 marines surrounding him as he made his way to the Celestial Dragons deep in the island. A damned melody sung as Xebec took another step. *Thump* An esteemed Rear Admiral took a hefty gulp. His panicked eyes fell onto his hands, holding up a famed blade. *Thump* Sweat dripped from the Marine''s palms and onto the grip of his swordбкhis grip was tight, but he couldn''t move! ''Move! Move! Move!'' A creepy laugh followed by a thunderous step. "Thump* The Rear Admiral looked to his left and right, seeing nothing but collapsing soldiers with pale faces. He uttered a guttural cry in hopes of breaking out from this quaking Haki. The Marine looked up with great difficulty, feeling a cold chill run down his back. "Xahahaha." ''I-I''m deadбн!'' The infernal presence, the damning laughter and the eyes that lacked humanity. "Death is not the end, young marineбн" Rocks stepped ahead while his left hand reached the shaken Marine''s chest. The soldier watched, frozen, as the pirate''s cracked nails dug into his torso, ripping through his skin as he continued walking past him. "Guhhh!" The soldier convulsed from the black toxin rushing through his bloodstream, overloading his system. With a thud, he fell to his knees, foaming at the mouth as darkness plagued his vision. A final breath and a final lookбкhe saw Rocks D. Xebec, surrounded by lifeless marines, treading toward the divine castle, a shadow of despair following in his wake. бн "Garp!" Sengoku roared from the distance, his eyes plagued with worry. "!!!" The Buddha was suddenly shot back, a deep cut spanning across his chest while he slammed into a rolling hill. "Jihahahaha! Sengoku, you know better than to look away when going against me!" The Flying Pirate floated a dozen meters above the golden statue, his eyes tracking the departing Xebec. "Hehe, show them your power, Rocks! Let me hear itбнlet me hear these Gods beg for their lives!" There was a degree of fascination in the Golden Lion''s eyes. He looked to his Captain with admiration and respect, grinning at the thought of the taboos about to be committed. "Damn Shiki!" The Buddha burst into a widespread shockwave, tearing out from his crash site. But it wasn''t just the Admiral getting to his feetбн With a boom, a mighty shadow exploded from the withering land, fashioning an iron fist. "That guy brings nothing but death and suffering with him," the bloodied man murmured, seeing the carnage. "As annoying as it is to save those golden turdsбнI can''t just let him destroy the World Government!" Garp gave chase after the distant evil pirate, showing no hesitation at the sight of the skeletons along the way. бн Much hell had broken loose, all falling in the calculating eyes of the Fourth Division''s top dogs. "The Marines lack the spirit from the Scorched Sea War," Indra commented. His words earned a smirk from Damien, "Kurowashi, now Kurojи▒, can no longer wave his flag. The marines are crumbling without him." A few thoughts went through the pirate''s mind before he took action. "Let''s join in on the festival." *Fwooo* Two dark figures zoomed from the weeping Titanic, landing at the shores of God Valley. Damien''s boots sunk half an inch into the blood-soaked ground as he took a whiff of the deathly air. "D-Damien the Undyingбн so he''s here too!" a Rear Admiral quivered. Naturally, Indra scanned the world around him by his Commander''s side. The heightened Observation of the swordsman was quick to make itself known: "The pirates have already fallen to nineteen thousand." Damien hummed in satisfaction. He spared the Rear Admiral a nod, "You guys are doing well to cut down our numbers." "I-It won''t be long till you''re all wiped out!" The Sin Incarnate chuckled at his words, then turned his eyes elsewhere, squinting at a distant figure. "Looks like he''s about to reveal his true coloursбн" Indra followed his Commander''s gaze and soon fell onto drunken Captain John. Said pirate wasn''t too far away and felt their eyes. "Johohohoho!" he laughed, wiping his gun with a dead marine''s collar. "Oye, John!" Wang Zhi tore past two Vice Admirals with a roaring cry. As the marines quickly recovered, he growled, "The hell are you not helping for!?" "Johoho!" Captain John burst into laughter, his hand cupping his faceбкhe had no marines after him! "JohohиC Lahahahaha!" Damien hummed at the change in voice, simply watching in intrigue. "You were right to doubt me, Sin Incarnate." ''Captain John'' was now speaking with a deeper voice, once filled with malice. "I take it that you were the one who filled the ships with the explosives? Even letting in all those spies." "Lahaha! You would be correct. Shakuyaku''s departure left Rocks opening an unholy draft. You know how easy it was to bring in thousands of money-hungry men and even marine spies?" The man with long pink hair suddenly began to tremble. His body turned fluid, and his skin warped like liquid. The hair shook and receded into the skull, while the clothing began to shed and become nasty. "Truly a disgusting, vile creature you are," Damien spat. *Fuuuu* A brown fog began to hiss from the man acting as Captain John, unveiling his true appearance. It was uniform in colour, a mix of brown shades mashed together. Its wrinkly body looked more like loose clothing. It had two pointy ears, a nose lacking cartilage, and two yellow balls for eyes. "That''s hurtfulбн this is simply the product of my ability," he refuted, seemingly offended. Damien had previously read this power when he combed through the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia and echoed his thoughts: "Human-Human FruitбкMythical Model: Doppelganger." [Image (in Discord)] The vile creature uttered a croaky laugh, nodding. He shot a muddied arm to the side, ripping the head of a pirate clean off his shoulders. "It gives me the ability to perfectly replicate another person," he said in his broken voice. "Even their Haki signature!" Damien slowly noddedбкit explained why his Haki failed to convey the truth hidden behind John''s mask. "I take it that John is deaиC No," he paused and corrected himself, "Considering that coward, he probably sold his own spot to let you take his form." The creature smirked, "Lahahaha! That''s right, John was the one who approached us, us being Cipher Pol Zero!" He then gave a curt bow and introduced himself, "I am ''Mimic'' of CP-0; it''s an honour to see you in the fleshбн Or at least in my flesh, Lahahaha!" Indra''s right hand was glued to the grip of his sheathed Tenmei. Although he awaited a command from Damien, it didn''t mean he wasn''t paying attention to everything around him. "Is it not unsightly to make a deal with pirates?" he asked. Mimic shrugged, cracking his shoulders. "John was smart. He sensed the fall of Rocks coming, so he took upon the offer of our Chief at the Scorched Sea War without hesitation." A smile soon arrived across the agent''s face. "You do know I''ve been stalling?" Damien shrugged while Indra remained at attention. "I can hear your heartbeat," the Sin Incarnate explained. "It suddenly calmed down, which means your backup has arrived." Mimic''s breathing hitched right before he smiled once more. *Purrup* A purple dot suddenly appeared by the man''s side, expanding like a portal. Out came a lone person, bringing with him an ominous wind. Indra''s surprise was evident in his tone, "Another Mythical Zoan. The World Government invested quite a lot in Cipher Pol." Damien laughed, agreeing with his right-hand man. "Phantom, you kept me waiting," Mimic said, his voice suppressing the fear in his heart. "No worries, Mimic, everything is going according to plan." The one who had arrived was simply a cloaked figure floating in the air; his entire body was covered up to reveal red eyes. "Spirit-Spirit Fruit иC Mythical Model: Phantom," Damien concluded. [Phantom Image (in Discord)] . The agent codenamed Phantom then tapped the purple portal, evoking a sharp whistle. Damien narrowed his eyes as he felt the portal turn from a doorбн into a bridge! *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* A few figures exited, not affected by the sounds of war around them. Naturally, it was a full squad of Cipher Pol Agents. Though it was the man at the front that was the real deal. Damien''s Observation flared at the sight of the man. He had dull-blond hair that was short at the top but long at the back and extended to his shoulders. His thick beard matched his hair colour. The man''s aged face was scarred across his forehead and even down his left eye, and it was without a pupil. The wild appearance resembled a lion! "Einar D. Damien," his deep and fierce voice resounded. "You''ve caused the World Government and myself endless troubles." The troublemaker grinned. Wasn''t making a mess part of the job description for a pirate? "The man seen as the ''Face of Justiceбн''" Damien lightly spoke, his curiosity peaked. "We finally meetбнChief of Cipher PolбкXerxes!" [Xerxes Image (in Discord)] To Be Continuedбн Chapter 146: Cradle of the Gods (III) "What is all that noise!" "Cipher Pol, go take care of the mess outside!" "Damn ants! You can''t even keep the peace for such a fateful day!" The Celestial Dragons were furious at the constant disruptions. "Please remain seated. Everything is under control," an agent tried to calm them down. "Your mother is under control! Go and bring me all the intruders; I''ll make them all into my slaves!" Boom! A resounding explosion went off, and the glass ceiling and windows shattered simultaneously, allowing a burst of wind to creep in. "Ahhh!" Dozens of World Nobles clamoured about, some even thrown off their seats. "B-Bloodбн it''s my blood!" a female Noble cried, her hand twitching at the sight of a few scratches from falling glass. "Mother! M-My ears are ringing!" "Auuugh, I-I stubbed my toe!" Tens of painful wails went off following the explosions, mainly because the Celestial Dragons were within the scope of the broken shards of glass. Some fell to the ground, their gold-plated knees unconsciously prostrating to the world. An older Noble clenched his fist, punching the priceless throne that bore his name: "What the hell is the Navy doing? How could they let this happen!?" "They better be ready to get their budget cut!" A Dragon with a whale-shaped hairstyle couldn''t help but curse the situation: "Once-in-century event ruined by scumбн I''ll have them cut to pieces and fed to my dogs!" "We couldn''t even get to the triennial Native Hunting Competition! I was waiting to hunt down those useless rabbits!" . Meanwhile, a horde of Cipher Pol Agents and Holy Guards stood in defense at the main entrance through the golden halls. They each had bated breathing, desperately moving oxygen to their brains as their fight-or-flight mechanic was going overdrive. *Hiss* A cold, bone-chilling breeze leaked from the tiny gaps around the hinges of the gate. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* A confident stride growing closer. The duty of these guards was to die for the World Nobles; that''s what they were raised and trained for, yet their human instincts told them to retreat. *Krrrrrr* It sounded like someone grinding their nails at a chalkboard, though the golden doors stood nearly 50 feet tall here. Black marks resembling rotten wood appeared through the gates, dripping with black miasma. The stench of death accompanied them. *Crack* Web-like patterns followed the scratch marks, spanning all over the doors instantly. The world suddenly felt dull; even the magnificent lighting couldn''t shed hope on their grave situation. Boom! The soldiers couldn''t even factor in the pain before they were wiped out, the door entirely disappearing alongside them; looking at the opened halls, there was nothing but darkness. Even the rowdy Nobles froze at the ominous scene, chills going up their priceless spines. "Xahahahaha!" The laugh forced everyone to gulp a breath of air. Their bodies wished to retreat, but they couldn''t move a muscle! *Thump* *Thump* A dark figure stepped in, gracing the sacred room with his infernal presence. A monstrous creature born from hatred and suffering. His face was scarred and weathered, his blood-soaked clothes and wild hair were only overshadowed by his savage grinбкa being born to bring disaster to the seas! "You insects dare steal from me?" *Shing!* Mokushiroku, the Molten Blade, was unsheathed, sizzling in impatience. The divine children could only watch as their legs failed to respond. . "Touch of Death!" . The evil pirate slashed his blade, unleashing a thick black slash that was filled with his dreadful ability. The golden floors began to rot away and rust into nothingness while the slash reached its targets. No matter if it was an agent, marine or even a Celestial Dragon, they were all cut into halves! *Splatter* Bodies fell with loud thuds, dyeing the magnificent hall with a fresh coat of blood. It was the blood of gods! "W-Why can we be killed? F-Father, help me!" "T-This can''t be!" "How dare you!" Nineteen Nobles were sliced apart, one from each family. They cried out in fear, their arrogance falling apart as the evil pirate took a few slow steps ahead. "Xahahaha! I knew you Nobles would make some good music with your miserable wails." Rocks broke out with a broken laugh, holding up his famed blade once more. This time, his target was everyone. But as he slashed the Molten Blade, he was met with a brick wall. *Clang!* The Supreme Blade ran with a dull tremor, echoing through its cracked body and transferring into its user. Xebec frowned from the slight ache in his arm. He sneered at the man responsible: "Garp, you really want to protect these wastes of human flesh?" The dishevelled marine was left with nothing more than a simple sailor shirt and blue trousers, but the aura of hero was ever-brilliant. "Damn you, Rocks! You actually made me save them!" Garp''s face stretched with irritation. He glanced at the Gods, breathing a sigh of relief, which annoyed him even more. The Vice Admiral uttered a growl, wrapping his left arm with dense Haki. While holding Xebec down, he unleashed another titanic punch. . "Fist of Pain!" . The bone-rattling punch rippled across the scarred Xebec''s face, echoing deep into his head and shaking up his very brain. The crazed captain was shot back, digging deep into the golden walls and leaving behind a shredded path. "Tch!" Garp was livid. First from being rag-dolled by Shiki''s Awakening and then Rocks from the Titanic, and then he had to do something he hated the most: save the Celestial Dragons. He surveyed the surroundings, stretching his senses. He heard the miserable cries of the Nobles, smelled the rotting gold, and tasted the sulphur in the air. Dozens of Cipher Pol Agents and Holy Guards had appeared, rushing to escort the Celestial Dragons to safety. "What a messбн Hmm!?" Garp''s eyes shot open, feeling the eyes of an apex predator lock onto him. All he could do was cross his arm over his chest, coating them with dense Haki. . "Touch of Death!" . Rocks'' attack rammed hard against the Vice Admiral, digging and drilling into his skin. Garp groaned as the withering attack persisted, shredding into his arms and drumming his entire body with the dense Haki. Sparks flew from the collision, aided by black lightning arcing all over. Next were droplets of blood before the Vice Admiral was sent soaring across the spanning chamber. *Boom!* Garp gnashed his teeth as his back slammed onto the wall built to withstand natural disasters! The attack from before was still strong, slowly tearing its victim through the walls. He shook his head from the throbbing pain while also hearing a hoarse voice: "It was wise of Kong to send a master of Haki to take me onбнbut you alone aren''t enough to hold me off!" Rocks laughed as the glorious walls shattered like glass, taking Garp with it. *Vvoooo!* The wind shrieked as the Vice Admiral was sent to the distance, ripping a man-shaped hole through the forest and even through one of the twin peaks of God Valley. Meanwhile, the torrents released from Xebec''s slash had reached the Nobles nearby. "AuugиC" They couldn''t even finish their cries of pain before they were turned into minced meat, and their remains rotting away into black powder. бн "I never thought I''d be thankful to a pirate," a giant slave uttered, freeing himself from his chains. He, alongside a few hundred others, also liberated themselves. For the safety of the Nobles, they were held behind Seastone glass. Although that, too, shattered, it protected the slaves enough. "Celestial Dragonsбн I''ve always dreamed of killing them with my own hands!" "I want to dine on their livers!" "How dare they label us as rabbits!? Let''s see how they like being hunted down!" "Kill them all!" The shipped slaves were premium and of the highest quality, making a decent few of them quite strong. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. The four giants roared, running wild as they kicked and smashed the room apart. A few minks exploded with electricity, zapping at the Nobles. Fishmen utilized their Fishman Karate, using the blood and wine nearby to unleash hell. The slaves ripped them to shreds; men, women and children of Mariejois were swarmed by a horde of prisoners. Some even imposed torture worse than death onto the Nobles, while others grabbed the women and girls. Blood, painful wails and begging cries were all that remained. бн Meanwhile, another group of slaves were talking amongst themselves. "Kuma, ve''re free!" a large-head boy exclaimed, talking to an even larger and bulkier young fellow. "The tournament they wanted to hold after the auction has prizes that are the key to our escape!" a young pink-haired girl recounted, balling her fists. "The Sun-guy Sol robbed the main prize, so they replaced it with another mythical one," she announced, holding up a transponder snail. "The Paw-Paw fruit is still there; we can use it to blast ourselves to distant islands!" The boisterous and big-headed boy grinned in agreement. "If any of us eats that, ve can escape this hell and the Navy''s siege!" However, a broken-hearted slave by the side couldn''t help but shake his head, "But it''s impossible. The prizes are kept at the very center of the island!" Yet his pessimistic attitude was quickly questioned by the young girl named Ginny. "I''m a pro thief and wiretapper! Two weeks back, I leaked all this info to the outside world! I''m sure my message got someone''s attention!" She beamed a toothy smile, "A plan like this needs plenty of decoys running around, after all!" Now, all that remained was a heavy and insurmountable task. Though the giant young slave was quick to offer himself: "I can help with that!" "Kuma?" the big-headed one muttered. "My size and bulkiness will help me survive longer than most!" Ginny blinked, "I''d hate to see anyone here die when we attempt this." Yet the words of Kuma had lit a fire in the leading slave''s heart. "Hee-Haw! Vell said, Kuma! I vill not allow any of you to be killed! Ve''re escaping God Valley together!" [Young Slaves Image (in Discord)] бн The other slaves scrambled around. The angered ones took their rage onto the Nobles, while some were fearful at heart. However, one bellowing laughter overshadowed them all. "Xahahaha!" Rocks breathed in the tumultuous air, loving the blasphemous acts of the slaves. He lived off the anarchy, spreading his arms to welcome it. His feral appearance was amplified by the blood of the Gods, echoing through the broken halls of God Valley. It spread across the castle and even beyond, resounding through the cracked skies above. He could hear the unnaturally lively God Valley screaming at him; the world was screaming at him! Xebec was the personification of all things evil, an infernal being born from the hellacious New World. The Screams of All Things had been present since his birth, leaving him to become a vessel of hatred. [Rocks D. Xebec Image (in Discord)] бн Boom! *Crash* A man-shaped hole opened up from where Garp had crashed. It was a good 2500 meters from the castle. A ravaged trail of earth connected the two locations, even ripping a hole through entire mountains. Giant blocks of earth and debris soon rose alongside a cloud of dust as the Vice Admiral clawed his way out. *Drip* *Drop* Blood dribbled from his mouth and the diagonal cut across his forearms. Garp coughed, clearing his lungs of blood while stabilizing his breathing. "Huh?" he muttered, feeling darkness fall around him. The marine turned to the side and noticed he was at the edge of the island. Something was there, casting a broad shadowбкa ship with red sails! ---------------------------------------------- [Battle at the Coast] *Zzip* Shing! BAM! Dozens of white-clothed agents soared through the battlefield, utilizing the Six Powers. They cut apart hundreds of pirates with little difficulty. Naturally, all of this was under Xerxes'' command. "You plan on standing around?" the lead agent questioned. His words were intended for the pirate before him. "Rahahaha! I''d rather you slaughter them all." Xerxes snorted at the comment as he simply stood across the Sin Incarnate, his arms crossed and his face as wild as a lion. "Phantom, do it!" The Mythical Zoan nodded under his mysterious cloak, the darkness swelling around him. Under Damien and Indra''s curious eyes, the agent waved a shrouded arm and released a stream of dark energy. It swallowed battalions of people, not pirates, but rather marines! Yet the Vice Admirals nearby didn''t comment on it whatsoever. *Fuuuu* Phantom''s energy once more appeared, though this time from his other hand. He directed it to the opposite side of the battlefield, behind the pirate army. . "Gate of Babylon!" . The energy turned into a giant door spanning over a hundred meters, a portal! "Very nice," Damien applauded. Phantom had transported a vast number of soldiers to flank the enemy. A bellowing war cry went off as the teleported marines, all 15,000 of them, ran forward, attacking the horde of pirates from the rear. Within moments, tens of thousands of pirates were attacked from both the front and the back! Nearly 31,000 Navy officers were cutting apart the pirates. Within minutes, the total pirate count dropped to 14,000 and falling continuously! бн Xerxes hummed in satisfaction, though it fell apart as he heard his sole opponent''s words. "A cornered dog will bite, especially rabid ones." The head agent eyed Damien and pondered over his words. He then spanned his Haki across the fourteen thousand pirates and listened. "..." Xerxes'' eyes shot wide as he felt the 14,000 men laughing to themselves, exploding out their monstrous natures. "Yee Haw-Haw-Haw! Kill! Kill! Kill!" "Come on, Navy, feed me more!" "''Tis me kind o'' battle, how lucky I am t'' be here!" Xerxes'' breathing hitched, and his brows furrowed: "They''re excited!?" All of a sudden, the near double-sized Navy force lost its momentum and was thrown into a stalemate. They watched in horror as the pirates began to resemble walking corpses more than anything. ''The lack of camaraderie has turned them into nothing more than monsters of chaos,'' Damien thought. Hachinosu had long become an area where all sorts of filth came together, birthing emotions that no mortal soul should have to live through. Indra was just as unfazed. ''They would make good weapons to wreak havoc. Is this how the Warborns were viewed back then?'' he thought to himself. But then came a flare of his Haki: "!!!" The swordsman''s eyes shot to the side, feeling a powerful presence. "The Navy is in luck. It looks like they have someбнunorthodox support." Damien smirked at the comment. He, too, naturally felt the fifty or so men arrive from afar. They were led by a familiar swordsman with golden hair. "Rayleigh," Damien simply greeted. The man looked in the younger pirate''s direction and beamed a smile through his spectacles. "We''ll talk over some drinks later." Rayleigh gestured to his band of pirates as they unfolded onto the Rocks Pirates. It almost seemed that they were helping the Navy in this predicament! бн "Silvers Rayleigh, what do you want?" The sword user flashed his sword, reflecting an ominous gleam off its sharp blade. "Admiral Sengoku, your command is needed elsewhere." Both Sengoku and his opponent, Shiki, were confused. "Why are you helping us?" The Dark King chuckled, using his left hand to pop his glasses back up. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend; we share a common goal." "What''s that?" "The Death of Rocks." The bespectacled Buddha narrowed his eyes at Rayleigh, huffing a dull breath. "..." A golden flash soon went off as the huge mythical creature transformed back into the afroed Admiral. *Vvoosh* Sengoku resolutely flickered away. "Jihahahaha! Rayleigh, you actually think Captain Rocks can be taken down that easily?" Shiki cackled. His words earned a shrug, "That remains to be seen. Though I do know for certain that you aren''t getting through here!" Shiki raised an eyebrow. His mane flew wildly as the pirate floated in the sky. Thud! Another pirate arrived, this one with twin axes and sunglasses. "Hmph, Roger''s right and left handsбн Come on then, show me what you got!" The Golden Lion roared a burst of Haki, taking on both the notorious pirates! бн The carnage in a nearby area was just as chaotic. Boom! A confident Whitebeard grinned as he continued his duel with Basara. A simple punch and the coming mountainous sword was shattered to bits. The Admiral gnashed his teeth, exercising his great strength to the fullest. . "Dreaded Devastation!" . The spiked earth shot forth at the pirate, spanning hundreds of meters and carrying enough power to cut open the island! Yet a single punch from Whitebeard and all of Basara''s effort was for naught. "Gurararara, using the earth against a man who can create earthquakes!" Shing! "!!!" Newgate''s eyes shot open while a sharp pain buzzed near his chest. *Thump* *Thump* The towering Whitebeard took three steps back, grasping his torn chest with his open hand, blood leaking through the gaps. "Admiral Basara, your abilities are countered by this pirate. Allow me to hold him back." The voice was foreign to them both. Basara looked to the side and saw an elegant ally that had come to his side. "...Saint Garling?" *Thud!* Dozens of booms then went off as a vast number of soldiers arrived. Whitebeard hummed past the dull pain. He exhaled a deep breath, cracking his neck and shoulder. The grip over his glaive tightened as he glared at the new enemies. "God''s Knightsбн I didn''t think you people would ever leave that place." Then, the pained face warped into a smirk. "Gurararara! Who would''ve thought that such powerful men amongst the trash at Mariejois." Garling, who had come with the escort of his God''s Knights, scoffed. "The might of the Celestial Dragons is not simply in our blood. The First Twenty waged endless wars to attain the World Government; our names carry strength and demand fealty!" A famed blade was raised against the titanic pirate: "You hold the most destructive power here. I simply won''t sit back and watch as this Sacred Land is destroyed any further!" Whitebeard narrowed his eyes, hearing the sharp words and dozens of enemies led by Garling, each one of them at least as strong as a Vice Admiral. "Then try and protect it!!!" BOOM! бн Basara, who was now free, shot toward his other goal. His single eye locked onto the despicable pirate who robbed his other one. *Vvooo* The air shrieked as the Admiral raged across entire battle zones and toward the Sin Incarnate. He was all but five hundred meters away before some nuisances arrived. Boom! A giant axe planted The Admiral into the floor, but his eyes were unfazed. "Rocks Pirates'' Tragedies!" he grumbled at the sight of Silver Axe and Wang Zhi. He slapped the blades away, standing tall with his cape fluttered in the wind. "Allow us to entertain you, Admiral Basara," Silver Axe''s quaint voice went off. "Wawawawa!" Wang Zhi wildly laughed. "I haven''t fought an Admiral yet!" бн *Rumble* The only quiet area of God Valley''s coast began to tremble. Xerxes was deeply worried about the tremors echoing from God Valley, fearing for the Celestial Dragons. "You don''t have time to worry about them." He turned to the man who spoke, Damien. The usually bold pirate was rather lax, opting to stay by the sidelines for the first part of the war. Yet suddenly, a few shadows soon fell around the towering pirates, unveiling a few more. "Majajaja! Leave these Cipher Pol dogs to us!" "Arai helps Commander." "Patrиоn," another voice said. "Hensин, Kaen, and Se?or Solomon are taking on Zephyr. We will support you here." Majin grinned, his bulky body transformed into an ankylosaurus. Arai scratched his rocky head as his body squirmed into the shape of an enormous snake. The former went for Phantom. "Come on, little ghost man! Daddy will put you to rest!" The latter went for another top operative, Mimic. "Arai fight you and show you the great taste of rocks!" Bang! Bang! Bang! Pablo smoked on a cigar from the side, unloading a volley of auxiliary bullets at his amigos. бн "Commander." Damien turned to Indra with a questioning gaze. The dark-skinned man stood tall amongst the dust, his hand still resting over the sacred Tenmei. "The Marines'' offense has shifted once more," he informed with his pristine Observation. "They have a proper leader now." Damien felt the winds change as well. "Hmm, it must be Sengoku. We''re down to nine thousand while the Navy is nearly thrice as manyбн" He locked onto the untransformed Sengoku in the distance, buzzing out orders to the thousands of soldiers. "I can''t let you guys win too easily, now can I?" A sound of pixelization went off as the young pirate''s body exploded into fine red particles, shooting toward the distant Sengoku. "I am here as well!" Xerxes bellowed, rushing to stop the pirate. *Boom!* Yet his body was blasted with a bright flash followed by the roar of thunder. The earth below exploded into a crater while nearby trees were lit ablaze. A clear sky a second ago, yet somehow a storm had spawned! Xerxes growled out from the hole. His dull eyes looked to the skies crackling with blue lightning. A solemn look flashed by the head agent''s face as he fully understood just how grave the situation had become. He turned to Indra, his body arcing with blue strands of electric charge. "We figured out that the Hellspawn ate an electricity-type Devil Fruitбн But the lost Rumble-Rumble Fruit was beyond my expectationsбн" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 147: Cradle of the Gods (IV) "Battalions 3, 4 and 5 move in from sector right. Battalions 1, 2 and 6 pull back to resupply from that cover." "Ranged Division, take your shots; Gunner Battalion, cover their fire." "Explosives Battalion, aim for the center of the collection of pirates. Destroy every shred of their momentum." Sengoku continued ordering through the transponder snail, dropping commands by the second. He watched through his circular glasses, his mouth subconsciously giving commands, bringing significant casualties to the pirates. That all changed when the battle came to him... BAM! The Admiral was suddenly shot back, his head spinning for a second and crashing into a hill. "Yo, Sengoku." "I remember a time when you were throwing me around back at Borealis'' Auction, say, why don''t we pick up where we left off." The crater momentarily shook before exploding from the man clawing his way out. A trail of blood seeped out from the marine''s mouth as he glared at his attacker with a grim expression. "Damienбнthe Undying." Sengoku wiped the little bit of blood, sighing in exasperation. Unfortunately, his mind was constantly pulled into a different direction. "Don''t worry, it looks like you''ve got Rocks held down. Look closely." Sengoku''s brows furrowed. He turned to the faraway castle at the center of the twin peaks, seeing cracked skies above it. "Garp and another source of powerful Hakiбн Roger!?" The Admiral''s face warped into pure shock as he felt the tremors from afar. It was a collection of dense Conqueror''s Haki that was spasming through the castle. Three such bubbles covered the gold-encrusted manor. Garp''s bright-green Haki, Roger''s crimson and Rocks'' raven-black Haki. Damien smiled at Sengoku''s surprise. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend," he commented. "I can''t believe thisбн" the Admiral mumbled, massaging his forehead. "What a mess, but I can''t allow you to wander freely here either, Sin Incarnate!" A golden bubble of Conqueror''s Haki spanned out from the marine, taking apart massive clusters of land in the process. BOOM! Damien''s dark-red Haki responded with full force, quaking through the atmosphere and smashing into the Admiral''s attack. The resulting explosion tore away the land below, cracking it to its roots! The broken skies above gave way once more as they were shredded apart from the coming clash. бн [Near the Pier of God Valley] "Kuhuhuhu, that fist really packs a punch!" a tattooed pirate laughed, patting a few rotten branches off his body. "I''ll roast him at a barbeque!" "Seastone is quite the trump card." All these comments fell into the ears of the sole marine taking them all on. Zephyr scoffed, fixing a few strands of hair that had fallen across his forehead. "The three of you rely too heavily on your Devil Fruit abilities." The Black Arm didn''t have a flashy fruit power like Sengoku or a terraforming one like Basara, nor was he as rowdy and reckless as Garp. However, what he did have was a steel resolve and an air of justice around him; someone genuinely deserving of his position as an Admiral Candidate. Solomon ignored the aching pain across his chest and narrowed his eyes at the metal arm of the marine. It shined a pristine silver even through the bloody air and dusty surroundings. . "Black Arm Suppression!" . It came out of nowhere: a thick stream of concentrated air, a shockwave, released from the seastone arm. *Fwooo!* The howling winds raged across the battlefield, obliterating the earth nearby and shaking the forests of God Valley. "Damn!" Solomon cursed, unable to completely dodge the simple attack as it dug into his chest. The Zoan user eyed the gaping hole in his body; his entire left arm and shoulder were missing! *Krrrr* However, instead of a geyser of blood, there was simply a mass of rotten branches growing from his body and reforming the lost flesh. "It''s quite a sustainable ability," Zephyr commented before turning to the two other pirates making their moves. . "Raging Inferno!" . "Wrathful Flames!" . The heat came at an alarming rate and from both sides! Boom! The scorching hell crashed onto Zephyr''s body, blazing onto his arms, legs and torso. The man grunted slightly, taking on a defensive stance using his Haki to block the attacks. Hensин looked under his maddening mask and threw on a new face. It went from that of wrath to sloth, seeming tired and doozy. . "Graceful Wind." . The flames emitted from his body suddenly turned into wind, blasting out with a powerful gust. Zephyr groaned as he felt Kaen''s Ignite-Ignite Fruit burn hotter from the added wind that encircled his body, eating away at his defense. Yet all of this was not a problem for an Admiral Candidate; even with the sharp torrents trying to tear open his skin or the flames baking him alive, they left not a single ounce of damage behind. ''The reliance on fruit powers as always,'' Zephyr scoffed. He was seconds away from exploding with some emission haki to evaporate the blazing heat, but that thought changedбн "!!!" The man froze in his steps, eyes wide open in deep shock. He ignored the heat that bubbled around him and saw a distant figure through the clouds of fire. He couldn''t really see through the hell, yet a person was there? Stolen novel; please report. A woman. She was covered in blood, her face pale and troubled. The teary eyes were glued on the shaken marine. Her broken voice called out, ridden with doubt and pain: "Zephyrбн why didn''t you protect me? You promised you''d come back one dayбн" The veteran marine''s heartbeat spiked. He absently watched as the woman burned to death, her tears and blood turning to ash: "Yи▒gataбн" Unknowingly, his dense Haki grew unstable, allowing the flames and torrents to harm him. With a desperate hand, Zephyr reached for the woman...until his eyes suddenly sharpened with resolve. Boom! A thick pulse of bubbling Haki roared, quaking in the form of Emission and imploding the nearby attacks and terrain to nothingness. "Ugh!" "Auugh!" Both Kaen and Hensин were caught in the Haki as it reached their bodies and assaulted them from within, shaking their very cores. "Haaaah, huuuuh," Zephyr wheezed, blinking at his surroundings. With one knee on the floor, he fell. "You bastard!" The curses were directed at the towering Solomon wrapped in nefarious black mist. The pirate grinned, though soon shaking his head in disappointment. "Looks like you have a woman waiting for you at home. I''m sure you don''t want to let her downбн" Zephyr grunted and stood tall again, his body inked with black marks. Solomon raised his hands in a surrendering gesture. "Don''t get me wrong, it''s beneath me to go after someone''s familyбн I just couldn''t help but materialize the fears of a man as powerful as you." The purple-haired man scoffed at the explanation. "Perhaps you''re right; I should go home to find herбнbut that will no longer hold me down from beating you into a pulp!!!" *Fwwm* A dense coat of Haki plated his arms alongside a crimson bubble gently floating around them. "Kuhuhuhu! Come on then!" бн Each of the Fourth Division members had met some form of enemy. Now, the Vice-Commander was facing his... "The Rumble-Rumble Fruit has been missing for nearly 150 years," Xerxes recounted with evident surprise. "I''m curious where your Commander found such a treasure." "Though even more curious about why he would trust it with a pirate who joined under Rocks'' banner." Indra, bathed in the blue electricity, didn''t show any expressions. A bright flash and the pirate was already by Xerxes'' side. Boom! The howling fist stabbed forth, releasing a bright light followed by the roar of thunder. "Ugh!" Xerxes grunted, holding up his arms in defense. The electricity crackled without mercy, seeping into the man''s arms and burning his skin and flesh. He was shot back a few dozen meters, slowly coming to a stop. Xerxes growled past the electricity overloading his system, but before he could claw his way out from the crash site, the air crackled once again in blue lightning... *Rumble* Indra stood fifty meters above the crater, holding both arms into the sky. They burst with powerful electricity as he directed the charge downwards. His exact motion was mirrored by the skies above, bathing Xerxes with hell itself! . "Seismic Storm." . Boom! BAM! Boom! The overwhelming ability to manipulate lightning was shown in full force; its unstoppable momentum frightened nearby soldiers. The fallen Chief was struck with over a hundred arcs of lightning, forcing the hole to grow wider with each. "..." Indra floated to the ground, his eyes never losing sight of the enemy. He could feel it...a bubbling source of chaotic energy. "As expected, he''s a tough opponent." With a snap of a finger, both hands quaked with fluid lightning, shooting out toward the figure hidden under the dust cloud. . "Thunderbird." . "Lightning Tiger." . A bird of stormy clouds and a tiger with thunderous power. The two beasts cried out in fury, rampaging onto the Head of Cipher Pol with their unforgiving assault. [Attack Images (in Discord)] BOOM! The electricity was not simply destructive; it was also scorching! Such a collection of energy would naturally generate tremendous heat, reflected across the nearby blazing landscape. Entire trees were ignited, bringing plumes of smoke in the process. "бн" The Hellspawn shook his head and crossed his arms. The heightened Observation from the Rumble-Rumble Fruit showed that his attacks failed. "I suppose considering your two agents utilizing such rare abilities, it should not be a surprise to see their leader with one just as rare and even more powerful." The thunderous pirate easily made out what was happening even under a cloud of smoke, fire and dustбкhe saw the broken figure of Xerxes transforming! "Xa-Xa-Xa! It''s been a while since I could let loose my anger. I hope you can hold it for at least a whileбн" Xerxesбп body had begun to shift, contorting into a massive, hulking form as his once-human features twisted into something more fearsome. His legs extended and thickened, taking on the powerful, muscular structure of a lion, stretching out to an incredible 200 meters in length. His face elongated into a blend of human and beast, crowned by an enormous, ancient headdress that gleamed with an unnatural glow. Towering over 70 meters high, his eyes burned with otherworldly power, casting a sinister light across his surroundings as the ground trembled beneath his immense frame. As the transformation was completed, whirling sand and debris were drawn into the air, floating alongside the long tail swaying about. Indra narrowed at the menacing figure, speaking in a low voice, "The body of a lion and the face of a humanбнCat-Cat FruitбкMythical Model: Sphinx." Another thought came to mind as Indra noted the black clouds around the beast. ''He''s more animal than you''d expect of a sphinx, though. An Awakened Zoan.'' [Creature Image (in Discord)] "Xa-Xa-Xa!" The calamity opened its spanning maw, spitting, "Your Boss has caused me so much trouble! Now bear my anger, Hellspawn!" *Fuuuu* *Vvooo* A loud gust of wind began to churn, slowly filling the air with loose minerals. They were tiny, fine sand! . "Nekrikик Palикrroia!" (Funeral Tide) . It spanned a huge part of God Valley, even touching distant battles between marines and pirates, taking them on quite the adventure. The brown soil below turned orange from the change in terrain, turning into fine particles! A giant tide of sand and dust bellowed out, covering the sky with its darkness. [Attack Image (in Discord)] *Crackle* Indra turned into pure electricity, attempting to dodge. ''How come!?'' The swordsman looked to his arms and chestбкwhat should be intangible was no longer so! *Burrr* *Pop!* It failed every time he willed his body to zap to the side. "...I see. Such fine and pure sand makes for a powerful insulator." Indra hummed as he lost the advantage of being a Logia user. "Everyday sand would not cause such a thing; it looks like your sand is quite special." His words reached the dull figure of the beast afar, who grinned in return. "Get swallowed by the endless sand, Hellspawn!" The rumbling from the sand was alarming. Such a massive amount was so powerful that it could rip apart entire fleets from a distance and leave entire cities in shambles. The mineral was fine and sharper than usual; even a single crystal of Xerxes'' sand could pierce a Sea Beast''s thick skin! "Though your powers may counter mineбн" Indra mused, "...that goes both ways!" He then extended his hand above, communicating with the clouds and commanding their fury. With a violent image in mind, the heavens shared their master''s wrath. . "Pillars of Creation!" . Within moments came a deep rumble of thunder. The attack unleashed towering pillars of lightning, surging violently from the heavens to the ground, splitting the sky with blinding energy. Each pillar was colossal, stretching hundreds of feet into the air, dwarfing everything around them. The bolts intertwined and crackled, igniting the landscape below as the sheer force of the storm scorched everything in its path. They crashed at speeds beyond what a human could compute, wreaking the tides of sand with great electricity, but most importantly, heat! [Attack Image (in Discord)] Xerxes growled his frustrations, pushing the whirling sand in defense. *Whururu* Torrents of sandstorms bursting in blue lightбкit cast a blue dawn across God Valley! But where there was heat and sand, there were shimmering crystals... "Glassбн" The Sphinx murmured, his paws numb. "I''ll take great pleasure in delivering your corpse to your Commander...and he will follow suit!" The crystals rained down, illuminating the ashy battlefield and unveiling a wasteland wrought by Indra. *Crackle* The lighting human appeared before the humongous lion, his body swimming with the blue electricity. His hand traced along the sacred scabbard, grasping at the grip. Shing! The blue lightning suddenly warped, blending with the unsheathed blade''s beauty. The plasma turned a sacred white! "I have questioned, over and over," Indra began, his voice quiet yet carrying the weight of countless battles fought and victories earned, "whether or not I deserved this power. Whether I was worthy of the blade I hold or the storms I command. Even now... I have no answer." A deep and dull growl broke out from the beast''s maw, angered by the unfazed expression on its prey. He was nearly sixty times bigger than the eleven-foot Indra, yet the pirate stood tall. Indra''s dark pupils locked onto the human-faced lion, void of emotion. He recalled the duty carved into his very soulбкa weapon forged by Polemos Island, bound to the one who commands him. The Warborn''s gaze pierced through the air, thick with blood and ash. "The only thing I know for certain is my task." His voice hardened as he stood firm against the Face of Justice. "My duty is to keep you from reaching him. Death can wait its turn." To Be Continuedбн Chapter 148: Cradle of the Gods (V) "My duty is to keep you from reaching him. Death can wait its turn." The man-faced lion released a growl, leaning its head toward the pirate. "It takes us at least a decade to train our agents to be steel-willed and prepared to sacrifice themselves for the betterment of the World Government," Xerxes uttered, his mind lost in thought. "Why is it that you can put your life on the line for the Sin Incarnate, let alone a pirate of the Rocks Crew?" "..." Indra said nothing and stood tall under the flurry of sand that had once again arrived and encircled him. "Hmm, I''m a little envious nowбн If I had such a reliable subordinate, I wouldn''t have to bear the Five Elders'' anger so often; Warborns really are enviable pawns!" The sand whirled with fury again, releasing powerful gusts of wind that could tear entire forests apart. The sky turned dusty, and the atmosphere was impossible to see through as the sand. . "Kaftик Palикrroia!" (Scorching Tide) . Upon Xerxes'' command, the sand began to churn in the shape of a beast with tens of heads, each shooting toward Indra. "Grauwl!!!" they thundered, aiming to shred their sole enemy. [Attack Image (in Discord)] Indra, a man of lightning, could naturally move faster than almost every man alive. Even with his intangibility voided, he could still zap around. *Crackle* Indra turned into a burst of blue, bouncing through the air and dodging every coming attack. He was but a strand of electrons, using the heat in the atmosphere to travel around. Each sand head of destruction was easily dodged one by one while closing in the distance to Xerxes. . "Rumbling Sword Style: Sacred Charge!" . It was a flash of white lightning followed by a thunderous roar. "Aguh!" Xerxes grunted in pain, feeling a deep gash cut across his front leg that spanned dozens of meters. Before he could even think of the next attack, another slash came. Boom! The next cut went across his chest. Then, his rear leg. Then, his tail. Then, his face. All he saw was streaks of blue followed by pain. The Sphinx roared loudly and expelled vast amounts of sand across its pores, exploding into the surrounding air. . "Kaftик Ammothyella!" (Scorching Sandstorm) . The white electricity was soon overwhelmed, blasting it away and embedding it into the scorched ground. "Your Haki can''t keep up with your power, Hellspawn!" The Sphinx didn''t stop and moved a giant paw at the falling Indra. A burst of hardening later, and the limb was thick as metal! . "ивgrio Tижlos!" (Feral Ending) . The collection of electricity was shovelled further into the ruined earth; the heat alone was liquefying the ground, evaporating all moisture nearby. "Hmm?" Xerxes lifted his paw only to see a giant crater buzzing with a loose electric charge. "He can move faster than any pirate I''ve seen," Xerxes cursed. The Sphinx was about to engage in another attack, but not before the pirate reappeared with his own move. Tenmei, the Sacred Blade, was raised to the heavens, summoning stormy clouds that roared even through the sandy skies. . "Pillars of Creation!" . At Indra''s command, three separate columns of blinding-white lightning fell from the angered skies, each crashing onto the giant mythical creature. BOOM! The roar of thunder was as loud as ever, sending tremors through the island under its mighty power. Plumes of smoke burst out following the fiery trials of the pillars that were dense enough to liquefy metals. The Sphinx released a pained cry, shrinking in anger. бн [Nearby] The members of the Fourth Division were all busy with their opponents, and the same could be said about their Commander. . "Utter Ruin!" . "Impact Wave!" . Two dense streams of shockwaves crashed onto one another, releasing a red and golden spectacle. On one side was a giant Buddha, a literal divine being, while on the other side was a pirate with arms wrapped in black armour leaking hellish-red energy through its cracks. BOOM! The two destructive powers released untold chaos, sending torrents strong enough to take entire warships to the clouds and force that could reduce cities to dust. Sengoku, the Buddha, heaved a dull sigh, glaring at his enemy through his indestructible glasses. At the last moment, he saw his shockwaves turn into a checkered pattern and explode back onto him. "You can pulverize my shockwaves and turn them into your own powerбн Awakening." "You hit the nail on the head, Admiral," Damien confirmed, calming down the partial Empyrean over his arms. "So let''s up the ante!" The pirate suddenly exploded into a stream of tiny, red particles that lacked weight and flowed through the air. With a snap, the energy trail separated into three equal streams, each swirling. *Whururu!* The spiralling energy threw about chaos, growing increasingly more intense. Sengoku winced under the screeching sound of the atmosphere being atomized, releasing tremendous energy in the process. Damien materialized before the Buddha, pulling his tornados around the Admiral in a triangle configuration. . "Pillars of Destruction." . "Tch!" Sengoku clicked his tongue as he had three columns of energy howl forth onto him, tearing apart the Sacred Land in their wake. Boom! They whirled without mercy, drilling the Buddha from the front, back and top with shredding energy that had a single intent: to reduce everything it touched to dust! [Attack Image (in Discord)] Sengoku shrank a little, huffing from the pressing weight from all directions. It was like being hit with a 10-meter-wide drill from the sides, back, and front; even the Buddha was being torn apart! "You better not think this is enough to take me down, brat!" The Admiral''s eyes sharpened, releasing a powerful golden shockwave that carried great weight. They weren''t born of his powers, rather, his Haki. Boom! The oppressive energy folded the pillars into themselves, sweeping aside their insufferable spirit and popping them like grapes. Sengoku shot through the exploding energy. His ginormous body was like a bolt of lightning appearing ten meters above the pirateбкhe used Damien''s bursting attack as a launchpad! With a palm directed downward and the target within point-blank, he yelled: . "Big Buddha Impact!" . A wave of shock that could shake the island of God Valley, bringing down the Sin Incarnate with it. ..... "You better not think this is enough to take me down, brat!" Damien''s eyes narrowed, flashing in Observation. Currently, Sengoku was getting hammered by the swirling pillars, moments from breaking through. "As expected, he opted toward Haki and turned the small window into an attack of his own." Sengoku''s power allowed him to produce shockwaves similar to Whitebeard''s. This could be considered a grave countermeasure to those with thick skin. Stolen novel; please report. Seeing the future, the pirate shot into the air straight up, his fist spiking up with pockets of atomizing energy. Black lightning crackled from the veins, pumping the strike with twofold power! *Whoosh!* A giant Buddha suddenly appeared in the way, its palm extended down. Sengoku''s eyes widened momentarily, seeing Damien all but five meters away from landing his hit. Still, it didn''t stop him from following through. BOOOOOOM! The collision of such cataclysmic forces took its toll on the island. When combined with the other fights happening nearby, it was genuinely mind-numbing. The earth below tore open from the quaking energy. The showering debris and ruin were layered in crimson patterns, turning to dust that was shovelled across the island from the excess energy. "..." With a thud, Sengoku landed on the hellish grounds, Damien across from himбкboth unhurt. "Your shockwaves and my Pulverization; our fight will go on forever." Sengoku squinted through his spectacles. His words were as sharp as his demeanour, "I''ll adapt to your Observation soon. Tell me, how long can you sustain all of this? One day, two, three?" As a veteran Admiral for a few years, the Buddha had long become used to battles lasting over five days, some even reaching the week-long mark. Damien glanced at his partial Empyrean and smirked at his opponent. "Rahaha! I can do this all day!" бн [Castle of God Valley] Hours had passed, and the Celestial Dragons had retreated to the Inner Sanctum of God Valley. This safe and secure location could easily tank a nuclear bomb. Though it was not before nearly four dozen of them had been ravaged by the battles and the rage of the Slaves, their divine corpses, bodies and organs that would go for billions in the underworld were obliterated in the face of the battle taking place nearby. "Iva-chan, I got the fruit!" The big-headed one waved his hands, flashing the paw-shaped item. "Kuma, don''t think, just eat iиC" *Boom!* A passing guard shoved Iva to the ground. Even with his head pulsating in pain, the lad was still defiant: "Y-You have to eat it to save them! If we manage to get a single person off this island aliveбнve can call thisбнa victory over them!" Kuma, the giant slave, noddedбкhis eyes were filled with determination as he devoured the paw-shaped fruit. The disgusting taste dug into his tongue but was soon overshadowed by the sudden taste of blood. BAM! Kuma''s eyes rolled into his head as a fist slammed across his head. The throbbing pain sent him rolling across the ground, kicking up dust. "You''re that Buccaneer brat," the aged attacker calmly stated, tapping his cane through the mess. "You can either live as a slave or die. Nothing else can be tolerated for someone of your ilk." Kuma forced himself up, ignoring the pain. He looked over and saw an elderly man with a full white mustache and beard. He also possessed white dreadlocks, over which he wore a flat black hat. His scarred face did not detract from the majesty of his black suit and purple tie. "Saint Saturnбн" a guard said with absolute fidelity, lowering his head. Yet he was waved aside by the Supreme Elder. "Go tend to the other slaves; too much divine blood has befallen this holy occasion." "Are you somebody important?" Kuma murmured past his bloodied mouth, attracting the older man''s eyes. "I don''t understand how someone can be born more or less importantбн" His eyes sharpened with resolve: "...if you''re born a slave, then what''s the point in being born at all!?" The stubborn words were followed by aching pain, forcing Kuma to the ground again, "Ugh!" He tasted the blood in his mouth, smelling the ash in the air. Memories of his past flashed by, granting him strength once more. "If I have some kind of power nowбн" he said, staring at the tiles below. "I''m gonna use it to save as many people as I possibly canбнjust like Nika!" The final word left the Elder visibly angered. Black lines etched across his weathered face as Saturn spat, "That is precisely why your people need to be erased." бн [Nearby] Where there was a Saint on one side of the Castle, there was a Devil on the other. The menacing Rocks stood tall, his wild hair dripping with blood as he seethed with pure death. Black smoke emanated from his body while a stench of rotten flesh pervaded the ruined halls. Mokushiroku was in his hands, pulsing with heat and anger. "Xahahahaha!" The man laughed in the face of danger, and there was indeed danger in the form of two titanic adversaries. To Rocks'' right-hand side was Monkey D. Garp, a marine Vice Admiral with the strength to sink islands and known as ''The Fist.'' To his left was an infamous pirate who conquered the Log Pose Route to Lodestar Island, Gol D. Roger, the King of the Seas. Both men were clean-shaven; Roger had shaved his mustache to declare the end of his adventure, while Garp had shaved the goatee grown over his vacation. [Garp and Roger Image (in Discord)] . *Fwwm!* The marine clenched both hands, wrapping them with his impenetrable Haki, twice layered to perfection. The green Haki popped into a burning orange, resembling lava! Roger held a Supreme Grade Blade clad in dense Haki, his Ace, resting it over his shoulder and neck. Funnily enough, all three men sported wide grins! "Bwahahaha!" "Wahahahaha!" "Xahahahaha!" Garp cracked his seething knuckles, "This is not how I expected things to turn out," he muttered. "Life is all about surprises, Garp!" his ally, Roger, remarked. Meanwhile, Rocks creepily laughed, looking at his opponents with an undisguised glare. "The two of you really are quite the team, hehe! You best be ready to kill me here with every ounce of your strength and will!" The pirate''s roar forced the duo into silence. Garp glanced at Roger, then back at Rocks and casually concluded, "Either you die, or we die." The two shot out immediately, wrapping their weapons with esoteric Haki. Rocks'' Mokushiroku sizzled with black lightning and molten flames, meeting both his enemies. BOOM! The blade crashed into Ace and the Fist, turning the world upside down. The very Castle forged with thick steel and fine Adam''s Oak was made to house the First Twenty was instantly eradicated. The shockwave of their collision destroyed everything, from the floor to the ceiling, from the doors to the walls, from the foundation to its very core. *Vvoooo!* The destructive whirlwinds released took the rotten corpses and sent them to the skies, raining them down alongside dust and blood. It stretched to the edges of God Valley, birthing tides that swallowed the ships beyond its coasts. The entire evening sun was dulled out, and the heavens themselves were reduced to smithereens. All the land near the clash was blackened earth overseen with a scarred sky. . "Hehe!" Rocks chuckled at the sight of their weapons failing to physically meet his foes. "Come on then!" With a resounding cry of wrath, the evil pirate forced his weapon forth, even burning off bits of his hand against the combined Haki of Garp and Roger. The skin of his fingers was boiled away, exposing the skeleton below. The man broke into a crazed laugh as the weapon continued its onslaught, meeting the two incoming attacks. Boom! A deep tremor coursed like a gong shaken with a dull clang. Garp and Roger flew across ruined earth, quickly coming to a safe stop. Roger looked down to see his feet had sunk a meter into the earth and grinned. "Hehe, Garp, nail him down!" He didn''t wait for a reply and recklessly tossed his Ace into the sky before running ahead. *Fwwm* An annoyed Garp''s right arm pulsed with infinite momentum, an effect born from his Haki Layering. "Don''t tell me what to do!" With a guttural roar, he punched ahead, meeting the butt of Ace like a hammer hitting a nail. BOOM! A sonic boom went off as the Supreme Blade was shot forward with speeds going faster than lightning, tearing the infernal atmosphere open. Rocks grinned, his impeccable Observation tracking the projectile with great accuracy. Clang! The sound was enough to pop eardrums, but it was simply music to Rocks'' ears. He dug his feet into the ground, pushing Ace back. But it was then a dark shadow arrived above, arcing with black lightning. *Purrup* A thick layer of Ryuo wrapped alongside Roger''s fist, which he slammed onto Rocks'' head. Unfortunately, the enemy pirate was long prepared. . "Deathly Hallows." . The thick, black smoke formed a shield, harvesting the deaths from the war. It was as hard as diamonds, quickly locking the famed pirate at a safe distance. *Szzzzz* Roger frowned as he felt his Emission Haki corrode away, effectively dissolving it. Rocks grinned at the frozen Roger and reached out to grab Ace with his open hand, forcing it into submission with the Colour of the Supreme King. *Whurrr!* The two Supreme Swords released an X-shaped arc of energy, withering black in colour in Roger''s direction. Rocks'' wild yet overwhelming strength perfectly showcased the sheer sharpness of the famed blades. "This might sting a little," the stubbled Roger mused, feeling the hellacious attack inching toward him. But the flash in his eyes brought a smile to his face. "Hehe, I knew you''d have my back!" "Shut up!" Garp''s roar echoed through the chaos as he released an unstoppable force of his own, spinning in the air and punching downwards. . "Galaxy Impact!" . The dual-sword slash was easily obliterated, allowing Roger a window of opportunity. The future Pirate King''s hand shot out through the dust cloud, snatching Ace from Xebec''s hands. He flipped off the ground, twirling the air and landing a slash at the enemy''s nape. Clang! It was like hitting metalбкa dense plate of Haki swirling around his neck. The force echoed through Ace and into Roger''s hand; it felt like punching a brick wall. . "Touch of Death!" . Mokushiroku released a deathly attack that sent shivers down one''s spine from its chill and demonic nature, shrieking its way to Roger. "Damn you, Roger. Making me do all the work!" Garp flickered ahead, his muscular, Haki-blessed body eating the entire attack and being thrown aside. "It''s ''cause I trust you!" Roger''s eyes sharpened much like his blade. Thick strands of Conqueror''s Haki spazzed from Ace and released a deafening attack at the open Xebec. . "Divine Departure!" . Rocks raised his empty right hand and grabbed at the coming attack with his bare skin. The slash cut open the earth as it was directed across, only to meet a palm howling with black energy. "Huh?" Roger blinked as he was held up in the air, and his mighty attack withered away. Xebec licked his lips at the pain born from the flesh within his palms being decimated. With a violent tug, he pulled Ace and Roger down and slashed the Mokushiroku in his left hand. . "Deathly Departure!" . Roger''s eyes widened as his body was folded across the ungodly attack. He was thrusted across the hellfire land, crossing hundreds of meters in an instant. "This kind of pain reminds me that I''m still alive..." the Abyssal Sin murmured, looking at the deep gash at his right palm. *Drip* *Drop* Corrupted black blood dribbled out, mostly hiding the cracked and shattered bones within. But it was then a dark figure appeared in front of the lost Xebec, bubbling with Haki. . "Black Hole!" . Garp''s vice-like grip reached Rocks'' jaw, digging his thick fingers into the mandible. The Vice Admiral then slammed the evil pirate deep into the darkened ground, black lightning crackling from the impact and opening a crater. Boom! Rocks grunted as he was drilled deep down, his deathly body corroding through the land. The Machine known as Garp didn''t stop there. He popped the air with Moonwalk, spinning around and unleashing another overpowering attack. . "Galaxy Impact!" . The fist had no mercyбкit painted a beautiful picture of a nebula in deep space. It shattered a hefty chunk of God Valley, and all that force crashed onto Xebec. бн "Wahahaha! This is getting fun." Garp scoffed at his "partner" appearing next to him. However, the gravity of the situation made him relent. Instead, Garp solemnly remarked about something he noticed in his tussle so far, "That monster can see the future...but he chooses not to." Roger rubbed the back of his neck, dryly laughing at the thought. "Wahaha! I bet he''s tired of spoiling the fun with his own Observation. I guess that''s what happens when you''re the strongest." *Vvvooo* Yet their cheery mood fell apart as they smelled the stench of death again, washing the battlefield with an ominous breeze. The monstrous figure of Rocks exploded out of the ground like a corpse escaping its grave. "Xahahahaha! This is what I''ve been waiting for!" He wiped away the black blood leaking down his scarred face, even licking at the fresh liquid on his fingers. The marine-pirate duo watched in apprehension, seeing Rocks swarm with his deathly powers. His scarred face turned black, not shiny like Haki''s, but dull and emanating with rotten heat. His ripped clothes had left his chest bare, unveiling a plethora of scars. Each was now sizzling with black lightning as the remaining flesh was covered with darkness. He was a spirit of pure, unadulterated malignance towards the world, fuelling his desire to sit atop its throne. "Don''t either of you die too soon," Xebec spat with a hoarse and broken voice, smirking like the devil incarnate. "You''ll ruin my fun." To Be Continuedбн Chapter 149: Cradle of the Gods (VI) The chaos of God Valley continued. With every passing day, the world became disorderly, ringing alarms through the seas. The first day, February 1st, was slowly meeting its end; the sun had long bid farewell and allowed night to arrive. BOOM! A 20-foot-tall Wendigo was thrown a dozen steps back; its right arm pounded red. б░Dammit, his Armament is even higher than the Bossбп!б▒ Solomon remarked, gnashing his teeth from the throbbing of his dominant arm. The cow-skulled beast huffed an annoyed breath, its rotten eyes looking to the sides and seeing its two companions. б░Kaen, Hensин. Look alive! Itбпs only the first day!б▒ The envy-faced mask user returned a quick nod, raising both arms. *Crackle* With a growl, his limbs exploded with blue lightning, conveying his glare of avarice. Meanwhile, Kaen snapped his fingers, spawning two fireballs in both palms. The three of them faced down the slowly walking marine. With his short purple hair, metal arm, and burly body, he was a walking tank. б░You do realize your body will grow immune to those stamina shots you keep pumping yourselves with,б▒ Zephyr remarked, his eyes narrowing at the trio. б░Kuhuhu!б▒ Solomon howled, but his laugh was broken and distorted past the eeriness of his fruit form. б░Worry боbout yourself, Black Arm! Plus, arenбпt you purposefully going easy on us so you donбпt have to save those pigs with your own hands?б▒ The Admiral Candidate froze in his steps. A breeze of hesitation whirled around his muscular frame but was quickly replaced with firmness. б░I have no idea what you speak of, pirate.б▒ Solomon grinned, his skull-head stretching in frightening ways. б░Itбпs okay. The Boss told me the day you still regretбнб▒ Zephyrбпs fists clenched hard as he heard the enemyбпs reference to the stain in his heart: б░...Naufragium Island.б▒ Kaen raised an eyebrow, recalling a previous headline: б░Oh, yeah! Werenбпt you the guy who led the Buster Call to sink that island? The one that built the Titanic?б▒ The reminders forced the burly man to look to the floor with shame. He remembered the face of the hulking Quentin Hammer. And before he knew it, the black fog hissing from Solomon had already surrounded himбн б░Follow behind me like the loyal dog you are. Hehe, thatбпs right. With the mighty Marine Supernova by my side, no one will stop me from building a ship fit for a God!б▒ б░What!? What do you mean you wonбпt do it?б▒ б░Like I said, Saint Equикnox. Naufragium Island wonбпt do as you askбнbut I can direct you to a more luxurious shipbuilder instead.б▒ б░You damn brute! How dare you refuse a God! Cipher Polбнenslave this bruteбпs son for me, hehe, now youбпll know the price of disrespecting a Celestial Dragon! Your entire island will have my fury!б▒ The mighty marine grunted, his hand cupping his aching head. The memory of his first significant mission going awry. Hammerбпs refusal led to an Island Bounty, and the next day, Naufragium was in ruins with all but a few survivors. Twenty years later, Zephyr was tasked to obliterate Hammerбпs homeбн "Hammer, it seems you''ve made your choice." "Hamu-Hamu-Hamu! Zephyr, you''re a good guy amongst the top dogs of the Marines. You helped many of our residents out before the bounty hunters arrived; you don''t owe me anything." With a reluctant sigh, the Black Arm raised his head, his sharp eyes cutting through the nefarious mist like a blade. His gaze fell on the enormous Titanic. Although it was a shell of its former self due to the abuse, it remained true to its name. "Was that ship worth it?" "That ship will be the spark that will light the fire that will burn the World Government down!" BOOM! Crimson energy burst out from the oppressive marine, his eyes locking onto the grinning Solomon. б░I hope you three can remain standing for the next few days. Itбпll spare further shame on my Justice.б▒ бн By the second day, things had gotten redundant. Battles continued while time slipped by. The sun rose and arrived at its peak, sighing at the lakes of blood and piles of corpses. The stench of slaughter had long made itself known. A school of Sea Kings had also arrived under the shrieking islandбкso much death leaking into the shores was food for them! Before anyone knew it, two days had already passedбн Clang! Think metal of famed blades quivered under the brutal assault they faced. Each shiny blade reflected the smirks of their opponents. Both men had similar golden hair, but the dual-wielding Shiki seemed far more relaxed than Rayleigh. б░Good grief. You are relentless!б▒ With a roar of great strength, the Dark King tore through the twin blades, sending the Golden Lion ten meters back. б░Jihahaha! I hope your friend gets up soon. You canбпt hold me down alone, Rayleigh!б▒ Shiki slashed his swords hundreds of times with a proud Haki roar, mixing in his fruit powers. Grim reality flashed through Rayleighбпs eyesбкa vision of the future. He saw the Golden Lion holding the blade attacks in thin air, only to send them out together in the thousands. б░Cheh, heбпs relying on endless attacks to overwhelm the future I see." Shiki heard his adversaryбпs conclusion, cackling at its authenticity. б░Why donбпt you ever try not spoiling the fun with that Future Sight of yours.б▒ Rayleigh scoffed. He wrapped his blade with dense Haki in preparation to defend. б░Iбпm afraid I will never reach the same level of admiration as you have for your Captainбнб▒ б░Jihahaha! Then Iбпll just sharpen my Haki against yours until I can Kill the Future!!!б▒ BOOOOM! бн A burst of silver and gold lit up the ashy skies of God Valley. The tremors ran through the land, even reaching the battle at the core. Lava bubbled at the surface, popping with heat and smokeбкa dull haze of despair had come to welcome the third day of the duel between Rocks and Garp & Roger. б░Xahaha! Looks like Shiki is lighting this place up.б▒ Roger spat out a wad of blood, wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his coat. б░Wahahaha! Itбпll take more to bring down my Partner and Gaban!б▒ His eyes narrowed at the bloodied figure of Rocks. The man had been through hell and back in the past few days. б░Just like him, youбпre draining your Haki twice as fast battling two enemies.б▒ Garp hummed at Rogerбпs words, raising his bruised fist. He hid his frustration with the team-up and slowly spoke, б░You should drop dead now, Xebec. Every day this war continues, more and more innocents are thrown into panic.б▒ б░You disgust me with your stubbornness to save them, Garp!б▒ Rocksбп roar fuelled his seemingly endless spirit. However, under the sharp eyes of his opponents, the bursting Haki had thinned. Garp appeared before the Abyssal Sin in a white streak, landing a lava-orange fist into the manбпs liver. The Vice Admiralбпs thunderous eyes were unbecoming of his usual lax spirit. He glared straight into Rocksбп dark pupils and boomed, б░Just fall dead already, Xebec!!!б▒ бн The third day and third night came and wentбкit was the fourth day already. Rays of orange pierced the thick cloud of ash over God Valley, shedding some warmth to every corner of the damned island. But the peaceful setting didnбпt lastбн BOOOM! The air itself exploded into giant shards of glass, birthing a colossal wave of shock that rang the Cradle of the Gods to its roots! Five miserable cries broke out, each from an exalted Godбпs Knight. б░Edward Newgate! How dare you strike down a Sentinel of Mariejois!б▒ The white-mustached pirate showed his disdain as his giant foot slammed into the fresh corpse of a Knight. He glared down at Garling while crunching the enemy with his boot. The problem was that the Knight who fell was actually a Celestial Dragon, much like Garling! The same was true for all the figures surrounding the world shaker. б░Gurarara! You point your fancy swords at me and think I wonбпt break you in half?б▒ he questioned with a grin fit for a pirate. Whitebeard was in a festive mood. His qualms with sailing alongside a fleet of scum had settled for every Saint he killed. The spanning Murakumogiri was raised in the air, bubbling with white energy. And with a violent roar, Newgate tore open space itself, summoning a flurry of natural disasters onto the dozens of knights. Garling gnashed his teeth, hopping around the collapsing earth, dodging the ravine being born. б░This Sacred Land in such disarrayбнitбпs a sin worthy of a thousand deaths!!!б▒ бн The fifth day went by just as fast. The Marines had impressively switched between a reserve force and an active force every passing day, fifty thousand at a time. They stayed on the shores, tackling the eight thousand pirates that remained. It was slow, tedious, and tiring, but the enemy numbers were falling fast! And finally, one fateful evening, a significant change occurred at God Valleyбпs center. Moments ago, the battlefield quaked under the roar of a mighty pirate, Gol D. Rogerбн . б░Godбпs Demise!б▒ . BOOOOOM! The blade roared through the air like the scream of a god. A brilliant, blinding arc of energy erupted from the sword, shimmering with the golden light of Roger''s Conquerorбпs Haki. The ground beneath his feet cracked and shattered, unable to bear the weight of the unleashed force. The slash tore through the air, its edges rippling with black lightning. The energy wave shot forward from the center of God Valley, cutting through the earth like a divine judgment. It cleaved the massive mountains of God Valley as though they were made of parchment, their towering peaks crumbling under the sheer might of the slash. CRASH! The mountains split apart, sending colossal chunks of rock tumbling into the sea, and the very island seemed to groan under the weight of Rogerбпs power. The slash did not stop thereбкno, it surged forward, cutting through the clouds above, its radiant energy carving a path through the sky. Rogerбпs legs recoiled into a crouch as he fell from above, his eyes glued to the hell he had just unleashed. Then it came, a very audible thump of flesh hitting the barren earthбн An arm. б░...б▒ Rogerбпs firm eyes wavered as he heard a burst of laughter: б░Xahahahahahaha!б▒ *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* The dust clouds were withered aside to welcome the evil presence of death itself. The gloom behind his footsteps was as loud as the dripping blood splattering on the floor. A track of dull steps alongside a trail of endless blood. б░Itбпs really a pity you werenбпt born a decade ago, Roger.б▒ Rocksбп stroll softened; his disappointing voice seemed to ignore the pain of having your right arm cut off. Xebec turned toward a crater not too far away, embedding into the remaining mountain of God Valley. б░That mad dog Garp actually took the full brunt of my attack to give you an open shotбн Xahahaha! He trusts you with his life!б▒ б░And I have no intention of failing him,б▒ Roger quaintly declared, cladding his Ace with Haki most could only dream of. б░Now, you better protect him until he gets up again, or itбпll ruin our little dance!б▒ With his left arm severed and his body battered, Rocks D. Xebec charged forward like a crazed beast, blood and death clinging to his aura. His eyes, burning with sheer malice, glowed with the fury of a man who refused to fall, his face twisted into a snarl of hatred and raw desire for destruction. Every step sent tremors through the ground as he lunged at the lonesome Roger, intent on tearing him apart with whatever strength he had left. [A/N: God''s Demise and Divine Departure are different attacks in the fanfic. I just couldn''t be bothered to think up more ability names.] бн The Cradle of the Gods became a shell of its former self by the time the seventh day came to an end. The once mountainous terrain had been chipped and hammered into a flat plain of wasted rock and debris. The holiness that pervaded its woods had been replaced with carnage and massacre; every few steps lay a body, a few dozen, and you would run into a river of blood. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. б░When I first stepped on this island, I felt an excess of life. A life that goes beyond what is naturalбнб▒ a young man commented, his senses stretching across the land. His hand held up a fistful of dirt. Before, it was incredibly fertile and filled with nutrients; now, it had turned red from the endless blood that seeped in, robbing it of its life. б░Although the home of the people who would bring great pain to the seas, you have to admit they picked a nice island to be their Cradle, donбпt you think so, Sengoku?б▒ The young man speaking was naturally Damien the Undying. His bruised and blistered skin did little to hide the snarkiness in his tone. б░Hmph, is that your attempt to make me feel ashamed?б▒ Sengoku questioned. The Admiral remained in his Buddha form, dwarfing the Sin Incarnate. Unfortunately, the clash throughout the days had left him with patches in his afro. He glared at the tattered pirate, seeing blotches of dried blood and purple bruises lining his torso. б░The Celestial Dragons, although with a history of causing pain for entire civilizations, are the controllers of the World Government.б▒ The Buddha crossed its arms, showing no shame: б░I lack the power to change that, so I must do what I can to limit the pain they cause.б▒ Damien hummed as he retrieved Ryushi which had been embedded into the ground from a recent collision. With a tremor, he shot ahead with a crimson glow all over, stabbing the Supreme Blade at the marine. . б░Impact Wave!б▒ . The pulsating energy washed the lifeless region with golden heat, shoving entire hills from the shockwaves produced. б░So you accept that this world, under their rule, is forever stuck with inequality,б▒ Damien asked, his left arm holding Ryushi, still pushing against the drumming energy. The Admiralбпs eyes narrowed in momentary thought. There was a flash of ambition in the manбпs eyes, but it disappeared quickly. б░That is how it is!б▒ Sengoku felt a pang of anger in his own words as he doubled the output of his ability. BOOOM! The Sin Incarnate was shot back, his body ringing like a bell from the mix of Emission, Infusion and shockwaves. боNot only did he adapt to my Observation, but heбпs also concentrating his shockwaves with Haki to find ways around my thick skin,бп Damien annoyingly thought, his feet digging into the soil to a stop. At the same time, he pulled up the stats he had personally been hit with for the past seven days. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Sengoku] [Age: 40 years, 8 months, 29 days] [Height: 9'' 1"] (2.78 m) [Devil Fruit: Mythical Model Buddha (Grandmastery (I))] [Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars] [Skills: Beacon of Justice, Rokushiki, Resourceful General, Exalted Emission] [Haki: Intermediate Mastery of Observation Haki, Grandmastery (I) of Armament Haki, Grandmastery (I) of Conqueror''s Haki] [Strength: Top Tier Yonko] ----- [Beacon of Justice: Release strands of Haki that raise the spirits of the user''s subordinates.] [Resourceful General: See through enemy strategies; make the best out of the worst situation.] [Exalted Emission: Perfect harmony between Emission Haki, Infusion Haki and Buddha''s shockwaves.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< Sengoku stood tall, his eyes firm. Damien matched his demeanour with Ryushi in hand. б░The Navyбпs mission is to maintain the authority of the World Government. Even if the Celestial Dragons bring suffering to some, their wealth and resources are the only things that stand in the way of anarchy that pirates beget!б▒ The standoff was on the brink of collapsing before an island-shaking rumble resounded. Their eyes shot across the regions where other duels were taking place to reach the core. BOOOM! Three spanning bubbles of pure Hakiбкblack, red and orangeбкturned midnight into dawn! Damien felt the waves of Haki drilling into his skin like pins and needles. б░Those threeбн But the black Haki, itбпs shrinking!б▒ The wrinkles over Sengokuбпs golden visage eased as he breathed a sigh of relief. б░Looks like Rocks has finally reached his end. I thought it would never happen.б▒ The Buddha shook his head in memory of the past week. He suddenly turned to Damien: б░You ought to be satisfied by this, too.б▒ The pirateбпs brows furrowed. б░Whatever do you mean?б▒ His voice was both curious and snarky, bringing a frown to the marineбпs face. б░Please. Do you think Iбпll buy both Zephyr and Basara just barely surviving with the skin of their teeth after their battle with you?б▒ Sengoku scoffed, spitting out his findings, б░You want Xebec dead as much as we do.б▒ б░...б▒ Damien narrowed his eyes at the towering enemy. He surveilled the confident expression, the unshaken eyes. б░Rahaha! As expected of the Resourceful General,б▒ he smilingly admitted, no longer putting up a front. б░But Iбпm not going to lower myself to stab Rocks in the back; his failure today will be from his own weakness.б▒ There were still doubts in the Admiralбпs heart. боWhat does he hope to achieve from Xebecбпs death?бп It only gave Sengoku more reasons to take the young pirate down once and for all. б░Much like your Captain, I will ensure your death or capture! Your subordinate''s energy drugs are already waning away; letбпs see if you can outlast Rocks!!!б▒ With a thunderous roar, the giant Buddha exploded from his position, covering dozens of meters in a fraction of a second. His gaze through the unbreakable glasses was relentlessбкthe annihilation of the Rocks Pirates was as crucial as the death of their captain. бн While the Beacon of Justice was picking up the pace against the man of atoms, a more pivotal stage was playing out at God Valleyбпs heart, one of a battle that had lasted seven days and seven nights. ... б░Even you canбпt go on forever, Rocks.б▒ It was a scene of deja vu: Rocks stood tall in front of the Garp and Roger duo. Bated breathing echoed the corroded lands, and the three clawed onto life. The one-armed man breathed hard. Every breath he took was like a low growl from the six-inch long and half-as-wide gash across his throat. б░Xahahahaha!б▒ The laugh alone was grizzly and broken, with little care for the plethora of injuries. It came alongside crimson spit dribbling down his cracked and shattered jaw. Each infernal breath expanded his torn-up chest, with a few ribs peeking out. б░A full week. He really is a monster,б▒ Garp muttered, breathing just as heavily. The marine was tattered as well; cracked knuckles and broken arm bones, deep wounds which sizzled with black smoke. His make-shift partner, Roger, also stood tall. б░Every journey has an end. This is yours, Rocks.б▒ The pirate was bloodied upбкcuts and broken bones, about the same as Garp. . Xebecбпs grinning face froze as his hand reached to his chest. The drumming heartbeat was still there but unstable, low and quiet. Even with his might, the man couldnбпt hold up against a combined team of Garp and Roger for so long. б░You two both belong to the D,б▒ he roared. б░Why get in my way?б▒ б░If I let you leave here alive, then itбпll throw the world into bloodshed. I wonбпt allow that!б▒ Garp responded with equal enthusiasm. Yet his words earned a sneer from Rocks: б░Youбпre willing to do as the Celestial Dragons tell you? Garp, youбпve become their dog!б▒ The marine scoffed, his body bursting with burning Haki. б░As long as you die, the pirates will fall apart, and the Navy can usher in a time of peace; that is enough for me!б▒ Roger found the argument quite intriguing. He threw aside his ripped coat and laughed, б░Wahahahaha! Although Iбпve decided to end my pirate adventure, I canбпt just walk away knowing a man like you will dominate the New World; youбпre getting in the way of peopleбпs dreams!б▒ б░Their dreams?б▒ Xebec echoed in frustration. Just the thought of the word б░dreamб▒ brought deep anger to his face. He gnashed his teeth so hard that bits of white fell, followed by blood. A growl leaked through maw, alongside hate-ridden words: б░This damning world has been screaming in my head since I was a boy. Do you think I didnбпt have боdreams?бп Do you think I didnбпt want to leave behind a legacy?б▒ Every word deepened his fury. His chest convulsed with the abuse of his organs. б░This world, its false veilбн It cursed me young. The Sworn Enemy of the Gods? All three of us are damned to live in this fake world! The two of you relent to itбн but I refuse!б▒ Bubbling black Haki pulsed out with every syllable, cutting apart the skies as if to enrage the heavens. б░The screams damn my existence, so Iбпll beat it into submission and sit on its throne! It is my destiny!!!б▒ The duo quieted down under the blasphemous words. Roger sighed, shaking his head. б░You have become everything the World Government was centuries ago. No matter the blood to be shed, you wonбпt stop until either they fall or you do.б▒ Garp slowly nodded. He felt something profound withinбкbeing in the Marines with the middle initial б░Dб▒ had long shown him the true colours of those on top. б░Itбпs an endless cycleбн Pirates rise and fall while the Government does everything possible to uphold balance.б▒ He grabbed his forehead, sighing through the gaps of his fingers. б░But no one gives a damn about the innocent people, their lives.б▒ His eyes sharpened, and his words grew resolute: б░Which is all the more reason for me to take you down, Rocks! With your death comes peace!б▒ Boom! The duo continued their assault, raging on ahead. Clang! Mokushiroku and Ace collided hard, releasing powerful torrents and unimaginable tremors. The powerful Haki was strong enough to leave scars along God Valley. . б░Galaxy Impact!б▒ . The overpowering fist fell onto Xebecбпs shoulders, slowly craving him into the ground. He struggled with holding both the sword and fist, but he managed. Roger gnashed his teeth and bashed his skull to the enemyбпs forehead. Rocks faltered momentarily, allowing Roger to slash his sword without mercy. . б░Godбпs Demise!б▒ . It was a simple horizontal slash, but the energy and Haki it unleashed could cut up entire mountains. Boom! Rocks slashed his blade at the last second, willing the strength of titans to hold back the attack. He felt his own life escaping his handsбкit earned his ire. б░Guawhh!б▒ The evil pirate roared a guttural cry, summoning strength beyond what a man should have. The veins along his only arms popped with black blood, and the cracked skin tore open, with the elbow popping straight out from the back. But it was enough to send Roger flying, skipping across the ground like a stone across a river. Thud! Garp landed, taking Rogerбпs place and began raining in fists. The Vice Admiral effortlessly ducked under a savage kick and landed a titanic punch to the liver. Boom! Rocks coughed out the air in his lungs. The pain only doubled as Garpбпs left fist hooked across and caved the pirateбпs cheekbones into his throat. Bam! Then came the right fist, arcing up from below and delivering an uppercut without mercy. Bang! Each fist broke the sound barrier, wrapped in thick Haki. It was lava-orange in colour, glowing with a red hue and crackling with black lightning. Boom! Bam! The deathly energy was quickly pushed back with the Haki. Garp''s brute strength shoved Xebec into the ground, his boots digging deeper and deeper into the earth. Spanning cracks opened, slowly birthing a ravine where Tnarytбпs Castle once stood. боHis Haki is ignoring my defenses!бп Rocks grumbled. If there was one man alive who continuously impressed the Abyssal Sin with his Armament Haki, it was Garp. б░!!!б▒ The evil pirate was knee-deep into the earth when he felt a sharp burst of energy screeching toward him from a kilometer away. He ignored the punch to his stomach and opened his broken jaw toward the coming attack. . б░Infernal Ward.б▒ . In a stream of black energy, Rocks breathed a black shield to life! *Grrr!* The slash was forced to a stop momentarily while the Vice Admiral continued his assault. He had focussed his senses at the buzzing strikeбн боNow!бп Garpбпs right arm locked around Xebecбпs wrist and yanked as hard as he could. Meanwhile, Rogerбпs ranged attack ripped through the black wall and rushed ahead. *Swish!* Xebecбпs eyes widened as the pain came instantly. *Sphhhh* The blood exploded out like a geyser, followed by the sound of a piece of rotten flesh landing far away. Garp narrowed his eyes, blessing his right arm with intense Haki. Veins popped alongside his bruised arm as he brought down a mountain-shattering assault at the Abyssal Sinбпs core. . б░Galaxy Divide!б▒ . б░Guuhh!б▒ The pirate was sent soaring across God Valley, soon being nailed into a newly-formed mountain through Whitebeardбпs quakes. Boom! The landmass collapsed, exploding into bits. б░бнб▒ Roger and Garp watched, trying to stabilize their breathing. б░Gruahh!б▒ It was like a broken record; Rocks just kept getting back up. Xebecбпs roar came with a tornado of black winds whirling into the crater he was in. The duo watched as they saw the black energy stretched from the center of God Valley to its coast and returned to Rocks. б░Heбпs siphoning the deaths of the ones on the other side of the island to fuel his power,б▒ Roger commented. Garp grinned, cracking his knuckles together. б░Canбпt let that happen.б▒ . б░Galaxy Nova!б▒ . б░Wailing Heavens!б▒ . The long-range attacks whizzed through the air, colliding with the two streams of death energy. Like a river being hit with an earthquake, the twin currents of black energy exploded into loose shards and particles, disappearing into the darkness of the night. б░Masters of Haki, what a pain in the ass!б▒ The broken figure of Rocks slowly emerged from the fallen mountains. His entire body was seething with raging Haki. Black blood dripped from both his stumps, lacking either arm now. Mokushiroku was sent to god knows where, leaving its master weaponless. б░You two really think just this can take me down!? I cannot be killed!б▒ Xebecбпs pupils disappeared, leaving his eyes white. The walking corpse began to release god-like Haki that rippled like electromagnetic rays. Every pulse was that of a heartbeat drumming across the land. Every beat corroded away bits of land, turning them from their ruined shape into nothingness. Roger narrowed his eyes, seeing nothing but darkness swell around Rocks. б░He has perfectly paired his Conquerorбпs Haki with his death powers. It really is incredible.б▒ б░Thatбпs not allбнб▒ Garp grunted, feeling the pain in his arms. Even his fists that were Layered in Armament Haki began to ache, his Haki falling apart. б░Armament Killingбнб▒ the Vice Admiral muttered. Not only did his Haki wither away, but the skin underneath followed suit. Liquid flesh and dead skin dripped from Garpбпs signature fist, but what was underneath left Roger gobsmacked. б░Garpбн Your knuckles!б▒ He pointed out, seeing a dark gleam. б░Theyбпre black!б▒ The Vice Admiral, a true king of Armament, returned a proud grin. б░That little demon Damien likes to sharpen his Haki from his opponentsбн Why canбпt I do the same!?б▒ It was incredibleбкGarp the Fist had applied a degree of Black Bones to his fists! With a burst of orange, the marine revitalized his failing Haki, wrapping it in layers. б░I feel bad for any fruit user whoбпd have to go up against Rocksбп damnable fruit!б▒ Roger grinned from the side, flashing defiance to he who personified death. б░Unfortunately for him, the two of us donбпt rely on such things. If anything, it gives us an unquestionable advantage!б▒ The pirateбпs grasp on Ace deepened, fueling it with dense Haki. б░Letбпs end this, Garp!б▒ б░Donбпt tell me what to do!б▒ On the other hand, Rocks felt a conclusive twist in his story and was naturally opposed. The limbless pirate shot ahead, caring little about his well-being. б░Xahahahaha! Let me see if youбпre worthy of being of the same clan as I!б▒ Garp took action first, unveiling his incredible Haki as he went to the skies. . б░Galaxyбнб▒ The air swelled into bits of blue, purple and green, forming the endless marvels of what existed beyond the planet. With a mighty roar, he wrapped his right hand not once, not twice, but thrice with his Colour of Arms! . б░бнMeteora!б▒ . BOOOOOOM! A single fist. Its range covered half of God Valley. The blanket of mountainous ruins was instantly turned to dust. The pulsing Haki shoved aside all signs of defense, seeking to sink the island. Naturally, it engulfed Rocks, forcing him to be embedded into the ground. б░Damn!б▒ he roared, exercising every ounce of his strength to stand up, but Garpбпs Haki kept coming, streaming out from his fist like powerful tides. They crashed onto Rocks, cutting apart his body. б░I didnбпt allow you to die!б▒ He cursed his left leg, which had begun to necrose from the lack of blood flow. The black energy granted it life, only for the incoming surge from Garp to eradicate it again. The manбпs skin cracked and melted off, leaving him in a skeletal state. Corrupted blood fell from every bit of his body as his own skull was now exposed. *Lub* *Dub* Xebecбпs blackened heart was visibly beating, his lungs still pumping air. The maw widened in denial, releasing its deathly whispers. *Vvooo* The air whistled as a dark silhouette appeared directly above the pirate. A bright flash went off as Ace was raised above Rogerбпs shoulder, preparing to end the conflict. Meanwhile, Garp recoiled his right arm, only to redo the exact attack, this time with his left fist. The ravine grew deeper, longer and broader, with Rocks at its middle. Watching the climax of an era, Roger couldnбпt help but utter, б░The ocean saw the beginning of the world, and the ocean knows its endбнб▒ His eyes sharpened as Haki flooded across his body, flowing to his blade. The air around Ace was warping and distorting, an effect born from the obscene Conquerorбпs Haki buzzing within. б░Get swallowed by the sea, Xebec!б▒ The blade swung forth without mercy. . б░Divine Divide!б▒ . BOOOM! *Rumble!* The island trembled as a giant gash stretched further. It burst out from the center of God Valley to its edgesбкthe ravine had covered a perfect, straight line through the island, opening up an abyss! A single slash and God Valley had parted in half! б░Gougghh!б▒ broken wails echoed out from the skeletonized Rocks, his bones cracking from the cut. *Creak* The ground separated with Rocks slowly drilling through the earth. God Valley split in two, with Xebec at the center of the division. The body shattered, leaving behind a collection of black energy that swirled in denial, unable to voice its fury. The evil pirate, or what remained of him, was slowly eaten by gravity, pulling him through the parted island and into the sea. Water, the universal liquid, quickly swallowed the broken skeleton without mercy, pulling it to its deathly embrace. Black bubbles splashed about as the darkness disappearedбкMother Ocean had swallowed every remnant of the Abyssal Sin. бн God Valley was opened between where its twin peaks once stood, splitting into two landmasses. What had occurred would go down in history as a day that decided the fate of the eras to come, choosing between an era of pain and suffering and an era of peace and serenity. After seven days and seven nights, Rocks D. Xebec, the infamous and fearsome pirate that had terrorized the world for decades, had fallen! [Halved God Valley Image (in Discord)] To Be Continuedбн Chapter 150: The Last Stand (I) Such a cataclysmic change was quickly noted by all other top entities still present. Seven days and seven nights had passed, but these monsters were still standing. бн "Gurararara, it''s only been a week, show me more of your strength, Celestial Dragon!" Whitebeard slammed his glaive onto Garling''s body, shaking him with earthquakes. "Ugh!" the Noble cried out. "Garling!" a senior Knight roared. He glared at the titanic Whitebeard with fear. б░No matter how many Knights we cycle from the reserves unitбн His strength is unscientific!б▒ Newgate grinned away the moniker of being a б░monsterб▒ or a б░devil.б▒ The man just wanted to cement his strength so no one would annoy the family he envisioned some years from now! "!!!" The pirate paused in his actions, inhaling a cold breath. As a man of earthquakes, Newgate knew when the earth was cut up. Naturally, he felt the island being slashed in half. "Roger, Garp," he muttered while offhandedly swatting aside three Knights. "Can that crazy Rocks actually be beaten?" бн "Jihahahahaha! Rayleigh, Gaban! You guys work well together!" Shiki cackled away, holding down the Dark King and the Twin Axe with one sword each. But he knew that at that moment, the tides had changed. "!!!" Haki flared across the three as they peered to the far-flat lands, shaking the Golden Lion: "Rocksбн no way!" бн "You don''t have much fuel left, Hellspawn. Logia are considered the most sustainable Devil Fruits, but they have a limit." The man-faced lion unleashed a paw swirling with sand shaped like giant knives. They fell onto the collection of electricity and swatted it off. Boom! Indra landed hard; his body flickered between intangible and tangible forms. Blood dripped from his face and arms, coughing it out, too. "I told you, I will not let you pass through me," he muttered, breathing heavily. Xerxes scoffed, opting to attack once more. "Hmm?" He looked to the side and saw the halved God Valley. "Garp and Roger, those two monsters actually did it!?" бн Zephyr polished his metal arm, glaring at the pirate before him. "You can stay up for an entire week of battle. I am impressed," he applauded. Solomon chuckled, his body encased in Haki while in the form of the Wendigo. "You use fear as fuel, perhaps even storing it in that black fog; it really is quite the ability. Though I can''t say the same for your compatriots." The Admiral Candidate looked to the fallen Hensин and Kaen, then back at Solomon. Zephyr was about to unleash another punch until he felt a disturbance. His eyes shook while taking in the reality of the situation. "...The world will tremble once this war ends." бн "You donбпt have the stamina to keep equalling me in strength for so long, Sin Incarnate,б▒ Sengokuбпs calculative voice broke out. He was incessantly thrusting his palms out, releasing concentrated shock to wear down his adversary. б░This is what happens when you challenge someone with three decades more experience!б▒ Damien dodged and flickered away from each consecutive attack with incredible agility, only for Sengoku to continue. б░Hey, hey, Sengoku! Do you really want me to go all out? I thought we agreed to chill until Rocks was dead!б▒ The Admiral audibly scoffed, still showing no mercy in his strikes. BOOM! Bam! *Rumble* Explosion after explosion, miss after miss. б░...Here, I thought Garp was the unreasonable one.б▒ Damien sighed past the chain of explosions, his eyes tracking each strike with his Observation. Then he felt it. б░!!!б▒ Damien made a б░Tб▒ gesture with his hands, directing it at the relentless Sengoku: б░Timeout!б▒ With little care for the Admiralбпs response, he turned to see God Valley being sliced in half. The sudden surge of salty sea air brought some flavour to the ruined land and the smell of fresh deathбн Sengoku paused as well, his heartbeat spiking at the result. Damien narrowed his tired eyes and absently spoke, "Did he die just like that?" ---------------------------------------------- While the top dogs felt the tides shift as it happened, things were a little slower at the Eastern Shore, where the war between armies remained alive. "Vice Admiral, I''m afraid we no longer have the troops to continue cycling our forces." The lead Marine nodded, "It''s alright. We''ve cycled the 50,000 stationed in reserve to ensure our forces in combat are well-rested. Even though our numbers are a quarter of what we started with, it wasn''t for naught!" The Vice Admiral raised his scimitar and declared, "Only 2,000 left. Kill them all!" The nearby marines exploded into a boisterous yell. As of now, they still have 25,000 men. Though the battle-hardened Marine seemed jovial, deep down, he was shaken. When he saw the two thousand pirates, he realized they weren''t human! ''They''ve fought for seven days straight now. They''re even using their allies'' bodies as shields while drinking their blood to sustain themselvesбн'' "Damn monsters, they really needed to be purged from existence!" he exclaimed. . A one-armed Rear Admiral ran to the crowd of marines that were taking on the pirates. His furry face was stained with dried blood and fresh cuts, but under the mask of fatigue and pain was a bright smile from the deepest parts of his soul. Still, in his Zoan form of a koala, he loudly and proudly remarked, "Rocks D. Xebec, the Captain of the Rocks Pirates...has been killed by Vice Admiral Garp!" The intel silenced the crowd, letting the thought sink in. It momentarily sucked the words out of everyone''s mouths. For the first time in seven days, God Valley was utterly quiet. "..." And then came the wave of worshipбн "L-Long live Vice Admiral Garp!" "Three cheers for The Fist!" "Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah! Justice has prevailed!" Even the officers at death''s door mumbled out with a dying grin; whether they had lost limbs, loved ones or companions, they all shared the joy. "Vice Admiral Garpбн he''s a Hero!" Like a push of a button, the marines raged on, their morale touching the sky. "Kill them all!" "They killed my brothers. Take no prisoners!" "End the damned war and this pirate era!" They found strength they didn''t know they had. Plunging into the horde of pirates without care for themselves, cutting and slashing them apart. Bodies fell one by one, hundreds by the minute; the battle strongly fell in the Navy''s favour. бн "Rocksбн I can''t believe you fell here!" a Pillar of the crew who ate the armadillo fruit muttered. The thought was universal, even echoing in the minds of the Tragedies and the Titans. The turn of events forced all major battles to halt, and both sides returned to their respective areas to regroup. бн Government Side: Sengoku, Basara, Zephyr, Xerxes, Saint Garling, God''s Knights and 25,000 elite marines. Pirate Side: Shiki, Whitebeard, Damien, Indra, Solomon, Silver Axe, Wang Zhi and the Fourth Division. To say the least, it was obvious which side had the most forces. "Rocks, why, how could you fall in this pathetic place? It''s unforgivable!" The furious cry came from a most surprising personбкGolden Lion Shiki! White flakes floated out from his mouth from his teeth being gnashed too hard. His fingers dug into his palms, leaking streaks of blood. "You said you would conquer the seas, put the World Government onto its knees, so why, why are you dead!?" "Shikiбн" Newgate muttered, thinking it was the first time he''d seen the man so frantic. Damien narrowed his eyes at the erratic pirate and thought aloud, "Looks like the Golden Lion and Rocks'' connection was deeper than we thought." . "Dammit," Shiki breathed, ignoring the questioning eyes from nearby. He instead glared daggers at the marines, his eyes twitching with mania. BOOOOOOM! The settled air and dust erupted like a volcano, stretching from the ruined lands to the ashy skies and tearing them open. Black lightning crackled through the shaken air while a spanning golden bubble covered the quivering island. The Elite Marines all took a few steps back, their hands reaching to cover their ears from the thunderous roar. The past week of hell had made them reasonably resistant to such outbursts, but it still left them stunned. "..." Shiki''s eyes grew somber. He growled one last time before exhaling his frustrations. And like any pirate, he laughed to clear his troubles: "Jihahahaha!" Shiki grabbed his face with a violent grip, cackling to himself and shaking his head. Finally, he returned to normal, leaving only one sentence to explain himself: "I have no reason to stay here any longer." With another streak of gold, he shot away into the open skies. His body disappeared alongside the rays of the evening sun. "..." "That bastard actually ran off," Whitebeard grumbled, slamming his glaive on the ground. The towering pirate felt the atmosphere turn sharp as he glanced to the side. His eyes landed on Damien and his people. Bloodied up, tired beyond belief, bruised and brokenбкthat was the state of the Fourth Division. Their Commander was visibly tired, though his eyes remained calm. However, that couldn''t be said for the likes of Indra and Solomon. Naturally, others saw this, too. Stolen story; please report. боThe weakest link will break the chain,бп Sengoku mused, his eyes narrowing in on the band of young pirates. боI can finally finish this.бп The battered Admiralбпs thoughts were suddenly blown aside as he sensed the state of his colleague. б░Basara!б▒ he called out, seeing the one-eyed man staring on the ground. Admiral Basara''s dominating aura, merciless outlook, and relentless pursuit of Absolute Justice usually made him a loud presence. Only now, he seemed but a mere spark in what should be an inferno. боHeбпs been different since Solбн Did seeing his home in flames break his spirit?бп Sengoku thought to himself. A bold and prideful voice broke the Admiral''s thought: "Though you''ve left God Valley in shambles, it is rather poetic to see the fearsome Rocks Pirates fall apart here!" All eyes fell on the walking, talking GodбкSaint Figarland Garling, the man who had, impressively enough, stood tall for seven days. Even with the assistance of God''s Knights, it was still a feat worth noting. The air picked up once more, blowing an ominous breeze to welcome the second half of the war. But a dull boom from an unexpected party stole the spotlightбн "Wahahaha! Looks like we have a standoff." A beat-up, broken, dying-yet-still-breathing Gol D. Roger, alongside Silvers Rayleigh and Scopper Gaban, had arrived. All eyes fell on the small band of outlaws. "Hmm?" Damien mumbled, seeing Roger grasping something. It was a relatively small, inconspicuous treasure chest with an intricate red design. Garling''s eyes widened at the sight, anger flooding into his tone: "You insufferable pirate, where did you find that!?" "Oh?" Roger glared at Garling, forcing the Saint to waver. "It''s just a little thing I found lying around," he answered, waving the box like a carrot in front of a pig. "What, you want it?б▒ *Shing!* The mighty Ace was unsheathed, silencing the others. б░Hehe, come get it!" Garling gnashed his teeth together, his eyes filled with rage. "Where''s Garp?" Sengoku questioned, his arms crossedбкthe Resourceful General had long expected Roger to come here. The pirate returned a giddy thumb''s up: "He''s napping; I think I''ll go hit the hay, tooбн I''m about to die here, Wahahaha!" The bruised Rayleigh smacked his Captain upside the head. "Don''t give away your dire conditions, you idiot!" Roger felt no shame, leaving Rayleigh to shake his head. "Hehe, I''ve had my fun here; we''ll be leaving early. It was a fun, final act for the Roger Pirates." Then Roger turned around and walked away, his fatigued crew following suit. "..." No one else made a move while Roger and his men hopped on the Oro Jackson and began sailing off. The Dark King Rayleigh gave a last look at Damien with a side-smirk, "I''m sure we''ll kick back and laugh at today''s spectacle one day. Good luck, young pirate!" Damien gave him a simple nod as the Roger Pirates exited the group chat. бн "Wawawawa! It doesn''t look that good for us without the Golden Lion!" Wang Zhi laughed, raising his front legs and slamming down with a dull tremor. "It''s not getting any better, either." The elephantine Ochoku looked at Damien with confusion but also picked up the flash of red in the latter''s eyes. He saw Damien turn to the far East and heard an ever-so-slight tremorбкa mighty ship had docked! "The overwhelming force of the Navy Headquarters," the red-painted Silver Axe recognized the sole man at the helm of the warship. A mighty aura, stern face and brimming with endless strength. The man proudly boasted a mountainous hairstyle, a simple gray shirt and blue trousers. Draped over his shoulders was the classic Navy coat. The undying pirate shook his head with a smile, scratching the back of his head. "The invincible Fleet Admiral deigns to grace us with his presence!" The others were equally stunned. Sengoku, Zephyr and Basara felt great hope swell in their chest, almost as if a great difficulty had been lifted off his shoulder. Naturally, the man who had arrived was the Fleet Admiral of the Navy Headquarters: ''Strange Beast'' Kong! "Kong!?" Xerxes exclaimed, balling his bruised fists. "How can you leave your post at Marineford!?" The Fleet Admiral scoffed, not paying much mind to his ''colleague'' disagreement. "Commander-in-Chief Endou climbed down from Mariejois to man my post at Marineford, granting me free movement." The Cipher Pol Chief clicked his tongue, irritated. "You aren''t needed here." Kong''s eyes left his old friend, scrolling past the war-torn battlefieldбкthe lakes of lava, mountains of corpses, and blanket of ruinsбкand to the short line of notorious pirates. Few in numbers but endless in threat; the top Marine huffed a heavy breath, his eyes sharp like a blade. "There is no room for mistakes. Surround them!" *Rumble* It was like a divine mandate to the 25,000 officers. They rushed like hordes of undead, quickly spanning across the pirate forces. All but ten seconds and the boisterous troopers were prepared to die! Shing! *Click* Clang! Guns, bullets, cannons, rockets, swords; all weapons were ready. Kong hummed in satisfaction. These men were the finest soldiers under his Navy Headquarters. "I miss leading you all into battle in personбн Charge!" "Oughhh!" The men gave a war cry, rushing at the dozen or so pirates. Their eyes were filled with glory to be under the command of the legendary Fleet Admiral! Let alone being under the grace of two Admirals, an Admiral Candidate and even a Saint. The lifeless land drummed with the thousands of footsteps, singing the end for the remaining pirates. "Kill them all!" "For Justice!" "Extinguish every last trace of the demonic Rocks Pirates!" The morale reached space, resounding across the ruined God Valley. The march alone sent a thick plume of dust from the weight of 25,000 men charging forward. . "Rahahahaha!" Damien cracked up. He shook his head at the incoming horde, his Empathy feeling their endless spirit. "Can you believe it, Newgate-san? These guys are really putting together a circus for us." Whitebeard smirked, bursting in similar joy: "Gurararara! They actually think that throwing marines at us makes any differenceбн" Newgate placed his Murakumogiri to the side, wedging it into the ground. *Thump* *Thump* The towering pirate''s weight sunk into the earth as he took a few steps forward, covered with an ominous aura. He bid one look at the 25,000 men all but ten meters away from him. With a titanic roar, the fearsome Whitebeard''s giant hands dug into the air before him, his fingers tearing space open like plastic! "Kong''s arrival made you forget who we are!!!" *Vurrup* The fabric of space was wrapped around his digits, flooding the area with turbulence. "Hah!" Newgate roared once more, yanking at what kept reality and space together! *Rumble!* Suddenly, the entire world began to shake. The very land below twisted and turned as per Whitebeard''s command, shaking as if it was made of jelly. Torrents of hellish winds spun out from the epicenter while giant shards of earth were dislodged from below. The skies churned with vibrations, and the distant waters folded and shook as new land burst from the seafloor. God Valley broke into pieces, slowly tilting and cracking at its core. Not only that, he had shaken up the tectonic plates beyond the shores, too! Boom! The sideways earth cracked and crashed, sending powerful tremors and tsunamis out. The marines cried in pain, falling to their knees; a hefty fraction found themselves grasping at the very ground as their bodies slid across the torn earth, falling into chasms and bottomless pits. "This monster! He''s tilting the region!" Sengoku crouched down, his hand held before his face. Abject shock reflected on his glasses as he felt the howling winds leaving cuts and gashes over his burly torso. A single move was all it took to obliterate any form of cohesion the army hadбкnot even the Fleet Admiral could save them from this! ''This is the soon-to-be Strongest Man in the World!'' Damien exclaimed, marvelling at the power of Whitebeard. He shook his head with a wry smile, watching the Cradle of the Gods rip itself open, swallowing up tens of thousands of men and corpses. бн A good five minutes passed before some sense of sanity returned to those still living. *Cough* *Cough* Sengoku spat out black smoke, his hands reaching for his ashy glasses. He glared at the two Titans responsible for the mess with hateful eyes. He looked to the side, seeing Zephyr slamming through boulders to save as many marines as possible. Basara was busy shaping the earth to God Valley so the entire island wouldn''t sink straight up. Garling slammed with a small hill due to the crazy winds while Xerxes had Phantom open a portal to shield him. As for Kong, the Fleet Admiral had protected his Navy warship from damage, but he needed a way out in case of an emergency. "!!!" The hair on the Buddha''s arms shot up like an arrowбкmore hell was to come! Sengoku''s eyes shot to Damien. He saw Indra, the Sin Incarnate''s right-hand man, bursting out a stream of lightning to shield the others. The Navy was already down to at most ten thousand soldiers, and that number may be about to drop! б░I guess itбпs my turn to show off,б▒ he heard the insufferable young pirateбпs voice. *Snap* With the snap of Damien''s finger, a flash of red went off. It was like a pulse washing through the blanket of ruin, stretching past the gorges and chasms, highlighting an endless sea of rubble and debris in a red checkered pattern. Damien then raised his left hand, sparking with red lightning. "I take it no one is using theseбн" The top marines tore their eyes from their tasks, seeing the Sin Incarnate clench his open hand with a dramatic twist. *Krrr* *Zap* Sounds of pixelation broke out, resounding across the island. They bellowed from the countless tons of loose rocks, turning into thick streams of dense crimson energy. They swirled through the dusty skies and into Damien''s other hand. *Purrup* All in under ten seconds, practically all of God Valley''s loose debris was in a small cube within the hands of the undying pirateбкthere was no number you could put on the island-spanning debris. Yet, somehow, it filled the ten cubic centimeter entity. It pulsed with chaotic energy, a small yet dense collection of countless elements swirling within its confines. Its surface shimmered as the atoms inside twisted and shifted, ready to be unleashed. [Cube Image (in Discord)] Sengoku grunted, shooting forward with great resolve, his body burning brighter than the sun! "I won''t allow you to kill more of my men!!!" The Buddha, a divine entity, was moments from washing the battlefield with his sacred presence until a sharp, emotionless voice forced him to think twice. "Admiral Sengoku. We lack critical intel on the Sin Incarnate''s Awakeningбн This shall be a worthwhile experiment." The monotone yet elegant voice came from Saint Garling, caring little for the Navy''s losses. The Admiral slammed into the ground, his eyes quaking with anger. "Experiment!? You want to use the lives of my men to test his attack power?!" Golden strands of Conqueror''s Haki swirled from the Resourceful General, yet it was hit hard with Garling''s equally arrogant spirit. "Don''t forget your position, Sengoku," the Saint scoffed, looking down at the livid Marine. "Admirals are nothing but the Celestial Dragons'' dogs; stand down." The words were not only for the Buddha but also for Basara and Zephyr, who were just as prepared to move. Fury leaked from Sengoku''s gnashed teeth. He turned to his Fleet Admiralбн The silence was loud. Some Vice Admirals and older Rear Admirals looked at Sengoku with pleading eyes. But the cold touch of reality brought them nothing but despairбкit was an edict from a God! "бнDammit!" The Admiral cursed. . On the pirate stood a casual Damien. He scoffed at the Justice-emblazoned veterans and fulfilled their wishes to watch at the sidelines. *Crack* The cube waiting patiently was finally allowed to unleash its fury. With the sound of glass breaking, the tesseract exploded into specks of red energy warping into different substances. *Whurr* *Shrrrk* It was a scene beyond scientific understanding as all types of loose atoms from the ruins were forced to interact: oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron, calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, hydrogen, carbon, sulphur, phosphorus, titanium, manganese, and even goldбкdozens of elements forming unscientific compounds and molecules beyond human comprehension. The temperature around the substance was, in some places, as cold as ice and, in others, as hot as magmaбкan abstract piece under the brush of a master painter. . "Atomic Remodeling: Magnum Opus." . The attack created a variety of beautifully frightening colours, each presenting some form of disastrous beauty. From afar, it may have looked like an artist''s grand masterpiece, but close up, it was the emissary of death. *Fwoo!* *Vvooosh!* BOOM! The whirling torrent devoured everything before Damien''s open palm as it continued its advent, swallowing the earth below to amplify itself further. The ground beneath the advancing onslaught twisted and buckled in unnatural ways, warping as though the very fabric of reality was being unravelled. Cracks snaked across the surface, and jagged chunks of earth were pulled upward, only to be shredded and reshaped into bizarre formations. Stone turned fluid for moments before hardening into grotesque, crystalline structures. Some sections of the earth twisted and compressed as if squeezed by an invisible hand, while others stretched into impossible, elongated forms, all caught in the chaotic storm of Damien''s attack. There was no escape, let alone for the likes of elite marines. "Auuu-" "Hel-" "Euug-" Their wails were interrupted as their bodies were eaten up and converted to atoms, adding a somewhat human element to the increasingly beautiful piece of art. [Attack Image (in Discord)] бн "That should keep them occupied for a bit," Damien blandly said. He didn''t find pleasure in such bloodshed, but their death was guaranteed for the incoming fightбкif anything, he gave the soldiers a painless way out. Whitebeard watched with arms crossed, nodding at the show of power. б░Rocks is dead, and his Rocks Pirates are gone. Good riddance.б▒ He turned away from the ever-blossoming attack; his sigh of relief was light but heard by others. "There''s no reason to stay here.б▒ Newgateбпs were meant for his fellow Titan of the soon-to-be-extinct crew. б░Oh, I agree,б▒ Damien nodded, but his eyes hid some internal thoughts. б░What are you planning?б▒ Whitebeard questioned, seeing Damien clearly plotting something. The Sin Incarnate grinned and laughed it off, б░Rahaha! Well, just know I didnбпt come all the way here to see Rocksбп death.б▒ The crimson flash of ambition was evident in his voice and eyes. б░But things are getting a little hectic.б▒ He turned to his allies, hoping the next few moments would give Indra and Solomon the energy to keep fighting a bit longer. The others from the Fourth Division were just as worn outбкPablo''s energy drugs could only go so far! боI need to get them out of here first,бп he thought. But Damien couldnбпt help but frown as he felt his own stamina reserves hitting rock bottom. б░Looks like we have to fight our way out first.б▒ Silver Axe picked up his chipped weapon, breathing out a dull huff. "We are at the final stretch. Just a few more obstacles to surmount." "Wawawa! Let''s end this!" Wang Zhi declared, slamming his humongous legs. Indra stood up, too, nodding at his Commander with firm eyes. Although his dark skin did well to hide most of his injuries, it couldnбпt mask the dried blood and torn clothes. Yet his words left none the wiser: б░I can still swing Tenmei against Xerxes for some time.б▒ б░C-Count me in, too!б▒ Solomon forced himself to get up, ignoring the aching pain shooting down his arms and legs. One look at Indra, and it was enough to stand up! A man of fear fuelled by his desire to appear stronger than he wasбкbut as the saying went, fake it till you make it. Solomon looked to his Boss with resolve and balled his fists. б░Iбпll scrape the fear from these corpses to keep me standing if I have to!б▒ Damien chuckled, his gaze returning to the battlefield. Through the rusty air, the collapsing island and shrieking winds, the Sin Incarnate locked onto a fearsome figure standing tens of meters away, tearing his masterpiece with his bare hands. The undying pirate gave a tired sigh, slightly smiling at the troubles ahead, "I have a feeling that they won''t just let us leave all that easily." "This may very well be our last stand!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 151: The Last Stand (II) "Although I have my boxes to tickбн Why don''t you head off?" Damien questioned, stretching his arms and legs for the upcoming showdown. Whitebeard saw the look in his fellow Titan''s eyes and broke out in a laugh: "Gurarara! Just a Fleet Admiral, two Admirals, and an Admiral Candidate alongside some dogs of the World Government aren''t enough to scare me into running away!" Murakumogiri was bashed into the ground, conveying the bold spirits of its user. It was treading the line of courting death, but Edward Newgate remained unfazed. Damien grinned, shaking his head, "Stubborn old man." бн By now, the dust had settled, suddenly soбкone second, it was tearing through the fabric of reality, and then, it was eradicated by a dark shadow. However, it had claimed far too many lives. "...Kyronбн buddy, wake up," a broken voice called through the blanket of dust. The battered Marine''s face was stretched with a hollow smile as he jerked the lifeless body of his good friend, "Didn''t we agree to drink for days after this warбн wake up, man!" The desperation in the beaten soldier''s voice provoked discontent in the hearts of the remaining Marines. A young man talented in the Colours of Arms was seen glaring through the ashy air, locking onto a divine existenceбкhis eyes contained deep hatred as his hands clutched on a single, bloody arm, it''s all that remained of his brother. "Are you pointing your accusatory finger at me, insect?" The voice woke the young Marine from his glare, but even with the slight apprehension in his mind, he continued to stare daggers at the man with crescent-moon-like hair. "Youбн You could have stopped thisбн" The esteemed Saint Figarland Garling scoffed, his eyes filled with disdain. It wasn''t just the young soldier; he was also getting razor-sharp gazes from all around him. "Hmph, you mortals don''t even know how fortunate you are to breathe the same air as I. Your lives hold as much value as the ants I trample beneath my feet." Garling''s words were as ruthless as they were disparaging. The man who had lost his brother couldn''t stop himself from waltzing ahead, livid. "Such treachery!" A God''s Knights bellowed, raising his blade. "Fool," a Vice Admiral whispered under his breath, quickly turning away. *Whizz!* A sharp hiss of wind followed by a fountain of bloodбкGarling appeared five meters beyond the bold Marine, his blade stabbing straight out. With a thud, the talented lad fell, his eyes still screaming vexes. Garling''s overbearing words came next, "Know your places, Marines." "..." A deafening silence, but the tension in the air was heavy. "Enough." The Supreme Commander of God''s Knights turned to the dark shadow at the center of the shredded land. This sole person had ripped the fantastical attack of the Sin Incarnate. "The lives lost thus far are in the name of Justice. A hefty price to pay for salvation, but a necessary one." Kong''s deep voice forced the remaining two thousand marines onto the target, collectively directing focus to the band of pirates still standing. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* The Fleet Admiral''s heavy steps echoed through the barren plains as he treaded toward the enemies alone. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* It wasn''t easy to hear through the distant ground that was frequently collapsing after Whitebeard''s tilting, but everyone could still somehow make out the firm footsteps of Kong. ''All it takes is one,'' he thought to himself, narrowing at the towering pirates a hundred meters away. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* "W-Will he take them all on aloneбн?" a marine spat, his eyes filled with dread for the Fleet Admiral. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* And then it came. *Whizz!* The sharp squeal of the winds caused by an elephantine creature. "Wawawawa! I want to see how tough you are, Kaiju Kong!" The foolhardy Wang Zhi, taller than Whitebeard and known for his durability and survivability against all odds. Alone, he rushed to Kong. The Marine squinted under the dull backdrop of the sun, carefully waiting until the towering enemy was close enoughбн BOOOOOOOOM! The battlefield was plunged with a plume of smoke that hid torrents of winds. The black gas flooded across the stretch of wasteland, covering a good fifty meters in radius. бн "Looks like he wants to renew morale as a flagbearer," Damien calmly commented, his eyes locked onto the giant shadow hidden under the veil of smoke. "Hmph. Kong''s always trying to spearhead things," Whitebeard quipped, unimpressed. "And that fool Wang Zhi, getting himself killed for nothing." A loud thud broke outбкthe corpse of the massive pirate scorched in flames, his brazen eyes still thirsty for war. "And so the Strange Beast cometh," Silver Axe mused, the grip on his weapon tightening. It was when the smoke cleared out that the monster within was slowly unveiled. Steaming hot air hissing around a 15-meter tall beast (~50 ft) with fangs and eyes glowing with ancient, untamed fury. "A passing glimpse would suggest a Mythical Zoan," Indra murmured, looking up at the mighty ape whose shadow swallowed the ruined landscape around him. Dark, swirling smoke coiled from the edges of his fur, seeping out like living shadows, hinting at his esoteric power. A similar scene appeared in the sky: the ashy clouds were swirling around with the creature at its core, spiralling doom around it. As the ape-like being let out a primal roar, the ground trembled beneath him, and the remnants of God Valley bore witness to the rise of an ancient force reborn. "You''re saying that ain''t a Zoan!?" Solomon blurted, blinking with confusion. [Kong''s transformation Image (in Discord)] бн On the Marine side was just as much noise, but for them, it was fanfare. The sight of the mountainous beacon of justice dominated anything within kilometers. "Look! The Fleet Admiral''s using his powerбн I''ve never seen it before!" "Hehe, it''s as weird as the Egg-Egg Fruit. But far more menacing!" Kong hummed under the surge of spirit in the remaining men. His overwhelming body reached the curious pirates, who were more than willing to be patient and recharge their stamina. "Zephyr," he suddenly called out. With a flicker, the Black Arm appeared at the primal ape''s side, awaiting orders: "Yes, sir." "The Celestial Dragons within the Inner Sanctum need to be transported. Cipher Pol reserves will arrive at the Western Shore soon. You will lead them back to Mariejois." What could be considered a humbling task left Zephyr lost for words. He remembered the darkness of Naufragium Island but then, his position as an Admiral Candidate. ''A man should stand befitting his position,'' he told himself, taking a deep breath. "I will ensure their safety." Zephyr left without hesitation, his mind clear. "Marines, with me," Kong ordered, his heavy steps echoing through God Valley, dwarfing the Fleet Admiral''s target. "I''m here to clean up a stain from my past." His eyes were dead set on the younger Titan. But before Damien could speak, it was Whitebeard who moved. "How long do you expect us to wait while you play your little mind games!?" The earthshaker directed his indestructible Murakumogiri, bubbling it with pure vibrations. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. "I''ll take you on, Whitebeard!" A magnificent Buddha fell from the skies, covering the towering pirate with a golden shockwave and sending him hundreds of meters away. *Crackle* Indra''s body burst with chirping birds, dominating the dull island with bright blue. Only for a surge of sharp sand to launch him away. Xerxes'' raspy voice echoed through the dry air, chasing after the Hellspawn. "Let''s pick up where we left off, shall we?" . In the meantime, Damien simply grinned at the towering Ape before him. Kong did the same, matching his gaze. "Kuhuhuhu! Give the Boss a break, will ya!" . "Dreaded Devastation." . Two spears of pure earth shot around the immobile Fleet Admiral, circling around his dominating body and shuttling away the likes of Solomon and Silver Axe. "..." "So here we are, face-to-face," Damien said. "I suppose I should be honoured to attract your attention, Kong." "You killed a lot of good marines today. Destroying their families and obstructing justice," the Fleet Admiral spat out, slamming his right foot into the ground, kicking up giant shards of earth. Damien appeared ten meters to the side, easily dodging the foot that had birthed a deep crate. "Justice?" He echoed with disdain. "You gave them false confidence to rush straight into a man of earthquakes and atomization, all for what? Protecting the honour of those Celestial Dragon scum?" He scanned the weeping battlefield, seeing nothing but corpses and deathбкthe smell alone was enough to drive away all things living. "I''m a man of peace. But when you send people with their swords raised and rifles aimedбн I will extinguish them." "Be that as it may, I guess I should be honoured for your personal action against me," Damien remarked with a smirk. "Don''t flatter yourself. The only reason I''m here taking you on is to ensure that your evil bloodline ends today." Damien''s eyes sharpenedбкhe could hear the malice hidden in the Marine''s words. "I see that this is personal for youбн I take it you knew my old man?" Kong scoffed, his furry hands absently clenching at the thought of a particular pirate. "I was an Admiral when the ''God of War'' was roaming the seas." "Rahahaha! Looks like he beat you up, considering your fury." Kong''s gaze fell on the Sin Incarnate. He saw itбкthe black hair with a crimson hue, the red eyes, and the confident smirkбкan image of the War God came to mind. "Your father was as insufferable as you. He made a mess everywhere he went. That included Marinefordбн" "Your fate will be the same: erased from the annals of history, never to be talked of ever again!" To cement his point, the primal ape broke into a frenzy and bashed its fists into its chest. . "Drums of Justice!" . BOOM! Kaboom! Bang! Every beat caused giant explosions with Damien at their core. Not only that, they stretched for hundreds of meters, enveloping the other skirmishes in fire and heat. Boom! Bang! Boom! The flurry of explosions continued; if the destruction in the past few minutes were added up, it would equal Damien''s ''Big Bang'' attack! Soon enough, the Fleet Admiral stopped and assessed the damage. The shockwaves had long pulverized the nearby terrain, creating a deep crater where the young pirate previously stood. "Did that take him down?" a marine cheered from the side. "The Fleet Admiral is invincible!" *Fshhh* An ominous flash went off, red in colour. The officers watched in shock as a stream of crimson particles swam out from the huge plume of smoke and formed a familiar figure. "A Paramecia which blesses its user as they grow in some way. It''s quite like Herja''s power." The monstrous Marine growled, revealing sharp fangs. "Do not compare me to a pirate rotting in Impel Down. I assure you, you will join her soon." With an ear-rattling roar, the beast shot out its furry arm. Black smoke swirled the thick limb, folding the air around it. With a burst of his own, Damien dove right at the incoming attack, clenching his left fist. *Crackle* Thick strands of black lightning arced all over his body, contained with a gentle flow of Ryuo. With twin roars from both sides, the two fists collided, one far bigger than the other. BOOOOM! The shrieking air distorted under the monumental strength hidden within the two strikes. Lines of explosions blew up the turbulent day, sending out a booming shockwave in all directions. "His skin is certainly as thick as a Mythical Zoan!" Damien murmured, landing some distance from the apeбкboth men were recoiling from the collision. Crimson eyes traced the body surrounded by the decrepit black smoke along its fifteen-meter-tall frame. "The Genesis-Genesis Fruit," He recounted from prior readings. "A primeval power that, as its users grow in strength, allows them to embody the essence of the earliest forms of life." "You really are a Strange Beast, Kong!" The mighty Marine growled again, raising both arms hissing with ancient lifeforce. But before he could slam the defiant pirate into a pulp, he was met with a twin streak of red. . "Atomic Beams." . The twin beams of energy shot out with great blitz, zooming through the sky and crashing into the Fleet Admiral. "Guh!" Kong was easily swept away by the attack, his giant body being dragged along the trajectory of the beams. They shot straight up, taking Kong with them. *Pop!* *Fwoooo* *Vvoosh!* The air shrieked from the weight and momentum as Kong bounced across the air, his body ricocheting at awkward angles. The momentum alongside the snap-turns was like a whip being hit on one''s backбкit was disorienting even to the Strange Beast. He went through five giant hillsides born after Whitebeard''s tilting; his primal body shattered through them until finally being carved into the ground. BOOM! A dull explosion went off as the ape was eaten up by a cloud of dust. "Kong-sama!" a rear Admiral called out. With anger in his eyes, he, along with other veterans, surrounded the pirate. The remaining two thousand troops were summoned under their orders, leaving a smidge of red under the target of thousands. "You guys don''t learn, do you?" Damien snapped his fingers, bringing out a syringe with red fluid into his right hand. With no hesitation, he jammed it directly into his heart, pumping the drugs into his circulatory system. ''Although the effects are much weaker than before, it''s enough to last another day or two,'' the pirate thought before taking to the skies. The Sin Incarnate, now fifty meters above the Navy mob, extended both hands and directed them to either side. A leading Vice Admiral''s Haki flared like an inferno; Damien''s fingers were glowing blue! . "Chain Lightning." . At his command, thick bolts of vibrant blue lightning shot out from his fingers. *Snap* *Crackle* The chirping birds were distorted into a monstrous growl from the trembling earth, making their arrival all the more breathtaking. *Szz!* The air exploded from the sudden heat of being lit with an endless voltage. Damien''s attack went in all directions, hitting the first wave of imbalanced marines. The electricity found its first targets, crackling through their bodies. But it didn''t stop there. The electric charge bounced to those next in line, zapping through their flesh and treating them as conductors. It was like a bright blue tree from where Damien was floating. He watched the lightning spread through tens, hundreds, thousandsбкthe entire marine formation was hit! The electricity used the Marine as a host to chain out to nearby conductors and other marines. It bounced from 1 to 10 to 100 to 1000 soldiers within moments, spreading throughout the formation. "Aughh!" "Uggghh!" "Aiiiiih!" Thousands of officers fell, their bodies convulsing from the electric charge, unable to move, let alone think, as their nervous system was fried. Black smoke caked the battlefield, plunged with the stench of ash and burnt flesh. бн In a nearby crater was a lone monstrosity. "Staying at Marineford for so many years has left me rusty," Kong sighed. But it was here that he recollected his adversary. "Logia-like properties and a power that can atomize anything." "!!!" The ground suddenly shook, waking the Fleet Admiral from his momentary pause. With a booming growl, the ape exploded from the jagged terrain, clawing out from the hole. The beast''s eyes locked onto the burst of lightning eating away at the marines. "Lightning powers, too!" It was another lapse in intel. Kong rushed toward the quivering earth to see blackened earth under his enormous frame. The death toll on the Navy side had hit the hundred thousand mark! Kong''s fury ignited into a relentless storm. His massive fists crackled with black bubbles of destructive power as he hurled them toward Damien in a wild flurry, each blow missing its mark but wreaking havoc on the land. Each punch landed with the force of a cannon, splitting the earth beneath him and birthing massive explosions of rubble and dust. The ground quaked under his wrath as fissures tore across God Valley, sending waves of devastation through the already ruined terrain. Pillars of debris shot skyward, caught in the violent chaos Kong unleashed, his roars echoing with each missed blow. Yet, no matter how close he came, Damien evaded with cold precision, leaving the enraged Fleet Admiral to pummel the land itself, birthing a landscape of sheer destruction. ---------------------------------------------- The rest of the world was not unphased by the uncertainty surrounding the Cradle of the Gods. Many kingdoms, smaller nations, marine bases, and even non-government-aligned islands were under great stress, awaiting the result. Such was true on the pirate side as well. бн [Pirate Paradise of Hachinosu] "Kaido, come quick, it''s important! We''re going to God Valley!" The pirate in question didn''t seem to care, turning away from the woman hollering at him. Big Mom and Kaido were still at Pirate Island, so naturally, the news had made its way here. After all, Hachinosu still housed a sizable fleet of over 10,000 men! However, the Hundred-Beast did not reciprocate the hurry in the woman''s voice: "If Rocks falls now, then so be it! We should be chasing after those Nobles. I wanna kill one with my own two hands!" Linlin sighed in irritation and waved her fist menacingly. "You brat, you really want to act up now!" The two stood within the main hall of Hachinosu, arguing with one another. *Rumble!* Suddenly, a deep tremor passed through the island, also shaking the room. Skull Rock seemed to blink under the surprise explosion. "What was that!" Linlin yelled out. A hasty Oven rushed into the room, his face struck with worry. "Mama, we have enemies attacking us from the South!" The other kids ran in, too, looking for directions. Daifuku, the Genie-man, huffed with another piece of intel: " There are only five of themбкfive marines!" Perespero licked his candy cane, seeming quite solemn as he answered, "Admiral Kurojи▒ and Admiral Candidates Yochou and Ginrou from Mariejois are here!" "Looks like the Marine Star Rookies came as well," Katakuri chimed in, looking out one of the eyes of Skull Rockбкa sole vessel at the shore. бн At the front of the warship stood a man clad in dark clothes, armour plating his body. His arms were crossed as he breathed in the salty sea air. To his left was an elegant older gentleman with a cane. Meanwhile, a voluptuous woman wearing a sarong skirt stood behind him. Kurojи▒''s eyes peered through the darkness of the mask and hood, locking onto Skull Rock with great anger. It was a beacon of disorder, a landmark which existed solely to splash mud on the face of Justice. "The Rocks Fleet at God Valley has collapsedбн" Masao''s body pulsed with power as he roared across the seas, "Now we will rid this pirate-infested island for good!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 152: The Last Stand (III) While the Sin Incarnate went toe-to-toe with the likes of the Strange Beast, other such battles were picking up in intensity. Booom! A brilliant Buddha was forced to the ground under an earthquake of magnitude ten, and its destruction was almost enough to shatter Sengoku''s glasses! Great stress reflected off the Admiral''s golden face; the struggle against a Titan was real! "Hmm?" Whitebeard''s Haki flared, diverting his attention from the divine figure. Without hesitation, Murakumogiri was picked up and slashed across, shattering the very fabric of space to unleash a cataclysmic earthquake that swept away a horde of enemies who hoped to get the drop on him. Through the hurling energy came a sole man. He clicked his tongue after seeing his knights being swatted away. "Stand up, Sengoku. We shall take down this evil pirate together!" "Gurarara! It doesn''t matter how many of you there are!" It was a battle that could easily dominate the headlines for months: Whitebeard vs Saint Figarland Garling and Sengoku the Buddha! бн A sudden flash of bright light occurred at another corner of God Valley, four kilometers from the main battlefield. . "Silver Radiance!" . The bright-silver flash came with howling winds, shattering a swirling mountainous attack. "The Basara of today is unlike that of the past," the axe-user''s tired voice arrived. "Silver Axe!" The Admiral balled his fists, seeing his attack cut apart. "Do you wish to follow in Wang Zhi''s footsteps?" "Y-You!!" Much to the man''s anger, he was ignored! Silver Axe walked toward a battered Solomon, extending a hand. The Wendigo took the gesture, reaching its feet. Solomon met the sharp eyes under the chipped armour with speculation. "The fearsome Mountain has broken spirits," Silver Axe explained. "He is not the threat he once was." The worn-out Solomon turned to the brown-clothed marine, shame evident in Basara''s glare. A pang of thirst came to the eyes of the man hailing from Extinction Valley. There was something in the airбнsomething the Wendigo was hungry to harvestбн "Kuhuhu, let''s do it, Axe-guy! This might just be fun!" ---------------------------------------------- [Two Days Later] [God Valley] Nine days had passed since the event began, two days since Rocks D. Xebec''s fall. A secure fleet of Cipher Pol Agents led by Zephyr had departed yesterday. Around four dozen World Nobles still lived, less than a quarter of how many there should have been! For once in their lives, the Celestial Dragons didn''t point fingers or curse at the world; instead, they just sat blankly as if the world had been turned upside down. Every time they closed their eyes, a figure of a menacing pirate, one with a savage and feral appearanceбкRocksбкappeared. бн "Haaaah, Huuuuuh," heavy breathing rang across the hellish remains of God Valley. A sole pirate bathed in volatile electricity stood tall. His body covered dark markings that set him apart from others. "Damn," he muttered, his eyes growing heavy from fatigue. Though at the drop of his words came a whirling tornado of pure sand, sharper than great-grade swords, dancing in the dusty winds. Indra looked up, his vision hazy. He felt the razor-sharp grains of sand enclose him. The human-Sphinx Hybrid, scornfully watching from the sideбкeven as a Logia, he couldn''t keep going any further. Xerxes was considered equal to Admiral Kurowashi; he was naturally incredibly well-versed in combat and extended duels. "You cling to life as stubbornly as your Commander," the Chief Agent muttered, glancing at the apocalyptic fight a kilometer away. "Surviving off sheer will, a key quality of a true Conqueror''s Haki userбн the Sin Incarnate is true to his title as a Titan." Xerxes then glared at the panting Indra. His tone turned sharp and furious. "Once you fall here, I will aid Kong in taking down your Commander, and then the two of you will be thrown into Impel Down to rot for the rest of your lives!" *Vvoooo!* The sand flowed into a weapon at Xerxes'' side, gathering in the trillions in terms of individual grains, forming a sharp spear. . "Dиоry Ammиоlofon!" (Sand Dune Spear) . *Vvooosh!* It soared across the ruined land and nailed the target. Indra was picked up from the ground, his body shooting back alongside the spear. "Ugh!" he grunted, feeling the water in his body drain away from the spear in his chest. The spear continued its advent, grinding the pirate across the earth as the friction and rugged land scorched his body quite literally. Boom! A massive storm of dust went up, hiding the downed pirate in a brown dust storm. "..." Xerxes spanned his Haki, feeling the enemy''s signature dying down. "About time he went down, Logias are a real pain in the ass!" Logias were naturally in an intangible state. Therefore, they didn''t need to waste energy to dodge or materialize around things, nor for basic attacks. The thick-bearded man growled his frustrations away, turning in the direction of Kong and Damien. His heavy boots shifted along the sandy region, digging in to launch him ahead. *Bzzt!* Xerxes'' mind began to buzz at the very last second from a headache pulsating through his skull. A sonic boom echoed in the Zoan user''s ears right before his vision darkened. "Huh?" The man looked down at his chest and saw a horizontal gash slowly opening up. Xerxes absently reached for his chest, feeling the warm blood dripping through the gaps of his fingers and splattering onto the ground. Boom! The roar of thunder echoed through the shaken Agent''s mind as he staggered. "Youбн" Xerxes murmured, his body stunned from the pins and needles all over. He looked up in pain and shock, his eyes falling onto a distant, broken figure. "...You have Conqueror''s Haki too!?" . Indra, who now stood across from the turbulent Xerxes, wasn''t entirely conscious. His breathing was heavy, still at the end of his rope. "This feeling," he muttered, looking down toward his body and noticing the oddityбкhis tribal marks were pulsating red! However, his thoughts were broken as his opponent began to speak. "Those markings, that blood-red colour, I''ve seen it beforeбн" Xerxes muttered, pressing a hand to his throbbing forehead. He gritted his teeth, looking at Indra with undisguised anger. Said swordsman''s appearance had considerably changed. For one, his usual black vest had long been turned to dust, unveiling the toned skin below. The oddity lay in the fact that the dark skin had turned jet black from a flood of newfound Haki. Meanwhile, the black tribal marks were burning a deep red. A few arcs of red lightning crackled about, adding a rather fearsome touch. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. [Current Indra Image (in Discord)] . The CP-Chief clenched his fists and cursed under his breath, "An extinct people, the Warborns, had a tendency of being overwhelmed with their drive to kill and that their own blood would pump a hundred times faster, dyeing their bodily markings in that exact colour." "First, it was the ''Bloodspawn'' Mors over thirty years ago, and now you!" Indra''s expression was of ambivalence. He frowned at the power pumping in his veins. "There was a time when I cast away these powers, honing myself to never rely on them againбн but what''s at stake is far greater than the ghost of my past. My mission is solely to stop you. I will fulfill thatбн even in death!" Boom! The declaration came with ghastly winds, bursting out with a reddish-purple hue. Xerxes winced, feeling the tingling sensation across his skin. His perspective changed, and he almost adopted an air of admiration as he examined the new Indra. "I can see why the Sin Incarnate would give you such a priceless Devil Fruit," the agent muttered. Such undying loyalty is exceptionally rare." "Roar!" Xerxe growled like a beast, his body exploding with refined and sharp grains of sand. His deep wounds were plugged up, the sand absorbing the blood and effectively cauterizing the injury. The Sphinx-man appeared once more, whirling with sand. Indra saw the towering enemy and raised a hand. *Crackle* The lightning burst out, crackling into the distance. Interestingly enough, all his lightning had also turned blood-red! With a blinding light, the bolts of electricity burned away the sand in the air, all the while returning the swordsman to his blade. Shing! Tenmei was released once more, imposing the world with its sacred divinity. The uncontrolled release of lightning created quite the spectacle. The crimson lightning sparked from one side while pure-white bolts appeared from the other, credit to Tenmei. . "Rumbling Sword Style: Cosmic Storm!" . Xerxes'' eyes shot to the previously clear sky. Within seconds, a giant storm had arrived, rumbling with electricity. Yet it was no ordinary storm with dark clouds; these clouds were a mix of black, purple, blue, and white. The lightning that fell was of many shades, carrying far more intensity and electric current. [Cosmic Storm Image (in Discord)] "Damn!" Xerxes retreated, his body whirled with sand in an attempt to shield him from the storm. Boom! The lightning crashed hard onto the barrier, exploding into crystals and glass. Xerxes grunted, fueling even more sand to cover the sky. But in his roar against the storm, he missed the follow-up attack from Indra. The storm was a smokescreen, hiding a more devastating monster behind it. It arrived with a red flash and fell with the grace of Indra''s sword. The creation was a hand pointing a finger at Xerxes, thundering onto the sole enemy. . "Rumbling Sword Style: Hand of God!" . BOOM! "Aughh!" The attack hit the CP-Chief hard, his entire body digging deep into the ground. By the time Xerxes regained control of his spamming body, Indra had disappeared into a blue flash. . "Rumbling Sword Style: Godspeed!" . Boom! *Rumble!* Bang! *Whizzz* Blood exploded from Xerxes, and giant gashes slowly formed across his entire body. The pain came in waves, each followed by the roar of thunder. The flashes of white and red left his mind overwhelmed, slowly eating away at his concentration. A blade soon appeared by the man''s throat, slashing without mercy. *Swish* "Guhh!" Xerxes grabbed at his throat, his mind racing to stop the bleeding. All he saw was the colour hue, failing to track. But under such struggle was still a battle-hardened veteran. *BAM!* The fist shot out, raging to meet a flash of light. The brute strength sent the attacker soaring through the air, crashing into a pile of earth. Xerxes fell to a knee, hastily cauterizing his dripping throat and other large cuts with sand. "Almost got meбн can''t use Observation Haki when you''re panicked. He really almost got me!" The beast gnashed its maw together, releasing a growl. "He''s much faster than ever before. Is it from the increased blood flow?" *Swish* A jet of blood shot out from the man''s nape, leaving a deep cut below his neck. "Auuugh!" Xerxes stumbled forward, aches spreading across his body. *Gruuuu* The whirling sand began to slow down, slowly collapsing from its previous virility. Dunes of sand appeared across the ruined land. Every so often, a few glints would go off from the shards of glass mixed in the sea of sand. Xerxes'' transformation began to break apart, losing its fearsome nature as he fell to his knees. His weathered face appeared, covered in fresh cuts. The previous golden mane surrounding his head had been burnt to ashes, blackened from the heat. "Why is a failed experiment so powerfulбн" he gazed up at the figure that had appeared in front of him. "You''re supposed to be dead; all of the Warborns were supposed to be dead!" Indra''s blood-red eyes fell upon the distraught Cipher Pol Agent, examining his expression. "Do you know our purpose?" he suddenly asked. Xerxes sighed, relenting to his fate. "The Warborns were created in the picture of a near-extinct supreme raceбкthe Lunarians. Their sole purpose was to become the greatest weapon for their masterбнthe World Government." Indra hummed while Tenmei graced the land once more, bringing about a bright dawn. *Cough* *Cough* Xerxes coughed out a bloody mess, his teeth dripping with the fresh crimson liquid. "Xa-Xa-Xa! That is what you want to beбн the greatest weapon for your master, the Sin Incarnate?" The Agent glanced at Temei, closing his eyes. Indra''s blood-red eyes showed strong determination. Waves of Haki expelled from his body, sending tremors through the air and ground. "It is my purpose, after all." Shing! The sacred blade slashed forth without hesitation, without mercy. бн [Nearby] A tired Damien backed up. Half of his body was in the fluid shape of crimson particles, reforming once more. It was apparent that the pirate was about to lose energy at that moment. A scuffed-up Kong in his Ape form stood towering over the pirate. He had quite a few purple bruises across his chest, dried blood on top, and a few broken bones were evident from the protrusions. "!!!" Kong''s eyes zoomed into the distance, trying to confirm his guess. "Xerxes, youбн!" A look of pure disbelief fell onto the Fleet Admiral''s face, swamped with shock. Damien smirked from the side. "Rahahaha! It looks like Indra was a little tougher than your friend." Kong gnashed teeth, clenching his hand. Seeing a 50-foot-tall Ape present such fury was maddening. It came in thick pulses of visible anger that quaked the land. "Xerxes, we started as brothers in arms. You actually fell hereбн" Meanwhile, Damien sighed, trying to dig up some energy. Boom! A giant man landed near him, showcasing an equally giant glaive. "Gurararara! You really got an impressive sword by your side, Damien." On cue, another few persons arrived, this time at Kong''s side: a Buddha and a swordsman. "Kong-sanбн" the blooded Buddha muttered. While the other man, Garling, was shocked by something else: "Admiral Basara, what on earth has befell you?" His words were for the final man who had arrived. Basara''s glorious brown marine attire was in tatters, ripped up. The man looked at the Saint, his face carrying a mix of shame and anger. бн "Kuhuhuhu! *Cough* that may have been meбн" Damien looked to the side and saw a limping Solomon at Silver Axe''s side. "I never thought to see Basara''s face with such despair. What did you do to him?" Solomon smirked, exposing a few broken teeth and bloody lips. "His will is broken!" The Spirit of Fear recounted the emotions he felt hidden within The Mountain, "I could see pieces of what left him like this... His heart wavered when he failed at G-2. Then again, when the Navy lost at Superbia. Finally, returning to see his home island destroyed by Rocks was the last strawбн" Solomon licked his lips at the delicious fright of the Admiral he had harvested, "His greatest fear is failing in the Absolute Justice that defined his life. He''s no longer the man he once was!" ''The spirit of The Mountain has collapsed?'' Damien echoed with surprise etched on his face. "All the more reason to strike when the iron is hot!" "Newgate-san," Damien called for the other Titan. Whitebeard''s chest was covered in deep cuts from Garling''s blade, backed with Sengoku''s shockwaves, though his face betrayed no signs of pain. "Hmm?" he grunted in question. Damien gave a cheeky grin. "Let''s thin the crowd." The words made the man smile, but it hid a worry: "Can you still do that in your condition?" Damien chuckled, spitting out a wad of blood. "As long as you don''t drag me down, old man." Whitebeard laughed, agreeing to the following path of action... . Meanwhile, Silver Axe heard their exchange and immediately moved, grabbing the fallen Solomon and pulling him back. Pablo, the caretaker of the downed Kaen and Hensин, followed suit. "Heheбн" Damien stood by Whitebeard''s side, the two separated by a small distance. A sharp hissing wind began to build up, flooding in an ominous front. Ryushi appeared in the undying pirate''s hand. He held up like a bat, reeling it to his left shoulder. Whitebeard, with his Murakumogiri, mirrored the motion. The ground began to shake, trembling hard enough to create cracks around the duo. "!!!" Kong, Sengoku and Garling felt the budding threat, their survival instincts firing through the roof. *Purrup* They saw Whitebeard''s glaive covered in a white bubble with enough power to sink the island. *Krrrrr* Next up was Damien''s Ryushi which began to quake with volatile crimson energy, turning nearby air currents to void. The sheer collection of brute strength and dense Haki had sent pulses of danger out, effectively graying the atmosphere and plunging it with a deathly cold wind. "That will sink the island!" Kong roared. Garling gnashed his teeth, subconsciously taking a step back. "It''ll create an opening for them to flee. We have to stop it!" Sengoku sucked in a cold breath, shaking his head. "There''s no way to stop that!" All of them were fully aware of the chaos about to arrive but could do nothing about it. The island seemed to hold its breath as Whitebeard''s towering frame shifted beside Damien''s. Black lightning crackled, the sky itself warping under the weight of their combined power. Murakumogiri hummed with cataclysmic energy while Ryushi swirled with volatile crimson force, distorting the very air. Together, their auras grewбкan unstoppable storm of brute strength and unfathomable destruction. What followed was hell itself. It was a mix of blue and red, an attack born from the combined force of absolute destruction and atomic dismantlingбкa forbidden union, one that had the strength to shred an island. The winds screamed and thrashed, bowing to the relentless storm of energy, twisting the very fabric of the battlefield into chaos. Amidst the rising cacophony, the two titans roared in unison: . ""Judgement Day!"" . And thenбк BOOOOOOM! The world detonated with an unimaginable force, sending shockwaves ripping through what remained of the Cradle of the Gods, swallowing everything in its path. [Attack Image (in Discord)] To Be Continued... Chapter 153: The Last Stand (IV) б░б░Judgement Day!б▒б▒ The torrent of pure destruction howled forward, showing no chance of stopping or slowing down. The mellow night that had arrived had just as quickly disappearedбкthe combination of blue and red lit up the island and the nearby seas in its catastrophic delight. Incessant shockwaves raged out from the attack, leaving a trail of annihilation in its wake. The atmosphere nearby cracked, shattered and was turned to nothingness. It was an attack beyond anything God Valley had seen and was enough to sink the island. . The Marines were shaken as the attack spanned nearly 50 meters in diameter and eclipsed the evening sun into oblivionбкit was inescapable. б░Damn!б▒ Kong cursed, feeling the boiling heat of the attack barely a hundred meters away. The tips of his hair were already burning away! His battle-hardened mind was firing, devising the best way to resolve this. Ultimately, even Mythical Zoans couldnбпt walk free from such a cacophony of devastation. б░Phantom! Portal me out!б▒ Garling roared with fear stuck to his tongue. Upon his command, a dark entity shrouded in gloom appeared, opening a portal to retreatбкGarling was an ambitious man vying for the spot of an Elder; he had no intention of dying here! Surprisingly enough, a sole marine made a move even before anyone could go furtherбн an action that shocked everyone. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* Calm and collected footsteps. б░Iбпve been an Admiral for a decade now,б▒ a voice resounded, somehow overshadowing the approaching hell. Iбпve seen great pirates rise and fallбнб▒ Its calm yet disappointed tone didnбпt fit in the current context. б░My personal Justice has been stained. I disgraced my position as an Admiral and brought shame upon the Navy.б▒ The voice grew firmer, becoming more resolute the closer the attack got. б░This war represents the future of the Marinesбн If I can no longer live for justice, Iбпll die for it!б▒ The tattered man walked forward, utterly unfazed by the destructive force before him. An ant facing down the boot that would surely crush it. б░Basaraбнб▒ Kong muttered. The Mountain did not respond to the others and faced off against what would surely end him. Without hesitation, he extended both arms out. With tears appearing over his body and face from the howling winds, he declared, б░I failed once beforeбн I will not fail again, even if it comes at the cost of my life!б▒ *Rumble* Boom! Tremors tore through God Valley, splitting the earth into jagged shards of rock. Basara let out a thunderous roar, every ounce of his power pouring from his body. The island quaked under his command, tipping the balance as the destructive force summoned by Whitebeard and Damien closed in, now only ten meters away. His power reached deep into the islandбпs core, transforming magma, metal, and minerals into pure earth. Mountains erupted from the seafloor, merging with the shattered land at his will. "I leave the fate of the world in your hands!" he bellowed to his comrades before standing alone against the island-sinking onslaught. бн Damienбпs eyes narrowed as he watched the towering Admiral stand defiantly against the attack. The attack wasnбпt meant for this. The power of Judgment Day was supposed to wipe out the Marines and carve an escape route for his crew. But Basaraбкthat damn foolбкhad thrown himself into the destruction. б░Dammit, Basara!б▒ Damienбпs heart pounded in his chest, blood rushing through his veins as he gritted his teeth. His body ached from the battle, muscles trembling from exhaustion. But the future the Sin Incarnate saw left him angeredбкthis wasnбпt supposed to happen. . "Trembling Earth: Absolute Justice!" . A massive shield, sixty meters tall, rose from the ground, forged from the very essence of God Valley. It weighed over a dozen mountains, and every rock fused together under Basara''s control. The front of the shield shimmered with Haki, his last reserves spent fortifying its defense. For a brief moment, the world stood still. Basara closed his eyes and took a deep breath, bracing himself. Then, hell arrived. BOOOOOOM! The shield met the full force of the attack, and Basara''s eyes flew open. His muscles bulged, veins bursting from the immense pressure. "Auuugghh!" he howled, pushing back with sheer will. *Crack!* His left forearm snapped, bones ripping through skin. His right knee buckled, forcing him to one knee as blood streamed from his eyes, ears, and mouth. Boom! *Krrrr* The earth wall groaned under the strain, fractures spreading like lightning. It slowly but inevitably gave wayбкan earthquake clashing with pure Pulverization. Boom! The shield exploded, the attack drilling through its core and slamming into Basara. His body was torn apart, bones shattering, muscles ripping as the force broke him down to the atomic level. His skin boiled away, exposing raw muscle, but still, the attack continued. He was falling, his body giving out. But in one final act of defiance, his left foot slammed down, steadying him. His eye, the only one left, burned with unyielding determination. ''The Rocks Pirates will end today!'' Basara locked his body in place with a final burst of willpower, activating Iron Body to face the onslaught head-onбкsealing his fate. Black lightning sparked through the air from the attack while a blue sphere stretched for kilometers. The ball of destruction further contained violent crimson energy, some even tearing through the sphere and piercing the broken clouds. The tides born from the shockwave would carry on for hundreds of kilometers, washing West Blue without end. Every ounce of the hell concentrated on the lone Marine. [Spectacle Image (in Discord)] бн It took a good two minutes for the spectacle to die out. In a single attack, God Valley had been assaulted by twin natural disasters. One look and it would leave people frightened. The Pirates stood a good 150 meters from the Marinesбп side. A direct line spanning 50 meters in width connected the two like a road. Only this passage was bubbling with molten metal and lava! It was reduced to pure devastation, almost as if every natural disaster known to man had passed by. Yet after 140 meters, the molten road of death abruptly ended, and all that remained beyond it was a piece of dusty fabric with the word б░Justiceб▒ written in bold ink. A heavy-hearted Kong stepped ahead, absently staring at the ashes decorating around the scorched cape. б░...Basara,б▒ he breathed with a shaky voice. бн The situation on the other side, too, was unexpected. б░Ugh!б▒ Damien collapsed to one knee, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His hand trembled uncontrollably, a violent shudder that refused to stop. Sweat poured from his brow, dripping down his gaunt cheeks as his vision blurred at the edges. He glanced down at his arm, the veins beneath his skin pulsing unnaturally, darkening as if his blood had turned corrosive. б░Not now!б▒ His heart pounded painfully in his chest, so fast it felt like it might burst, and a sharp pain shot through his side. He wiped his nose absentmindedly, only to see streaks of crimson on the back of his hand. б░I didnбпt let him live at G-2 to piss me off right now!б▒ Damien complained, feeling his muscles locking up from the overuse of the energy drugs. Whitebeard huffed but remained standing. He placed his trusty glaive to the side, acting as support. б░Stamina to fight this long has to be built over decades, Damien. Youбпre shortening your life.б▒ But his words were met with deaf ears. б░Pablo.б▒ The Drug Lord, who had been caretaking after the unconscious Hensин and Kaen, jumped to attention. Pablo saw the look in Damienбпs eyes and shook his head. б░Patrиоn, any more of my shots, and youбпll put too much pressure on your heart!б▒ Damien didnбпt take no for an answer: б░Just do it.б▒ Pablo gulped and slowly took out his gun. With a sigh, he unloaded some shots. Bang! Bang! Bang! Only for the result to leave him speechless. б░How come?б▒ Pablo wondered, seeing no change in his Commanderбпs condition. бн Meanwhile, the dust had now settled, unveiling a sight of utter dismay. б░Basara is dead. His sacrifice will not be for nothing!б▒ Kong roared. He was not the only one furious about The Mountainбпs fate either. A giant Buddha whizzed across the battlefield, regret etched on his face. To his side was a handsome Celestial Dragon, his fury directed at the state of the Cradle of the Gods. . б░Impact Wave!б▒ . б░Saintly Surge!б▒ . Whitebeard clicked his tongue. With a light sigh, he slashed the Supreme Blade, amplified with quake energy. BOOOM! The titan gnashed his teeth, feeling his boots dig deep into the barren land. б░You canбпt save him, Newgate!б▒ Sengokuбпs right palm quivered with vast energy. The howling shockwaves pulsed with a heartbeat, getting smaller and thinnerбкhe was concentrating the attack into a thin stream! Boom! Whitebeard was quickly sent back, his towering body grinding his feet into the ground to stay up, his glaive acting like a break. With an annoyed grunt, he glared up to see the combined might of Sengoku and Garling continuing the assault. The last thing he saw before being shot away was the Fleet Admiral folding Basaraбпs cape neatly and walking toward the downed Damien. б░I will bury Basara later, but firstбнб▒ Kong glared at the fallen pirate. боHe can no longer enter his Logia-like state. Now, to finally finish what should have ended a long time ago!бп With resolve burning in his heart, the top Marine exploded into his 50-foot-tall frame, growling out his frustrations. . б░Drums of Justice!б▒ Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! . Boom! Kaboom! Bang! BOOM! The fireball was nearly 10,000 Celsius in temperature, quickly obliterating everything in its path. Every beat created a dozen such explosions, chaining through the land and covering the pirate side with hell itself. б░...б▒ Kong raised a furry eyebrow, momentarily pausing his assault. Damien was still down, yet his Haki signature was as bright as beforeбкsomeone had gotten in the way! Kong recognized the obstacle as the smoke cleared up. The man had cracked armour all around. Some metal shards fell every so often, exposing the man from within. Blood dribbled out from the visor of the mask, yet the axe in the manбпs hand was just as sharp as before. б░Silver Axe. Do you really want to die for a pirate under Rocks?б▒ The silver eyes locked onto that of the Apeбпs, showing determination as he slammed the butt of his weapon into the ground. б░If he was just another pirate, then you would not be so adamant in taking him down.б▒ б░I was there when this young man faced off against Sengoku. It would be a shame for him to die now, donбпt you agree, Fleet Admiral?б▒ Kong scoffed, returning to his previous attack. б░Then I will extinguish you!б▒ BOOM! Kaboom! BAM! The drums played their devasting tune once more, forcing Silver Axe to his knees and his armour to dust. A huffing Damien absently watched as he saw the man''s weathered face under the broken armour. The golden pupils hid a smirk even under fireballs. б░Avenge us, Damien.б▒ Those were the final words before the knight was scorched into oblivion, right before the Sin Incarnateбпs eyes. боI got too confident,бп Damien grumbled while applying Life Return to squeeze any energy left, only to meet another dead-end. BOOM! Kaboom! BAM! The Fleet Admiral continued his bombardment to vanquish the younger threat, only to arrive at the same outcomeбкmore nuisances in the way. Kong growled past his giant fangs, this time seeing two giant silhouettes that could be made out. б░The fools of the Fourth Divisionбнnot enough!б▒ He recognized them: two Ancient Zoans tanking the hits while a rested-up Kaen and Hensин behind them. б░Kuhuhuhu! How about you add the toughness of a Mythical Zoan in the mix!б▒ A proud Solomon in his Wendigo appeared alongside the others, his body bursting into black smoke. б░Indraбпs out cold from that annoying sand kittyбн Itбпs my turn to help the Boss!б▒ Kong leaned his savage face at the line of threats; a particular one required careful thinking: б░It would be problematic for another Mythical Zoan to enter reincarnation. Phantom, move him aside while I end the others.б▒ б░WaiиCб▒ Solomon couldnбпt even finish his defiant roar before the shrouded agent opened a portal under his feet and portalled him kilometers away. б░I give you four the choice to lay down your weapons and surrender for a shorter sentence,б▒ the overwhelming Fleet Admiral offered, his body smoking with black vapour. Yet no reply came. б░Cheh. So you will die for a man who hoped for his own Captainбпs death?б▒ Kaen chuckled, shaking his head. He raised his right hand, sparkling with flame, б░Oye, oye, you overgrown gorilla! Perhaps you didnбпt knowбн but weбпre the Fodders of the Fourth Division! Dying was part of the job description!б▒ Hensин nodded and threw on a fiery mask. б░Iбпve already lost everything at the Superbia. Dying here doesnбпt sound so bad.б▒ Flames ignited along his arms, conveying the rage in his heart. б░Then fulfill your destiny in fire and blood!б▒ Boom! Kaboom! Bang! BAM! The colossal Ape continued the bombardment, raining hell onto the extinct creatures. б░Ugh, Majajaja! I-It doesnбпt hurt one bit!б▒ б░Arai body crumblingбн Sweating many tiny rocksбнб▒ Kaen roared through the hellfire that exploded around him, snapping his fingers to fight fire with fire. Hensин unleashed similar firepower hoping to cancel out the incoming explosions. The Ankylosaurus and Titanoboa were spaced out as much as possible, hoping to protect the recovering Damien. Spurts and geysers of blood poured from the tough skin, painting the rugged ground a fresh red. бн б░Patrиоn, your body has created an immunity for the drug to work!б▒ the short man remarked. His face was a sweaty mess from being so close to hell. Damien placed his hand over his chest, feeling the unstable heartbeat. He looked up at the scene of red and orange that dominated the darkening skies of God Valley. The grunts and wails of the four fodder found their way to the Commander. б░Give me ten times the dosage.б▒ Pablo gawked, his jaw dropping to the floor. б░T-That will shave off at least ten years of your life!б▒ But all he got in return were cold and firm eyes. бн Kong roared out, releasing the attacks without mercy. The fallen Basara had left him furious; an Admiral, a beacon of Marine supremacy, died. Furthermore, it was right after his oldest brother-in-arms, Xerxes, had been killed. б░Blood is repaid with blood is something you pirates should understandбнso die!б▒ Boom! Kaboom! BAM! б░Hmm!?б▒ Kong calmed his thoughts, glaring at the giant plume of smoke that spanned nearly half of God Valley. The two giant Zoans had disappeared, and their human forms collapsed to the ground. Two other collections of ashes were nearby. With a sniff of the ashy air, the Fleet Admiral said, б░Einar D. Damien. Here I thought youбпd use their sacrifice to escapбкhmm?б▒ His eyes turned to examine the standing threatбкsomething was afoot. б░The life force within you has shrunkбн You gave up so much of your life,б▒ Kong growled, ignoring the crackling Haki seething from the undying pirateбпs body. His voice oozed venom, pressing the wound deeper. б░And still, you failed to save them.б▒ Damien exhaled lightly, his face an emotionless mask. б░They may have signed their lives away the moment they joined the Fourth Division,б▒ he began, his voice calm, almost detached. But there was a weight in his wordsбкa weight Kong had yet to understand. б░But thatбпs the thing, Kong. Theyбпre my fodder. Their deathsбн are mine to decide, not yours.б▒ He cast his gaze over the ashes scattered across the dusty groundsбкremnants of Silver Axe, Kaen, Majin, Arai, and Hensин. Each name weighed on him like a leaden chain wrapped around his soul. For a moment, his calm faltered. "They knew they would die... but their life wasnбпt yours to take." His eyes darkened as he continued, the rage simmering beneath his stoic exterior threatening to surface. б░Ravager,б▒ he whispered, and with a slow, deliberate breath, he materialized Ryushi in hand, the once smooth blade now trembling with violent intent. б░Blood is repaid with blood, isnбпt that what you said?б▒ Damienбпs voice sharpened, cold and piercing. He snapped his fingers, and a crimson glow flickered across the remains of the fallen men. Their ashes began to swirl around Ryushi, fusing with the sword, each particle a reminder of the lives lost, of the sacrifices made. *Vvooo!* The streams of ash twisted around the Supreme Blade, imbuing it with a ruinous edge, radiating with the fury of the fallen. Damienбпs grip tightened on Ryushi as he prepared to deliver the justice stolen from him. His left boot sank into the ground, gathering his energy. And with a sudden bang, he launched forward, a single dauntless charge, Ryushi quaking with vengeance. Kong scoffed at the reckless attack, raising his massive head in disdain. б░Your helplessness has made you lose your mind, Sin Incarnate! Youбпre a fool!б▒ . б░Drums of Justice!б▒ . The Zoan-like monster bashed both his chests, unleashing a fireball blessed with flowing Haki. Damienбпs midair assault was engulfed in a ten-meter-wide explosion that bubbled with enough heat to melt rock into lava! It was the same attack that had kept the Sin Incarnate at bay for the past two days. Kong expected the same result, confident that the scorching sea of hellfire would engulf his enemy again. Only this time, through the thick, fiery haze, he saw something that froze him in his tracksбкa pair of razor-sharp eyes cutting through the flames, locked onto him with terrifying precision. б░Ryushi Combat Artsбнб▒ A shiver ran down Kongбпs spine as realization dawned too late. The hair all over his colossal body stood on end in cold fright. боH-His internal Hakiбн has evolved!бп Damien''s Black Body had taken a final step forward, too far advanced for Kong to react in time. The Fleet Admiral could only raise his thick right arm in a desperate attempt to defend his throat. . б░...Requiem.б▒ . The Supreme Blade cleaved through the air with savage intent, the power to atomize anything in its path. *Grrrr!* Ryushi crashed into Kongбпs arm with brutal force, sparks of crimson energy exploding from the impact. The blade sliced deep through fur, muscle, and bone, severing the limb in one swift, merciless strike. Within moments, a hairy arm was sent hurtling through the air, severed clean. And Damien, eyes blazing with resolve, powered through the narrow opening he had created, closing in on Kongбпs exposed throat. He was there, the tip of Ryushi sinking into the Fleet Admiralбпs skin, moments from ending himбн But then something else cameбкsomething fast, something powerfulбкnarrowing in on the bloodthirsty pirate from the side. *BAM!* Without warning, Damienбпs world spun into chaos. His view of Kongбпs frightened eyes and the ruins of God Valley blurred into a tunnel of dust and debris as an unseen force collided with him, smashing him from midair. The impact was jarring and violent, sending him careening through the air with unrelenting force. He grunted in pain as his body was sent flying, hurtling through dozens of meters of dense earth, the momentum drilling him through the ground with the force of a warship ramming into a cliffside. бн б░Haaah, huuuh,б▒ Kong breathed, his eyes absently looking to the distance. He gulped away the fear of death coursing through his mind. The pain from his missing right arm was secondary; he was more focused on memory from years agoбн б░Ruhahaha! So the Navy sent a fresh Admiral to test me out? Show me what ya got!б▒ A shameful stain on Kongбпs name. б░Hehe, thatбпs some tough skin youбпd find on a Zoan!б▒ He then remembered the bone-chilling cold when faced with death. б░Dammit, Endou! I almost took the head of your precious successor!б▒ Kong growled, gnashing his fangs together with such anger that bits of enamel flew out. He slammed the ground in a rage, furious at the two similar faces coinciding decades apart. б░AresбнDamienбнб▒ The enraged Fleet Admiral gave out a venomous roar, shaking the Cradle of the Gods with his might. It was only when the other person present spoke did Kong calm down: б░Iбпve never seen you so pissed, Kong-san.б▒ A heavy breath escaped the beastбпs maw as he looked down to acknowledge the man who saved him. A tattered white sailor shirt with black pants. The sleeves were up to his elbows, unveiling two thick arms that hid the strength to flatten entire mountains. He had short black hair, a burly body and a small scar around his left eye. б░Garpбнб▒ Kong lightly spoke, his mind calmer. б░You saved me from certain death.б▒ The Marine known as The Fist shrugged, but his eyes betrayed great surprise at the turn of events. When Garp fell asleep after Xebecбпs death, he thought he would wake up to a complete victory on the Navyбпs end. Still, he wasnбпt even remotely closeбкKong losing his right arm to Damien was even crazier! б░Itбпs time to end this war, old man,б▒ Garp sighed, breathing in all the death and suffering that befell the sacred land of God Valley in the past nine days. бн The scene of Damien being swatted aside after the death of nearly the entire Fourth Division was seen by all. An annoyed Whitebeard roared, sinking his unstoppable fist into the fabric of space. б░You Marines are really getting carried away!б▒ Thick cracks spread across the air, spreading through and beyond as the creaking howled from the pressure. They kept branching and went all the way from the surface to the scarred skies above! BOOM! A single punch and God Valley was shaking, crying out in pain. Sengoku held a golden arm across his face, squinting at the island-ratting power. His feet dug into the weeping ground while torrents opened up countless cuts across his golden frame. б░W-What ridiculous power!б▒ Saint Garling shrank behind the Buddha, his shaken eyes concealed behind the sweaty hair that had scattered across his forehead. б░Looks like we overlooked the Titans a bit too much,б▒ Garling huffed out his frustrations. б░Huh?б▒ The two looked to the side, looking at a Cipher Pol Agent appearing from the darkness. "Admiral Sengoku, Saint Garling. Urgent news!" Phantom''s voice was sharp, and his urgency was clear. "Then speak, Phantom," Garling snapped, his patience thin. Phantom bowed quickly before delivering the bombshell. "The fleet escorting the surviving Celestial Dragonsбн itбпs been attacked by pirates!" Sengokuбпs eyes widened, shock rippling through him. "Pirates? Who has the guts to pull that off? Who is it?!" Phantom gulped, visibly shaken. "The Kuja Piratesбн led by the Black Death!" "Kuja Pirates?" Sengoku muttered in disbelief. "Shakuyaku? She should be retired by nowбн" Phantom shook his head. "Itбпs not just herбн Silvers Rayleigh is with her!" Garling''s fists clenched tight, his knuckles white. The image of Roger flashed in his mind. "Damn them! Filthy pirate scum!" Sengoku''s voice was tinged with concern. "Is Roger involved, too?" "No," Phantom replied quickly, shaking his head. "It seems to be Rayleigh acting on his own. But thatбпs not allбкtsunamis and storms have been battering nearby nations for days, and theyбпre demanding Navy aid. The West Blue Mafia is also stirring, sensing our resources are stretched thin." Garlingбпs grip tightened on his saber. "Thereбпs more, isnбпt there? Spit it out!" Phantom took a deep breath. "Golden Lion Shiki attacked G-1. There''sбн nothing left." Boom! Sengoku slammed his fist into the ground, cracks spidering from the impact. He shot a look toward Newgate, a grim realization setting in. "Maybe we weren''t ready to wipe out the Rocks Pirates after allбн" . Meanwhile, Whitebeard, who had used the past few moments to catch his breath and confirm the safety of Damien, Indra, Solomon and Pablo with his Observation. The main problem was a rested Garp, but naturally, Newgateбпs expression revealed no such worry. б░What? Having second thoughts now, Gurarara!б▒ *Thwack!* But it was then a loud slam that broke the turbulent situation up even more. Whitebeard, Sengoku, Garling and Phantom were all left staring blankly at the older man who had arrived. Amid a pirate of earthquakes, a mythical Daibutsu, a mysterious phantom and World Noble was now an elderly man, standing tall and proud. His esteemed presence was unexpected from either side. His voice carried with it an unnerving authority as he approached with a cane, unflinching in the face of the destruction around him. б░Rocks has already been dealt with,б▒ he said softly, yet his words cut through the chaos like a blade. б░We are satisfied with the results.б▒ б░S-Saint Saturn, I thought you had taken your leaveбн!б▒ Phantom shakingly saluted, quickly moving aside. The Overseer of the World then turned to a fellow Noble, б░Figarland Garling, your actions have left us most surprised, and you will be granted appropriate accolades. However, your services are needed to safely transport the surviving Celestial Dragons; the Godбпs Knights will accompany you.б▒ Garling bowed his head, but his voice wasnбпt as subservient as his actions, б░Many thanks.б▒ Finally, the Elder turned to the Sengoku and gave a surprising order, б░Whitebeard shall be allowed to retreat.б▒ There was a beat of stunned silence before Saturnбпs eyes narrowed, his voice hardening. "Your remaining mission is to ensure the immediate capture of Einar D. Damien.б▒ The words hung in the air like a noose tightening around the Sin Incarnateбпs neck. Even amidst the devastation, a chill settled over the battlefield. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 154: The Last Stand (V) "Whitebeard shall be allowed to retreat. Your remaining mission is to ensure the immediate capture of Einar D. Damien." Sengoku''s golden jaw almost hit the ground. "But SainиC" "The Rocks Pirates shall no longer exist past today. Einar D. Damien is the inheritor of Rocks'' will and must be brought to justice." Saturn didn''t take ''no'' for an answer: "Do as you''re told, Sengoku. Do not make me repeat myself." The Admiral glanced at the distant Whitebeard, who was gulping down a barrel of sakиж that he had seemingly pulled out of thin air. "With all due respect, sir," he slowly spoke. His voice was not too submissive nor too bold. "Edward Newgate isn''t the type of pirate to leave even if we allow him to." Saturn nodded, his face lacking emotion. He leaned on his cane and said, "I will convince Whitebeard myself. Now go and inform Kong of my orders." The Buddha sighed and relented, rushing toward the faraway Kong. Garling and the God''s Knights also exited through Phantom''s portals, leaving a confused Whitebeard. . "You think I''ll let you get away?" Newgate threw aside the barrel of alcohol and aimed his Murakumogiri at the retreating Buddha. Yet the name of a particular island forced the man to hesitate: "Sphinx." The furious eyes of Whitebeard fell onto the unmoved Saturn. *Rumble* An overpowering weight burst from the pirate, falling onto the world before him. It came in a light-green colour, quaking through the plains of God Valley. Phantom fell to his knees, his mind throbbing, ready to explode from the Haki of Whitebeard. Saturn, however, stood tall and proud. "We heard that some insurgents were spotted on the island. Do you not wish to know more, Whitebeard?" The towering pirate growled, his body bursting with earthquakes. Bloodthirsty eyes fell upon the Overseerбкa glare that no man had survived to tell the tales of. "You want to drive me away with this!?" BOOM! The earth below cracked apart, shattering into widening ravines. God Valley shrieked in pain, threatening to sink at any moment. "We know that you send back entire ships of resources to your home island, Newgate." The Elder continued with a calm voice, "Considering your distaste for wild pirates, I''m sure you see the serene Sphinx Island to be your haven." "Some in the World Government think that a band of criminals is budding there; I believe a Buster Call is warranted." Whitebeard''s grip at the glaive was firm enough to snap quality blades in half. The smouldering eyes came with a wave of Haki that sent Phantom to the floor. If not for the thuds of Kong, Sengoku and Garp arriving, there was a good chance of Saturn being torn apart. бн Thud! On Whitebeard''s side was also some support in the form of a roughed-up Damien. He was constantly massaging his left jaw. ''Garp''s fist is like being run over by a train pulling a dozen mountains. That bastard actually developed his own version of Black Bones off me!'' In fact, Damien cared little for Garp''s ''Black Knuckles.'' He was probably the only man in the world who could learn it with his unmatched talent in Armament Haki. "It''s a pity I couldn''t take Kong''s head," he sighed, looking up to meet Whitebeard''s eyes. "Anyways, Newgate-san, I have a plan." The older pirate raised an eyebrow, already shaking his head. "No plan''s good enough to walk away from this. I''ll just sink God Valley, and we''ll let the seas decide our fate." Damien chuckled, shaking his head in return. "Don''t be so dramatic. I told you, I''m not done with God Valley. There are bigger things at play hereбн but I do need you to get the others out." There was a flicker in Damien''s eyes, something hidden beneath his words. It was as if the battlefield itself wasn''t his real concern. Something deeper was driving him, a move that no one else could see yet. Whitebeard caught that glimmer and frowned but didn''t press further. He spared a glance at the silent Pablo next to Solomon, who carried an unconscious Indra over his shoulders. Turning back to Damien, he saw the familiar crimson pupils shining bright with ambition. In Newgate''s eyes, Damien was a rather unique pirate. His ambition matched that of Rocks, and he had decent enough morals that a man like Whitebeard could nod at, an anomaly in one of the most dangerous eras in known history. Finally, he gave a tired sigh. "Fine." He glared at the distant Kong, slowly walking up to the pirates, followed by Sengoku and Garp. Damien''s hand went to a pocket, taking out two things. One was a transparent water bottle with the Suicidal Rambo inside. While the other was a heavy bag of what seemed to be rocks. The Drug Lord looked at his Commander with questioning eyes. "Throw the bottle in the sea, and it''ll transform into a bigger one," Damien explained. "As for that," he glanced at the inconspicuous bag, "it''s the legacy of the Fourth Division, alongside yourself." Pablo clenched his jaw, knowing what was awaiting his Commander. "PatrиоnбнI, too, am willing to die like my brothers!" Damien hummed at the outburst, his eyes curious. "Rahaha! Don''t throw your life away to look brave, Pablo! Those four died to let me get up, so it only gives me more reason to go through with my plan." He placed his massive hand on the drug maker''s shoulder; after all, Damien was almost twice Pablo''s height. "The Fourth Division lives within you now." Pablo saw his Commander nod toward the bag in his hand and nodded with a heavy heart. "Don''t worry, Patrиоn. I''ll take good care of it." . Damien then turned to the silent Solomon with a probing gaze. "It''s eerie to see you so quiet. Anyways, get a move on." The Wendigo user blinked under the casual orders but couldn''t form any words. Damien turned around to face the Navy side, sparing a final few words to the Extinct: "I promised you all that I would come back to Mortem, didn''t I?" "Youбнdid." Damien hummed, still staring down at the monsters in the distance. "I''m counting on you to remind the girls of that, too. No more than a month." Solomon, with a defeated sigh, could only nod. He felt the weight of the unconscious Indra and relented to the orders. Whitebeard slammed his glaive with a bang, forcing the Navy to shift its focus from Damien''s subordinates. "Good luck, kid." He decisively turned around and walked away with firm footsteps. "Wait for me, Newgate!" a bubbly voice boomed from a distance, coming from a gorgeous blond Stussy. She frantically waved, skipping across the hellacious lands of God Valley. "..." Kong narrowed his eyes, looking at the band of pirates walking away. Letting them get away would stain his career, but this was beyond his control. "Looks like you were left behind, Sin Incarnate. Now, there is no escape," Saturn scoffed with disdain. His words were also an order for the top Marines to move. Damien slightly smiled, his Haki picking up the colossal presences surrounding him like an iron triangle. To his left was Admiral Sengoku. To his right was Vice Admiral Garp. And in front of him was Fleet Admiral Kong. ''Escape? If only this old geezer knew how easy it was to escape,'' Damien scoffed. As fun as dropping two Big Bangs and swimming away sounded, there was something else he was after, and the Marines were the key. Now, as a target for three absolute monsters, the pirate did what any pirate should doбкhe grinned. Meanwhile, the bright light of dawn flooded the God Valley, bathing the sole threat with warmth and marking the tenth day since the war began! The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. . Saturn looked past Kong, his voice ever-confident. "The Rocks Pirates have been destroyed, and Hachinosu should be in flames as we speak. You will follow suit." "Hehe, It''s nice to see one of you in the flesh finally," Damien laughed, peaking around Kong''s burly figure to tease the Supreme Authority that was an Elder. "Should I consider this an honour?" Saturn scoffed with annoyed eyes. "An element of disorder like yourself cannot be allowed to persist; your end is nigh." The words were blunt and carried an air of authority, leaving the Marines silent. "Rahahaha!" Ryushi bubbled with crimson vapour, matching its master''s ridiculing laugh. It was a blasphemous scene, disparaging the almighty words of an Elder. The Supreme Blade was then pointed at the aged man, caring little for the iron triangle around him. "Don''t get too comfortable on your golden pedestal, Saturn," Damien blandly declared. "The Authority of the World Government spans a long chapter over history, not the story''s end. Seeds of rebellion have already been sown in the ashes of the Rocks Pirates. The story will continue, and its twists will forever defy your control." Such words uttered to a force that had survived for over 760 years could be considered laughable, but to Saturn, they were a grim reminder of the cursed clan they had tried too hard to surmount. The grip on his cane grew stronger as cracks formed, conveying Saturn''s anger. "Enough!" he roared, seething with the Colour of Supreme Kings. "Kong, I shall away to Mariejois. I leave the task of his capture in your hands." With that said, Saturn resolutely walked into Phantom''s portal, visibly angered. . "Your fate has been decided, Sin Incarnate," Kong spat. His stump still throbbed with pain even after being cauterized with fire. Sengoku remained silent, but his mind was working hard. He was stuck figuring out what Damien was after. ''He should still have Jigoku Ore with him that he can surely use to escape... so why doesn''t he?'' The Resourceful General studied the expression of his foe. ''I know that look... Just like Roger and Rocks, he fully intends to fight us here. But why? Why go through the trouble of having Xebec killed only to enter a fight he has no hope of winning?'' While the Admiral remained quiet on the outside, the same could not be said for everyone. "Psst, Kong-san, the three of us aren''t needed here. Why don''t I go chase down Newgate?" Garp hissed from the side, ignoring the Elder''s orders. A thick vein popped across the Fleet Admiral''s face. "We have orders, Garp, follow them!" The Vice Admiral crossed his arms, turning to the side with a frown. "It will leave a bitter taste in my mouth to gang up on a kid around the age of my own boy!" Kong gnashed his teeth from the abject insubordination. "You heard the intel. The world is in chaos! The Celestial Dragons'' transport is under attack, while Shiki has left Mariejois wide open. If not for the Nobles, at least do it for the era of peace that''s to come with the destruction of the Rocks Pirates!" The soon-to-be Hero clicked his tongue, seeming quite annoyed by the orders. He looked at Damien with an apology on his face: "Sorry about this." The pirate returned a tired smile, "Do what you gotta do." Kong scoffed, bursting with power. A giant, one-armed ape soon appeared, followed by an equally glorious Buddha. Garp clenched a fist, flooding it with incredible Haki. Damien deeply exhaled and held up Ryushi. One pirate against three powerhouses of the Navy Headquarters! ''Although with more bumps in the road than expected. At least we finally got to this point.'' No pirate in living history could stand against their combined might; one could say that the outcome was obvious. Yet such a force only brought out a grin across the unruly pirate who rushed into hell itself. BOOM! ---------------------------------------------- Ten days of conflict at God Valley, two at the Pirate Paradise. It was a tandem attack: Kong would ensure the annihilation of the Rocks Pirate at the Cradle of the Gods, while Kurojи▒ would do the same at their home base. And he certainly did not fail. ---------------------------------------------- [Hachinosu] Two days of war had left the Pirate Island in ruins. Once rich with the essence of piracy, the streets were nothing but rubble. Corpses were laid out everywhere, all belonging to pirates. There had to be thousands of them! As the camera moved closer, it became evident that this was done by a handful of personnel under the Navy Headquartersбкno more than a handful! бн Clang! A hardened fist landed on a young pirate with magenta-coloured hair. "Devil Fruit user," the boy, Katakuri, muttered. His enemy had black hair and was wearing dark marine attire. *Fwooo* Powerful winds raged around the fist, swallowing the creamy-white substance coming out of the boy''s body. Katakuri crashed into a wall, pain echoing through his back. "Your mother can spare you from our raid only so much. And your Mochi certainly isn''t enough to take me down." The panting pirate gazed up and roared defiantly, "Monkey D. Dragon, I won''t let you hurt my siblings any longer!" BOOM! Another fight took place nearby. Perespero licked a candy staff while launching candy arrows at his enemy. Yet every projectile rotted away before meeting its target. "Shinrai, the user of the Fix-Fix Fruit, what did you do to my candy, Perorin~?" The star rookie waltzed forth, a glob of pink still on his fingers. "Your candy has too much sugar, so I fixed that problem." The gelatinous substance rotted away from his hand at the drop of his words, sizzling out of existence. бн Nearby, various ill intentions were aimed at a sole marine. "Damn marines, let me slice you up!" "Once I kill you, I''ll take you to my quarters and make you play my favourite tunes!" "Leave the woman for me!" Hundreds of pirates soaked in sweat and blood raged on. They were like a pack of rabid dogs; their eyes were red in fury, and their mouths foamed up from their vile spirit. They belonged to the Seventh Division, each rushing toward one of the three primary invadersбкa rare and delectable treat for any lust-driven pirateбкa female marine. The woman was blond and beautiful, with shoulder-length hair and olive skin colour. Her face was that of a woman in her thirties, quite lovely at that. She wore a black-coloured sarong skirt along her hips, with a yellow design down the left side. A black bra wrapped around her chest, connected to the skirt with a fishnet cloth piece. She held a pipe in one hand, smoking elegantly. "I don''t like persistent men~!" The woman gave a sultry smile past the pipe she elegantly smoked. Her untainted appearance stuck out like a sore thumb with so many scum nearby. The woman put the pipe to her mouth, gently inhaling smoke. Without further ado, she exhaled the smoke in a hissing cloud. *Fuuuuu* The weirdest part of the smoke was that it was purple and moving around like it had a mind of its own! Within moments, an amethyst blanket up to the pirates'' knees appeared. And suddenly, the pounding gravel, the rowdy roars and the heavy footsteps all stopped at once. "..." Nearly 200 men just froze, their heads buckling forward and eyes shut. Resounding snores echoed out as they all had fallen asleep! "You," the woman pointed at a random sleeping pirate, seductively asking him to take a few steps ahead. "Do you know who I am~?" The man slowly nodded and spoke dreamily, "Yochou Reinaбнan Admiral Candidate of the Navy Headquartersбнuser of the Dream-Dream Fruitбн Holding the position as the Head of the Tortureбнand Interrogation Division." The woman smiled beautifully, but her gaze betrayed a cruel grin. "Then why don''t you use your dagger to pry out your eyes and eat them?" "Okayбн" The man raised his blade, fully intending to do it. "Go to the corner. I hate blood on my clothes." "Yesбн" The man strolled away; his steps were wobbly. Reina bloomed into a comfortable smile. If not for her inhumane orders, one would think her to be a fairy: "The rest of you, go dig yourself a grave and lay there till you die." They rushed to the dirt fields without any hint of disagreement and began digging. . A distinguished voice tore then broke the enchantress'' eyes from her fine work: "Reina-chan, you really are a rose with sharp thorns; no mercy at all." The words earned a scoff from Yochou, "I''m helping the vegetation grow with their corpses, Gomon." The older gentleman sighed, shaking his head with a smile. "I suppose this setting is a little beyond me; I''m used to my office." He was a bespeckled man in his late fifties with long silver hair pulled in a ponytail. The man donned a finely crafted black suit with a silver-coloured shirt inside. Oddly enough, a cybernetic pattern on the left side of his face, including the eye, almost as if it were a tattoo. Such a design was found also on his fingers and the cane he used with his left hand. His tone of speech made it evident that he was of the same rank as the woman. Codename: Ginrou, another Admiral Candidate! He held the position of the Navy''s Minister of Internal Affairs. [Yochou Reina Image (in Discord)] [Ginrou Gomon Image (in Discord)] [A/N: "Yochou" meaning "Night Butterfly"; "Ginrou" meaning "Silver Fox."] бн [Later that Day] "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma!" The towering Linlin stood alongside her self-proclaimed younger brother, Kaido. The two were huge, casting a giant shadow upon their three Marine opponents. "You killed ten thousand of our men. Did you line up so that I could kill you?" Big Mom questioned with a dangerous glint in her eyes. The lead marine stood a foot in front of the other two. He was fully concealed, his body covered in black clothes and armour, a hood draped over his head that hid the gas mask. Deep breathing echoed out from the mask, adding to the creepiness of the man, his burning eyes doing the rest. An Admiral of the Navy HeadquartersбкKurojи▒! "Looks like Damien really broke you, WORORORO!" Though the atmosphere turned morbid fast as Linlin thundered, "Ginrou, return my children now!" The woman was beyond angry, pointing Napoleon, her weapon, at the much smaller silver-haired man. Ginrou raised a hand and seemed to tap the air. *Purrup* *Kurrrr* The air began to warp, turning into a mix of green and dark green. The space revealed the voices of dozens of children, though the noise seemed to originate from lines of symbols and numbers: "Mama!" "Save us, Mama!" "It''s so weird here. I feel like I''m going to vomit!" Charlotte Linlin growled after hearing her wailing babies. She slashed her weapon with rage. . "Ikoku Sovereignty!" . The attack came at supersonic speeds, blazing at the man without mercy. "Oh my, such devastating power reminds me of the comfort of Mariejois," Ginrou said. His calm eyes turned sharp as his hand shot out, grabbing at the coming attack. A green hue emanated from the extended arm. *Kurururu* As the attack went on, it began to lose power, slowly dissolving away into tiny green-coloured bits of symbols. "Not bad for an Admiral Candidate," Linlin cackled. "A digitizing human, was it?" Ginrou landed back in his position next to his fellow veteran soldiers. He wiped a few dust marks over his monocle while matching the Evil Spirit''s gaze. With a curt bow, he introduced himself, "Your chain of information is said to rival the Black Death''sбкyou are indeed correct. I ate the Cyber-Cyber Fruit and became a Digitizing Human. I can digitize anything I touch and lock it away in my Cyber World." Gomon''s gaze sharpened, allowing an ominous flash of light to reflect off his monocle. "Would you like first-hand experience with being turned into a string of data, young lady?" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 155: The Last Stand (VI) While the mess at Hachinosu was closing in on its climax, another massive confrontation occurred in the stretch of water from the Calm Belt to Mariejois, exiting from the West Blue. ... Bang! Bang! Bang! The pistol fired cold and hard rounds, covering the assault of a band of violent women. They wore rather revealing outfits that belonged to the Amazonians of the mythsбкequipped with wooden bows that fire Hali-clad arrows. Boom! Bam! *Rumble* It was upon a red-coloured ship with two giant snakes in the Calm Belt. "Continue firing!" a towering woman yelled across the ship''s deck. The volley of hardened arrows continued, raining down at a distant ship. Boom! Blazing fires began forming across the enemy ship, releasing a cloud of black smoke. "Shakky, we''ve done significant damage to the ship!" a beautiful young woman reported, her eyes filled with desire to learn. They reached a short-haired woman who casually leaned on the railing, one hand holding a cigarette. At the same time, the other fired a hail of bullets from a revolver. Around her body was a crimson-spotted snake with a bandana, hissing delightfully. [Shakky Image (in Discord)] Shakuyaku hummed at the information, nodding at the slim young woman. She had shoulder-length, straight dark hair curly at the ends, bold lipstick, an orange V-neck blouse and a pale yellow skirt. "Get used to these annoying World Government guys, Toritoma. You''ll need to when Rocks'' influence dies out." The future Empress nodded with starry eyes; she saw Shakky as her idol. [Toritoma Image (in Discord)] "Keep firing now. But keep it superficial." бн On the blazing ship were booming noises that quickly overpowered the hail of thick arrows. Clang! Boom! BAM! A Haki-clad saber crashed hard against a metal fist, eliciting dull explosions from the clash of Haki. It was enough to spark the air as they collided, raining a frightening tune. "Damn it, Rayleigh, why are you here!" the defending Marine questioned with evident irritation. The swordsman returned a smirk, "Don''t be so uptight, Zephyr. How about this: we act like we''re duelling and sink the Celestial Dragons; the world is better without them." Zephyr narrowed his eyes and shook his head, "Then what? Who do you think controls the budget of the Navy? At the end of the day, we are the only things standing between order and anarchy." With another thunderous bang, he slammed hard on Rayleigh''s blade, forcing him back. Irritation flashed in the Black Arm''s eyesбкa mix of anger and helplessness. "I have to live with how things are!!!" BOOM! The swordsman grunted under the heaving weight. Looking at the Admiral Candidate with reluctance, he said, "Very well. Then I suppose I can give you the excuse to not save them directly." *Purrup* Both used dense Armament Haki that flowed in Emission, forcing the deck below them to tear apart. "Ahhh, I broke my pinkie!" "Fire, fire, I''m on fire!" "Trash marines, protect us!" "Ouchie, a splinter!" "Commoner air is disgusting; I want my helmet!" The background noise was rather distasteful to Rayleigh and Zephyr, but they could only pretend not to hear it. Alas, a small collection of ships was seen on the horizon. "It seems you can rest assured," Rayleigh muttered, turning in the distance. Zephyr sighed, leaning away from the minor skirmish. "It shouldn''t be this way, but it is the only way to keep the seas peaceful." A few Dragons saw it, too, rejoicing at the majestic vessel in the distance. "Saint Garling, our champion!" "Damn those pirates, they even took Sant Garling''s well-deserved prize!" "Holy Knights, finally here!" Under the blanket of reignited hope was a young Noble with messy white hair, grinning to himself, "Ahahaha! I''m glad I came along to God Valley; it really was fun!" "Shut up, Vadin! I''m still angry that I couldn''t make the Sin Incarnate mine!" Roxia cried out, her perfectly whitened teeth gnashed together. бн "Shakky, it''s time. We managed to pull away a decent force from God Valley; this is all we can do-nyo." The black-haired woman glanced at her dear friend''s warning. "You''re right, Gloriosa," Shakky nodded. "It''s too bad we can''t kill some of them tooбн but that would probably damn Amazon Lily." The current Empress Gloriosa rolled her eyes. It had taken a lot to convince Shakky not to kill the Nobles. Although she appreciated Damien helping her friend, it didn''t mean she was willing to put their island in harm''s way. ''Good thing Rayleigh strung along. He does well to bear the anger of the Nobles from this. I doubt Roger would mind, either,'' the white-haired woman thought. For once, she saw some use of the Dark King being friendly with Shakky. "Hmm, what''s that?" Gloriosa suddenly asked, gesturing to the item in the smoking woman''s hands. Shakky responded by waving a Devil Fruit that had a stone-like colour, sporting hundreds of gray swirls in the shape of serpents. "It should be the prize for the winner of the Nobles'' little game, replacing the stolen Azure Dragon Fruit," she muttered, holding the fruit up to her eyes. "Zoan-type, Model Medusa," she explained. "I hear it allows its user to turn anyone to stone as they please; quite the treasure." However, the boons were of little care to the Black Death as her mind was busy with something else. "I hope you can get out of that mess fine, Damien-chan. Whatever it is you''re up to." "Kuja Pirates, fall back to Amazon Lily!" [Medusa Fruit Image (in Discord)] ---------------------------------------------- As the pirates fled from the turbulence against the World Nobles, the Navy at Hachinosu felt the same haste. ... "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma! Kaido, let''s try that move out!" The hulking brute grinned and lifted his kanabo club. The marines felt an ominous breeze, their instincts blaring. With a thundering roar, the tag team of Napoleon and Kaido''s club swung forth, creating a torrent of destruction. . ""Conquest of the Seas!"" . It spanned a large radius, hot enough to melt through islandsбкan unstoppable attack. The trio of marines jumped to the side, their bodies moving subconsciously. Lucky for them, the attack was slower than expected and raged at a pace they could dodge: Ginrou and Yochou dove rightwards while Kurojи▒ flickered to the left. BOOOOM! The stream of destruction howled onwards, not stopping even after hundreds of meters beyond its origin. It lit through the entirety of the Pirate Paradise, bursting beyond its borders and stretching as far as the eye could see. "Cheh, Kaido, you''re too weak to keep up with my power; that was way too slow!" The Hundred-Beast grumbled, slamming his club on the ground. "Don''t piss me off, Linlin, or I''ll rip out that brat cooking in your belly!" "!!!" Kaido''s eyes suddenly widened as he felt a rush of air by his sideбкa dark shadow had appeared. . "Six King Fallen Gun!" . The resulting explosion was faster than the two pirates could see as it befell the weaker link, Kaido. "Aughhh!" The Oni rocketed through the air, soaring across Hachinosu until he was nailed to the Skull Rock with a large boom. Linlin''s burning eyes fell on the dark enemy, raising her arms against an incoming punch. BAM! "Ugh!" Linlin groaned, feeling the aching pain. "Seastone again! That damn Fulcrum is really giving you guys too much!" But her anger was interrupted by a cane poking at her towering back. She looked down at her body and saw green strings of data running all over her arms and even her clothes. Her entire body was fizzling. . "Malware Plague!" . A feeling of weakness fell over the notorious pirate, eating away at her energy. *Vvoosh!* Kurojи▒ appeared once more, his entire hand straightened like a blade. . "Fallen Spear!" . The Seastone-encrusted gloves shot forward and nailed the woman''s face, sending ripples of aching pain through her mind, evoking a shrieking cry. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. бн "Damn, he sent me far!" Kaido slowly rose from the crater that happened to be at the nose of Skull Rock. He wiped some blood off his mouth, feeling a headache. "Huh?" He looked around, seeing a purple haze surrounding him. "Smells funnyбн" The pirate felt doozy, his mind slowing down. "Tell me, Hundred-Beast, what is your deepest fantasy?" The voice belonged to a woman bouncing within the amethyst cloud. Slowly but surely, Kaido fell in and out of conscience. "Fantasyбн? I wantбн to usher inбн a world of violenceбн" "One where aбн person''s worth isбн measured from their strengthбн" "Alsoбн I want toбн beat up Damienбн" Yochou tilted her head at the second wish, somewhat surprised. "Your wish is my command~" The woman breathed out a thicker fog of energy, which floated into the beast''s mind, resulting in a devious smile. His thoughts warped into his greatest desires. "That''s it, now be trapped in your fantasies forever~" Yochou seductively whispered into his ears, resembling a demoness. *Rumble* The trembling island attracted the female Marine''s attention. One glance at an area a kilometer away left her breathless. "A natural disaster!" Reina''s words were confirmed as Charlotte Linlin''s cackling voice erupted across the Pirate Island. . "God of Lightning Tenjin!" . The roaring voice bellowed, unleashing a cloud of lightning that spanned half the island! The thick and dense electricity was an agent of destruction, obliterating entire buildings with a light tap. "Hehe," Linlin laughed. Her angry eyes turned to the side, falling at Yochou near Skull Rock. "You!" *Vvoooo!* Reina gasped while the Titan rushed atop a thundercloud, covering a kilometer within seconds. "Return me my children!" With speed beyond what her size should be able to rush at, the Evil Spirit slashed down her living weapon without mercy. . "Ikoku Sovereignty!" . The Spear of Elbaf, Charlotte Linlin''s signature move, came with a vengeance and quickly swallowed Yochou whole. The female marine couldn''t even react before her body was obliterated into dust. Boom! The attack continued, digging through Skull Rock and opening a two hundred meters wide hole. [A/N: If you''ve seen the anime, Big Mom''s Ikoku Sovereignty is op as hell.] . "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma! That''s one down!" She then turned to the side and readied a fist. "Wake up, brat!" The Haki-clad punch shot at Kaido''s face, drilling into his cheek and sending tremors through his skull, sending him bouncing across the dry land. "Is it morning already?" the Hundred-Beast murmured, shaking his head. "Rocks is dead, Kaido! I see you as my little brother; come with me, and we can rule the seas!" The hulking pirate clawed out from the ground, standing tall against the even taller Big Mom. "I refuse!" he spat, heaving a scorching breath. Linlin grumbled, then broke out in a laugh, "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma! I expected as muchбн" She then took out a tiny box from under her bikini and tossed it over. It arched through the air, landing in the pirate''s grasp. ''What is she up to?'' Kaido absently thought before opening the box to see the treasure within. "Hmm, a Devil Fruit?" The female pirate widely smiled, licking her red lips. "You want to get stronger faster? Eat it!" The tempting voice left Kaido suspicious. However, a glance at the inviting fruit was enough to convince himбкthe blue-scaled fruit was calling his name! бн "Ara~!" A sultry voice resounded from the mind of a sleeping pirate nearby, slowly escaping his thoughts. The purple cloud of smoke materialized into the voluptuous figure of a blond woman. Her heels clacked onto the ground, inhaling a healthy dose of her pipe. "So many depraved men hereбн it''s not hard to make them fantasize about me," she muttered, kicking away the drooling pirate. She then popped through the air, rushing to the distance where her allies were regrouping. Thud! Not only Yochou but Ginrou and Kurojи▒ also landed simultaneously, only to see Kaido inhale a Devil Fruit in a single gulp. "..." The young pirate burst out with a grin as he felt the power surging through his veins. His arms turned thicker, blue metal-like scales springing out. His body began to transform, exploding with thundering energy. Kaido''s face warped into something monstrous, his jaw growing out, sharp teeth shooting in place. Two more yellow horns protruded from his head as his hair flapped wildly. His arms extended out, growing dozens of meters long. The body followed, and the legs formed a thick, bushy tail. *Rumble* Boom! A dense storm arrived in the pirate''s wake, raining lightning down. "WORORORO! I like this power!" Kaido rolled around in the sky, seeing his snake-like body. The size was a good kilometer in length, more than enough to wrap around a mountain! Linlin cackled by the side, breathing in its power."Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma! Fish-Fish Fruit иC Mythical Model: Azure Dragon!" [Dragon Image (in Discord)] бн The Admiral and Admiral Candidates were shocked. "Mythical Zoan!" Ginrou remarked, popping his monocle back into place. "That must be the stolen treasure of God Valley." Kurojи▒ clenched his fist, glaring at the creature. "Such an ability is unprecedented!" "He looks terrifyingly fitting to wield such power!" Reina remarked, her eyes flooded in surprise. Soon enough, a terrifying duo appeared before them. Big Mom sat on her thundercloud, holding a sword in one hand and a sun in the other. Kaido coiled around Skull Rock, looking at the tiny enemies below. "WORORORO!" A scorching heat began to build in the dragon''s maw, lighting up the sky. Linlin matched her ally''s energy as well. . "I''ll just call it Blast Breath!" . "Ikoku Sovereignty!" . Their combined assault was beyond devastating, equalling that of two natural disasters. *Bam!* Kurojи▒ readied a punch and smashed forward. *Swish!* Ginrou slashed his cane, sending a flickering collection of digitizing energy. *Fuuu!* Yochou exhaled a plume of purple smoke, reaching a horde of pirates asleep nearby. The dream-locked pirates rampaged their way forth, jumping into the coming attack headfirst. BOOOM! The widespread explosion easily detonated Hachinosu, turning the streets below into ashes. The only natural land left on the island was Skull Rock, blanked with a thick cloud of dust. *Cough* *Cough* An elegant cough resounded, escaping the bloody mouth of Gomon. He opened his numb eyes to feel the cold grasp of death around him. He was effortlessly lifted off the ground, eventually locking eyes with the face of the giant Big Mom. Orange-ringed pupils, gazing into his soul. A monstrous smile etched across her disastrous beauty. "Give me back my children!" Linlin squeezed the life of Ginrou and proceeded to smash him into a small stream of seawater, fully dipping him in the liquid. *Vvooo* A green crack appeared in the air, expelling twenty or so young brats. "Mama!" they rejoiced with tearful faces. "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma! My cute babies are back!" The world''s best mother danced alongside her relieved children, humming a tune. But it was then that her face warped into a scowl. "Kurojи▒, you still want to keep going?" The dark figure of the Admiral appeared, standing tall, his armoured body lacking scratches or cuts. "Charlotte Linlin, look around." "Hmm?" She spanned her Haki and felt distant threats. "Buster Call!" An annoyed look appeared on her face, glaring at Kurojи▒. "You came here just to stall us until your cavalry arrived? But they must be nothing but fresh recruits from the Outer Sea." She looked at her wounded and injured children. Then, she examined the surroundings. Ten thousand pirates, that''s how many were stationed here. And now, there were none left. The woman sighed, feeling the tides of the era shifting out from the pirates'' favour. "That no-good Rocks... His death will return control to the Government." She couldn''t help but remember a sentence from her former Captain: "Xahaha! Even in my death, my secret weapon will keep the seas out of their clutches! My Will can never be crushed, not even with death!" "I''ll wait and see this weapon of yours," Linlin whispered under her breath, turning to her self-declared younger brother. "Kaido, let''s retreat." The giant, menacing dragon lowered its head, its snake-like pupils filled with annoyance. "Why should I listen to you?" "Isn''t it natural to listen to your elders?" The two bickered on and off. "Mama!" Katakuri appeared, his face bruised all over. The others came, too, rounding up the children. *Fwooo* The duo of Shinrai and Dragon landed by the Navy''s side, just in time for Linlin to call for her Homies. "I can''t safely take my babies away with you five breathing down my necksбн" She grabbed Zeus and opened him up. Prometheus, the Sun, was tossed in the mouth, making the cloud fiery. Napoleon was also infused into the creation, turning it into something truly fearsome. . The appearance of the Super Duo reinforced the Marines'' side. Yet their arrival was met with alarm. Kurojи▒ glared out from under his darkness, feeling a budding threat. "Retreat, now!" The star marines didn''t question, quickly rushing back where they came. Yochou grabbed Ginrou from the water, disappearing into a dream of a nearby scum. Their sharp movement came at the same time as the towering Linlin''s homies manifested into the shape of a giant Homie nearly four times the size of their master. *Crackle* It was a giant genie-like woman composed of flames and lightning. She had long, flowing hair, a pointy nose, and sharp nails. A loud scratching screech, resembling a banshee, exploded from the creation. . "Mother''s Visit Cannon: 3000 Leagues of Misery!" . The combination of fire and lightning stood fifty meters tall and turned the world upside down, truly showcasing the power of Big Mom. Misery shrieked impatiently, shooting forward to obliterate her targets in an unforgiving fashion of relentless assaults. Chains of explosions lined up half of Hachinosu, sending earthquakes through its filthy roots. The clouds above were dense with ash and fire while the shockwaves sent howling tides in all directions. [Attack Image (in Discord)] . "My children, let''s go!" A giant pink ship was docked, ready to leave. The Charlotte Family climbed on and left post haste, though not before a final statement from their matriarch: "Kaido, remember you owe me big-time for that fruit!" The deafening voice echoed through the island, reaching the dragon wrapped around the Skull Rock. His beast-like eyes glared at the disappearing ship and the coming fleet of marines. "Cheh, it''s better to leave; if Rocks is really gone, then things are about to get out of handбн" He looked at the horizon. "That Damien guy better not die too, WORORORO! I want to see how he stands against my new powersбн" He looked to the sky, reaching out to grab the sun to showcase his great ambition. "Hmm?" Oddly enough, the extending hand began to emit clouds the colour of fire, and suddenly, Kaido felt much lighter. "Worororo!" he laughed, slowly grasping the air, climbing up and disappearing into the stormy skies. бн "This is Kurojи▒," The Admiral answered his snail. Kong''s voice arrived: "How did it go?" The marine sighed in anger, "The Evil Spirit escaped, and the Hundred-Beast got his hands on a Mythical Zoan Sol robbed from God Valley. However, every last trace of the Rocks Pirates is gone." The snail thought for a second and nodded. "Cancel the Buster Call and set off to G-1. It needs to be protected immediately." The snail went to sleep, but interestingly enough, the other side of the phone at God Valley was ringing up with another call. "Katcha~!" "Is it done, Kong?" The resounding voice was laced with prestige, naturally belonging to that of an Elder. It was a conference call. The departed Saturn was also on the line while the other four spoke from the Room of Authority. Kong sat on a boulder, his muscular body brimming with power, though unable to hide the bruised skin and broken ribsбкthe missing right arm was the cherry on top. . The Fleet Admiral looked around and saw devastation. The once-spirited island of God Valley was known for its bountiful resources and natural reserves. Now, it was a hellish land bubbling with lava and molten minerals. The air was filled with the stench of blood, the soil turning red from the innumerable deaths. Crimson dust slowly shifted across the apocalyptic terrain, hiding the giant craters littered everywhere. The only living souls here were Kong, Sengoku and Garp. . Kong finally answered his esteemed superiors, "Yes, he lasted for ten whole minutes, even against our combined might." The Fleet Admiral glanced at the collapsed body before him. The condition of the infamous pirate was near death. "I''m sure his insufferable father would be proud..." Kong clenched his hands with uncertainty, remembering Damien''s words moments before his fallбн "I don''t regret not killing Basara. If not for him, tens of thousands of Rocks Pirates would still be kicking, and Xebec may still be alive." Kong could still remember the crimson eyes that mirrored Ares from long ago. "The death of my Fodder was a consequence of my gamble, and I accept that. But just you wait, Kong. I''ll take more than an arm from you next time." A cold chill ran down the Strange Beast''s back while the right side of his body was throbbing. Only when Nusjuro''s sharp voice came from the receiver did Kong break from his reverie: "You need not worry, Kong. You did well in vanquishing him. His life will forever remain behind the impenetrable walls of Impel Down." Kong slowly nodded, feeling a wave of relief. "Yesбн No one has ever escaped from that abyss. Devil Fruits users against a prison of Seastone, ever more so." "He will be forgotten soon enough." With the troubles in his heart cleared, the Fleet Admiral loudly summarized the fate of God Valley: "It came at the cost of the Chief of Cipher Pol, an Admiral and one hundred thousand marinesбн But I can say without doubt that the Rocks Pirates have been utterly annihilated!" The booming voice echoed across what remained of the Cradle of the Gods, signifying the end of an era. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 156: The God Valley Incident "It came at the cost of the Chief of Cipher Pol, an Admiral and one hundred thousand marinesбн But I can say without doubt that the Rocks Pirates have been utterly annihilated!" The booming voice came from the Fleet Admiralбпs very core, carrying an air of absolute authority over the forsaken God Valley. б░Well done, Kong. Your meritorious service will be aptly rewarded.б▒ б░Katcha~!б▒ Kong placed the receiver back into place, breathing in a deep breath. б░Haaaaah,б▒ he sighed, his tone mixed with relief and contentment. "This war lasted ten days; things will be turbulent for a while, but they should settle down.б▒ Yet there was one last thing he thought was imperative for him to do. Kong looked to the distant sea and saw a single ship still afloat. One stark reminder of the hell that the Rocks Pirates. б░The Titanic, the vessel that carried the most powerful pirate crew in history,б▒ he muttered. б░Itбпs only fitting for you to sink here with them.б▒ The Fleet Admiral erupted with a vigorous aura, growing to a towering 50 feet in height, bearing the form of the primal ape. With a single furry arm, he brought down all the built-up stress from the endless wars of the past. His desperate call for liberation rang hard across the majestic vessel: . б░Drums of Liberation!б▒ . BOOOM! It took barely five minutes for Kong to barrage the already-cracked ship with enough explosions to leave it in tatters. The water burst and bubbled as the behemoth of a ship was slowly swallowed up into the eternal depths of the ocean. It was indeed a devastating sight but a new hope for the rest of the world. Kong hummed in satisfaction, returning to his human form. б░I expect great things from you two,б▒ he gestured to the two other marines, б░Donбпt let me down.б▒ The overpowering marine turned around, rushing back to Marineford. . Garp seemed annoyed, glaring at Sengoku. б░So itбпs over?б▒ The Admiral hesitantly nodded, б░The Pirate Era should end today.б▒ He then glanced at the fallen Damien, б░Both of us will transport him back to Impel Down immediately.б▒ Though Garp seemed dissatisfied. б░Enies Lobby adjudicates such sentences; why go straight to Impel Down?б▒ б░Donбпt be stubborn, Garp. The order of the Five Elders one-ups our criminal system, and you know that.б▒ He seemed indifferent to capital punishment for the Rocks, б░It came at the cost of an Admiral, 100,000 marines and over 200 warshipsбкit was a heavy loss for us!б▒ Garp grumbled a bit, crossing his arms and relenting to reality. б░What about him? Do you think heбпs truly done now?б▒ Sengoku looked at what his colleague meant: it was Damienбпs condition. Many thoughts fired through the Resourceful Generalбпs mind. б░...I donбпt know.б▒ б░Heбпs been after something all this time. He wanted Rocks dead, so he let Zephyr and Basara live. But he could certainly have escaped when his Division Mates were holding Kong-san offбнб▒ Garp blinked with question marks written all over his face. He looked down at Damien with speculation. б░Well, his chest injury is already healing. You donбпt think heбпll wake up any moment now, right?б▒ б░...б▒ Thinking too much made Garp peckish as he brought out a bag of rice crackers from thin air. б░Whatever, just get a few warships over so we can secure the transport,б▒ he said while munching a handful of crackers. б░Iбпm gonna catch up on my sleep.б▒ Garpбпs departure left Sengoku alone with the unconscious Damien. He thought some more, working through dozens of possibilities. б░God Valley is already ruined. Thereбпs nothing of value left here. So what do you want from here?б▒ He talked to Damien as if he was still conscious. The state of not knowing haunted him. б░It canбпt be because of God Valleyбпs special lifeforceбнand it canбпt be about killing the Noblesбнб▒ Sengoku suddenly felt a great chill run down his spine at one absurd thought: б░Unless what he wants was never at God Valley, to begin with!?б▒ бн [An Hour Later] A small fleet of five Warships arrived. They housed 3,000 marines from G-14. Dozens of marines scrambled about, securing their sole prisoner with 100% purity Seastone handcuffs, dense tranquillizer serum and sleeping gas. One of the marines was in the process of connecting the cuffs to five solid-steel anchors at the center of the ship, essentially nailing down the pirate from all sides. However, their meticulous antics were interrupted by a calm voice: б░Hey, hey, thatбпs a little tight.б▒ б░бнб▒ б░Ahhh! H-Heбпs awake!б▒ The marine saw crimson eyes studying him, sending a shiver up his spine. With a thud, the soldier fell, his face dripping with cold sweat. The nearby marines were just as shocked. б░Oye, Oye, back up, fledglings canбпt remain conscious in front of this guy,б▒ Garpбпs lax voice came from the exit of the inner cabin. He waltzed out with a teacup and a bag of crackers. Thud! Boom! Bang! A few hundred marines that were on the main prisoner ship collapsed, their eyes white and their mouths leaking foam. б░Ahh, itбпs too late now.б▒ Garp walked up and sat on the deck floor, his marine coat flying in the wind. They had already sailed from God Valley, heading to the Calm Belt that ran around West Blue. б░Canбпt you rein in your Haki,б▒ he grumbled at the sight of the downed marines. б░Iбпm not doing it intentionally,б▒ the battered-up prisoner helplessly smiled. б░I guess your supply of elite marines ran dry.б▒ Garp shrugged, holding up two ceramic cups: б░Want some tea?б▒ Damien was about to nod until a banging voice broke out: б░Garp! Donбпt make small talk with prisoners!б▒ The Vice Admiral rolled his eyes, б░Donбпt get your rice crackers in a knot, Sengoku.б▒ The Admiral scoffed, glancing at the prisoner. б░Tell me, Einar D. Damien. Just what the hell are you after? Why do you want to get locked up?б▒ Damien blinked at the sudden question while Garp was gobsmacked. б░Huh!? What the hell are you on about, Sengoku! Why would anyone want to go to that hellholeбнб▒ The Vice Admiral looked to Damien, hoping the pirate wasnбпt missing any screws. боDid my punch screw up his head?бп б░Rahahaha! Garp has a point. Why would I want this?б▒ Sengoku clenched his jaw solemnly. As much as he wanted to believe that things were over, something in the back of his mind said otherwise. б░...No matter your purpose at Impel Down. Donбпt even dream about breaking out. All our cuffs are a hundred percent pure now; you can thank the Devilбпs Architect for that.б▒ Sengokuбпs spirit continued into his following declaration: б░The Rocks Pirates have been annihilated; the Overlords are dead; the remaining scum have chosen to run, and they will eventually be wiped out. This is the end of the Pirate Era!б▒ This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Resolve flashed in the Admiralбпs glasses as he calmed himself with another absolute: б░And as I told you years back at Borealisбп Auction, you get what you sow; your future is nothing short of a cold cell!б▒ б░Rahahahaha!б▒ Black lightning crackled under the booming laugh, silencing the marines. Damien smirked devilishly, leaning into the conversation. б░боYou reap what you sow?бп Perhaps, but Sengokuбнare you prepared for the harvest?б▒ б░бнб▒ An unsettling atmosphere arrived, leaving the ship quiet. Even the nearby warships were without words. бн It would take a few days to ensure the transportation of the infamous pirate to Impel Down. The World Government took no chances in their actions. In the meantime, the World Economy News Paper was having a field day. The barrage of news was beyond anyoneбпs expectations, leaving the Star Reporter: Morgans, drooling. He flapped his wings as fast as he could, throwing together a truly incredible piece of news and sending it on its way. Just the afternoon following Damien''s defeat, the papers arrived. They rained down across the globe, bringing pure shock to its readers. бн [A Remote Village in West Blue] A roughed-up man waddled down the streets, his hands grasping at a muddy teddy bear. If one looked close enough, one would notice dry blood decorating the brown fur, reflecting the sadness in the manбпs face. Though the bright afternoon sun suddenly turned dark, something was blocking the light. б░WhaиC!б▒ The man saw an army of seagulls. With them came a volley of papers wrapped in a roll, raining cats and dogs. б░Free paper? It must be something big,б▒ the man muttered, picking up a copy that landed next to his feet. He opened the bundle and saw the thick, bolded letters that read the title: б░THE GOD VALLEY INCIDENT: ANNIHILATION OF THE ROCKS PIRATES!б▒ б░I-Impossible!б▒ A couple nearby were just as shocked, б░It must be some kind of prank!б▒ The husband frantically nodded, б░All those monsters, how could they be brought down!?б▒ . The roughed-up man suddenly felt a ray of sunlight grace his body. б░I-I canбпt believe itбнб▒ he muttered, falling to his knees. Tears of joy swam out from his eyes as he hugged the bear, weeping in his relief. бн [A Town in the North Blue] б░Rocks Pirates are gone, s-someone pinch me!б▒ б░Ouch, not that hard!б▒ Nearby was another conversation: б░Rocks D. Xebec was killed by Vice Admiral Garp!б▒ б░Heбпs a heroбн the Hero of the Marines!б▒ б░He also vanquished the Sin Incarnate with Sengoku-sama and Kong-sama!б▒ б░Long live the Marine Hero!б▒ Hundreds of thousands of people came together, no matter their conditions. They each read the paper once, twice, and another few dozen times. Bated breathing echoed out, genuinely showcasing their surprise. б░T-There really is a God!б▒ б░After so many years, can I actually enjoy the sun without fearing that pirates will invade our home!?б▒ б░My son, you can rest in peace. The evil pirates are finally gone!б▒ бн [A Shipyard in East Blue] б░Come on, boys. We can finally transport our goods without the fear of piratesбкeven that monster Rocks died!б▒ б░Rurururu! Hurray for the Navy!б▒ б░Fleet Admiral Kong made us proud!б▒ б░Hurray for The Hero: Garp!б▒ б░Set sail; I hear the King of Goa Kingdom is looking for something we have in supply; time to get rich!б▒ бн [The Nation of Arkaos in the New World] A dark-skinned middle-aged man sat on a golden throne, cupping his chin. He looked relatively weathered with troubles. But that was expected of any non-government-aligned nation in the Grand Line. The Sovereign of Arkaos held up the news, narrowing his eyes. б░God Valleyбн looks like the World Government that emerged victorious. This really is the end of an era!б▒ б░Sovereign Kairo, will this affect us in any way?б▒ a humble servant, Stein, asked. Although he was even older than the Sovereign, he still looked at Kairo with undying fidelity and respectбкNoctis Kairo was the man who saved them from certain doom. The respected Ruler waved his hand, analyzing the future, б░The Navy will surely parade their victoryбн The Reverie, two years from now, will decide anything.б▒ Stein met his masterбпs eyes, cautiously asking, б░Shall we reconsider Fulcrumбпs invitation?б▒ Kairo leaned into his seat, stroking his short white beard. The conversation between him and the Underworld Emperor came to mind quickly. б░She has set her sights on our Elastium. Thatбпs natural.б▒ Kairo hummed in thought, б░I still think itбпs better to wait. The Government may be more interested in dismantling her Empire now that the other threats are dealt withбнб▒ бн [Sabaody Archipelago] A decently sized, ordinary bar stood upon a giant root. However, its mundaneness was overshadowed by the dozen bodies littered near the entrance. б░Captain Rocks, youбпre actually goneбнб▒ A woman smoked, whispering to herself in disbelief. A golden-haired man sat at a nearby stand, reading the papers. His eyes were hidden by the glint of his glasses. б░Without Rocks, there is no real King of the Sea. I guess the World Government really did the impossible.б▒ Shakky drank out of a sip, crushing her dead cigarette into a stone plate. б░Looks like our involvement was covered up.б▒ Rayleigh chuckled, swirling the sakиж in his cup. б░Morgans, was it? Heбпs smart enough to know that with this victory, it wouldnбпt be hard for the World Government to replace him. This is probably his gesture of goodwill to keep the image of the Gods high.б▒ He then flipped the page and saw a large, high-quality image. It detailed a hellish land that had experienced every tragedy in the book: bubbling magma, ruined terrain, and terraforming to a truly catastrophic levelбкit had also been sliced in half! Yet the image focused on a single person, a pirate. It was the pirate known as the боSin Incarnate,бп his eyes shut as he was being locked up with thick chains made of pure Seastone. The tattered clothes and bloodied appearance painted a pretty miserable picture. *Crack* Shakkyбпs glass shrieked as it was decorated with web-like cracks. б░...б▒ A silence remained, creating a tense atmosphere. б░Calm down, Shakky,б▒ Rayleigh calmly advised, looking deeper than what the image showed. б░Iбпve fought alongside that young man. He isnбпt the type to not account for such a turn of events.б▒ The womanбпs hand slightly shook, her grip on the paper leaving tears. бн [Mortem Island] *Fuuuu* A dense, chilly haze had fallen across the spirited forests of the island. The cold was so intense that the nearby trees shrivelled up. Some animals even clamoured to caves and holes, beginning to hibernate. At the center of the bone-chilling cold was a young boy seated atop a giant boulder. His hand firmly held onto a fresh paper of news. б░No way!б▒ he muttered, gritting his teeth at the image. The boy was shaken up and, ironically enough, frozen. A lithe figure landed near the giant rock; a woman with green hair. б░Kuzan-kunбнб▒ The ice-boy didnбпt turn away from the paper, his eyes glued to the enlarged visual. б░Big Bro Damien canбпt be beatenбнб▒ The young girl was trying her best to hide the hold of her worry so as not to make the situation worse. б░You remember what he said before leaving,б▒ the girl cried. б░He said he would be back when the time was right. Solomon-kun also called to confirm that!б▒ Kuzan slowly pried his eyes from Damien''s broken figure, looking at Toki. *Vroooo~* Suddenly, a stream of purple energy burst out from the green-haired girlбпs shadow, forming the shape of another young woman. б░Tokiбпs right, Iбпm certain that all of this is Damienбпs choice.б▒ Kuzan turned to the newly arrived Aurora, shaking his head. б░How can you be sure?б▒ the boy questioned. His words left the girls quiet. Eventually, their eyes fell on the news, and they saw the condition shown in the photo. Aurora clenched her hands, б░Morgans isnбпt ballsy enough to post that photo without Damienбпs prior approval!б▒ Kuzan looked to the ground, not sure how to feel. Meanwhile, Toki calmed herself down, wiping away a few tears. She gently placed a hand on the boyбпs shoulder, saying, б░They chained him with Seastone. Donбпt forget Damien-sanбпs powersбнб▒ The calming words brought a new light to the boyбпs eyes. His eyes shot to the paper once more and confirmed the thought. б░But why would Damien-san choose to go to that hellhole that no one comes out from, Impel Down?б▒ Auroraбпs eyes hid the unsettling waves in her heart. б░Thereбпs nothing we can do from here. If you want to help, just keep training.б▒ Kuzan deeply exhaled, giving the girls a nod before disappearing into shards of frost. . Toki sighed, feeling distraught every time she saw the picture. б░How is Mihawk?б▒ Aurora asked her. б░Mihawk-kun is quieter than usual. He went straight to training after learning the news.б▒ Aurora sighed, shaking her head. She glanced at the paper and then at the starry sky and mumbled, б░You knew I would come for you, so you didnбпt tell me your plans. I just hope you can come back safelyбнб▒ Knowing Damienбпs resistance to Seastone was the only thing that kept the aetherial woman from raiding Impel Down with a fleet of ships. ---------------------------------------------- The transport of The Undying went well. Many marines were unsure how it would go, especially considering the other top pirates still lived. However, the combined might of Sengoku and Garp was a strong aversion. ---------------------------------------------- [Five Days Later] [Impel Down] A large fleet of ships arrived, clearing past the massive Gates of Justice and exiting the Tarai Current. It was awfully serene here; the Great Prison was located in the Calm Belt, where there was no wind. The ships slowed down to a stop, dropping their anchors with a splash. Hundreds of prison guards stood along the docks'' edges, saluting the leading ship that housed their newest inmate. A tense atmosphere plunged the area, forcing the guards to be at their very best. Boom! After what felt like an eternity, the ship finally extended its ramp, connecting the main deck to the front of the docks. The guardsбп breathing spiked, their hearts entering panic mode. They watched with bated breaths as the prisoner took his first step onto the decrepit docks of Impel Down. The closer he got, the darker the bright skies seemed to become. The crimson pupils scanned the row of guards, then slowly landed on the sturdy and inescapable prison. боWhat better way to get here than having an entire Marine fleet escort me?бп He took a long and deep breath as a smile formed across his youthful face. Taking steps to the gates of hell, he remarked, б░What a time to be alive!б▒ To Be Continuedбн Chapter 157: The End of the Beginning ---------------------------------------------- б░Hmmбн What is wrong with your Haki?б▒ a boisterous man walked down behind the prisonerбкGarp, eating a bag of rice crackers. Once again, he saw the personnel, this time of Impel Down, collapse one by one. As Damien took more steps toward the prison, more guards fell to their knees. Though it was a bright morning, it somehow turned dark and gray for the people working at Impel Down. The Natural Dread seeping from the pirateбпs boots was like a drum sending waves of throbbing headaches through the jailers. If not for Sengoku shadowing Damien, they would have passed out by now. б░Damn, he really is a monster!б▒ б░Shouldnбпt he be all devastated to come here like the other prisoners we lock up!?б▒ бн The guards'' whispers were entirely ignored by the leading two marines as they боescortedбп Damien to the prison gates. б░Warden Ponos,б▒ Sengoku greeted the tall man wearing dark clothing. [A/N: Pronounced б░Poe-knows.б▒] Ponos wore a black coat draped over a black fur coat. His dark skin, white facial hair, bald head, and bright yellow eyes created quite a stern look. A few thick rings sparkled around his fingers, adding an air of distinguishment. Damien inspected the older gentleman, glaring at his stylish cane. Ponos stood a strong 16 feet (4.88 m), tall and lanky. [Warden Ponos Image (in Discord)] . б░Heбпs a little old for this job, no?б▒ the prisoner bluntly questioned. The frown grew deeper in the Wardenбпs face; his grip was obviously tightened from his anger. Garp leaned into Damienбпs ear and whispered, б░Heбпs been Warden since my days as a recruit. We used to call him the Fossil of Impel Down.б▒ Damien hummed, б░I can see why.б▒ Sengoku ignored the twoбпs chatter and spoke directly to the older man: б░Weбпll personally escort the prisoner to his cell.б▒ Ponos heaved an annoyed sigh and nodded, б░Very well, but he must go through the baptism as every prisoner does.б▒ б░Of course.б▒ бн The nearby jailers gawked in shock as they watched Damien accept the baptism. Every prisoner had to participate in a ritual: a bath in a giant pot called the Hellбпs Hot Tub to disinfect and sterilize them. The water was usually heated to 500 degrees to inflict as much passionate damage as the jailers desired. Yet, in this case, it did the opposite. б░Rahahaha! Impel Down really has a better reception than I expected. Get all the sweat from the war off.б▒ Garp slapped his thigh in laughter while Ponos gripped his cane to its limit. . While the pirate-now-prisoner was bathing, a small conversation took place by the side. б░Weбпve been pumping the Sin Incarnate with concentrated doses of sedatives to keep him in check,б▒ Sengoku said, gesturing at the distant Damien. Ponos nodded, stroking his beard. б░Are you sure itбпs working? He is more energetic than what you make him to be.б▒ The Admiral was about to reply till he saw a much more annoying scene: б░Garp! Stop sharing your snacks with the prisoner!б▒ He waltzed ahead and pulled the chained pirate once again, dragging him to the elevator that transported prisoners to the lower levels; Impel Down was actually an underwater prison! It was a large, submerged tower-like structure with a foundation at the bottom of the sea bed. Due to its construction within the Calm Belt, the entire structure was constantly surrounded by gigantic Sea Kings swimming below the water. Along with these beasts, the prison was guarded by a force of Marine battleships. Within the dark confines of the prison were various cells and torture chambers that were used for the prisoners. The cells were all made from seastone to keep those with Devil Fruit powers from escaping. The torture chambers were used for all sorts of brutal, unspeakable acts. Among these include continuous whipping, brutal beating to death, boiling cauldrons for burning and drowning and spiked pits used for impaling. Even the worst of the worst prisoners were thrown into Level 5, the deepest level known to exist. Each housed all kinds of tribulations and horrors, ranging from Crimson Hell, Wild Beast Hell, Starvation Hell, Blazing Hell and finally to Freezing Hell. Yet the Freezing Hell was not the actual final layer. бн б░Weбпre here, Level Six.б▒ The doors opened to unearth the monsters that were kept there. Ponos led the way, opening the final layer of defense to enter the deepest pit of Impel Down: Eternal Hell! Most high-ranking officers of Impel Down tended to avoid this level because of the danger these criminals pose, not just physically but also mentally. The Chief Warden of Impel Down also has the authority to execute prisoners kept here on the spot if they begin acting up and may do so at their own discretion. б░Bwahahaha! So many familiar faces!б▒ Garp cackled from the side. His heroic aura was a bright star in a dark sky. Bang! Dozens of rotten humans slammed onto their cells, their eyes stinging from the light of the opened doors. The level was true to its name, Eternal Hell. No natural light source, just cold, decrepit darkness. Hundreds of cells of various sizes were randomly placed around. A stench of vile scum swamped around, leaving a bad taste in oneбпs mouth. б░Garp, let me eat your liver!б▒ The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. б░Sengoku, you annoying golden dog! Just wait till I get my hands on you!б▒ б░Fresh meat that needs two Vice Admirals to drag him in, not bad, Kulalalala!б▒ Being a place of darkness and disconnection from reality, they did not have accurate knowledge of the outside world. . Damien felt dozens of eyes fall onto him. They looked at him with anger, curiosity, greed, and even lust. Mainly put, they saw him as prey. The Sin Incarnate was about to боhumbleбп them, but someone else seemed to have done it for him. б░You worthless scum,б▒ a stern voice boomed. б░Who gave you the privilege to run your mouths around not only your Warden but even an Admiral and the Marine Hero!?б▒ Ponos stood tall at the core of the level. His cane slammed the floor, its encrusted gems shining brightly. A black field spread out from the butt of the cane, forming a circle that covered every cell. Emotionless words escaped the Wardenбпs mouth: . б░Agony.б▒ . A red wave burst from the gems, bouncing around the cell and being amplified from the circle. б░Auuughhh!б▒ б░Eugggh!б▒ б░Guuuh!б▒ Miserable cries of pain and suffering overtook the previous chaos. The eyes of the prisoners turned bloodshot as they fell to the ground, writhing in excruciating pain. They felt their bones twisting and turning, their heart crumpling up like paper, and their nerves being ground at with a saw. б░S-Stop, you crazy old man!б▒ б░Euughh! M-Make it stop!б▒ Their veins turned molten-hot while the feeling of ants crawling under their skin overwhelmed their mental faculties. бн Their wails continued for two minutes straight before they could finally regain semblance of reality. Ponos scoffed, gently lifting his cane, halting their agony. Garp leaned into Damienбпs ear and whispered, б░Pain-Pain Fruit.б▒ б░Great for controlling a wide array of prisoners,б▒ Damien assessed. He scanned the scorched prisoners, nodding, б░No wonder you want to keep him as the Warden.б▒ . Sengoku walked ahead, directing his transport as well. Soon enough, they reached a cell. It was away from the others, located in a dark and cold corner. б░Itбпs a little dull, but itбпll do.б▒ Garp nodded at Damienбпs words, inspecting the decrepit barred box. Sengoku didnбпt even want to speak up anymore, so he went ahead and entered the final bits of security. *Clatter* *Clank* Damien watched as Sengoku secured ten giant chains around his neck, chest, hip and legs, each connecting to a rusty old anchor on the ground and back wall. б░The cage already turns off my powers. This is a bit muchбнб▒ Damien murmured, feeling his body weighed down by the chains that were at least ten tonnes. б░Itбпs protocol, and your epithet as боThe Undyingбп has left some higher officials more paranoid than anything,б▒ Sengoku explained, standing by the door. б░And Iбпm sure the Celestial Dragons are demanding your execution from the safe walls of Mariejois, so donбпt get too comfortable.б▒ . Garp turned to the reticent Ponos and gave him a hearty smack on the back. б░Old man Ponos, make sure you get him weekly newspaper updates.б▒ The Warden staggered slightly from the shove, his weathered face wrinkled with annoyance. б░That would be a luxury.б▒ Ponos sighed when he saw no response from Sengoku and relented, б░Very well.б▒ Finally, the esteemed Warden glared at his new prisoner and briefly explained his perpetual stay at Eternal Hell: б░Youбпll get one serving of food once a month. You can find your own water source.б▒ The Seastone door clanked shut with a thud, gracing the pirate with the perpetual darkness of the depressing cell. Ponos then walked away, holding the door open to guide the marines out. Garp and Sengoku took one last look at Damien and took their leave. *Creak* Bang! The door to Level Six slammed shut, forcing some dust to fall from the ceiling. б░...б▒ *Drip* *Drop* A few water droplets fell every few seconds, creating the only natural sound in this place. Damien breathed in the stench, narrowing his eyes. б░These walls are like an echo chamber; I bet those droplets are to drive prisoners insane after a few months of hearing it.б▒ A smirk appeared on his face, б░Rahahaha! Pretty creative.б▒ Then it dawned on him, б░Wait, If God Valley happened on the 1st of February, then today marks 15 days since thenбн which makes it my birthday.б▒ б░Rahaha! Happy twentieth birthday to me!б▒ ---------------------------------------------- [An Island in the New World] The successful capture and incarceration of the notorious pirate, Damien the Undying, was a true festival for the world. They burst into a celebration, breaking out booze and drinks to enjoy the peace. After decades of living under the tyranny of the Three Overlords of the Seas and then to the Rocks Pirates, these people could finally feel the serenity they longed for. Naturally, this news also reached the ears of certain pirates, even those residing in remote islands. One such place was a relatively small island with some ruins of an old town at the shore. However, its inhabitants live in another town hidden in the valley of the mountains, which can only be entered through a waterfall. . A towering man with glorious blond hair and a striking white mustache sat at a broken leg, blankly staring at the bright sun. б░Thank you for your help,б▒ a calm voice came from the side. The much larger pirate glanced down at the dark-skinned man and shrugged. б░Never mind that.б▒ He then picked up a rolled-up bundle of news and waved it around, б░Did you read it?б▒ Indra nodded, his voice unchanged, б░The Commander was captured and sent to Impel Down.б▒ Whitebeard, naturally the towering pirate, tapped the rolled-up news onto the palm of his other hand, deep in thought. б░I have difficulty believing it was not within his calculations.б▒ Indraбпs words left Whitebeard speechless. б░Gurararara! Damien really found a good first mate.б▒ The titan then looked at the swordsman from top to bottom, seeing not even a hint of his prior injuries. б░Activating your Figures pieced you back together.б▒ The veteran Newgate sighed in memory of a distant past, б░When I heard a Zenora came under Damien, I couldnбпt help but remember Mors from decades ago. The Bloodspawnбпs rise to power damned your Polemos Island.б▒ Hearing the manбпs words left Indra silent. The swordsman glanced at the tribal marks running over his right arm, seeing the faint red spots along them. б░Our greatest strength is also our greatest weakness.б▒ The Warbornбпs dark pupils were tinged with a hue of blood as he met Whitebeardбпs gaze: б░Thereбпs a reason why Mors turned into the monster he was.б▒ Newgate crossed his arms, frowning. Ultimately, he shrugged, б░Youбпll figure something out, just like Damien. Here, give this to him. Tell him to meet me when heбпs free,б▒ Whitebeard took out a blank piece of translucent paper. Indra pocketed the Vivre Card, looking at the pirate with questioning eyes, б░What will you do now that youбпre free from the Rocks Piratesбп chains.б▒ б░Gurarara! You always cut to the point.б▒ Whitebeard smirked to himself, looking around his Sphinx Island. Breathing in such luscious air was what he missed the most during his time at Hachinosu. б░I donбпt really care about conquering the seas,б▒ he absently said. б░I just want to raise some good kids in a safe place. Donбпt you think thatбпs what this world is missing the most? A family.б▒ Indra couldn''t help but feel a deep contrast between Whitebeardбпs words and the violent, unforgiving world they lived in. How could a man, who towered above all with strength capable of splitting islands, dream of something so peacefulбкso ordinary? Whitebeardбпs simple wish seemed impossible to reconcile with the cruel reality of the Grand Line, where ambition, power, and bloodshed ruled the seas. Yet, here he was, one of the most feared men alive, longing for nothing more than a place to call home, surrounded by those he cared for. Indraбпs outlook on Newgate had always been a little unique. The thought of having a good childhood spurned some dark memories buried deep down. Polemos Island. The Zenora. A failed experiment. Fire and ash. Extermination. б░It does sound nice,б▒ he breathed out, feeling the sun''s warmth over his marked body. Newgate grinned. It wasnбпt often that his simple dream was met with such thoughtfulness. . Unfortunately, it was never easy to realize even the simplest of dreams. Whitebeard clenched his fists, wondering how much violence would come in the future: б░With the Rocks Pirates destroyed, the World Government will surely go all out to wash the Grand Line clean. The next few years will be hell for any pirate roaming the seas. Gurararara! Iбпm sure they think God Valley marked the end of all pirates!б▒ Indra woke up from his reverie, a thin smile on his face. The swordsmanбпs eyes gleamed, imagining his Captain''s bold grin and that unyielding determination in his eyes as he sat in Eternal Hell. б░End of the pirates? Iбпm sure he would say that this is all but the end of the beginning!б▒ To Be Continuedбн Chapter 158: Legacy [Domain of the Gods, Mariejois] The ship of around forty Celestial Dragons returned to their safe haven under the protection of Saint Garling and the God''s Knights. Figarland Garling was hailed as the ''Champion of God Valley,'' which earned him the reverence of other Saints. The Command-in-Chief Endou had returned since Kong had resumed his duties of manning Marineford. The ruined G-1, credited to the furious Golden Lion, was now temporarily overseen by Admiral Candidates Yochou and Ginrou. After all, Mariejois needed to be protected on both sides of the Red Line. бн [Office of the Commander-in-Chief] The office was luxurious, nearly two times the size of the Fleet Admiral''s. Near the front of the room, a simple blue sofa faced the man''s desk. Instead of a wall, a ring-shaped aquarium housed exotic fish and sea beasts. Endou sat at his desk, the dim light casting shadows across his imposing frame. His thick, weathered fingers rested on the edges of the desk, the surface cluttered with old maps and war reports, their edges curling from age. His chest, scarred and stone-like, rose and fell slowly, each breath a reminder of the countless battles he had endured. The long, braided strands of his dark hair hung heavily around his shoulders, and his beard, wild and grizzled, seemed to blend into the dark coat draped over his shoulders. His muscles, still rippling beneath his scarred skin, spoke of strength undiminished by time, and the deep lines etched into his face told a story of a man who had faced death countless times and emerged stronger. His authority was second only to the Five Elders, and his presence demanded such. [Commander-in-Chief Endou Image (in Discord)] . A woman stood behind Endou, leaning on the aquarium walls. "Endou-chan, without Xerxes, it looks like your work has doubled," she whispered. The Commander-in-Chief glared at the woman; she could be considered his other half. "Tsumeбн more work for me is more work for you." The woman named Tsume had long white hair that was puffed up and spread in all directions, much like her feathered jacket. Her skin was pale except for the gray patch around her right eye. Tsume also wore dark lipstick, the same colour as her pearl necklace, and very sharp fingernails. Her codename was "Shusagi." [Shusagi Tsume Image (in Discord)] [A/N: "Shusagi" meaning ''Red Egret.''] бн While Endou looked after the troubles that plagued the Navy and Cipher Pol, Tsume was in charge of the financial area. Shusagi, being the Commissioner of the Revenue and Taxation Bureau, had the authority to mobilize the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Torture and Interrogation Division, Cipher Pol and even the Navy to exact a swift and ruthless response to any whiff of tax evasion or fraud. All nations under the World Government would pay a huge sum of tax in the form of Heavenly Tribute. The RTB had the duty to collect these taxes and enforce all laws regarding taxes. There was a saying in the Grand Line, "Some are crazy enough to take on the Overlords of the New World, but the RTB? No thank you!" Another widespread notion was, "Why don''t RTB agents play hide-and-seek? Because no matter where you hide, they always find youбнand your unreported income." бн Tsume snorted, closing her eyes and leaning on the wall in an attempt to draw out the noise around them. "Well, this riot isn''t in our job description." Endou huffed a deep sigh; things were indeed a little out of hand. The grand office of the Commander-in-Chief was recently overrun by a mob of angry folk, clawing and raging at Endou. Unfortunately for him, the people facing him were the Descendants of the Gods and beyond his authority to chide. His position demanded respect, and his appearance demanded fear. Still, in the eyes of the Celestial Dragons, he was simply someone barely worthy of breathing the same air as them. "Endou, I want to see that evil pirate executed now!" "He''s an enemy of the Gods. He deserves to be put to death!" "His crew killed my wife and daughters; their divine blood was shed, and yet that scum is alive!" бн These were no ordinary Nobles, either. They were the Heads of their Houses, granting them great power and nobility. The combined words of the Fourteen Heads were equal to that of an Elder. Therefore, Endou''s authority was overruled by their unanimous fury. Suddenly, one striking voice broke the mayhem: "I object to the execution." "бн" A deafening silence arrived that left even Endou speechless. It came from a Celestial Dragon. Unlike the overweight and distasteful Nobles, this one was different. He wore a dark shirt topped with a sleek, white suit, the colour of which matched his messy hair. The man also sported dark sunglasses, concealing his hazel eyes. A bold grin etched to his face as he peered at the infuriated crowd. "Amas-Rohtua Vadin, what is the meaning of this!?" a senior Noble thundered. "Ahahaha! It means I''m not on board with your demands," Vadin hollered. "If not all Fourteen Heads agree, then none of you can deploy commands on Endou-san." An elderly woman with the usual white attire seemed furious. She slammed her cane onto the floor, "My husband died five days ago, and the ones responsible are still alive; how can you call yourself a Noble!?" "Don''t get blown away by your title as a Head of a Divine House, Vadin! You only have that title because the previous one died at God Valley! Know your title as the ''Sacred Scourge'' is just as unsettling!" The accusatory words deepened Vadin''s smile: "I can say the same for just about all of you." The mood turned sour and chaotic. Nearby Cipher Pol agents were unsure how to act if things went further south. . "Lords and Ladies," Endou''s deep voice quieted them. "Since you cannot come to an agreement, then everything will be dealt with as per the wishes of the Five Elders." A few of them pointed their fingers in spite, "We''ll remember this, Vadin!" The Noble, nicknamed the Sacred Scourge, gave them a smirk and lit himself a cigarette. Soon after, the office was empty. A relieved Endou reached for his transponder snail and dialled a number few knew: "Puru," "Puru," "Puru." бн [Room of Authority] The Five Elders sat in their usual spots, breathing in the peace, only for a snail to go off. "Puru," "Puru," "Puru." Topman Warcury picked up the call with a "Katcha~!" "Five Elders. This is Endou," it said, taking on the appearance of the scarred veteran. Warcury nodded, stroking his heavy ''stache, "Xerxes'' unfortunate demise has left you overworked." "Not at all," the snail shook its head in modesty. "I can manage for a while." The Elders were satisfied by their top henchman''s demeanour. "What did the Heads decide?" The snail replied promptly, "There was one objection, which voided their order to execute the Sin Incarnate." Marcus Mars spoke up with a hint of curiosity, "Who objected?" "Saint Vadin," Endou concisely answered. Nusjuro''s brows furrowed. The Sword Elder leaned into the conversation, his aged face expressing contentment: "Amas-Rohtua Vadin''s intervention works rather conveniently. Otherwise, it would be difficult to overturn a consensus of the Heads of the Houses." His eyes turned sharp, much like his beloved blade, "Too many fruit users have been killed in the past few years; allowing such powerful abilities to become prevalent is equal to shooting ourselves in the foot." "Let alone Rocks'' Death fruit that is now in circulation, and it is unsettling to think about allowing the Sin Incarnate''s ability to respawn," Saturn thought out loud. "I can say the same of Xerxes. We bestowed him and his two stooges the rarest kinds of fruits. It''s obvious the investment failed! Our bias toward the rising agents must be fixed!" Warcury heard his colleagues'' words and returned to the call: "Alright, Endou. We''ll find an appropriate replacement for Xerxes soon, but until then, you''ll have additional responsibilities." "Of course," the snail said, sleeping with a clank. . The Chamber of Authority was left with the Five Elders deep in conversation. "With Rocks dead, we should shift focus to Whitebeard, Shiki and Charlotte Linlin," Ju Peter offered. "Kaido has eaten a mighty fruit as well, a future enemy for sure." Surprisingly enough, they were not that worried. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. "Roger has disappeared, Rocks is dead, and Damien is locked away. All the most dangerous pirates with the name ''D.'' are no longer roaming the sea," Nusjuro recounted. "It is best for the world," Warcury finished. "There are other things to deal with; first is Xerxes'' position, and the second is Basara and Masao." A short silence followed before Saturn continued the conversation. "The Admiral position of the late Basara needs filling, and perhaps it is time for Masao to retire; his mind is no longer in the right place." "I suggest we allow Masao to remain for a while," Mars chimed in, running his hand through his long beard. "Two empty Admiral positions in such small time frames will destroy the fear that the Admiral position demands." His thoughts were met with universal nods of agreement. "Very well, then our Admiral Candidates are Zephyr, Ginrou Gomon, Yochou Reina andбн" Even though the candidates were listed, the Five Elders each took a short breath to bring up the real contender for the spot. "...Monkey D. Garp." "After taking down Rocks, the people have begun to revere him as the Marine Hero." Nusjuro unsheathed his blades, revealing a sharp whistle. "A D. holding such a title can prove harmful to us, but Garp has yet to show any such ambitions." Saturn laid his head back to his seat, looking to the pristine ceiling in thought. "His allegiance must be tested. I hear his son has made quite a name for himself. Why not have him understand how the world works?" Warcury easily picked on what his fellow Elder was insinuating while a calculating smile bloomed across his aged face. "Agreed. Let Dragon work with Cipher Pol to protect the Celestial Dragons. With Rocks gone, I''m sure they will soon return to their devices beyond Mariejois." A lot of thought was put into the matter. Ultimately, no one could refute that Garp is a dog worthy of keeping on a leash. ---------------------------------------------- While the Overseers of the World had decided to impose order once more, another massive ceremony was taking place at Marineford. Every civilized nation around the world was watching through the broadcasts! бн The stronghold of the Navy Headquarters. A beacon of hope and order. Home to the greatest of the marine officers in living history! Alongside the crescent-shaped plaza of the island was a sea of white, tens of thousands of white-clothed marines. They stood ready, their posture as straight as an arrow and their face filled with seriousness. Beyond the masses of marines was a central field with a vast sea of blankets. Each covering the corpse of a fallen marine. . Fleet Admiral Kong appeared, standing at the forefront of the plaza, his marine coat flapping brightly but not hiding his missing arm. Behind him was a giant protrusion from the stone floor that was not usually there, covered with a white blanket. The man stood under the glorious flag of the Marines, his sight scanning the crowd. "Today, we stand in remembrance of our fallen brothers," he began. Kong''s booming voice reverberated on the island, and he didn''t even need a microphone. *Click* *Kinch* At his sides were lines of reporters, snapping photos to document the imminent speech. His speech was being shown to not just every island under the World Government but even every single Marine Base! . "The recent war ended the tyrannous reign of the Rocks Pirates, but it came at the cost of a hundred thousand brave marines and even one of our best and brightest: Admiral Basara." Kong gestured at the 100,000 blankets equally spaced in the field in front of him and the one at the very front, that of Basara. Garp and Sengoku were nearby, glancing at the sheet covering their colleague''s remains. "We gather to mourn that grieving loss, but make no mistakeбкthese men are not just numbers on a piece of paper to be stored awayбкno, they are heroes! They paid their lives to usher in a time of peace, a time of tranquillity, and most importantly, a time without pirates!" Kong''s words reached the ends of the island, bringing a bright look at every marine nearby. His one-armed appearance was to further enforce the point he was making. "There is no remaining threat strong enough to stand against our justice; no criminal bold enough to challenge our justice!" He then placed his remaining hand on the blanket that covered the instrument behind him. "This relic will stand in remembrance of our fallen heroes and martyrsбн" With a light tug, the blanket was removed, and the glorious construct was revealed. The marines'' eyes widened, and some even wiped away tears. It was a bell! Not just any bell, but the Ox Bell that once stood to light the way of the legendary Ox Lloyds Warship! [Image (in Discord)] "Fellow marines present and watching, and the people of the world, join me in a moment of silence for these heroes before you." Kong breathed in a heavy breath, glancing at the sky. His eyes recalled the years from the Order of the Three Overlords of the Sea to the evil Rocks Pirates. His reign began in 1480. Six years had passed, six years of nothing but war and death. But finally, they were no more. Such a feat was what every Fleet Admiral dreamed of. бн Billions of people stood in silence along the chains of islands in the Grand Line to the small villages and towns of the Outer Seas. Whether it was a child, adult or the elderly, they each quietly watched the broadcast on their feet, breathing in the massive toll on the Navy. The silence was lifted as Kong spoke again, "I will now ring the Ox Bell sixteen times in light of the fifteen fallen Vice Admirals and the late Admiral Basara." Kong walked to the side and grabbed the string that was connected to the clapper of the bell. With pride and resolve burning in his eyes, he began the ritual. *Thung!* *Thung!* *Thung!* *Thung!* *Thung!* бн It took five minutes until the Fleet Admiral stopped, bringing an end to the ceremony. He then glanced at the sea of corpses and then at the sea of living marines. "Henceforth, the Ox Bell will be rung every passing year," he declared. "Eight times to give thanks for the old year and another eight times to welcome the new year!" The Marines paused at the newly commanded tradition and felt it was indeed fitting. A boisterous cry exploded from the tens of thousands of marines, reaching the ends of the planet! Sure enough, the Navy had won; justice had prevailed! ---------------------------------------------- The explosive cheers at the Navy Headquarters were loud enough to grace almost every inhabited land on the planet! However, Impel Down was not lucky enough to witness such a historic event. бн [Eternal Hell] *Drip* *Drop* The Sixth Level was as despairing as always: cold, decrepit and infernal. Dull wails of broken men echoed through the hellish level. People clawing out to regain their sanity, failing all the same. There was no sense of time down there, no window to alert them of a new day. They could only count on the food trays that came, marking another month in the Eternal Hell. . Yet in one such cell was no such melancholy. A young man went through a few newspapers of news, his eyes unbecoming of a pirate damned forever. "Hundred-Beast Kaido ate the stolen Azure Dragon Fruitбн" "Dark King Rayleigh alone attempted to kill the Noblesбн" "Linlin, Shiki, Whitebeard, all of them disappearedбн" "Garp, the Hero of the Navy, was granted a life-long supply of the highest-quality rice crackerбн" "Hachinosu leveled to the groundбн" "Roger Pirates completely disbandedбн" Damien hummed in interest at the next section of the news: bounties. -----< WANTED >----- < SHAKUYAKU > < ''Black Death'' > < ?? 1,033,330,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > -----< WANTED >----- < KAIDO > < ''Hundred-Beast'' > < ?? 1,561,110,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > -----< WANTED >----- < SCOPPER?GABAN > < ''Twin-Axe'' > < ?? 1,570,550,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ---------------------------- "When a billion-plus bounties are on the lower end, Rahahaha! To think they actually deemed the pirate era over." There were two more bounties that Damien was satisfied to look over. After all, they belonged to his own people. The papers even called the two "the Remnants of the Sin Incarnate." -----< WANTED >----- < SOLOMON > < ''Ancient Predator'' > < ?? 599,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > -----< WANTED >----- < ZENORA?INDRA > < ''Hellspawn'' > < ?? 2,066,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ---------------------------- "Though I''m sure Solomon will be pissed at the contrast between his and Indra''s reward, it is still incredible to get a first bounty just shy of six hundred million berries!" Damien remarked. He then moved ahead to the next string of numbers, the true terrors of the next era. Each belongs to the First Level of the World Threat Index. -----< WANTED >----- < SILVERS?RAYLEIGH > < ''Dark King'' > < ?? 2,508,600,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > -----< WANTED >----- < CHARLOTTE?LINLIN > < ''Evil Spirit'' > < ?? 2,888,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > -----< WANTED >----- < SHIKI > < ''Golden Lion'' > < ?? 3,504,990,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > -----< WANTED >----- < EDWARD?NEWGATE > < ''Whitebeard'' > < ?? 3,546,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > -----< WANTED >----- < GOLбдDбдROGER > < ''King of the Seas'' > < ?? 4,564,800,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ---------------------------- [A/N: Roger won''t return for another 10 years for piracy by canon. I think it''s more fitting for him to be forgotten over that period slowly; his return would spark the "Gold" instead of "Gol. D."] Damien grinned at the absurd numbers, but deep down, he knew these were still far from their prime. "From what I recall, there was a five-year gap before the future top dogs returned to sea," Damien muttered. "It is wise to lay low considering how boldly the Navy is moving. I wonder how they''ll react when their precious prison is escaped fromбн" *Vvooo!* Suddenly, an ominous breeze assaulted Damien''s cell. "!!!" His crimson eyes pierced through the darkness, seeing a bright light from the opened doors. ''It''s not the time for food,'' Damien concluded with an air of curiosity. The door creaked while held open by a firm grip. BOOOM! Damien narrowed his eyes as he felt the daggers of Haki digging into every pore on his body. Loud thuds and thumps broke out through Level Six, dozens of damned men falling to the ground with foaming mouths. The surrounding air was trembling with microbursts, releasing relentless Supreme King''s Haki. ''This Conqueror''s is above mine.'' The Sin Incarnate watched intently as this dark figure slammed the door shut and walked closer and closer to his cell. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* each step echoed through the Eternal Hell, tightening the already oppressive silence around them. Despite the deadly aura, a weak, coughing fit interrupted the menace, followed by the distinct sound of blood being spat on the cold stone floor. Wiping his bloodied lips, the intruder casually sat down and reassured, "I mean you no harm, kiddo." The voice was lax, echoing in the dark cell from all directions. It belonged to an older man. Damien squinted his eyesбкa familiar set of facial features. "Ruhahaha! I''ve been waiting so many years to see you finally. Looks like they did a number on you." The man on the other side of the prison bars sat with an air of quiet menace, his crimson hair wild and matted with grime and blood. A deep scar marred his cheek, cutting through his unkempt stubble, while his single eye glowed with a dangerous, almost amused glint. His clothes, torn and tattered, barely clung to his battered frame, the black coat draped around him like a shadow of past battles. Despite his dishevelled appearance, there was an unsettling confidence in the way he leaned against the bars, his lips curling into a faint, knowing grin. He looked like a man who had faced death countless times and found it amusing. Damien exhaled slowly, a smoldering anger simmering beneath his crimson gaze. "I was hoping I''d find you rotting down hereбн" The tension in the air grew thicker as Damien''s eyes locked onto that of the escapee, both sharing a dangerous, predatory glint that spoke volumes about their shared history. "...Einar D. Ares." [Ares Image (in Discord)] To Be Continuedбн Chapter 159: Blood and Bonds Weathered face with a stubble. Medium-length black hair with red streaks. Scarred body standing at around 11 and a half feet (~3.5 m). One eye claimed in battle, the other radiating the familiar red hue of conviction. б░I was hoping Iбпd find you rotting down here, Einar D. Ares.б▒ The young pirateбпs words left a smile on the older manбпs face. б░RuhahahahиC!б▒ Aresбп laugh was immediately cut short as a series of violent coughs returned. Blood dribbled from the sides of his mouth as he wiped it on his sleeve. б░The least you could do,б▒ he said while wiping his lips on his sleeve, б░is call me dad, kiddo.б▒ Damienбпs face warped into a frown while a heavy breath escaped his mouth. Still, he did not reply. With a light thud, he rested his head on the cold wall, his eyes shut in thought. He had three main reasons for coming to this hellhole, and one of them was sitting across his cell. б░...б▒ Ares deadpanned at his actions. б░Hey, hey, I waited twenty years for this kind of reception? At least say something, you brat!б▒ Though his annoyed voice turned into that of curiosity, б░At least tell me how you knew Iбпd be here.б▒ Damien opened an eye to glance down to Ares. б░Patrick Redfield, heбпs a tough guy. He told me about your tales.б▒ б░All about your lone wolf personaбн up until you disappeared and the World News Agency confirmed your fall. So it got me thinking: why wouldnбпt they celebrate the death of this evil pirate to further establish their authority?б▒ б░Plus, I read through the archives at Ohara. They had a feat of Endou that was scrubbed awayбн a threat Endou боvanquished.бп Last I checked, that means the person got their ass kicked, not killed.б▒ б░Aside from Mors, you were the only big-name pirate then,б▒ Damien gestured to the darkness around him, admiring its erasing nature. б░Where else would they send a forgotten and beaten man.б▒ Ares hummed, scratching away at his scruffy chin. б░Redfield? You mean that боPatoбп brat? I didnбпt think heбпd be the one to give me away.б▒ He also didnбпt deny getting боvanquished.бп It was a fact, and there was no shame in how he went out. Ares let out a few coughs once more, sighing at his condition. б░Anyways, howбпs your mother?б▒ he asked with a tinge of longing. His eye returned to Damien, wondering, б░I read the papers the jailers brought in for their entertainmentбн donбпt tell me you got yourself caught just on the small chance youбпd find me here? Theyбпve been celebrating your loss all across the seas. Youбпre fine with giving up your pride for this?б▒ б░Rahahaha!б▒ Damien broke out in dull laughter. Shaking his head, he stood up from the back of his cell, walked to the front, and sat down. The father and son, face-to-face with thick seastone bars separating them. б░Do you honestly believe I came here because of you?б▒ Ares subconsciously gulped under the dreaded thought that nagged his mind. There was only one thing someone like Damien could be driven by like such, and enduring being plastered as one who failed to subvert the world as a pirate should. б░Realized dawned on the rugged man as he cautiously asked, б░...Is she alright?б▒ Damienбпs Empathy picked up on the longing and yearning in his fatherбпs question. The hopeful tone with underlying concernбн it only angered Damien even more. б░Alright?б▒ While gnashing his teeth, he spat out, б░You left her alone in a sea riddled with Mafia and conflict. What do you think became of her?б▒ Ares felt his mouth dry up as he took a cold breath. His eye widened, and his heartbeat spiked. He knew it; he could feel itбкthe reason for his own sonбпs rage toward him. . Damien smirked in disbelief, shaking his head. Suddenly, the cold and decrepit Eternal Hell was warping into the memory of that night. The darkness of the well at Renaissanceбн "No matter what happens, no matter what troubles you face, no matter who stands against you, just remember that your mom will always stand on your side." "It will be very hard after tonight. But no matter what, the sun will rise in the morning, and things will get better." "Mom will say goodbye nowбн but do me a favour, please." "I only want one thing from you, my treasured child." "Gather those who you can trust with your life. Marry a beautiful girl. Treasure them deeply, for they will be your greatest strength." "Live on for yourself, for me, for your father." "Live, my child. Live." *Thung!* Damien slammed his forehead into the seastone bar, feeling the raw helplessness from thirteen years ago resurface. His fingers twitched with restrained rage, his motherбпs voice still lingering in his mind like a haunting melody that kept him chained to reason. б░Do you know how painfully similar it is being here right now?б▒ His voice was calm, almost unnaturally so, as he met Aresбпs gaze. б░Locked away, unable to change anything that happenedбнonly the dark, her final words echoing. And the only one left to share it withбн is the man who abandoned her to face that broken world alone.б▒ б░...б▒ The silence was deafening, but Ares'' mind was throbbing. His single eye was stuck to the floor while his scarred hands quivered. б░Who did it?б▒ Damien looked at the shaken man with narrowed eyes. Sparks of black lightning crackled in the air, leaking a dreadful weight in the surrounding air. б░I already killed the ones immediately responsible,б▒ he answered, only for his words to end heavy near the end. Ares picked up the doubt in his sonбпs tone. Looking up to meet his eyes once more, he asked, б░Someone pulled the strings from behind?б▒ Damienбпs jaw tightened at the question. He straightened his back, his gaze growing unsure. A miserable voice came to mind from a memory six and a half years ago: "It happened eight years ago, t-this man came to our family and almost killed us all! H-He gave us a chance to live by raiding a small, no-name island, and so we did!" (chapter 9). Such were the final words of Gambino Delago, who ordered the strike on Renaissance. The same man whose entire Mafia Family Damien slaughtered. б░There was indeed someone,б▒ he answered, glaring at Ares. б░Which is one of the reasons why I came here, old man.б▒ The sonбпs gaze settled aside the rage and changed into expectation. б░Youбпre the only person who may have a clue on who this unknown variable is. And the only reason why I haven''t ended your miserable life yet.б▒ б░...б▒ Ares reined in the grief in his heart. Clearing the whirlwind in his mind, he began to speak candidly, б░I donбпt mind if you put me out of my misery for what happened, kiddo. But I want you to know that I loved your motherбн I only left to protect herбн and our unborn child.б▒ He heard the dull breath escape the younger pirateбпs clenched jaw and continued. б░So Iбпll give you exactly what you want, Damien. Iбпll tell you everything I know.б▒ б░But before all thatбн you should know who your father was.б▒ Aresбп solemn voice continued, lacking the joking demeanour from earlier. His remaining eye was heavy in mourning but shone brightly through Eternal Hellбпs darkness. б░My life as a pirate started on a small ship with a respectable captain. We would just sail in Paradise, enjoying our adventure.б▒ A rare smile came to the weathered manбпs face, only to quickly be replaced with melancholy. б░That was until his right-hand man stabbed him in the back and sold us out to a Cipher Pol. Only because my stupid captain had gotten a Devil Fruit the Government wanted.б▒ The tired Ares raised his two arms, still shackled with seastone from decades earlier. However, the chain that should have anchored the cuffs was hanging in the air, ripped open. б░The good old man left the fruit with me to escape. A power that those geezers fearedбн A power that they would do anything to keep from respawning.б▒ With nostalgia glowing in his eye, he went on to say, б░I cast aside everyone else, going solo for my journeys. So with no chains to bring me down, I spent the next few years causing hell for the Governmentбнб▒ бн [Thirty Nine Years Ago (1447)] BOOOOM! A majestic vessel cut through the cloudy waters in a region of Paradise. Its thick mast and impressive build showed the importance of the cargo it transported. б░Sir,б▒ a dark-clothed agent addressed his commander. б░The Commissioner of the RTB is on the line.б▒ The Cipher Pol lead agent narrowed his eyes. He saw the receiver in his subordinateбпs hand and cautiously took it. б░This is Agent Angstrom of CP-9.б▒ The phone didnбпt waste time on salutations: б░Agent. I will keep my words short: your transport is in danger. Weбпve already lost six Heavenly Tributes in the past few days.б▒ The womanбпs voice grew furious, б░I have sent a fleet from Marineford. Admiral Endou is en route. Do your best to keep him distracted.б▒ Angstromбпs stern attitude washed away into fright. His quivering hand shook the receiver, much like his tone, б░T-That pirate is coming here? Intel suggested him to be in the New WиCб▒ б░The intel was wrong. Good luck, Agent.б▒ б░Katcha~!б▒ Panic flooded Angstromбпs body, but it didnбпt last long. BOOOOOOOM! The mighty ship exploded with force, sending the agents to the deck. They looked up to see giant tides raging as their transport was caving into the seaбкsomeone had fallen from above! Angstromбпs breath hitched as the shirtless pirate strode across the deck, his presence radiating raw intimidation. His bronzed skin, mapped with faded scars, spoke of battles fought and survived, each mark a silent testament to his resilience. Jet-black hair streaked with crimson framed two piercing red eyes, both alight with a fierce, almost unnatural ambition. A faint aura of smoke and embers swirled around him as if he carried the remnants of countless fires. Angstrom swallowed hardбкthis was no mere pirate but a force shaped by chaos itself. б░Ruhahaha! Just how many of these transports do I have to sink to get their attention? The previous three Marine Bases I raided didnбпt seem to do the trick.б▒ The Cipher Pol Agent rose to his feet, shaking in every way possible. б░E-Einar D. Aresбн bounty of 1,987,600,000!б▒ The pirate was all but in his primeбкat twenty-seven with a prize shy of two billion. [Young Ares Image (in Discord)] б░A-Admiral Endou is on his wayбн Donбпt think youбпll get away with this!!!б▒ The bloodthirsty Ares chuckled at the threat, welcoming it with open arms. б░The Pirate Butcher coming for little olбп me? Ruhahaha! You just made my day!б▒ бн The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. [Present Time] б░Three Marine Bases and seven Heavenly Tributes,б▒ Damien echoed the feats with doubt. Although he didnбпt think Ares was lying, it did spark some curiosity in the Sin Incarnate. б░You did all that and still found a way to remain alive alone?б▒ Ares grinned at his sonбпs questioning eyes. б░My Devil Fruit power is a little specialбн it has no active abilities, no way to make me stronger, no way to release some magma or summon earthquakes.б▒ The seastone shackles snapped in the air as the escapee raised both arms. б░I ate the War-War Fruit and became a Warmongering Human. The only power of this ability was that it allowed me to siphon energy through combat.б▒ Realization dawned on Damienбпs face while the older man finished explaining, б░For as long as I struck with my fists, I would remain standing. I fought for days to even weeks on end. The enemies kept coming, but I kept standing. I didnбпt need sleep, I didnбпt need to eat, and I didnбпt need to rest during my battle.б▒ б░Every battle I walked out alive from grew my Haki without end. And before I knew it, they started calling me the God of War!б▒ God. This word was used only to describe the World Nobles as the overbearing authority that they were. For a human, let alone a pirate, to be declared as such was a slap in the face of Mariejois. Ares rolled his one eye, his voice filled with scorn. б░Those pigheads began pointing their fingers at me.б▒ . Damien cupped his chin, recalling the few details he knew of Endou. The mess at Extinction Valley made his destructive capabilities evidentбкa power that could terraform terrain after moments of eating it. б░Let me guess, he was also set for a promotion.б▒ Aresбп brows furrowed, looking at his son with surprise. б░Thatбпs right! He would be promoted to Fleet Admiral in 1450. The one condition the Celestial Dragons gave him to keep his esteemed position was to ensure my capture.б▒ б░We would butt heads for the next five years. I continued to wreak havoc with all things Navy while the Pirate Butcher chased me down.б▒ A flash of disdain flashed in the manбпs eye, б░Too bad his position as Fleet Admiral also needed him manning Marineford. Lucky for him, the only other big pirate then was the Bloodspawn Mors.б▒ However, the joyful memories took a dark turn as Ares admitted the one obstacle on his path, б░It was also at this time where I felt this damning sickness building inside meбнб▒ бн [Thirty Years Ago (1456)] б░Damn it!б▒ The towering pirate went from island to island, going from hospital to hospital. б░How can you call yourself a veteran doctor if you canбпt even cure a little cough!?б▒ he thundered at an old man, lifting him by the throat. б░S-Sir, please, I-I really have never seen your kind of sickness; itбпs incurable, much like the Amber Lead Syndrome!б▒ бн [Twenty-Nine Years Ago (1457)] б░Not even you, the Ope-Ope Fruit User, can do anything about it?б▒ Ares questioned the bespeckled young man. б░I apologize, but your sickness is beyond human anatomy. It isnбпt born from a weak immune system, rather, from something within.б▒ бн [Twenty-Seven Year Ago (1459)] A tired Ares left an island with a massive tree that dominated the horizon. б░Not even Ohara has any answer. Just what the hell is this?б▒ *Cough* *Cough* A few droplets of blood dribbled from the side of his mouth, much to his chagrin. бн The old man sighed, massaging his forehead. The shock of Nadiaбпs death was still weighing him down, and the pain in his body was growing by the second. боDonбпt fall apart now,бп he inwardly yelled at himself. One look at the quiet Damien was all he needed to keep going. б░Although it was weakening my punches, it didnбпt eat my Haki in any way. I could still push back the Navy at that time. But then it happenedбнб▒ Ares peaked to the faraway corner and sighed before returning his attention to Damien. б░The Bloodspawn Mors, a Warborn of Polemos Island, was vanquished by Endou. Which meant that they could put more effort into taking me down.б▒ бн [Twenty-Three Years Ago (1463)] б░Humble human, I-I demand you to end your life!б▒ Ares picked at his ears, wiping some blood off his hands. Thud! A white-clothed body fell to the ground from the pirateбпs grip, a broken mask near his feet. Ares stood on a prestigious ship, a sole pig-faced man before him. б░D-Donбпt you know who I am!? Iбпll enslave your entire island!б▒ The warmongering pirate gave out a grin and shot his hand out, wrapping his thick digit around the babbling foolбпs throat. б░Ahhh! L-L-Let me go!!!б▒ The pathetic cries were from an ugly, much smaller man donning an astronaut-like suit. The fishbowl helmet didnбпt add any charm, either. б░H-How dare a mortal touch me! I-Itбпs unforgivable!б▒ *Crack* The World Nobleбпs anger turned into pure dread. б░Auughhhh! M-My finger!б▒ An ear-rattling yell exploded from the Dragonбпs mouth, tears streaming down his cheeks. б░Ainбпt nothing like a little fear to make a paper man crumble,б▒ Ares scoffed after breaking Nobleбпs pinky finger. . He then shook the Saint in the air, snapping him back to reality. б░Speak, you know who I am?б▒ The Noble shook his head, crying. б░My name is Einar D. Ares.б▒ The statement shocked the Dragon as he visibly shrank, his arms trembling. б░Hmm? What does that mean to you?б▒ The Celestial Dragon shiveringly replied, б░T-The D are our sworn enemies! Sworn enemies of the Gods!б▒ б░Sworn enemy, huh? Even with all your guysбп authority, you donбпt go on some crusade to wipe the Ds out?б▒ The Saint, named Jaygarcia Dietlind, began to hyperventilate. The pain from before and the fear from now was forcing him into shock. б░Talk, or Iбпll feed you to the fish,б▒ the pirate threatened with smouldering eyes. б░At least that way, your life will have some purpose.б▒ Dietlind was instantly released from his state and began tweeting like a bird. б░I-I donбпt know much, b-but my grandfather always talked to me about the D! H-He said that most of them will die out before reaching a level of strength that could challenge the status quo!б▒ б░Then why fear me so much from my name?б▒ Dietlind looked into Aresбп eyes and saw death looking back at him. б░T-Throughout the centuries, the Ds have been known to defy all odds. M- My grandfather was killed by one of them fifteen years ago!б▒ б░Although they are damned, they still bring nothing but catastrophe!б▒ бн [Present Time] Damien thought over the information and aired his thoughts, б░Do you think it was the Dragons who put some kind of curse on the D?б▒ Ares shrugged, his helplessness evident in the creases across his forehead. б░What else could it be? Enemy of your entire existenceбн instead of hunting down every last one of them, itбпs easier to find a way to let them die off before they grow too strong, no?б▒ The War God also picked up on the speculative look in his sonбпs eyes. б░Heh, whatбпs wrong? Is my kid fearing death?б▒ An unamused glare flashed in Damienбпs eyes, his tone growing with disdain, б░Iбпve already lost a good fifteen years of my life pushing my body too far. Some curse or sickness is supposed to scare me? Plus, Iбпm not too far tossing aside the chains of age.б▒ Ares squinted at the words that went from bold to unbelievable: б░I set my eyes on finding a way to keep me forever young. With my Awakening in hand, itбпs only a few steps away.б▒ б░Forever young?б▒ the older Einar murmured, seeing nothing but confidence in his sonбпs eyes. б░Ruhahahaha! Youбпll be a greater threat to the Gods than your old man ever was!б▒ [A/N: See Chapter 43 for Damienбпs initial plans for his eternal youth.] . б░But that side,б▒ the Sin Incarnate spoke, his mind eyes growing heavy once more. б░Itбпs about time you give me your excuse for leaving her alone.б▒ A sigh escaped Aresбп dry lips as he firmly nodded. б░The next two years were a little embarrassing. Although I was finding ways out of my battles and still breathing, my sickness only got worse. Endou realized it right away and had the balls to use me to sharpen his pupil!б▒ Damien connected the dots from details he unearthed from God Valley to what he learned now. б░I take it that you crossed paths with Kong around this time.б▒ The War Godбпs weathered face stretched into a toothy grin. Considering the image he saw in the newspaper of the one-armed Kong was all the more amusing. The conversation from decades ago surfaced right away: б░Hehe, thatбпs some tough skin youбпd find on a Zoan!б▒ Unfortunately, he was interrupted rather rudely: б░Dammit, Endou! I almost took the head of your precious successor!б▒ Ares shook his head in mischief while his left arm rose up to press the missing right eye. б░I fought them off for forty days at G-1. But with Endou coming in person for the last ten, well, it was not a fight anyone could win.б▒ б░The Fleet Admiral, an Admiral and the Chief of Cipher Pol alongside their endless armies.б▒ Damienбпs question woke Ares from remembering the moment of his loss: б░Was he really that strong?б▒ The tired pirate chuckled, looking at the floorбкhe could still remember the Fleet Admiral swelling with a power to spawn pure chaos. б░Endou ate the Havoc-Havoc Fruit, making him a Chaotic Human. With his power, he could induce disorder and unpredictability in the environment. Every battlefield was his to rend and ruinбкa power he used to sentence entire fleets to extinction.б▒ He looked at his curious son and warned, б░Much like the power you have, kiddo. But where yours tends toward breaking and fixing from what I saw in the papers, his is purely the first half.б▒ б░The Havoc-Havoc Fruit,б▒ Damien murmured. An image of Solomon came to mindбкthe Wendigo from Extinction Valley dead-set on killing Endou with his bare hands. б░So you lost to them, but howбпd you escape?б▒ б░Hehe,б▒ Ares smirk made it obvious that he took great pleasure in his escape. б░They wanted to capture, hah! Instead, I jumped into the sea and got a Sea King to devour me. I spent a few weeks in its stomach till I could tell the beast had swam through the Calm Belt into an Outer Sea and ripped out from its bellyбн Before I knew it, I was at a small island in the West Blue calledиCб▒ б░Renaissance,б▒ Damien finished the sentence. . Ares closed his eyes, inhaling a long and deep breath. It was as if he was trying to remember his time on the peaceful island. The endless green and the simplicity of an ignorant land. б░When I woke up, I found this incredibly graceful young woman tending to my woundsбнб▒ he looked up to see his sonбпs face, unable to hide the smile coming to his face. б░Her name was Nadia.б▒ б░You know, kiddo. My only purpose in life was to constantly bring hell to the Navy. But I would always wonder how life would be if I could do something elseбн I wanted to no longer be a slave to my title as the War God.б▒ б░Your motherбнб▒ the man lost his words momentarily, б░...it was the first time in decades I had someone look after me.б▒ An honest smile stretched across Aresбп wartorn face, running from ear to ear. б░The single month I spent with her gave me purpose beyond any war I fought in. More than forty years of a life filled with fire and blood and four weeks of nothing but an ordinary life on a small islandбн How could I ever escape her charm?б▒ б░Just skip to how you ended up leaving the supposed love of your life to fend for herself,б▒ Damien sharply interjected, his voice laced with budding wrath. Ares ignored the churning Haki and continued, б░The moment I realized your mother was pregnant, I knew I could no longer stay; it was like being hit with ice-cold water.б▒ He squeezed a blooded rag in his left fist, squeezing the red out from the gaps of his fingers. б░My body would have fallen apart within a year. As much as I wanted to spend my final moments with her, to be with her when she gave birth to my own flesh and bloodбн I couldnбпt!б▒ The War God gnashed his teeth, angry at his own weakness, while Damien silently listened. б░They would leave no stone unturned to find me.б▒ He stared directly into the younger pirateбпs eyes, б░I had to make sure that, at the very least, the child could grow up with a loving mother on a safe islandбн I had to keep them from finding herбн and finding youбнб▒ Damien crossed his arms, his chains clanking wildly. б░So you left her.б▒ A defeated smile stretched across the manбпs face. б░They would have slaughtered the island in the West Blue if it meant keeping my blood from blooming. I may have been damned to deathбн but I couldnбпt let Renaissance share the same fate.б▒ б░Did the thought that maybe, just maybe, you should have never gotten involved with her in the first place ever come to you?б▒ Damien questioned, his tone thunderous. With a crunch, he crumpled the seastone bar with his left hand, squeezing it into a thin strand. Ares sensed the buried rage of his own child. The sizzling Haki was secondary; his eyes, however, were those of hatred. б░...б▒ Ares had no answer to his selfishness. Damien, no matter how badly he wanted to reach past the bars and rip the old manбпs head off, there a nagging voice told him not to. б░I still donбпt get itбн You left her all alone, but why, in the seven years she looked after me, never did she hold anything against you.б▒ The Sin Incarnate sighed, turning away; Ares had his head down and eyes shut. Tears dripped down his scarred face, dripping onto Eternal Hellбпs cold floors. б░She asked me to keep living, and if I couldnбпt live for myselfбн then I should live for herбн and you.б▒ He looked at his father from bottom to top and spoke without emotion, б░Iбпd upset her if I were to kill you in her name.б▒ б░...б▒ Damienбпs latest words woke up something inside Ares. He looked up with a calm face, even ignoring the pain burning in his lungs. б░Youбпre right. She had every reason to hate me, a selfish and detestable pirate. But your motherбн was the kindest person Iбпve ever met,б▒ he recounted in a low voice. б░Which is why the day after learning of the pregnancy, I knew I had to make the World Government never question what I was doing for the past month. So I took a small ship right through the Calm Belt and Fishman Island and alone raided Marineford.б▒ The God of War clenched his scarred fists, his words glowing with self-confidence. б░Four weeks was pushing it, but I hoped they would link my disappearance to recovering from my injuries at G-1. And on that day in Marineford, I wrecked so much havoc, killed so many good marines and even an Admiral.б▒ б░I thought it workedбн they never brought up my whereabouts during my interrogation.б▒ He continued candidly, looking Damien straight into his eyes. Despair ran down his tearful face as he admitted, б░But I guess I only bought you seven yearsбнб▒ б░...б▒ A few quiet moments passed Impel Down while 99% of the prisoners were still knocked out cold. б░No,б▒ Damien said with a sigh, earning Aresбп confusion. б░Whoever ordered the hit on Renaissance was not with the World Government. If they wanted to have me dead, they would just Buster Call the island and get it done with.б▒ б░The World News Agency at the time was under their umbrella, and no one would have questioned them about whether they deemed a small island worthy of destruction.б▒ Damien scooted back to his cell again, leaning back on the ice-cold wall. б░Then thereбпs someone else out there all along. Someone who wanted my boy dead,б▒ Ares concluded, his single eye narrowing dangerously. No pirate came to mind. . б░So they locked you up to keep your fruit from reappearing.б▒ Ares nodded, raising his arms once more to show off the seastone chains dangling from his cuffs. б░They threw me in this hellhole, knowing Iбпd die sooner or later. They even tried to pump me with medicine to delay my deathбн all in hopes to keep my fruit out of reincarnation for at least some years.б▒ б░But it begs the question,б▒ Damien said, looking at the distant escapee. б░How did you break out, and how are you still alive?б▒ б░Ruhahaha! When I was thrown down here, I had at most a year to survive. It took me nearly ten months to break free of those blasted Seastone chains.б▒ The man showed off the chains while Damienбпs eyes fell on the last link, which was brown in colour. б░You rusted them offбнб▒ Ares smirked in victory, б░Seastone itself doesnбпt rust, but thankfully, the chains they used decades ago were only twenty percent purity, the rest was a metal alloyбн and well, the weakest link breaks the chain, right?б▒ б░It was too cold in here to sweat, so I used my blood to rust off the chains. It took almost a year, but I got it done,б▒ he offhandedly saidбкhis chest below the shroud was covered in claw marks. б░It took everything out of me to drag myself to the fifth floor, Freezing Hell, where I found a cave made by some tunnelling fruit user around sixty years ago. I froze myself there, only coming out every two or so years to hear the news from the passing jailors, hoping to catch wind of my kid!б▒ Ares sighed with a smile, glancing at his son with a broad and proud smile. б░It was an empty wish, but sixteen years later, I got news of a striking young man who was awfully familiar, and that gave me the strength I needed to hold on so that I could see you face-to-face before my life ran out, or at least, be alive to hear news of my boy kicking the Governmentбпs ass.б▒ The pirate raised his hands in victory, clenching them in triumph. б░It seems that wish came true!б▒ To Be Continuedбн Chapter 160: Family Business "It seems that wish came true!" Ares'' face was stretched from ear to ear with pride and relief. But that grin warped into a frown as a violent cough ran up his throat. "Ugh!" The War God lowered his head, coughing a lung into an already bloodied rag. "..." Damien watched with his arms crossed, seeing his father''s single eye turning red from blood. ''His body is giving up on him. The same illness that claimed the future King of the Pirate Roger''s life.'' The younger pirate closed his eyes momentarily, his father''s repeated coughing echoing in his ears. An image of the white-haired woman came to mindбкalways smiling, seeing the good in everything that was bad. Opening his eyes, he saw Ares breathing heavily, trying his best to stabilize his condition. "For all my life, I wanted to find my useless father who left my pregnant mother alone in this cruel world and beat him to a pulpбн" The father in question looked up with some apprehension, not for his possible death, but for being hated by his only remaining family. "...But now it seems that the last part is already done." "..." Ares blinked, trying to understand Damien''s expression. His sole widened into a smile, and a laugh howled from his bloodied lips: "Ruhahahaha!" Damien lightly smiled at the old man''s hollering and suggested, "I''m not fully convinced that I don''t hate you for what happenedбн I think I''ll figure it out after a hearty meal." The War God quickly nodded and shot up with newfound energy, but his eyes soon fell on the shackles around his son. "Too bad some annoying Underworld Emperor is sourcing Seastoneбн they swapped the chains to hundred percent purity now; they''re as tough as diamonds!" Ares clicked his tongue and began thinking of ways to free the Sin Incarnate. His pondering was interrupted by two loud thuds kicking up the dust within the prison. "What theбн" Ares'' jaw hit the ground, seeing Damien rubbing his wrists from the numbness. Ares missed his previous display of crumpling the cage in his emotional state; only now did he realize the absurdity of the situationбкhis son''s Emission Haki was the culprit! "S-Seastone should easily diffuse your Hakiбн" He looked at his own wrists. Even after twenty years, he couldn''t remove the cuffs, even after rusting the chains that anchored him down. The only real solution was to cut off the limbsбн Damien''s words broke the man from his reverie, "The one thing you should know about me, old man," he grabbed the prison gate edges with each arm, "I tend to surprise people with the impossible." With a light tug and a pulse of flowing red, the seastone door that caged the Sin Incarnate was ripped off its hinges, crying out in a miserable squeak. "..." A stunned Ares stood speechless as his son reached for his twenty-year-old cuffs and tore them open with a hearty squeeze. The lightness of his wrists left him in disbelief. "They really gave you a free ticket to get in here, didn''t theyбн" "I hear the wolves in the Frozen Hell are considered a rich delicacy," Damien commented, rubbing his stomach in a lost gaze. "I haven''t eaten in two weeksбн Let''s have our fill." бн [Few Hours Later] A few alerts were reported to the Warden''s office of prison guards falling unconscious at the Fifth Level; meanwhile, the Snail Surveillance was phasing in and out. Yet Ponos was not awfully worried. After all, Impel Down had been inescapable for centuries now, and it wasn''t odd for some devices to malfunction here and there due to age. Over a bonfire, the father-son duo shared some stories of their battles. The main reason was the God of War''s keen interest in his son''s previous conquests. Disarming Zephyr, blinding Basara and traumatizing Kongбкall feats leaving Ares exploding in laughter; his son was the Bane of Admirals! Eventually, the two pirates returned after enjoying a feast of 300 wolves, keeping their tracks hidden with unconscious prisoners and glitching surveillance snails. бн *Creak* The door to Eternal Hell opened again, bathing the recently woken-up prisoners with the burning light. "S-So brighиC!" Yet before they could even factor in who it was that had come, a stream of overwhelming weight rushed in from the opened doors, befalling the prisoners with two dense clouds of Haki that would easily send even the most battle-hardened Vice Admirals to sleep. Black lightning crackled through the air, ringing through the seastone bars with an infernal symphony. "You both need to stop throwing your Haki around so wildly." Ares and Damien both paused upon entry and looked at an inconspicuous cell on the other side of the floor. Ares suddenly grinned, slapping Damien''s back, "You probably noticed him before. He''s an old rival of mine." The veteran pirate strolled across the cold floors of hell, reaching the depressing cell. A mischievous eye locked onto the dark silhouette under the blanket of darkness, leaving Ares smiling with nostalgia. "To be able to ascend into the post of the Commander-in-Chief, a Fleet Admiral must accomplish at least two incredible feats," he told his son, knocking on the bars twice. Damien made a thoughtful gesture, cupping his chin. "Endou was so dominant that he ticked those boxes sixteen years before the promotion came to him. Before taking you down, he also ''vanquished'' Bloodspawn Mors all alone." The three crimson pupils studied the grim figure with his head down towards his knees. "That''s right, he''s also rotting here," Ares confirmed with a grin. "..." The man in question slowly raised his head, glaring at the chipper fellow legend. "War God, you have an impressive son." The voice was rough and hoarse, and it came from a man who had been in a hellish cell for over three decades! The once-notorious Mors stood up, slowly walking ahead. The thick Seastone chains snapped at the floor, tugging the man backwards. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* His massive frame measured a little over 22'' 7" (6.9 meters) and thudded heavily on the base below. Mors was a titan among men. His burly body was covered in intricate, swirling tattoos that marked both his skin and his past with tales of violence and victory. His heavily muscled body bore the signs of relentless battles, each scar a testament to his unyielding spirit. A thick, braided beard fell from his rugged jaw, framing a face hardened by years of war. His eyes, shadowed beneath a sharp, pronounced brow, held a fierce intensity that spoke of a man who''d seen countless souls fall before him. He looked around 70 years old with a weathered face. Yet his eyes were cold and discerning. "I can smell one of my own off of youбн" the Bloodspawn breathed with narrowed eyes. "Looks like a few embers of Polemos lived through the extermination." Damien naturally knew what the man was insinuating. With a smile fit for a pirate, he said, "It''s nice to meet you too, Zenora Mors!" [Zenora Mors Image (in Discord)] . The towering beast of a pirate examined the young sprout before him, but that went both ways. ''His Figures of War are permanently on,'' Damien noticed. Unlike Indra, Mors'' dark skin was forever marked with red! A short hum escaped the Warborn''s lips before he walked back to sit down. "You don''t want to get out of here?" Damien curiously asked. The Bloodspawn scoffedбкhe had seen the absurd sight of Seastone being torn like paper, but the bold fellow before him held all the cards. "And why would you free me?" Ares leaned in and whispered to Damien from the side, "I''ve known him for decades. He''s always been broody like this." The younger pirate returned a mysterious smile to the reclusive Mors before turning away: "Perhaps we can work out a deal laterбн" бн The father and son duo returned to the homely cell, with Ares left thinking, "I know you have other reasons for coming here. But why don''t we take advantage of this indestructible floor?" Damien''s brow furrowed while he analyzed the cheeky grin on his father''s face. He had already coughed another lung out during their meal, reducing Damien''s trust in the matter at hand: "You want to train me here? In your conditionбн" Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Ares scowled, raising a blackening fist bubbling with molten Haki. "My body is still in its forties. Don''t insult a God of War!" Black cracks opened up along the pirate''s body, releasing orange sparks of damnation. "Come on then, let me see what you got, Sin Incarnate!" ---------------------------------------------- The wholesome scene at the bottom of Impel Down was fairly resemblant of the peace that surrounded the seas. It left the man overseeing the fabled Headquarters of the Navy endlessly satisfiedбн бн *Slurp* A tranquil Kong loudly slipped his green tea; the fresh aroma made him smile. "Aahh," he hummed in delight, leaning back to the leather seat. "What a nice morningбн" It was truly serene. The Fleet Admiral''s office, once a mess of papers, bounties and reports, was now clean and tidy with not even a speck of dirt. Kong''s desk needed no replacement since God Valley, and the same could be said for his windows. Such heartwarming peace. "..." *Bang!* The door flew open as a boisterous man waltzed in, shoving crackers down his gullet, "Bwahaha! You should have called me over if you were gonna enjoy some tea, Kong-san!" Kong''s eyes shot open while his fingers dug into the armrests. The top marine calmed his breathing, reciting a mantra, ''He''s the Marine Hero, I must tolerate. The world is at peace, I am at peaceбн'' Kong cleared his mind and brought both arms to rest over his table. "Garp, what brings you here?" The Vice Admiral paused, glancing at Kong with a curious gaze, even stopping his chewing of crackers. "..." The Hero cautiously sat on the chair across the desk, peeking at his superior with doubt. "Kong-san, did you forget your meds today?" *Creak* A thin crack spread from under the Fleet Admiral''s finger resting on the desk, yet his face remained calm. "If you are so free, why don''t you help me with these commands from the Five Elders." Garp raised an eyebrow, "Oh? *Munch* What''s *Munch* that?" Kong ignored the crumbs quickly decorating his desk and briefly summarized, "The World Government had a high deficit in the past few years, one that quadrupled after the Remote Reverie took place; Rocks really left us clawing for resources." He then tapped the sheet of paper, nodding at its wise directions, "The World Military Draft pumped us with hundreds of thousands of recruits worldwide, eating up a lot of money. With the New World threats destroyed, we no longer need a vast armyбн A demilitarization is in order." Garp oohed and ahhed at the news, inhaling his snacks. . Kong leaned his head onto his fist, pondering some things. "Your new mission has been assigned. You''ll do it alongside Sengoku and Zephyr." "And what''s it?" the Hero questioned, wiping his face ridden with crumbs. "Whitebeard, Charlotte Linlin, Vitalius Shaw, Patrick Redfield and Shiki. All these Level One Threats are your targets. You don''t need to vanquish them; just force them into hiding. It''s enough to win back the trust of the world." Garp picked at his nose, commenting on the new mission, "Well, whatever. I just want to enjoy my lifetime supply of rice crackers." "Though, Kong-san," he suddenly said in a serious tone. "What do you think about Damien? Do you think Impel Down can hold him?" Yet the insinuating words were immediately shot down by the Strange Beast. "He''s amongst two other living legends, and like them, he will rot there!" Garp crossed his arms, recalling a tale from his days as a fresh recruit. "What if he goes missing like his pops?" The Fleet Admiral scoffed, his anger flaring at the thought of the War God. "Ares disappeared from his cell nearly twenty years ago. I still remember his sickened body when we vanquished him at Marineford. Even if he broke out from his chains, he''s long dead now!" "As for Einar D. Damienбн" Kong''s jaw tightened. Subconsciously, he raised his right arm. The metallic clicks and clacks of the foreign limb left the Paramecia-user livid. Like Zephyr, Tensai granted him a replacement. However, being a Devil Fruit user, the Strange Beast couldn''t take on a Seastone arm. Feeling the cool metal lacking all hints of life, he inwardly raged, ''Even with the Elastium of Arkaos, I can''t help but remember that insufferable pirate''s face every damned day!'' A boiling hiss escaped the gaps of Kong''s jaw while a beastly air leaked from his pores. "I made sure to double the shackles around him. Rest assured, The Undying will forever rot in the Great Prison!!!" ---------------------------------------------- The quaking air around Marineford now resembled Impel Down. As Kong ensured, the Sin Incarnate was indeed still in the Great Prison. Although not in the capacity the Fleet Admiral assumedбн бн BOOM! Hundreds of knock-out prisoners were flung through the cells, their emaciated bodies clanging at the bars. All but two cells remained untouched by the torrents. Though the ones responsible could care less. Damien threw a barrage of Haki-clad fists at his father, sending torrents of air in his wake. Yet not a single one of them connected. "Sometimes, the future will not be your ally. This is the first lesson!" Aresбп fist blurred before it struck like a thunderclap, the force reverberating through Damienбпs bones. *Vvooo!* The undying pirate shot across the floor, his body bouncing off the ground. "!!!" Damien abruptly stopped in the air, his feet gently clicking onto the ground. The remaining momentum and acceleration sent out a shockwave to rattle Eternal Hell. "Hmm, it''s like Xebec and Roger; they can really throw off my Observation," Damien muttered, caring little for the earlier punch. Ares blew air at his fist, polishing the scarred weapon of flesh. "What the hell did she feed you to make your bones that hardбн" Though his face warped into a smile, "But your thoughts are correctбкthis technique is called Observation Killing!" "It allows for control of one''s own aura or presence, negating an opponent''s ability to see into the future with Observation Haki," Ares explained, releasing a storm of black lightning. "It''s an ability in the hands of those who have mastered the Colour of Supreme Kings." "Alright then, show me your Armement!" Damien nodded, raging on ahead with clenched fists. Meanwhile, Ares cracked his old bones, readying the defense. A single left punch rammed into the older man, sending streams of Haki into his body. BOOM! The flowing Haki coursed through Ares'' body, even rippling through his arms and legs to leave cracks along the cold, hard floors. They continued a brawl, with Damien taking the lead. Naturally, it also allowed the younger pirate to understand the extent of his father''s abilities. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Einar D. Ares] [Age: 66 years, 4 months, 15 days] [Height: 11'' 6"] (3.51 m) [Devil Fruit: War-War Fruit (Complete Grandmastery)] [Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars] [Skills: Incredible Talent in Conqueror''s Haki, Will of D, Primitive Rokushiki, Art of War, Titanic Power] [Haki: Advanced Mastery of Observation Haki, Grandmastery (I) of Armament Haki, Grandmastery (II) of Conqueror''s Haki] [Strength: Middle Tier Yonko (regressed extensively due to illness and age)] ----- [Art of War: Convert combat and slaughter into Conqueror''s Haki.] [Titanic Power: Each strike holds devastating power, flowing in harmony with all Colours of Haki.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< "Your Emission Haki is very solid, not bad at all! But it can be trained a little further." Ares scratched his stubble, "Your fruit power fits really nicely with Emission of Hakiбн I bet if you can get it to harmonize, it''ll unlock something truly special." Damien narrowed his eyes. ''Sengoku''s shockwaves were the same, granting him his Exalted Emission.'' He slowly nodded at his father''s insights, accepting the experienced pirate''s teaching without a second thought. "What about my Observation?" Ares immediately shook his head as if someone had rubbed salt over his wound. "Your senses are well beyond me." With a sigh, he admitted, "Your talent in Conqueror''s Haki should be from me. As for Observation, hmm, it must be inherited from your mother." The information left Damien puzzled. "She had a talent for Observation?" With a grin, Ares smiled in memory of his wife, "Hehe, ''talent?'' Your mother was born with Observation Haki, which allowed her to sense the goodness in someone. It''s a rare thing but it does happen to one in every dozen million people born." Damien was left dumbfounded. But for one glaring reason, he knew the truth of the statementбн бн "You seem very quiet nowadays, Damien-chan," Nadia said as she admired the glorious night sky. "I can tell you''re dying to ask me something." The boy looked up at his mother, a little surprised, "How can you tell?" Nadia giggled, "Hmm, I could always see the grace in someone''s heart. It was a little odd growing up, but now I''m glad I have it." She cupped Damien''s nose, "So, go ahead and ask." бн He could still remember his mother''s words from thirteen years ago. After all, it was the day before her death (Chapter 1). ''So that''s why my Observation developed Empathy at Grandmastery as well...'' "She really was specialбн" Damien mumbled in disbelief. But it gave way to more questions: "Who even was she?" he asked his father. "Not only did she kill off their scouting party with a rusty old spear, she even burst out with Haki to keep them down." Ares took a lonely breath, but he couldn''t hide the smile on his face. "I''m not surprised she never told you. Simply put, she was not native to Renaissance." The son slowly nodded in agreement. "That makes sense. She even knew about Devil Fruits, while the other villagers thought it was some kind of relic that protected them from bad times." "You can''t help but love ignorant peoples'' thoughts," Ares rolled his eyes. "Your mother, however, was endlessly satisfied living on that small island." He looked to Damien and revealed the little he knew, "Nadia''s full name is Luciano Valora Nadia, born to Luciano Enzo Vittorio." Ares saw the glint in his son''s eyes and nodded, "Yes, Luciano of the Five Mafia Families of the West Blue." "Mafiaбн" Damien''s distaste for the scummy ilk was evident in his tone, but there was also confusion. "Heh. She had the same scowl on her face when she told me about it." Ares crossed his arms, continuing the story, "Nadia, with her Virtue Sense, was brought up with nothing but the scum of Luciano around her. Vittorio was also a tyrant in his own right. She sought distance from such a lifestyleбн the simplicity and peacefulness of Renaissance was like a magnet, and she never looked back." Damien couldn''t help but understand. He knew how unnecessarily kind his mother was. "That explains her spearmanship and inheriting Hakiбн but there''s no way they''d let her just leaveбн" Ares picked up on the fire in his son''s eyes and shook his head, "No. Vittorio did not attack Renaissance, and I know that for sureбн because I''m the one who killed him and every single brat in his line." "The Luciano of today is ruled by some miserable bastard I found begging on the streetsбн uhh, right! Demalo Brown was his name." The Sin Incarnate sighed, rubbing his forehead in irritationбкanother dead end. "Well. At least she escaped them for some years of peaceбн No wonder such a fruit found its way to her." Now, it was Ares'' turn to stammer. "What!? Nadia ate a Devil Fruit. Which one!?" he hastily questioned. Damien found the man''s reaction amusing but answered anyway: "Human-Human Fruit иC Mythical Model: Dryad." Ares'' mouth went dry as he took a gulp. The image of the beautiful, white-haired woman came to mind, now further sanctified as a herald of nature. "Dryadбн a fitting fruit for her kind soul. I guess the legend of Zoan fruits finding their own wielder has some merit after all." The man''s single eye became rather spirited as he tried to imagine the woman: "I bet she looked even more beautiful in her form. Oh, what I''d do to see her in it!" Damien rolled his eyes. Although he still felt ambivalent about the past, he was glad to have some more context. However, the dark hand behind the curtain remained mysterious... Thinking about the imminent future, he looked at his father, suddenly crouching down. He unloaded a series of coughs, followed by annoyed groans. "Maybe you should go on ice." "Ice!?" Spitting out a wad of blood, Ares grinned at Damien, "I have no reason to keep turning myself into a popsicle anymore... I''ll die happily ever after once I''ve taught you what I know." With a slam of a foot, the God of War stood tall. He tossed aside his shroud, unveiling a chest fraught with scars. "Ruhahaha! Let''s pick up where we left off, kiddo!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 161: Liberation The Undying spent the next two weeks under the guidance of the God of War. With Ares'' combat sense and life of strife, he could unload an arsenal of knowledge and techniques. *Krrrr* *Szzzzz* In the depths of Eternal Hell, a shirtless Damien stood like a tempest forged from molten fury, his presence unsettling even the darkest corners of Impel Down. His body pulsed with newfound, seething energyбкa harmony between his Armament Haki and the Pulverization Fruit''s raw power. This fusion manifested as a molten-like Haki that coursed over his skin, blazing in fiery, red-orange cracks that seemed to breathe with a life of their own. "Ruhahahaha! It looks like your Armament Haki was waiting for a little push to evolve. It really is impressive!" Ten days of war under Buddha shockwaves and a primal ape''s explosions, alongside Ares'' two weeks of training, had also sharpened his appearanceбкthe striking resemblance to the War God was unmistakable! [Current Damien Image (in Discord)] . Damien breathed in his frenzy state. With a flex, he flooded his left arm with the energy, allowing it to concentrate along the limb. *Fwwm!* It was similar to the usual black sheet but filled with cracks of atomizing power. A callback to his very first power-up, but so much more. ''Where my Empyrean Release held the pulverizing energy in place, requiring double the energyбн this Haki has both flowing in harmony and becoming oneбн an Empyrean Haki!'' Simultaneously, a blue screen flashed in his mind. [Armament Haki Mastery has reached the Grandmastery (I) Stage.] As per reaching Grandmastery, Damien unlocked his version of the Ultimate Skill alongside his {Empathy}, {Destiny Perception}, {Natural Dread}, and now {Empyrean Haki}. [Empyrean Haki: Perfect harmony between Ryuo and Atomizing energy.] [New Haki Image (in Discord)] . Damien savoured the feeling, only to be graced with a thunderous smack. *Bang!* Ares tattooed his hand to his son''s back, laughing out loud, "I''ve never seen anything like that. As expected of my boy!" The Sin Incarnate reined in his new Colours of Arms, his mind stuck on another thought: "I''ll need some more time for Observation Killing, though," he sighed with pity, shaking his head. "..." Meanwhile, Ares'' smile twitched from the comment, "Hey, hey, don''t be so greedy. You know that Conqueror''s Haki can''t be trained like thatиC" He suddenly felt a sharp, throbbing pain run down the left side of his body. With a grunt, Ares hunched over, clutching his heart. Damien quietly watched his old man panting through the pain. "How long can you hold on?" "Heh," Ares chuckled, looking up with bloodied teeth. "I still have a couple months left. Why? Are you feeling sad about your dad? Come, let me give you a hug!" Bam! A sizzling boot smacked the older pirate, throwing him across the floor and crashing into a wall, his hand slamming on a diamond-hard bar with enough force to shatter a normal man''s skull. "I want you to meet a few people," Damien explained in the direction of the dust cloud. Ares found his way out of the crash zone, seeming quite curious. "Oh, my son''s trusted companions?" Though his eyes suddenly became playful, "And someone a little more special than thatбн" Damien shrugged at the insinuation, "You could say that." Ares shot up from the floor, standing roughly eye-to-eye with Damien, squinting as if to read his very soul. "Ruhahaha! As expected, my son is popular with the ladies. Reminds me of myself!" However, he suddenly froze. For some reason, Ares thought he was missing a few pieces of the puzzle. "More than one?" he blinked. Damien nodded candidly. Ares felt his mouth dry up, "Your mother would kill me if I tried something like thatбн" Though his face turned cheery once again, "Ruhahaha! I look forward to meeting my daughters." There was relief hidden under the glint of his single eye. Relief that his eventual grandchildren would have a better father than he ever was. "So," Ares solemnly said. "When do we plan on leaving here?" Damien looked at the darkness around him, feeling all the knocked-out prisoners. "The World Government has made quite the dent in the pirate population in the past half-month. I suppose it''s time to spice things upбн" The Sin Incarnate''s crimson eyes flashed with mischief as he approached a gloomy cell. "How ''bout it, Mors. You wanna get out of here?" The frightening words resounded in the dark enclosure, reaching the ears of the aged pirate. Two cold eyes fell upon Damien, almost as if trying to decipher his every intent. "What''s in it for you?" Damien smirked. "Well, though I''m ready to break out, my fellow companions are not prepared to take on the full brunt of the World Government," the young pirate explained. "So I need a few people to take some of that heat." Mors breathed deeply as he considered the options. But his silence didn''t last longбн Clang! The thick chains snapped as the titanous man stood up and walked to the gate, looking down to meet the undying pirate eye-to-eye. "If you wanted that, you could just break open all the other cells in this entire floor, let alone this prison. So what else do you want from me?" Damien grinned at the man''s speculation; his skepticism was warranted. "One added condition for your release," he offered, studying the monster before him. "You will give me your Devil Fruit when you are about to die, whenever that may be." Mors narrowed his eyes, glaring into Damien''s very soul. *Fwooo* An ominous breeze picked up while the Bloodspawn''s thick braided hair and beard floated in the air, strand by strand, crackling with black lightning. Boom! A seething reddish purple field of Haki suddenly raged out, enveloping the younger pirate. The air was screeching in pain, releasing sharp frequency sounds like scratching your nails on a chalkboard. Ares watched with interest from the side, smirking at the sight of the unmoved Damien. "..." "Morararara!" The tense atmosphere crumbled within seconds as the hulking pirate burst into deep laughter. He gave a devious smile that resembled a rekindled flame. "I am already at my life''s end, so going down under the flames of war is far more inviting than rotting away in this cell." With a firm nod, he promised, "You can have my fruit when I''m at death''s door, even if I have to come back from the afterlife to give it to you!" Damien was pleased, a smile stretching across his face. He placed his hand on the Seastone door, and with a little force, the metal warped around the fingers. *Krrr* Boom! The gate was ripped off its hinges, allowing Damien entry. The thick chains were broken with similar ease, granting freedom to the pirate who had been locked up for over thirty years! . Ares, who was outside the cell, squinted his sole eye, exhaling a dangerous breath: "Bloodspawn, you better not try anything." Mors walked out of the cell, stretching his muscles. "Don''t insult me, Ares," he scoffed, cracking his neck from decades of stiffness. "A Warborn always pays his debts." The father of the year hummed and turned to Damien, who had walked up to another cell with the same scheming smile. . "Looks like Linlin and Shiki left you in quite the messбн" the young pirate muttered, knocking on the cell to announce his arrival. The woman within looked up with eyes the colour of the infinite sky. Her pale blonde hair cascaded down the prisoner garb, but it didn''t detract from her beauty. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. "How about it? Do you want to go and take revenge on those who threw you in here? ''Fallen Angel'' Herja!" The once-feared threat, Captain of the Valkyrie Pirates. Her silky hair was unsullied even after two years. "You were the one who took down Enigma, the Sin Incarnate," she softly said. "What happened? Did Rocks leave you to die?" Damien almost laughed, "Rocks? He''s dead." Herja''s eyes widened, and her jaw fell open. Meanwhile, the undying pirate took the time to tear open the door again. The warped metal door crashed to the side, allowing Damien to enter and remove the woman''s cuffs. Herja looked at the thick shackles on the floor, the echo still drumming across the Eternal Hell. "Why?" Damien met her bright eyes and casually replied, "Shiki left us for dead at God Valley. Give him my hello." The woman narrowed her eyes, almost as if she were trying to read her liberator''s thoughts. "Very well." Boom! The woman suddenly burst with a flash of white, bringing the day to a perpetually dark Eternal Hell. It was as bright as the sun, and the light had a comforting warmth attached to it, like a warm blanket. Moments passed to reveal a changed Herja. The woman stood poised with timeless grace, her golden armour glistening like liquid sunlight against her flawless skin, each polished plate echoing the elegance of a warrior goddess. Her long, platinum hair cascaded down her shoulders all the way to her feet, framing a face of ethereal beauty, both fierce and serene, with eyes that held an intensity capable of piercing the soul. Though her armour exuded an aura of strength, her beauty remained undeniable, making her appear both as a vision of battle and a symbol of divine allure. Sure enough, she was true to her moniker as the most beautiful woman in the world! [Herja Image (in Discord)] . As of now, there were four endlessly dangerous prisoners outside their enclosures, and the guards of Impel Down were none the wiser. Damien hummed a tune, walking to a few more such cells. Boom! The doors were thrown off one by one, allowing the ones inside to walk out. At first, they were reticent, fearful of the monsters at the center. But their personalities soon made their debut: "Oh, freedom at last. They locked me away, tried to bury my art, but you can''t cage brilliance, sorry thank you," a dark-haired prisoner said. Her eyes widened, a deranged smile twisting her face, wild and gleeful. "Now, I''ll finish what I startedбн flesh, bone, screamsбкall mine again, sorryбн thank you." "Carmelion Nera," Damien addressed her. "You drove many species to extinction with your experiments while you were under the Governmentбн eating them whole." While Nera giggled to herself, the pirate''s gaze settled on Hou P. Lace. A lanky, scarred man covered in wounds at every stage of healing, his face twisted into an eerie, tearless grin that echoed with his unsettling "haehaehae." Born unable to feel pain or shed tears, Lace had always been an outcast, craving the comfort he never received. That craving twisted into sadistic cruelty, leaving him a deranged shell of a manбкa fool doomed to rot wherever he ended up. "Although you''re batshit crazy, you have an interesting power." Lace tilted his head with his permanent grin. [Lace Image (in Discord)] A third prisoner left Damien speechless with his attitude. It was a sharp youngster named Lin Feng with sword eyebrows and jade skin: "Jie-Jie-Jie! After fifty years, this young master is free!" The three prisoners were awfully lost in their liberation, giddy beyond belief. . "What are you planning?" Ares whispered to Damien. Yet all he got in return was a smirk. "You three, don''t get too comfortable now, I didn''t free you to let you be free." "..." The words caused a deafening silence and flared the trio''s instincts. Nera''s form twisted and grew, scales rippling over her skin as feathers burst from her limbs, merging with fur in a chaotic blend of nature''s fiercest predators. Her stuttering breath turned into guttural growls, and her once manic gaze burned with feral intensity, green eyes glowing like embers. She extended her clawed arms, wings stretching wide as her voice cracked into a mad cackle, "Sorry, thank youбн for thisбн sorry, thank you." [Nera Image (in Discord)] Boom! Lace''s harrowing gaze remained grinning while his hands materialized yellow cages floating atop his palms, each holding a power that focussed on the mind rather than one''s physical defenses. Unlike the others, Lin Feng extended both arms without flair, each swirling with a cold metal glint. *Click* Clack* A moment later, they turned into giant machine guns! Damien hummed in approval under the three''s malicious gaze. Each having lost many screws either before their capture or while rotting in Impel Down for decades. "All you Level Six prisoners are monsters of your times," he applauded. "But how long can you remain standing?" An overpowering burst of Haki screamed across the floor, swallowing all three of them in its weight. Thud! Boom! Bam! They were brought to their knees, their faces planting to the cold, hard floor of Eternal Hell. The paralyzing Haki threw them out of their fruit powers, making them feel the cold embrace of death that was moments away. "I only ate people for the good of the worldбн!" "I-I can''t die yet! I have to wear your face first!" "Thirty years in Hedong and thirty years in Hexi, don''t bully the young and poor!" . They each had a sales pitch under Damien''s dreadful Haki, but it didn''t amount to anything. "You three barely add up to a bounty of a billion. Do you really think I have any use for washed-up rags of a forgotten era?" The blunt words forced them to gulp in budding fear. Damien''s undisguised glare scanned through them, reading out a few facts. "Carmelion Nera, the user of the Glut-Glut Fruit. You give a new meaning to the saying, ''You are what you eat.''" "''Hou P. Lace. The damned son who tortured and brutalized his own family in their minds, leaving their bodies untouchedбкthe Psyche-Psyche Fruit." "''Jade Arsenal'' Lin Feng иC Arms-Arms Fruit user who transformed himself to bomb Marine Bases." "Amongst the hundred or so scum on this level, you guys have fruits well beyond your worth. The government hopes to keep power abilities from entering circulation so they can let you rot here." A devious smile appeared on Damien''s face as he dropped the bomb, "It''s almost like they left you guys here for me." The healthy complexion of the Sin Incarnate''s arm began to grey out as a white fern-like pattern arrived. He extended the palm toward the three pirates as an ominous stream of energy came. "Ughhh!" They each croaked and screamed as if their own hearts were being pried out from their chests, ripping them straight out. Yet what came out wasn''t an organ; it was a fruit, three of them. Thud! Each patterned fruit fell to the floor, the pirates mirroring the motion with their collapse. *Fwooo* The air shook as Damien placed the prized fruits in his inventory, leaving silence behind. Mors and Herja were both flabbergasted, looking as if they had seen a ghost. Ares'' eyebrows were raised, his mouth forming an "O" shape. "бн" "So that''s how you intend to take my power at my death, aye?" Mors managed to say. Herja shook her head in disbelief. "Such a power can turn the world upside down. Why take the risk by showing it to us?" Damien heard their words and shrugged them off. "Do you think anyone will believe a long-standing fact being broken from two pirates?" *Zap* With a wave of a hand, the de-fruited pirates were dusted away. "Feel free to make your way to the surface; we''ll join you in a bit." He looked at Herja and said, "Do as you wish with those who remain." Damien and Ares made their flamboyant exit, their bodies quaking with synergizing Haki to strike down any opponent before they could speak. Herja remained at Level Six, looking at the desperate inmates with disdain. "I''ve spent years enduring the lustful remarks of you infernal dogs." "W-Wait, wait! T-That was a joke!" "Yeahбн we were just praising your beauty!" The beautiful woman scoffed, looking down on their pathetic responses. "Miserable scum like yourselves deserve only one end." She raised one hand, flooding it with a pale light. . "Heaven''s Fall!" . The dark Eternal Hell was lit with light beyond what the sun could produce. As the new dawn calmed down, it revealed all but two people still standing. "You just undid decades of the Government''s work," Mors surveyed his surroundings with a smirk. "You have my respect, Fallen Angel." бн While the combined force of the Bloodspawn and the Fallen Angel made their way up the different Hells, another duo strolled through the Starvation Hell. бн Most prisoners in the Starvation Hell had bounties of over fifty million Berry. The heat from Level 4, the Blazing Hell, would endlessly seep up and into this level. That, in tandem with the sparse food and water, kept Starvation Hell''s prisoners in a near-death state. The temperature alone had left the floor to appear like a desert: dry and littered with breathing corpses across its endless sea of cells. Soft steps echoed along the dunes of the layer, made by the father-son group of the Einar D. family. Ares remained in his dusty, twenty-year-old shroud, but Damien had thrown on a new shirt. A fitted black shirt adorned with intricate silver designs clung to his muscular frame and accentuated every sharp line of his physique. Crisp white pants contrasted sharply against the dark surroundings, with belts and buckles adding a rugged elegance to his look. [New Clothes Image (in Discord)] . "Hmm," Ares pondered, his boots sinking into the sand every step. "I wonder what could be so special to divert your attention here, Damien." The younger pirate''s eyes glanced at Ares before returning to the floor''s sandy slopesбкunnecessary suspense for a cliffhanger. They walked through, kicking away sand and creating dusty trails as they went. The weeping cries of half-dead prisoners left the place awfully spooky, but it was nothing more than background music to the duo. "Not ''what,'' but ''who,''" Damien corrected; his target here was long-set. "I''m looking for a certain someone with an array of skills beyond simple combat. One that every crew needsбн" His words piqued Ares'' attention. They walked ahead, ignoring the blaring alarms growing louder by the second. бн After a good ten minutes, Damien stopped. He stood before an inconspicuous cell that was like all others: covered with the dead and dying, skulls and bones decorating the edges of the enclosure. Of the thirty prisoners in the cramped cell, only half were breathing. They looked past the humid air and onto the figures that blocked the light. The two silhouettes resembled mirages created from the sand. Yet amongst the dozen eyes was a sole pair of firm eyes. The owner of the eyes was like a dried corpse; the only thing that showed life was the fact that his chest was ever-so-slightly expanded and constricted from respiration. . "His eyes are rather sharp for a man at death''s door," Ares examined. Damien nodded, scanning the gaunt figure slumped in the cell. "It wasn''t easy tracking down the right list of prisonersбкthe updates are few and far between. But I''m glad to see you''re still breathing," he remarked, a hint of impatience in his voice. The nearly-dead man had no strength to reply, his gaze fixed in silence, too weak to respond. A faint smile touched Damien''s face as he continued, "I once had a fateful encounter with a man named Quentin Hammer. He built a Titan of a ship for me... or, rather, for the crew I was with back thenбн" The words sent a ripple through the prisoner, leaving him visibly shaken. The former Fourth Division Commander leaned closer, his voice laced with a rare hint of sympathy. "The Titanic he forged was a true monster of a vessel," he said quietly, almost to himself. "But even she fell from grace, abandoned, with no one to tend to her." Damien''s piercing gaze bore into the man''s eyes as he delivered the final revelation: "Hammer told me, just days before he was killed, that his son was enslaved before his very eyes. That sonбн that''s you, isn''t it? Quentin Kraft!" To Be Continued... Chapter 162: A Hammer of Vengeance "Hammer told me, just days before he was killed, that his son was enslaved before his very eyes. That sonбн that''s you, isn''t it? Quentin Kraft!" Upon hearing his name, Kraft found the energy to move his head toward the mystery pirate. In turn, his own face was also discernible now. He was in his late twenties, though due to the conditions of the Starvation Hell, he was at deathбпs door: dried-up and cracked skin, pale and haggard face and protruding bones from the lack of food and water. His condition also highlighted the many scars decorating his back and chest. Whips, stabbings, and burn marks were the primary contenders. . Damien smiled at the sight of the manбпs attention. б░Iбпm going to set sail under my own crew very soon, but no crew can be without a ship, and no ship can be without a shipwright.б▒ б░Do you want to get out of here, Kraft?б▒ the pirate questioned. The broken man, Quentin Kraft, closed his eyes; his breathing had spiked more than his dried heart could support. He remembered how the previous decades had gone; it all came back within a few sentences that determined his fateбн б░You damn brute! How dare you refuse a God! Cipher Polбнenslave this bruteбпs son for me, hehe, now youбпll know the price of disrespecting a Celestial Dragon! Your entire island will have my fury!б▒ He remembered his fatherбпs distraught face while chains were placed around his limbs and a remote explosive to his neck. Years passed while he was marked with the Claw of the Dragon on his back and assumed the role of subhuman. His daily life consisted of being subjected to the whims of a Saint who was particularly fond of pushing the limits of human pain. б░Ehehehe! Thatбпs it. Get to work! If you wanna blame anyone, blame your pops, brat! Once youбпre old enough, Iбпm gonna make you carry me on your back like the dog you are!б▒ The snapping whip on his back and the electric baton jamming into his chest had become normal. And as he grew older, his saintly owner grew bored. б░Cheh, youбпre so tinyбн I hoped youбпd go big and burly like that Hammer guy. What a pity. Cipher Pol! Iбпm tired of this toy. Let him think over his fatherбпs sins in Impel Down!б▒ And just like that, three mandates uttered by a god had damned him in Starvation Hell. But it also allowed a certain Underworld Emperor to find his traces and report it to the Sin Incarnateбн . Years of chains and scars had hardened him, but thisбкthe faint promise of revengeбкbrought a tremor of life back to his broken spirit. Each lash, every dark memory branded across his back, burned anew, pulling him into the present. б░Revenge,б▒ Kraft mouthed, the word barely audible but weighted with decades of torment. Damien hummed, unsurprised. It was a simple yet powerful reason to persist in life in the One Piece World. Though it seldom ended well. With a nod, the Sin Incarnate replied, б░I can give you a chance at it, but a wise man once said, боKnow before embarking on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.бпб▒ Watching from the side, Ares seemed quite pleased by the words and nodded. б░A good saying. Which wise man said it?б▒ б░Didnбпt I just say it?б▒ б░бнб▒ Ignoring his speechless father, Damien extended his left arm through the gaps of the prison bars. "You may feel life slipping away now," he said, his voice calm, "but consider this your chance to reclaim it." In his hand appeared a Devil Fruit, deceptively simple in appearanceбкa bright red apple with faint, mystical swirls that concealed an unimaginable power. . The apple fell in the eyes of the lifeless Kraft, bringing a yearning fire to break. б░Zoan-type, Human-Human Fruit,б▒ Damien introduced the ability he got from Wano. б░Mythical Model of the First Man Adam.б▒ б░It will return your weak and withered body to its very peak of humankind. Follow me from now on, and Iбпll give you what you seek.б▒ The magnetic words drew Kraftбпs attention, replaying again and again in his mind. He had been here for over a decade, drying away and turning into a living corpse. Now, there was the bright light at the end of the tunnel, yet it was so bright that it left him apprehensive. A string of life flooded out from his chest and came in the form of words, escaping his mouth that was as dry as a camelбпs tongue in the middle of a desert. б░A-Am I selling my soul to a demonбн?б▒ Damien narrowed his eyes with a curious smile. He could sense that Kraft held some prejudices against pirates, credit to his childhood years. Yet all that precipitated significant loss and broken dreams, which were easy to exploit. *Thwung!* The door flung open as the undying pirate entered, holding the mystical apple in the shrivelled-up Kraftбпs face. The broken manбпs eyes locked onto the Devil Fruit while the voice of his боsaviourбп echoed in his mind: б░Once youбпre in hell, only the devil can help you.б▒ б░!!!б▒ Kraft suddenly forgot the pain and weakness as every fiber of his being was commanding him to reach out. An image of the burly and brash Quentin Hammer came to mind, forever telling his boy to seek great heights. б░You worry too much, kid! If you want something, just go for it! I raise you in hopes you can forge the vessel to tame the seas! Dream a little!б▒ And so he did. The bony hand slowly reached out from the floor, stretching with audible cracks and creaks as the fingers cupped the fruit. With great zeal, Kraft placed the apple in his mouth and bit down. боYouбпre goneбнbut wonбпt dishonour your memory, old man!бп *Munch* The overpowering and disgusting taste was ignored as Kraft had no energy left to comment on it. Bite after bite, he gulped down the fruit. . Damien returned to his fatherбпs side, patiently watching as the fruit disappeared into the prisoner. Ares smirked in appreciation of Kraftбпs determination. б░I like this one,б▒ he applauded. б░!!!б▒ A surge of life suddenly churned in Kraftбпs body. The pulsating feeling rang down his entire body, from his muscles to his tendons and bones. His heartbeat drummed without stop, boasting great strength and rejuvenation. Vitality returned to Kraftбпs face as the deep shrivels and cracked skin began to mend, springing with life. His bone-like arms swelled, his deflated chest popped, and his entire body began to grow. The seas of scars decorating his back and chest faded and faded until they disappearedбкhe was reborn! He stood up, feeling the strength and energy coursing through his veins. Kraft also felt much taller, and it was true. He jumped from a measly 6'' 2" to a somewhat respectable 8'' 2", growing two feet (1.88 m б· 2.49 m)! The great shock was visible in his eyes as he muttered, б░I-I can speak without losing my sense of thought, all these years of torture from this terrible heatбн All remedied within momentsбнб▒ Damien nodded at the fruitбпs magical nature. б░Adam was said to have been the best of humans. You are now the first human personified, granting you vast talents in all fields, boosting a normal person like yourself into something truly special.б▒ Kraft heard the unbelievable words and had no choice but to believe them. He looked past the bars of the cell and met his saviourбпs eyes. б░Although I donбпt know who you are and what you plan for the seasбн I will fulfill my promise! My old manбпs legacy lives with me now!б▒ б░...б▒ Damien examined the reborn Kraft. He had short silver hair that was kept upwards. His face was of a young man, brimming with life. б░Your father did what he dreamed of: he built a ship that could carry the pirates that would burn the World Government down.б▒ Kraft listened in silence, allowing the pirate to continue. б░But that dream of his was forged under the embers of the hellish life he had to endure after your capture. An honest dream darkened into hatred for the World Government, corrupting his mind.б▒ б░Much like his dream, the Titanic he made was brought down in a blazing glory.б▒ Damien sighed, his eyes filled with sympathy. б░Though I can respect a man dying for his greatest wishes, I also canбпt help but think what a waste of life it is.б▒ He glanced at the quiet Kraft, б░Iбпm not asking you to swallow your anger at the World Government; just donбпt let it define you.б▒ б░Unlike the Titanic, I want something that can not only face off against the might of the World Government but also a ship that can sail into the eras to come, conquering everything in their wake!б▒ *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* Damien walked into the cell again, standing armбпs distance from the reinvigorated Kraft, looking down at the much shorter man. б░So tell me, Quentin Kraft. Can you do that?б▒ A bright fire lit up in the manбпs eyes as he heard the booming remarks. The lost passion and dreams returned in waves, washing Kraft away into a sea of ambition. His blue eyes grew firm, ultimately accepting his newfound identity. б░Iбпll do it!б▒ he loudly proclaimed. Damien hummed, noticing the burning fire in the manбпs eyes. б░Alright then,б▒ he replied, exiting the cell. б░My name is Einar D. Damien, call me Captain from now on.б▒ . The two made their way out of the torn-up cell, bathing in the starving heat of the floor. Boom! A thick hand slapped Damienбпs back, ringing it like a gong. б░I must say, you have an eye for talent!б▒ Ares laughed. б░You donбпt have to infuse Haki to pat my back,б▒ the younger pirate quipped. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Damien then began walking away, caring little about the groans and wails from the cells nearby. Ares was just as casual, staying at his sonбпs side. Kraft gulped at the desolate land, somewhat stunned. б░Are weбн just going to walk out?б▒ б░Keep up now.б▒ бн [Floor One] Crimson Hell was known for its needle grass and blade trees, which made it a living hell for its prisoners. However, the current battle had terraformed it into a flat plain. б░Morararara!б▒ The giant Mors walked through a horde of jailers, breathing in the duel with great enthusiasm. б░Brother, w-what are you doing!?б▒ The exchange took place between two brothers, both jailers. б░Auhhh!б▒ The older one slashed at his biological brother with a swish, cutting his head off. б░No, Nooo! H-How did it turn out like this?б▒ the sibling killer murmured, his face pale. Such things took place throughout the floor: fellow jailers turned on one another, cutting and shooting each other. Yet after each kill, the killers would weep and cry from their actions. б░I-Itбпs the escaped convict. Heбпs doing this!б▒ The veteran jailer rushed through the area, slashing his weapon at the enemy five times taller than himself. His swinging sword gave birth to a geyser of fresh, warm blood. It exploded like a fountain, bathing the jailer with crimson juice. б░I-I got him!б▒ he celebrated with crazed eyes. *Wururu* However, the man was a little taken aback by the endless sea of blood bursting from his disintegrating enemy, swirling like it had a mind of its own. б░You fool, heбпs obviously an ability user!б▒ Before the jailer could react, a swarm of warm blood spiralled into the shape of Mors, standing behind his attacker. б░Aughh!б▒ The man cried in pain as a red spike burst out from his chest, holding him to the sky while his insides fell to the outsides. б░Morararara! I havenбпt taken a life in thirty years!!!б▒ Bullets fired, swords slashed, yet the pirate simply reformed, cutting apart his enemies. . While the jailers were distraught from the Bloodspawnбпs carnage, another fellow escapee was making her move: a bright flare suddenly went off, pure white in colour, blinding a battalion of guards on the other side of the floor. б░Heбпs having too much fun,б▒ a womanбпs voice broke out. б░Logia-type: Blood-Blood Fruitбкitбпs quite the primal ability.б▒ It was Herja who was watching Morsбп massacre. The most obvious power of the Blood Fruit was that it gave its users control of the blood of others, bending it to their will. б░I suppose I cannot blame him for letting looseбн Those cuffs were unnecessarily tightened.б▒ The woman turned back to her battle, bringing up great holiness from her body. б░My eyes!б▒ б░So bright, itбпs brighter than my future!б▒ The blinding light came with a burst of energy, taking the guards into the air and instantly knocking them out. б░S-So beautifulбн!б▒ б░Sheбпs an Angel!б▒ б░Maybe we should let her free!б▒ The jailers watched in horrified awe as Herjaбпs form shifted, her pale skin illuminating with an ethereal glow that seemed to cast the shadows back. Majestic wings unfurled from her back, feathers sharp and shimmering with gold as if forged from celestial fire. Her armour gleamed like molten metal, and as she rose, a crown of light erupted above her, casting a blinding halo that seemed almost too pure, too divine for the darkness of their prison. [Transformed Herja Image (in Discord)] бн A tormented Ponos arrived to see two Level Six disasters obliterate their way through Crimson Hell, leaving hundreds of his men dead. *Clack* The cane tapped the floor, carrying the hunched weight of the Chief Warden. б░Such a combination of devastating pirates. Truly an unforgivable mishap on my part.б▒ Before anyone knew it, all but Ponos was left to deal with them on this floor. б░I will die before you can step foot beyond the walls of Impel Down,б▒ he declared, his aged body coiling with an eerie purple glow. б░Suit yourself,б▒ Mors quipped back, grinning savagely, his crimson skin pulsated with warmth. At the same time, a wave of unease flashed on the Wardenбпs face. боHave they not yet received my emergency message?бп Herja, who was truly a sacred existence, couldnбпt help but smile with disdain. б░Stalling is useless. Iбпve jammed all your signals to Marineford with my light. No one will come to save you.б▒ Ponosбп grip over his cane tightened, much like the noose around his neck. б░I assumed your ability would have run dry after all these years since your captureбнб▒ The Fallen Angel bloomed with a proud smile, waving her divine wings. б░My Faith-Faith Fruit may be bound by my followers, but what gave you the illusion that the Valkyrie Pirates were my only worshipers?б▒ The angel moved aside a few loose strands of her platinum-white hair, locking onto the lanky Warden, б░The Celestial Dragons arenбпt the only ones who can make the fools of the Outer Seas accept their divinity.б▒ б░бнб▒ a grim air befell the floor, followed by a sigh from Ponos. б░Come on then.б▒ Ponosбп eyes sharpened as he shot forth, his cane swinging with a violet light. б░Donбпt get in my way, Herja!б▒ Mors smirked, slamming his maroon fist forth, carrying the weight of three decades of tolerance. BAM! бн Three more escapees soon arrived at the scene of the crime. Damien stood with his father to his left and a changed Kraft to his right. The Sin Incarnate clicked his tongue at the devastation. What used to be a nightmare filled with prickly red needled trees to torment its inmates had quickly transformed into a flatland of dust and debris. At its core was a disfigured Ponos embedded into a crater with a tree spiking out from his chest. His supposed murderer, Mors, stood tall with bruises over his fists. б░The all-powerful offscreen Haki,б▒ Damien said under his breath. б░Impel Down has been inescapable since it was built. Their guard had dropped in quality,б▒ the giant man stated, calming down the blood surging through his veins. The angelic Herja was as proud as she was divine in her angel form, gracefully floating in the air. She was the first to notice the anomaly: б░Ponos. Youбпre still breathing?б▒ The miserable Warden opened his tired eyes, feeling the metallic taste in his mouth, but it was the least of his worries. б░Hoh? As expected of the Pain-Pain Fruitбн its user is also a tough egg to crack.б▒ . A sudden, desperate cry resounding across the first floor attracted everyoneбпs attention: б░Leave him alone!б▒ It came from a child no more than ten years of age. He was awfully tall for his age, the youth reflecting off the stoic face. Kraft narrowed his eyes, recalling whispers he heard while being locked up. б░I heard Ponos was raising a kid he found floating in the Calm Belt. He has grown up.б▒ б░M-Magellan!б▒ Ponos managed to speak. б░I told you to stay putбн!б▒ Damien hummed at the child, who shared a striking resemblance to the future Warden of Impel Down. б░You want to stop us, kid?б▒ The tall child harrumphed, his face turning furious. *Gurrup* Thick purple miasma began coursing out of his body, falling onto the floor with a sizzling soundбкit was pure toxin! б░Oh, another crowd-control ability,б▒ Ares said with a smirk. *Szzz* The thick purple fluid flowed from the boyбпs pores, bubbling with harrowing sounds. б░Morarara, this brat has balls, but he is far away from playing at this stage.б▒ Damien glanced to the side, б░Show me what you can do with that rifle.б▒ Naturally, the man he was talking to was Quentin Kraft. Kraft, who had ransacked the jailerбпs locker room to find some more comfortable clothes, sporting a brown jacket over a white shirt. Gray cargo pants with dark boots and gloves. Around his head was a bandana and goggles, pushing up his silver-coloured hair. He had also picked up a vintage weapon, a sniper rifle, from a guardбпs locker. [Quentin Kraft Image (in Discord)] . б░My old man taught me to shoot at pirates before they could make land decades ago. For some reason, I feel like I can shoot a hundred times better now,б▒ he muttered to himself. The rifle was aimed at the bubbling Magellan, Kraftбпs bright eyes shining through the scope. His concentration sharpened far beyond what a normal human could. Bang! A shot lacking hesitation, zooming across and nailing the monstrous Magellan in the chest. *Splash* A burst of purple poison ate up the bullet. But it wasnбпt over yet. Bang! Bang! Bang! Kraftбпs aim was top-notch. There was not even a single degree of visible recoil. He pulled the trigger in a continuous and fluid motion, sending out three shots. The poison exploded once more, slowly deepening the crater forming at Magellanбпs chest. б░Guns donбпt work on me!б▒ Magellan roared, rushing ahead with his monstrous figure. Kraft felt the impending threat, yet oddly enough, his hands were even more stable, his eyes firmer. Without conscious thought, his fingers danced over the rifle, reloading with an effortless speed and mastery honed over countless battles. "He could''ve fooled me as a Logia..." Bang! Bang! Bang! The rate of fire was more accurate than any robot could impose, and the precision of each bullet was flawless. Each projectile hit the exact same mark at Magellanбпs sternum, slowly digging deeper and deeper through the thick coat of poison. Bang! Bang! Bang! Three more shots and the copious amounts of the corrosive liquid had splattered enough to open a small window where Magellanбпs chest was exposed. Bang! One last shot and the blitzing figure of Magellan paused in the air. б░Ugh!б▒ The young boy groaned, feeling a hole in his torso. He clawed at his chest, which began dripping with fresh blood. б░Y-You!б▒ Bang! Bang! Bang! The bullets found their way past the gaps of the poison-flooded fingers, digging their way into the future Wardenбпs chest and lungs. Magellan collapsed, his body falling with a loud clang. б░бнб▒ Kraft lowered the sniper rifle, shock visible on his face. б░What the hellбнб▒ he murmured. *Smack* Damienбпs giant hand slapped his back, ringing him like a bell. б░I told you that fruit bumps all your qualities to superhuman levels. Looks like your affinity with guns is pretty good.б▒ His Captainбпs words brought Kraft out of his reverie. He slightly nodded, his mind swelling with shock, б░Devil fruits really are truly incredible.б▒ Ponos gnashed his teeth, finding the strength to raise his broken right arm in Magellanбпs direction. Each movement sent jolts of agony through him, but he forced his focus, channelling the depths of his pain. . б░...Sorrow Step.б▒ . As he locked onto Magellan, the weight of his sorrow became a conduit, allowing him to bend reality just enough to fade Magellan from his place, teleporting him away in a surge of tortured willpower. б░You still have that much energy in you!?б▒ Mors grumbled, slamming his giant foot onto Ponosбп stomach. Damien watched it all, examining the Pain Fruit user saving his pupil. With curiosity, he ambled ahead, walking till he was a meter from the grunting Warden. б░You channelled your grief and emotional pain from losing your protege, allowing your fruit to undo your worriesбнб▒ he surmised, crouching down to look the man in the eyes. б░Is that your Awakening?б▒ б░That boy is the future of Impel Downбн My death means little. Now go ahead and end me, pirate scum.б▒ The Sin Incarnate chuckled at the man accepting death. б░Donбпt worry. Your ability will not be forgotten like your life is soon to be.б▒ The others watched Damien extending his arm toward the fallen jailkeeper. The cracking skin followed by the absurd sightбн б░It will never cease to amaze me,б▒ Herja sighed, shaking her head in envy as she saw Damien extract the Pain-Pain Fruit. . Meanwhile, Ares was having a discussion with the triumphant Kraft. б░You can take down a brat, but without training, that talent is useless against real enemies.б▒ The silver-haired escapee deeply exhaled, glancing at the Blood-human and Angel-woman next to his Captain. б░Rightбн Iбпm still no match for the real monsters.б▒ Damien extricated himself from the dead Wardenбпs crater, addressing Kraft as he walked over: б░I came looking for a shipwright and found a sniper and shipwright combo. It''s not a bad find.б▒ б░Letбпs go outside now.б▒ The band of pirates walked right outside with no care in the world. As of now, Damien could be compared as the top-level threat in the world and was backed up by the likes of Ares, Mors and Herja; their combined power was enough to tear apart the New World. бн With a firm nod, Damien led the group toward the exit, the oppressive darkness of the prison behind them. They stepped through the heavy doors, the chill of confinement fading as the distant sounds of the sea grew louder. As they crossed the threshold, the blinding light hit Kraft like a wave, washing over him with warmth and vibrancy. The stark contrast from the cold, damp air of the Starvation Hell to the bright, sunlit world outside was overwhelming. б░I havenбпt tasted fresh sunlight in twenty years!б▒ Kraft fell to his knees as they clanged onto the wooden floor. Kraft inhaled deeply, the fresh sea air filling his lungs like life itself. He fell to his knees, overwhelmed by the weight of his newfound freedom, tears of bitterness and resolve trailing down his face. б░Old man, I will finish what you started. You can rest in peace soon enough!б▒ He looked over at his Captain, the reality settling inбкhe would build something the world would remember. б░I will definitely make it," he promised with thunderous resolve. "A ship that can conquer the seas!б▒ To Be Continuedбн Chapter 163: Through the Abyss б░I take it you have your own way out of here, monstrous kid?б▒ a hoarse voice broke out. Its heaviness began dulling the evening sun from the danger hidden within. б░I see you have a destination in mind,б▒ Damien glanced at Mors. The towering monster from two eras ago returned a vicious smile. The bloodlust running through his veins throbbed in hunger, reflecting in his maddened eyes. б░Marineford,б▒ he spat. Damien met the Bloodspawnбпs gaze, feeling the awakened insanity and bloodthirst radiating out from his body like tendrils of dark red. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Zenora Mors] [Age: 66 years, 2 months] [Height: 22'' 7"] (6.9 m) [Devil Fruit: Blood-Blood Fruit (Complete Grandmastery)] [Fruit Rating: 6 Stars] [Skills: Eternal Figures of War, Primitive Rokushiki, Son of Slaughter] [Haki: Intermediate Mastery of Observation Haki, Intermediate Mastery of Armament Haki, Grandmastery (II) of Conquerorбпs Haki] [Strength: Top Tier Yonko] ----- [Son of Slaughter: Convert wrath and pain into Conquerorбпs Haki.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< боHeбпs long gone into slaughter. Those Figures of War lead him only to mayhem.бп Damien didnбпt comment on the Warbornбпs mind state and reminded him, б░Donбпt forget our deal.б▒ Mors grumbled, walking to the far edge of the wooden platform. Every step was a recollection of years of slaughter, finally reignited after three decades. б░Donбпt worry, I have no plans on dying there,б▒ he reassured, looking to the infinite skies. б░I just want to test out the new batch of elite marinesбнб▒ б░!!!б▒ His eyes locked onto a group of birds high above. One such avian had a small cut on its face, just above the beakбкa fresh wound. Mors suddenly exploded into a surge of fresh blood, squirming through the air and entering the birdбпs bloodstream. The feathered creature gave another cry before turning its flight toward the distant Navy Headquarters. . The only female escapee was also breathing in her liberation. б░I will repay this debt, Einar D. Damien,б▒ Herja softly spoke. Her whitened eyes carried grace, falling onto the figure of the mastermind of their escape. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Odinsdottir Herja] [Age: 38 years, 7 months, 11 days] [Height: 8'' 6"] (2.59 m) [Devil Fruit: Faith-Faith Fruit (Grandmastery (II))] [Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars] [Skills: Grace of the Valkyrie, Beauty of Aphrodite] [Haki: Intermediate Mastery of Observation Haki, Intermediate Mastery of Armament Haki, Advanced Mastery of Conquerorбпs Haki] [Strength: Middle Tier Yonko] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< Damien removed the stats overview and bid farewell: б░Until we meet again, Fallen Angel.б▒ The woman gave Damien a slow, assessing look, her lips quirking in a curious half-smile. б░Einar D. Damien,б▒ she said, almost to herself. б░For a man pirate, you are... surprisingly tolerable.б▒ б░I shall visit G-1 to buy you time for whatever it is you seek,б▒ She offered before shooting to the sky with a powerful beat of her angelic wings, leaving a shimmering trail in her wake. б░бнб▒ б░And then there were three,б▒ Ares said, walking up and beside his son. б░I take it that weбпre borrowing those warships?б▒ Damien returned a grin fit for a pirate before strolling toward the vessel with hundreds of knocked-out soldiers. Just like that, the trio had begun sailing beyond Impel Down. бн б░Hmm? You actually want to enter the Tarai Current?б▒ Ares asked, picking up the direction the ship was headed. The Tarai Current was a giant spiral ocean current that flowed between and connected the World Governmentбпs three major facilities in the first half of the Grand Line; the judicial island Enies Lobby, the underwater prison Impel Down, and the Marine Headquarters Marineford. It was caused by the Gates of Justice redirecting the water currents, locking it within a triangle. [Tarai Current Image (in Discord)] . б░It is a shortcut to where I want to goбнб▒ Kraft stood to Damien''s left on the ship''s deck. б░The only way to enter the Current is by opening the Gates of Justice that hold entry to Impel Down,б▒ he murmured. The shipwrightбпs breath was taken away as the gate in question was in view. It stood over a thousand meters tall, boasting the World Government logo and eclipsing each of the three significant facilities they protected. б░What an engineering marvel,б▒ Kraft breathed, gulping in surprise. Damien nodded, looking at the semi-circle-shaped gate stretching to the heavens. б░I wonder how many years it took to piece this mammoth togetherбнб▒ [Gate Image (in Discord)] The gate to Impel Down was closed, disallowing both entry and exit and prompting Aresбп question: б░Is that why you took a detour before we went to meet up with the others on Crimson Hell?б▒ Damien smirked, raising a hand with three fingers up: б░And threeбн twoбн oneбнб▒ At his command, the colossal gate that was a beacon of World Government authority gave a resounding creak before opening up as if to embrace the incoming warship. бн Kraft was still without words, absently watching the elephantine gates welcome them to the Tarai Current; Ares was more speculative: б░Now, the only way to exit the Current is if you open the Gates of Justice of your desired exit point.б▒ Damien hummed, feeling the warship being sucked into the grasp of the current while the gate behind them was closing. If they fail to open another gate, the ship will perpetually spin in the Tarai Current and be unable to exit! б░As fun as raiding Marineford sounds,б▒ Damien aired his intentions. б░I really see no benefit in doing so.б▒ б░So your goal is Enies Lobby,б▒ Ares finished. And so they did. бн The beauty of the Tarai Current was that it reduced the time it took to travel from facility to facility to less than an hour! Damienбпs goal was beyond Enies Lobby, but a thirty-minute trip to Enies Lobby was akin to saving three to four days. бн [Thirty Minutes Later] б░The time and manpower it would need to construct these gates is beyond sense,б▒ Kraft shook his head, still taken aback by the sheer size of the gateбкthis one leading to the judicial island of Enies Lobby. б░I have a damning thought that a lot of slaves died to make thisбнб▒ Damien couldnбпt help but agree, but right now wasnбпt the time to debate such things. They had sailed to the edge of the Tarai Current with nothing but the humongous Gate of Justice blocking their way. б░How do you intend on opening thatбн?б▒ Ares grumbled, somewhat annoyed by the hood he was forced to wear. Damien, however, wasnбпt as stumped: б░Thereбпs only one polite way to ask for entry.б▒ *Knock* *Knock* The kind pirateбпs knocking was not answered. б░How rude,б▒ he sighed, taking out a transponder snail. The other two watched with both curiosity and confusion as they heard the nostalgic dialling sound. б░Puru,б▒ б░Puru,б▒ б░Puru.б▒ б░Katcha~!б▒ б░Damien!? Y-Youбпre okay!б▒ a womanбпs voice burst out from the snail. The pirate lightly smiled at the phone with purple hair and tearful eyes. б░I really want to punch you for not telling me what you were up to!б▒ Aresбп brows furrowed as he cupped his chin. He watched as his son calmed the woman across the line: б░Oh, thatбн Well, I think you know why.б▒ Aurora, on the other side of the call, was glaring right into the eyes of the snail, her face scrunched up. Although annoyed and worried, she knew she probably would have done something reckless if Damien had confided in her. б░...Fine! Butбн are you coming home now?б▒ The pirate picked up the longing in her voice, even the slight tremble in the words. With a light sigh, he shook his head. б░I need to swing by one place. Iбпll be back in a week or so.б▒ Aurora shut her eyes, stabilizing her thoughts. The Underworld Empress knew that Damien wouldnбпt be calling just to give a heads-upбн A moment later, she opened them again to reveal a calm pair of amethyst pupils. б░What do you need me to do?б▒ The alter ego of Fulcrum was fully active, earning a nod from the Sin Incarnate. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. б░Have your spies open the Gates of Justice at Enies Lobby.б▒ The phone paused for a second before replying, б░Okay.б▒ Her firm words were followed by a dull roar through the Current. Kraft ran to the edge of the deck, seeing the gates once shaking and slowly opening. Next was the bright light from the evening sun, forcing Kraft to flinch. б░And Rora,б▒ Damien softly spoke to the snail while watching the door grant them exit. б░This will be the last time.б▒ б░...Come back safe.б▒ б░Katcha~!б▒ . The Gate of Justice to Enies Lobby opened to allow them to leave, but it also raised some questions in Ares. б░Heh, I take it that was one of them?б▒ Damien pocketed the invincible transponder snail as he heard the distant alarms of the judicial island. б░Yep. Youбпll have to wait a bit to meet her, though.б▒ The War God chuckled, walking up to the ship''s bow. б░Thereбпs gotta be at least five thousand of them here.б▒ But his grin flipped into a frown: б░What a weak batch of soldiers, even those two giants.б▒ б░Rahaha! The God Valley Incident ate up all the elites of the era.б▒ Damien narrowed in on the mighty island that decided the fate of prisoners. It was an island hovering over the middle of an endless abyss, reachable only by two bridges. The Tower of Justice dominated the horizon with its authoritative build. б░Justice, was it?б▒ There was disdain in his voice. With a wave of his hand, the Thirteenth Blade Ryushi appeared, quickly trembling in impatience. б░Bring down that tower,б▒ he whispered to the blade before tossing it through the skies. *Vooosh!* The screeching winds tore the atmosphere open. Thousands of eyes watched in shock as they saw the mighty weapon rocket toward the Tower of Justice with a crimson trail. BOOOOOOM! Enies Lobby was suddenly shaken by an earthquake, and a giant dust cloud exploded into the air, raining debris down. б░This ought to give Kong something to rip his hair out forбнб▒ Damien wasnбпt done. He linked across the seas with Ryushi as an anchor. His infernal grasp stretched across the alarmed base. б░Itбпs no fun bullying these guys, so Iбпll make it quickбнб▒ *Snap* With the snap of a finger, the endless red particles held onto the tower''s remains. They pulsed and bubbled to their master''s will, forming a red cube. . б░Atomic Remodeling: Magnum Opus.б▒ . The cube shattered with harrowing sounds, unleashing a god-forbidden seismic event that spanned dozens of meters, bringing about colours and spectacles the mind could not imagine! The sky was flooded with a mix of red, green, blue, black, white, and purple, turning the day into a beautiful hell. The thousands of marines could only utter pathetic wails as the increasingly magnificent surge of energy that coursed through Enies Lobby swallowed everything around them. The Courthouse and the Courtyard disintegrated and then integrated into the burst of energy, spreading for tens of kilometers. *Vzzzz* The air screamed, the seas quaked, and the sky trembled as the masterpiece left nothing but shredded land, turning the Judicial Island into a morbid canvas. б░S-Should we fire back?б▒ a marine uttered. His superior, a Rear Admiral, slapped him upside the head, б░You idiot! Whoever it is, he literally terraformed one of the Three Beacons of Marine Supremacy, and you want to take him on!б▒ The words left the recruit and others nearby in silence. The Rear Admiral glanced at the distant ship carrying the three men. They were too far away to identify. б░I thought it was nonsense, but there are some pirates who wonбпt take life if you donбпt get in their wayбнб▒ A quick scan would unveil five thousand living soldiers. Nearly every one of them was knocked out from the infused Haki, but they were alive. бн б░Although it reminds me of Endou a little too muchбн As expected of my son, Ruhahahaha!б▒ The proud laughter boomed across the dull wastes of Enies Lobby, creating quite the contrast. б░But you know, I kinda wanted to stretch my muscles too!б▒ Damien rolled his eyes, looking at his father from head to toe. б░Your body is holding on by the skin of your teeth. Just keep that hood on. I donбпt need Endou disturbing us because he saw your wrinkly face.б▒ Ares scoffed, crossing his arms but remaining under the hood of his shroud. Kraft also woke up from his reverie. With a shaky voice, he asked, б░W-Werenбпt you trying not to bring attention to yourself?б▒ б░Attacking Marineford and remodelling Enies Lobby are two different things. Trust me, this island is more about traditions than anything.б▒ Damien shook his head at the superficial justice this island held while bringing out his right palm. With another poof, a log pose was taken out. б░The needle is frozen, an Eternal Pose,б▒ Kraft quickly surmised. He looked up to his Captain in curiosity. With some calculations in his mind, the shipwright aired a thought, б░The needle points toward the Red Line but is biased toward the rightбнб▒ A world map appeared in Kraftбпs mind as he connected the dots, б░Somewhere in the West Blue?б▒ Damien slowly nodded, recalling the fateful location that remained a topic of today across every island with intelligence. б░Our destination is the ruins of God Valley!б▒ ---------------------------------------------- While those responsible for the hell wrought on Impel Down were unknowingly sailing back to the fateful island, the third central government facility was facing its own terrorsбн бн [Marineford] The atmosphere at the Marine Headquarters was booming with pride. In the past couple of weeks, an Advent of Justice has begun! It took place with Admiral Sengoku, Admiral Candidate Zephyr, and Vice Admiral Garp blazing their way through the New World, pummeling down any sparks of piracy. . б░Very good, you three did well,б▒ a joyous Kong talked to his snail. He was holding a conference call with the three top Marines on the receiving end. б░Kongogogogo! Garp, your brat, youбпve finally done some good in your life!б▒ The snail shifted to the face of the jolly Garp, who was munching away at his crackers. б░Bwahahahaha! Kong-san, since you want to give me a raise so badly, Iбпll reluctantly accept.б▒ боWhen did I ever mention a raise?бп Kong blinked. But considering Garp recent actions of chasing down Silver Rayleigh into hiding and pushing back Charlotte Linlin to the confines of Totto Land, a raise was indeed due. . б░What about you two?б▒ The Fleet Admiral questioned. The phone warped into the face of an afroed man with glasses. б░Kong-san, I did find Shiki with the help of Ginrou, but that bastard got away, flying to the clouds and disappearing ever since.б▒ Kong nodded, not overly concerned about the Golden Lion. Now, it was Zephyrбпs turn to speak. б░I couldnбпt locate Redfield, Fleet Admiral. But I did have a run-in with Vitalius Shaw,б▒ he informed. Kongбпs eyes widened at the intel. б░Shaw? Heбпs just as aloof as Redfield. What did he want?б▒ The snail answered swiftly. б░бнHe wanted sakиж, the same kind we supply to the Celestial Dragons.б▒ The answer left Kong somewhat confused. "That pirateбн heбпs hailed as a Level One Threat yet never acts like one. Go ahead and grant his wishes,б▒ Kong ordered. б░Yes, sir.б▒ [A/N: Vitalius Shawбпs name was revealed back in Chapter 65 as a wielder of a Supreme Blade.] . Suddenly, the doors to the Fleet Admiralбпs office were busted open with a bang. Hakuchин Asahi, the Director of the MCIS, rushed in with a look of dread etched on his face. б░Fleet Admiral, itбпs not looking good! Weбпve lost contact with both Enies Lobby, Impel Down and G-1!б▒ б░б░б░What!?б▒б▒б▒ The snail was just as shocked, combining the surprise of the three other men on the phone with a single look of utter disbelief. Asahi wasnбпt done: б░We were able to connect with a feed at the Judicial Island. Itбпs all gone; thereбпs nothing left of Enies Lobby!б▒ he grimly stated. Kong shot up from his seat, anger pulsating in his face. Black smoke coiled around his burly body, shaking the air in the room. BOOOOM! Suddenly, the very foundation of the headquarters began to shake as if hit by an earthquake. б░What now!?б▒ Kong and Asahi went to the wide window and saw something truly terrifying. Dozens of marine warships stood across Marineford Bay, opening a volley of cannonballs without mercy. Hundreds of canons plastered as defense were also aiming at the HQ, unloading fire onto the mighty walls. Thousands of officers below moved robotically. Their faces were struck with panic as they pulled the trigger of their guns and rockets. Boom! *Rumble* The incessant fire left Marineford in tatters as it broke apart, raining debris below. б░Some sort of conspiracy?б▒ Asahi muttered, unsure how so many marines would suddenly open fire at their Headquarters. б░No,б▒ Kong shook his head. б░Iбпve seen this power once beforeбн something terrible must have happened at Impel Down!!!б▒ б░Fleet Admiral, should I turn the ship?б▒ Sengokuбпs voice echoed out from the snail. Kong turned gloomy, his metal arm crunching up with such strength that it was sparking the air. б░All three of you pull back. We need more intel on the situation at handбн our Justice cannot be challenged any further!б▒ He threw off his marine coat, narrowing in at the ginormous pirate standing at the base of Marineford. Those infernal tribal marks with the colour of blood. Zenora Mors. Thirty years after his capture, his tales remained active in Kongбпs mind. Kong tore past the window, rushing to the escapee, distraught. б░Morarara! Let me see how tough the new Fleet Admiral is!б▒ Mors let out a guttural roar as his body twisted and expanded, crimson blood surging from within and coating him like armour. The blood pulsed and thickened, morphing into powerful, muscular limbs as it cascaded down his frame in a torrent of dark red. With each heartbeat, his form grew more menacing, tendrils of blood whipped around him, exuding a monstrous aura of raw, malevolent power. A monster known as the Bloodspawn, a tormentor of the seas. [Bloodspawn Image (in Discord)] ---------------------------------------------- Hell continued at each of the government''s three government facilities. All the while, a lone marine warship made its way through Fishman Island into the Calm Belt and entered West Blue in a matter of a few days. бн As they neared the site, Kraft sensed a shift in the atmosphere, like stepping into a realm woven with shadows and echoes of the past. This wasnбпt just an islandбкit was a graveyard of ambition, an open wound in the fabric of history. A chill ran down the sniperбпs spine as he took in the unholy sight. The clouds were in constant shock, echoing with dull tremors as if the heavens themselves had trauma from the past. Random bellowing tides were born every few moments to the point where no Sea Kings were bold enough to swim. Black lightning occasionally arced through the heavy air, sparking the region with ominous tension. б░I thought we came to an islandбнб▒ Kraft muttered. Damien stood nearby, arms crossed. б░We did,б▒ he hummed, spanning his Haki. б░God Valley. Whereбпd it go?б▒ боWhatever special life that flowed through God Valley, keeping it mainly intact during the warбн itбпs gone too!бп The entire island had disappeared! All that remained were shaken seas and hellish gusts. Though it seemed like the usual Grand Line weather, it wasnбпt far worse than that. It was simply unsettling to see nothing where something should be. The only reason the Eternal Pose could lock onto the location was from the ruins of the previous war at the bottom of the sea. б░Hmm?б▒ Damien frowned, peering at the seas. б░Whatбпs wrong?б▒ Ares questioned. б░I hear two familiar voices coming from down belowбнб▒ He gazed into the endless depths of the ocean, б░Stay here. Iбпll be back soon.б▒ Without waiting for any response, Damien jumped ship and into the sea, disappearing down below in a splash. б░Heбпll sink!?б▒ Kraft thundered, staring at the bubbling waters. Ares, however, was a little more acclimated with his sonбпs anomalous nature. бн Damien only took a moment to reach the voice with his Fishman-Hybrid physique. He now stood afloat beyond the sea floor, gazing at a collection of ashes squirming in the shape of a man. The body had lifeless eye sockets, gazing through the sea with a wild gaze. A feral smile etched through his fleshless jaws, laughing at the face of death. б░!!б▒ Suddenly, the depths of the ocean disappeared as Damienбпs mind was pulled somewhere else. The water was gone, and he was no longer at the bottom of the sea; rather, he stood in a pitch-black world. There was no light, heat, coldness, just perpetual gloom. It was an otherworldly encounter, resembling Enigmaбпs Mind World where he was forced to kill his own mother to escape. And now, there was all but one man who could do all thisбн Damien breathed, putting two and two together, б░So youбпre still clinging to life, Xebec.б▒ б░Xahahaha! So youбпve come.б▒ The figure of the monstrous Rocks appeared, standing in full glory in front of the younger pirate. Nothing but darkness around them. б░This place,б▒ Damien muttered. б░It should be linked to your Awakeningбнб▒ Rocks gave a wild smirk, б░Not only that, my Awakening also allows me to escape death in a way, reanimating myself beyond it.б▒ The knowledge left Damien shocked. б░So why not do it?б▒ б░Xahaha!б▒ the Abyssal Sin laughed with fury. б░I lost once already; fate will keep it that way.б▒ б░...б▒ The two glared at one another before Damien finally spoke up, б░You were expecting me?б▒ Rocks exploded into another laugh, spit flying out of his cracked mouth. б░Of course, after all, I know you better than you know yourself!б▒ The man ignored Damienбпs undisguised gaze and continued to speak. He pointed out a bony finger with accusation. б░Your ambition is truly vast, equal to my own. Even with all the pirates under me, only you ever reminded me of my younger years!б▒ Damien crossed his arms, unfazed. б░Iбпm not anything like you.б▒ б░Xahahahaha! Whether you accept it or not, youбпre exactly like me, boy!б▒ б░Youбпre willing to tear down the world to reach the height of strength, ready to challenge the majesty of the World Government to realize your ambition!б▒ The crazed eyes of the evil pirate were deadlocked onto Damien, peering into his soul. б░I first knew it when you killed those Dragons at Sabaody Archipelago. Then you had your little puppet Fulcrum grab the Underworld with one hand and grab the News Agency with the other.б▒ Such revelations werenбпt that surprising to the younger pirate, but what Xebec said next left him in pure shock. Rocksбп gaze swept over Damien, taking in every detail from head to toe. His lips curled into a wicked smile as he sensed the powerful, churning Conqueror''s Haki radiating from the young pirate, brimming with ambition and raw potential. He lingered on the confidence blazing in Damien''s eyesбкa confidence that defied fate itself. A low, sinister chuckle escaped him. "Hmm, I can feel itбкthe same hunger, that same defiance... Seeing you now, I couldnбпt be more pleased that I sent that little Mafia family to burn Renaissance to the ground!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 164: Inherited Will [Meanwhile, in the Grand Line] The exchange between old and rising powerhouses was all but a backdrop to the ruin plaguing the world. Over the past few days, news of the mess at the Navy''s three strongholds has been making wavesбкMorgans was up all night! Impel Down. Enies Lobby. Marineford. Each of these beacons of marine supremacy was either raided or left in destruction! The World Economy News Paper broke the intelligence, starting with the escape of three known convicts, each belonging to the First Level of the World Threat Index. Zenora Mors. Odinsdottir Herja. Einar D. Damien. As most were not well-acquainted with the first name on the list, Star Reporter Morgans made it his duty to let the man''s feats be retold in all their gloryбкeven unborn babies knew it! бн [A Village in a Remote Island of Paradise Sea] The Village Master, Jiji, held the daily news in his hands. The thick glasses over his nose were awfully pronounced, yet the man still had to squint to make out the words. He stubbornly stood with a cane in hand, pausing in the middle of the street and giving no mind to others being forced to go around him. "So that monster from Polemos Island is really back on the sea? I''m glad I''m old and soon to die," the man muttered with relief. Though a nearby youngster heard his words. "Old Man Jiji, you know that pirate?" Jiji huffed, knocking on the floor with his cane. "Listen here, you snot-nosed brat! The pirates that left a man as brave as I to fear the seas can be counted on one hand! This Mors is one of them!" The bold remarks garnered a few more eyes and ears, grabbing their attention. Jiji scoffed, nodding at their attentiveness. "Listen up. This is regarding two monsters of the previous era, the time before the Overlords and the late Rocks!" He sighed in nostalgia, recalling some thoughts. "I was a chipper young squirt like the rest of you when I heard of the Bloodspawn Mors entering the sea. That guy was really out to cut up the World Government!" Jiji waved his cane, forcing his point to sink in. "I don''t know why, but Mors really hated them, hated to the point where he was willing to control the Celestial Dragons at Sabaody to kill themselves in brutal ways in front of a live feed!" "They were his marionettesбн and then he then delivered their body in pieces to Mariejois, reaching the Five Elders!" Jiji shook his head, shivering from Mors'' boldness. "The Admiral dispatched couldn''t keep up with a man who could control their armies, so their attempts to capture Mors failed for a decade!" The words left the nearby villagers quite shaken. . "T-Then, how did they take him down?" Jiji gave a haughty cough as he nodded, "It happened a little over twenty-five years ago when the Fleet Admiral Endou had to leave Marineford to take Mors down personally. The fight lasted eight days and eight nights." "What a monsterбн it''s good that Lord Endou saved the day!" "Eight days!? I can''t even sleep that long in succession!" "Such a long battle; it''s just a little under how long I last in bed!" "More like how long it takes you to recover from one burst!" *Bang!* Jiji smashed his cane, shutting the others up. "Mors was taken down while another monster was making a mess. Though thankfully, that pirate had been dead for twenty yearsбн" Jiji waved the newspaper with his free hand. "But now, Mors is out. He wrestled with Fleet Admiral Kong for three days before leaving, earning him a huge reward to his name!" He shoved the folded paper in their faces, showcasing a bounty poster. -----< WANTED >----- < ZENORA?MORS > < ''Bloodspawn'' > < ?? 2,808,200,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ---------------------------- [A Sky Island over Paradise] A festive mood had suddenly turned upside down; hundreds of pirates remained quiet as their boss read the news. They were within the hull of a giant ship, their cabin lit with candles. Yet even the brightness of the candles and windows wasn''t enough to calm the tense atmosphere. *Snap* A cigar was crushed into pieces as the golden-haired man huffed angrily. "Damienбн I''m not surprised he broke out of Impel Down. Still, he actually brought Herja out as wellбн" Shiki scoffed, bursting into a laugh, "Jihahahaha! No worries, I''ll make sure to kill her this time around!" "B-Boss!" a voice came from the side. The pirate gulped and expressed his thoughts, "O-Our fellow pirates were wondering when we can return from the skiesбн" Shiki seemed annoyed. "You idiot, right now the Navy is in full swing since Rocks'' fall. This isn''t the time to surface!" Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. He tossed the bundle of News away; its flapping released the bounty poster of a gorgeous woman. -----< WANTED >----- < ODINSDOTTIR?HERJA > < ''Fallen Angel'' > < ?? 2,519,500,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ---------------------------- [Sphinx Island, New World] A towering man leaned across a thick log, holding up a bundle of news. A wide grin arrived with a booming laugh. "Gurararara! He really did it." The man, Edward Newgate, grabbed a barrel of sakиж and guzzled it down. "Mors, Herja, two relics of the past," Whitebeard muttered. "Looks like he wants to spread out the Government''s attention." Bam! The empty barrel slammed to the ground. "Don''t you have any thoughts about him?" a man questioned. Newgate''s words were meant for the quiet figure sitting across from him. The man had white hair, a red cape, and a pink coat. His regal presence emanated a refined aura. "Pahaha! That young pirate is truly a wild card." The mysterious pirate was quite well-known; he was Patrick Redfield, a notorious pirate. Redfield placed his teacup down, humming over the news. "The Sin Incarnate''s Latest Masterpiece," he read the sub-title. "Leaving Enies Lobby in such a shape, he really has reached quite the level." Newgate glared at the Red Count''s curious eyes, "You sound awfully interested in his adventures." Redfield shrugged, his lips forming an inquisitive smile. "It''s been a while since such a striking young man made such waves. I can''t help but be intrigued by his endeavours." ---------------------------------------------- [Grove 13, Sabaody Archipelago] It was a respectable bar named "Shakky''s Rip-Off Bar." A few corpses were thrown outside, creating quite the welcoming ceremony. The bartender sat at her usual spot, smoking a cigar as she read the news. A man sat at the corner seat nearby, entirely invested in the news as well. "He broke out so quickly. Just what is that he''s after?" the man, Silvers Rayleigh, muttered. "Who cares? I''m just glad that he''s no longer in that hellhole," came Shakky''s voice. Rayleigh''s smile twitched, "Shakky, with that young man''s strength, there aren''t many places that can be detrimental to him." The woman didn''t argue back, not because she agreed but because she didn''t really care about the counterargument. "He destroyed Enies Lobby, and G-1''s reconstruction was brought to square one by Herja. And Marineford? Ufufufu, draining the Government''s pocket with all of this." The Dark King shook his head with a wry smile, "Two weeks of imprisonment, and he returns with such a bang. No wonder they''d drop such a high bounty for him!" The man''s bespectacled gaze fell onto a piece of paper, over a billion above his own: -----< WANTED >----- < EINARбдDбдDAMIEN > < ''The Undying'' > < ?? 3,787,600,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ---------------------------- [The Ruins of God Valley] A single ship remained afloat over the turbulent seas. Einar D. Ares laughed to himself as he read the latest news, a hint of pride visible in his tired eyes. Kraft, however, was a little uneasy about the weather conditions. "Mister Ares. Look at the skyбн" Ares hummed, glancing above. He saw cracks and tears forming in the heavens, leaking sunlight into the dull waters of what was once God Valley. The tides began to grow more and more destructive, picking up speed and volume. Kraft massaged his temples, "All of a sudden, I have this pounding headacheбн" "Huh," Ares narrowed his eyes in thought. *Crackle* Black lightning began to rain from above, sending dull tremors and bangs through the skies. Hundreds of birds fell from above, their bodies crashing into the sea. Ares looked down below at the ocean''s depths with a smidge of worry. "Such anger. Just what the hell is happening down there?" ---------------------------------------------- [In the Depths] Rocks'' spiritual form loomed, his dark eyes gleaming with cruel delight as he regarded Damien from head to toe, savouring every ounce of seething ambition and churning Conqueror''s Haki emanating from the younger pirate. His shadowy figure, half-flickering and half-solid, seemed almost alive as he fed off Damien''s fury, his gaze sharpening like a predator''s. With a twisted smile, Rocks chuckled, "Seeing you now, I couldn''t be more pleased that I sent that little Mafia family to burn Renaissance to the ground!" The air in the mindscape cracked under the surge of Haki erupting from Damien, and dark fissures webbed through the surroundings. Yet Rocks only continued to watch with a sick thrill, undeterred by Damien''s anger. As his fury intensified, fragments of Rocks'' past taunts began to click into place in Damien''s mind, a bitter realization dawning: First, when Rocks butted heads with Sol: "Hehe, I visited your scarred home of Moraino. I hope it forged more strength than just this!" Then, when he attacked Basara''s hometown: "Xahaha! I''ve visited quite a few places that gave birth to powerful menбн" It all aligned nowбкRocks had been taunting him all along, leaving cryptic hints of his twisted influence over Damien''s past. Seeing the dawning understanding in Damien''s eyes, Rocks sneered, "Yes, I''ve been watching you all this time, boy. My whole life has been plagued with the screams of the worldбн the hateful shrieks can make a man go mad, Xahahaha!б▒ б░I felt the world was against me, tearing every ounce of sanity and driving me to death. So I found death and made it my greatest strength!б▒ The Abyssal Sin licked his lips at the thought of butting heads with fate. б░One day, the God of War suddenly besieged Marineford, bringing them a fright that left them shivering for decades.б▒ б░I heard of his tales and vied for that very power,б▒ Rocks mused, clenching his scarred hands into fists. б░To sit atop that seat, to become the King of the World, the same world that sought to break me down for decades!б▒ Yet his feral expression warped as he shook his head. б░But I had this thought in the back of my mind, no matter how strong I grew, a whisper carried a single fate unto me, a fate where I would fall and be forgotten.б▒ "And in my search to strike back, I found a strange anomalyбн an orphan on a small island in the West Blue. A spawn of the erased War God." Rocks paused, his tone thickening with sinister pride. "I waited, waited for something resembling Ares, whose power brought fear to the World Government." Disappointed, he clicked his tongue. "Seven years went by, and nothing happened." "So I had a few insects from the Mafia to raze your hometown. Your mother''s death? An insignificant casualty but necessary," he said coldly. "It was the only way to give you the strength to one day rise to this moment." Damien''s rage flared, his voice seething. "You think you made me? That every part of my power is some twisted product of your design?" "Xahahaha!" Rocks threw his head back, the harsh laughter echoing in the shadowed realm. "Oh, yes. Revel in it, boyбкrevel in the hatred I carved into your very soul." His bony hand gestured to the endless darkness surrounding them, a cruel smirk twisting his features. "And do you really think I would let the sea rob me of my victory? No, I went beyond even the limits of death itself!" Rocks gestured around, the emptiness becoming a cage of cold, unyielding darkness. "This placeбн you''ve entered my Awakening, boy. While you were on your little vacation, I anchored my soul to a place where death has no hold, a realm of endless sufferingбкDeath Valley. My corpse''s Haki pulled you here, a place even the depths of the sea cannot reach." Damien glared, the oppressive weight of the Death Valley pressing down on him. Rocks'' voice, thick with mockery, filled the space. "My soul survives here, out of the reach of the sea, ready to influence from beyond the grave." The revelation hit like a wave crashing against rock, grounding Rocks'' power in his twisted existence beyond death. The Abyssal Sin''s sneer widened, his bony finger jabbing toward Damien. "Whether you like it or not, all of your strength, your ambitionбкeverythingбкwas born from my shadow. And in it, you will forever remain!" With his arms spread wide, Rocks looked as though he were welcoming a new era, his final curse casting a long, sinister shadow. б░So go on, defy the fate I couldnбпt escape. Tear down the Government, destroy all they hold dear, bring tyranny to the seas in my name!б▒ He glanced at Damien, whose silent, furious stance seemed to bend the very world around him, his churning Haki darkening and twisting with a violent edge as if touched by a corrupting shadow. "Einar D. Damien. You are the incarnation of my sins, and my will is yours to inheritбн You will avenge me!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 165: Ashes and Omens "Einar D. Damien. You are the incarnation of my sins, and my will is yours to inheritбн You will avenge me!" Rocks adored the dark Haki whipping around like venomous tendrils. It was how he saw his legacy take formбкa vessel of hatred he created. "Hmm?" His wrinkly face, marked with faded scars, narrowed at the young pirate approaching him. He could see the anger in Damien''s eyes, but there was also an odd calmness. Without hesitation, the Sin Incarnate reached for the hazy form of his former Captain. "I told you. You can''t harm me, boy! What is dead may never die!" Damien paused with his hand a few inches from Rocks'' heart, glancing up at his manic eyes. "I can''t harm you, but I can give you the same fate that even someone like you fears." The Abyssal Sin grunted uncertainly, seeing his successor''s arm turning gray and cracking with white light. "We will not meet again." "!!!" The evil pirate felt a wave of disturbance across his soul form. Looking down, he saw his spectre flickering and fading. His eyes shot open from the pang of weaknessбкit was suffocating, his own power being robbed! Damien glared Xebec down, his eyes burning like an inferno. "Xahaha!" A creepy grin stretched across the Abyssal Sin''s face as he put up no defense against the absurd spectacle. "It doesn''t matter if you erase me! All roads of vengeance lead to one place, boyбкto chaos, to destruction. My shadow will always be there, even when you think you''re freeбн" With his final words out, the ghost of Xebec quickly faded, crumpling under the damning deprivation of Damien''s hand. And as the spectre faded, a black fruit appeared in the younger pirate''s right hand. It was an entirely black pomegranate with dozens of skulls popping out from its coreбкthe fruit of the underworldбкthe Death-Death Fruit. [Fruit Image (in Discord)] Damien lightly sighed, his jaw clenched. Without Rocks'' soul bridging Damien''s mind to Death Valley, the entire realm began to collapse. But even while the world was collapsing around him, he was left grasping the ultimate fruit in hand, lost in thought. Damien slowly raised his left arm to examine. *Crackle* Arcs of black lightning coiled around the thick arm. They resembled snakes, hissing with venom. "..." Damien had no words to his warping Haki; he had no words at all. *Buru Buru* Suddenly, the air turned dense and watery while Damien''s body began to float. The gills appeared around his throat once more as he breathed in the deep silence. бн The pirate didn''t even know it before he arrived back on shore, absently jumping back to the ship. The water fell from his face and fingers, creating a puddle on the floorboards. Damien''s every breath was somber. A worried Ares looked at his son''s silent figure. The quaking Haki had brought about a storm, one of confusion and chaos. "Your Haki has grown darker. What the hell happened down there?" Damien''s eyes met Ares'', somewhat lost. "I found out who killed her." The War God froze momentarily, his mouth without words. "...I see." "All I wanted when I joined the Rocks Pirates was to use Xebec as a shield to get strong enough to contend against the top-level forces on my own two feet." Damien looked into his father''s sole eye with clenched fists. "Yet now, even with all this strength, I''m still as helpless as back then, unable to put her to rest." *Smack!* It came out of nowhere, a blurred punch that sent Damien crashing into the thick railings of the warship. "Nadia died protecting you, and I know she would choose to do that every single time without hesitation." Ares lowered his fist, glaring at his son past the torn deck. "This was never about putting her to rest; this was about you putting your own heart to rest!" Damien wanted to speak up, but Ares didn''t let him: "You said you''d upset her by killing me, right? So don''t upset her by sulking in something you had no control over! You were just a brat when it happened. There''s nothing you could have done!" Ares knew the dangers of a Conqueror losing themself to angerбкsuch moments either break their spirits or see them become something more. "This damned sea will keep throwing hell your way as a new era grows closer. You gotta get back up and face it head-on! If you can''t do it for yourself, do it for her!" "бн" A brief silence fell as the father and son locked eyes. The sorrowful rain continued pouring, drumming across the stolen warship. Meanwhile, Kraft was doing his best to stay on the other side of the deck. Damien''s eyes lowered from his father''s weathered face to his chest. The sudden outburst had reignited the sickness within, forcing him to gasp. But even under his damning illness, he stood tall, glaring at his son. "...You''re right." The younger pirate stood up from his fallen position, standing tall as always. Though his Haki had calmed, a faint shadow seemed to linger at its edges, a subtle reminder of the darkness Rocks had stirred within him. *Fwooo* *Fuuu* The chaotic winds and dark clouds were also lifted, clearing up as the moments passed. . "Good," Ares nodded. "What about the other voice you heard?" His question earned Damien''s attention as he recalled the two voices. One came from Xebec, while the other was from further away. Observation Haki could not be used when the user wasn''t calm, forcing Damien to take a few deep breaths. "бн" The other voices of the world muffled it, but for Damien, it was a distant quivering, almost like that of a child crying from a dark corner. It was foreign yet familiar. He looked at distant Kraft and ordered, "Turn the ship twenty-two degrees to the East. It''s not too far." "G-Got it!" бн [Two Minutes Later] The stolen prison ship came to a halt over another portion of the shaken sea. It looked just like another sea sector, but the Sin Incarnate saw things differently. He glanced down, opening his ears to the voice from below. "I''ve never heard this voice beforeбн" he muttered. Like before, he jumped into the sea, growing gills. Damien shot through the sea like a torpedo, zooming through schools of fish without pause. He descended a good eight kilometers below surface level and finally met the origin of the voice. It was a giant structure familiar to the pirate. The floating Damien sighed, releasing a few bubbles. ''So it was you crying out all alongбн Titanic.'' The wreckage spanned hundreds of meters and was covered in algae and underwater plants. Sharks and other creatures had made the fallen ship their home. Yet the majesty of the once mighty ship was lost; all that remained was shredded metals, ruined debris, and crashed wood. However, even in its most miserable state, there was a brief spirit budding with life alone. ''A Klabautermann!'' Damien remarked to himself. ''I thought they were only born of ships that were deeply loved and cared for?''This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The pirate cupped his chin in thought. If there''s one thing the Titanic didn''t have, it was care from its users. The Rocks Pirates abused the ship, caring little for repairing damages or mending its wounds. They littered the vessel with blood and corpses for weeks on end, allowing it to rot away. . The pirate pushed aside his thoughts and asked, ''Where are you?'' The sea''s deep silence lasted for a while until a reply came to his ears, ''It''s so darkбн I''m so coldбн'' ''How did you come to be?'' The voice returned, filled with uncertainty. ''I don''t knowбн it was so hard to float with all those evil people on my shipбн they were so meanбн the only way to live past it was to focus on the few people that were with me since my birthбн'' Damien blinked. The edges of his lips twitched at the reply. It turned out the spirit didn''t come from love and care; rather, it came from the endless difficulties and abuse that the Titanic had to endure over the past few years, and it anchored itself to the pirates who were there at its creation. Shakky left, and Whitebeard would keep his distance from the core of the Rocks, making Damien and Kaido the only originals who''d come onboard often. Damien looked at the wreckage once more and directed a few words through his Voice of All Things, ''Looks like you only exist in voice and not in any physical form; rest for now, I found someone who will raise a mightier ship from your ashes.'' The voice slowly droned away, disappearing into the eternal depths of the ocean. *Vvoooo* The water whirled as Damien stored the ruins of the mighty vessel in his Inventory. But it left him thinking, ''Kraft will need a few years to get back into shipbuilding; he should be able to use these materials to build the ship I want.'' With that thought in mind, the pirate shot back to the surface. With a geyser of water, he landed at the giant prison ship in front of his waiting father. Ares slightly smirked, "Looks like you got something nice." His sole eye suddenly widened as the stubborn pain came back with a vengeance, surging through his body in a fit of violent coughs. "Ugh," Ares groaned, staggering forward while grasping at his chest. "Cheh, what an annoying thing," he cursed, spitting a thick wad of blood. He matched Damien''s eyes with a grin, "Never mind me, let''s go, I want to see them." Damien nodded in agreement, setting his Universal Pose to Mortem Island. ---------------------------------------------- While the undying pirate led his small band of fellow escapees, the opposing party was busy investigating the jailbreak. They arrived at Impel Down three days after Damien departed from God Valley. бн *Drip* *Drop* Stale water dribbled through cracks in the ceiling, ringing Eternal Hell with a resounding pitter every so often. Vice Admiral Garp sat criss-crossed before a cell in the deepest depths of hell. Dozens of dead prisoners lay sprawled across the floor, but the Hero''s mind was stuck on the ripped-open enclosure before him. "Someone tore them apart like paper," Bogard remarked, his surprised eyes hidden under his fedora. He noticed the thoughts laced to Garp''s face. "...It must have been an outsider freeing him, right?" "That''s what Endou-san reported to the Five Elders." Garp clicked his tongue, confused. "Something tells me he freed himself, thoughбн" "Seastone should surely leave him as helpless as a normal humanбн!" Bogard stammered, looking at his sole supervisor in denial. Garp raised the torn handcuff, running his fingers over the depression made by noteworthy internal destruction. Cupping his chin, he hypothesized, "This isn''t your day-to-day emission, Bogard! Only a handful of people can turn Seastone, which is as tough as diamonds, to this!" The Marine Hero stood up, turning to his right-hand man. "And Damien makes that listбн" "Vice Admiral, there was also the legend of that manбн" Garp''s brows furrowed. He glared at the swordsman with speculation. "How''d you know about that? That guy disappeared from his cells twenty years ago! Endou-san long declared his death, though." Just the thought of two generations of Einar Ds running about was shiver-inducing! . A flurry of hasty steps rang out from behind, earning both marines'' attention. "G-Garp-sama!" the informant cried, slumping down from his long run. "The WENP put out a crazy paper!" Bogard stepped forth, taking the rolled-up news with some apprehension. Scanning the news left the talented young marine with widened eyes. "T-Thisбн!" Garp''s curiosity peaked as he snickered at his young friend''s surprise. With impeccable speed, he swiped the papers from Bogard, reading it to himself. "The Ten Omens of Disorder?" he echoed the headline. A list of names captured the identities of the newly updated Level One of the Threat Index, each worth more than 2.5 billion! Gol D. Roger. Edward Newgate. Charlotte Linlin. Einar D. Damien. Shiki. Patrick Redfield. Vitalius Shaw. Silvers Rayleigh. Zenora Mors. Odinsdottir Herja. "Bwahahaha!" Garp howled, slapping his thigh under the darkness of hell. "This is not a laughing matter," Bogard sighed, his eyes closing grimly. "Hehe. No wonder I got tossed this mission. Damien, Mors and Herja''s escape ruined our Advent of Justice!" "If I''m not mistaken with my assessment," Bogard mumbled, piecing together a few thoughts of his own. "The Reverie is in two years. The Five Elders can either hope to curb these Omens in that time or direct their focus to sparks of piracy in all seas but the New World." It wasn''t just a simple World Summit eitherбкthe previous Reverie was forced to be held remotely, over transponder snails; the culprit, the Rocks Pirates, had broken too many taboos to make the usual in-person gathering possible. With Xebec''s death, this Summit was endlessly more important than previous ones in restoring the authority of the World Government. "That''s right," Garp nodded, flipping through some pages. "The mission is gonna change to keep these guys trapped in the New World and focusing on the seas before itбкif we can cut the flow of pirates to the final sea, then it''s enough for the geezers on top." Garp chuckled once more, turning to the exit with conviction and strolling ahead. The other soldiers were quick to salute, their bodies straight like arrows. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* The Hero of the Navy grinned past the admiring eyes, the coat draped over his shoulders flapping with "Justice" printed in bold font. "What do you think of the Star Reporters'' thoughts?" Bogard questioned, walking a step behind The Fist. "Bwahaha! The ''Ten Omens of Disorder?'' He''s not wrong! They may have gone into hiding for a little while to lick their wounds, but when they resurface, and I know damn well they willбн" Garp''s eyes locked onto the light beyond Eternal Hell. Holding the fresh news, he walked into the elevator system, carelessly smirking. "...the world will tremble in their wake!!!" ---------------------------------------------- The shaken seas were everywhere except for a small island in Paradise. Once a hub of turbulence and unpredictable weather, Mortem Island could now be considered a haven. And a full day after the world-shaking news, the few inhabitants of this tiny landmass were getting together for dinner. бн A silent Indra sat atop the cliff to the South of Mortem. As usual, he wore a simple vest, revealing his well-built arms marked by the Figures of War. His dark pupils were drawn to a sudden call from below. He looked down to see Toki standing with effortless grace, her vibrant green hair cascading in long, silky waves over her shoulders. Her emerald eyes held a serene, knowing gaze, contrasting with her youthful smile. Dressed in a soft pink kimono adorned with delicate floral patterns, she radiated a warm and gentle aura, the colours of her attire harmonizing with the soft flush of her skin. A pair of sunglasses rested atop her head, adding a playful touch to her otherwise traditional appearance. At the same time, an intricately woven obi emphasized her slender waist. "Indra-san, dinner is ready!" [Updated Toki Image (in Discord)] The swordsman had already tried convincing Toki that he could easily catch his own meals. Still, the Wano native was as stubborn as her lover. Indra lightly sighed, materializing the electricity coursing through his body to rocket toward the area deemed the mess hall. бн A large gathering took place at the core of Mortem Island, lighting the surrounding area with a warm ambience. Kuzan sat on a log, licking his lips at the food on the wooden table. "Heh, just a kid!" The ice-boy scoffed at the voice to his side. "Solomon, don''t forget that I was the first person Big Bro Damien brought here, while you were the last. If anything, you should serve me the food yourself," he spat back. The much taller Solomon returned a snort, crossing his arms. "My bounty is what? Nearly 600 million while you aren''t even worth a penny!" "Indra is much cooler than you, more than three times your worth," Kuzan shot back with a cheeky grin. A vein popped into Solomon''s face as he recalled the past news. Clenching his fists, he declared, "Hmph! Just wait. I''ll be headlining the news soon enough!" бн Meanwhile, Indra arrived at the table. He glanced around, seeing Kuzan and Solomon bickering. To their side was a mundane Pablo, scolding a grey-skinned humanoid child to spit out the pebbles in his mouth. The swordsman also saw the other woman by his Commander''s side, the same one sitting with queenly air. ''Fulcrum,'' he thought, still surprised since he came to this island. He recalled Damien saving the ex-princess from Amethyst Kingdom, but to see the same woman under Fulcrum''s infernal mask was shocking. Aurora''s matured presence was undeniable, her striking, deep violet hair cascading around her shoulders like shadows laced with moonlight. Her eyes, an intense shade of amethyst, held a fierce, knowing gleam as if they had witnessed every secret the Underworld tried to hide. Though delicate, her features carried a hardened elegance, softened only by a quiet trace of sorrowбкa subtle reminder of the trials that tempered her spirit. Draped in dark, elegant attire, she sat with a refined grace, embodying both beauty and power. [Updated Aurora Image (in Discord)] The quiet Mihawk was also there, sitting by the woman''s side. His hawk-like eyes scanned everything with childlike curiosity, and he breathed in the comfort of Mortem. . While Toki brought out the array of meals, Indra''s eyes shot to the side, perking his ear to the East of the island. "What''s wrong?" Aurora asked while taking out food for a hungry Mihawk. The swordsman narrowed his eyes, feeling a distant entity. "A vessel just entered my range, around 21 kilometers away," he concisely answered. "The magnetic field lines are customary to Navy Battleships." Aurora''s gem-like eyes shined brightly as she quipped with hidden excitement. "Is it him?" Indra scanned again, zooming onto the three individual signatures onboard the mighty vessel. Indra''s lips stretched into a thin smile as he slowly nodded, "He''s with two others I don''t recognize, but the Commander is indeed there." Indra''s soft voice drew the others'' attention, and they stood up in unison, scrambling to the shore. After a little while, they could make out a tiny speck in the distance, bringing a cheerful rush to the onlookers'' hearts. After over four months and an era-defining war that saw him thrown into hell, Damien finally returned to Mortem Island! To Be Continuedбн Chapter 166: Fathers Day Out The ship docked as three people walked off the ramp. Before the protagonist could even take a breath of fresh air, a lithe figure crawled out from his shadow and wrapped around him. Damien lightly smiled as he stroked the silky purple hair, hearing the girl''s light breathing. "Damien-san!" a voice came as Toki ran over. The pirate extended his right arm, allowing the green-haired girl to sink into his grasp. The others arrived as well, though they watched from the side. "..." Damien noticed Toki''s tearful eyes as she ran her hands through his torso, looking for the injuries that were so boldly shown in the papers not too long ago. "You''re unhurtбн" He slightly nodded at the doctor''s interrogation, "They were just flesh wounds." Toki sighed in relief, smiling into his embrace once more. Aurora wasn''t the type to overexpress her emotions through words. She simply watched while leaning on Damien''s shoulder, examining his body to corroborate his words; the worry in her eyes was apparent. Unbeknownst to the girls, Damien felt the most moved of the three. The dark edge along his Haki was suppressed further. Thud! The ice-boy landed in front of the newly arrived, beaming a grin. "Big Bro, you were the first to break out of Impel Down in history!" Kuzan remarked. "That''s pretty cool!" "Technically, I''m the only the first known escapeeбн the one deserving of that title is a giant from sixty years ago." Kuzan didn''t really get what Damien meant, but he was still as excited as beforeбкthat was until he noticed the stranger. "Psst," he whispered, masking his mouth with a palm. "Who''s the homeless old bum you brought with you?" He gestured at the Ares, who stood with a fatherly smile by the side. He was still wearing his previous cloak from Impel Down, which looked like it had survived seven wars that lasted a century each. Damien hid the smirk at his father''s widened eye from being slapped in the face. "I picked him up floating in a barrel from a sunken ship. It''s my daily good deed of saving the misfortunate." Kuzan nodded twice, quite pleased with Damien''s moral compass. He marched ahead and waved down the hobo, "Old man, if you want, I can donate the clothes I grew out of. They''re a little worn-out, but they''ll keep you warm." Ares, who was assaulted by the constant mention of "old" and "homeless," couldn''t help but twitch in his spot. He raised an annoyed fist and thundered, "Let this ''old'' man teach you some manners!" The scarred fist shot ahead, smacking the young child. Oddly enough, the boy exploded into shards of ice, littering over the grassy floor. Ares raised a curious brow, feeling the chill around his knuckles. "Hehe, so you want to fight, old man!" Kuzan reformed from the hail of frost with a grin and landed a kick that froze the moisture in the air. Bam! "Cheh!" Kuzan grimaced, feeling an iron-vice clawing around his shin, obliterating every hint of frost. . "Ice-Block: Partisan!" . With a wave of his hands, the boy materialized four thick, icy spears around him, moulding the moisture to his will. Ares met the projectiles by waving his open arm across, shattering them like glass. But at that moment, Kuzan had reached for the arm holding him in midair. . "Ice Time!" . The War God breathed in the frost in the air, feeling his nose hair freezing. With an appreciative grin, he exclaimed, "Looks like you ate quite the special fruit, young buck!" Like a broken record, he shot his arm out faster than Kuzan could react, holding him once more. . Damien stood with his arms crossed, watching the spectacle. Meanwhile, the girls moved as well. ''Is he testing us?'' Toki thought, seeing the boy she had raised for a few years struggling. In a burst of green, she had materialized her nullity bow and showed no mercy. *Swoosh!* A single green arrow rocketed through the air, aiming at Ares'' head. Every meter it rocketed through would leave behind a dull growl of the wind, greying the air around it. "!!!" Ares'' Haki flared wildly as he saw the incoming attack. He tilted his head, dodging the attack. Bang! The arrow sailed ahead and hit a tree. Within a fraction of a second, the tree''s bark turned from a healthy brown to black, right before withering away into nothingness. "Oye, oye! That''s a dangerous power!" Ares'' admiration of the unholy power was interrupted as he felt his own shadow grow consciousness. With alarm, he noticed the darkness swirling like liquid, wrapping around his entire body like a rope and binding his open right arm to his waist. ''Gravity!?'' He exclaimed, feeling a force lock him in place, drawing purple vertical lines around him. But it was a spiralling stress that hit the arm grasping Kuzan. ''No, any physical force!'' He saw a purple shadow grow before him, forcing him to let go of the icy lad and unleash a punch. *Whuru* "Another Logiaбн" Ares murmured, feeling the cold aether melting around his strike. At the same time, he felt a blade at his back: "Oh?" Glancing behind, Ares saw a tiny brat holding a katana way too large for his body, stabbing him in the back. The twin hawk-like eyes didn''t wave as Mihawk swapped his attack form to a barrage of quick and intense attacks, each aimed at a major artery or organ. *Swish!* *Fwooo!* *Vvooo!* The air whistled from the sharp sword collided against Ares'' left index finger, slicing and dicing the air in perfect arcs. "Where''d he find such a feisty little runt who can swing a sword like this!?" the War God exclaimed, feeling the nicks along his digit while also dodging Toki''s nullity arrows. While playing off the assault from Mihawk, Ares noticed the purple-haired young woman not too far behind. ''So she''s the one who can throw forces around.'' He saw her locking on the battle, raising her right arm. With a flick of her hand, Mihawk was pulled back at incredible speed while another burst of force sent a new enemy hurling at Ares. Clang!This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Ares'' knees slightly crouched, feeling the oppressive weight of horizontal gravity boosting the giant, creepy monster made of rotten wood. *Grrrr!* Sparks exploded around the older pirate''s arm from the branch-like fingers digging along it. "A Mythical Zoan, too. You guys are worth quite the pot of gold!" Solomon, in his Wendigo form, burst into a monstrous grin of his cow-like skull. He showered a flurry of strikes with arms as tough as famed blades, each boosted by Aurora''s forces. But even with the nefarious fog all but suffocating the God of War, he stood tall against their combined efforts. "Kuhuhuhu! What a monstrous old geezerбкyou actually don''t fear anything!" Ares reached up to shield himself from Solomon''s pummeling attack, beaming a confident smile in the process. "Ruhahaha! I ate fear for breakfast this morningбн It was a little salty!" With a show of force, he burst past the twin rotten arms, grabbing the towering Wendigo by its shoulders and yanking it toward himself. BANG! A merciless headbutt shook Solomon from the inside outбкthe cow skull was printed with cracks, leaving its user woozy. бн Damien continued to watch, humming at the turn of events. He was committing his current roster''s strengths and weaknesses. Toki had released the colossal gap in Haki, prompting her to stay at a distance. Aurora had realized Damien''s intentions, letting Solomon, Kuzan, and Mihawk, the offensive unit, show their worth. ''This new era is sneaking up on us, and I can''t let it take us by surprise,'' the Sin Incarnate thought, running through the pieces at his disposal. "Commander." It was a confident voice from behind, spoken in the form of wanting permission. Damien glanced at the dark figure to his right, slowly nodding, "Go ahead, try him on." бн Ares was once again playing around with Kuzan and Mihawk, laughing at their stubborn nature. "!!!" The hair along the War God''s arms stood up, sending a flare of Haki in his mind. With narrowed eyes, he noticed the tiny sparks of blue in the air, feeling a boiling heat aiming toward him. "Woah, now, here comes a tough one!" Kuzan and Mihawk flickered to the distracted Ares'' sides, only to be met with a fist each. *Crackle!* BOOM! The air exploded under the blue lighting that surged forward from out of nowhere, travelling at speeds beyond what normal humans could compute. Ares chuckled against the brutal assault crashing against his frame. His thick boots dug across a dozen meters, leaving a trail of resistance. With his hand raised to shield his face, he mumbled with disbelief, "I didn''t realize that Logia fruit had begun growing on treesбн you all have them!" Meanwhile, Solomon had regained his wits, roaring at the enemy, "I won''t let him take all the glory!" The War God''s single eye sharpened as he burst out with flowing Haki, crumpling the incoming electricity into a more manageable stream. With impeccable speed, he redirected the stream of lightning into the bulldozing Solomon, throwing him hundreds of meters away. *Whizz!* Indra''s eyes widened as a dark shadow appeared in front of him like a ghost. He tasted the boiling Haki in the fist moments away from hitting him in the chest. "Let''s test your defenses!" . "Warstrike!" . The single limb blurred through the air, sending shrieks of air from the absurd density hidden within the simple strike. ''He''s ridiculously fastбн but I''m faster.'' Indra''s reaction speed as a man of lightning was only second to the Glint-Glint Fruit, allowing him to reach for his prized Tenmei, swarm it with lightning and meet the fist in all but a fraction of a moment. . "One Sword Style: Sacred Charge!" . BOOM! The sword clanged hard against the fist, sending dull tremors through the island, all the while generating giant tides in the nearby seas. Torrents of wind blew about, all under the grace of the raining black lightning. "Ruhahahaha!" Ares'' laughter boomed under the island-rattling exchange, revelling in the combat. The Conqueror''s Haki of the two men continued to pulse, surging through Mortem Island. Birds fell from the skies while the island''s wildlife was slowly knocked out, all in the wake of the clash of two Supreme Kings. BAM! The punch pushed back the sword and slammed into the swordsman''s chest, leaving a deep imprint and seeming to tear apart a few ribs. Indra shot through the air, his body loose like that of a corpse, much to the shock of the other Division Four members. *Rumble!* Yet before he could crashland into a hill, a thick bolt of lightning fell from the clouds and entirely swallowed the limp swordsman. Boom! Another lightning bolt roared, crashing onto the ground in front of Ares. "..." As the bright light calmed down, Indra appeared, lacking any sign of injury, glaring at the God of War with Tenmei in hand. Ares felt a rush of solemnity for the first time since the skirmish began. His sole eye, which had seen endless war, landed on the tribal marks, hissing with a red flush. They hadn''t been activated yet, but it was almost as if the fury trapped within was leaking out. However, the tense atmosphere evaporated as Damien placed a hand on the swordsman''s shoulder. "Alright, that''s enough of a welcome." Indra calmed down, sheathing his blade while his increasingly red markings regained their normal, dark colour. Damien ignored Ares, who was threateningly scanning the slightly on-edge Warborn and turned to the others. "Everyone," he addressed them, "This is my old man." "..." The casual words evoked an array of reactions. Kuzan''s jaw hit the ground running as he gawked at the homeless man''s identity. Mihawk''s surprise was similar but not as pronounced. Toki''s eyes bounced from father to son, noticing the similarities. "Damien-san, you mean he is yourбн" her voice lost confidence, turning meek. The young pirate nodded and answered. "Right, this is my father: Einar D. Ares." Aurora absently straightened upбкshe was a little perplexed. For one, this was her lover''s father, but he was also the God of War, deemed dead for twenty years. Ares, a man with thick skin, broke out in a chuckle. "Ruhahaha! The seas would despise my son keeping such pretty ladies all to himself." Toki woke up from her trance, stepping ahead and lightly bowing her head in tradition. However, she suddenly shook her head and walked ahead. "Uhm, m-my name is Amatsuki Toki of Wano. It''s nice to meet you." Aurora took a deep breath at the titanic figure from a forgotten time. "I''m Aurora," she quaintly introduced herself, "Amethyst Aurora." Ares hummed, stroking his stubble. He noticed the warmth and lively Toki contrasting with the dark yet graceful Auroraбкopposite in demeanour but equally as beautiful. "Looks like that girl Herja has some competition," he remarked, nodding in appreciation. "My grandchildren will be just as beautiful as Nadia and handsome as myself." The supposed father-in-law''s words were quite blunt and shameless. Damien, however, wasn''t as amused. "The only one you''re fooling with that last part is yourself, old man." He then grabbed the scruffy ice boy by the neck, placing him in front. "This is Kuzan." The lad scratched his mess of a hairstyle, dryly speaking, "So you''re Big Bro Damien''s dad? No wonder you''re a bit of a tough cookie." Damien then tapped the inquisitive Mihawk''s head. "Dracule Mihawk." . "Ugh," a grunt broke out. The other looked to see the shirtless Solomon ambling from a sea of trees, his giant scar on display. He glanced at the unassuming Ares, clicking his tongue. "The name''s Solomon, you monstrous oldtimer!" The father in question chuckled at the defiance in the zoan-user''s eyes, but another voice took away his attention. "Zenora Indra." Ares locked onto the dark-skinned pirate, lacking any speck of injury. He also saw Damien''s unchanged look and sighed. "You''re unlike Mors. Where he embraced his Figures that led him insane, you clearly seek to avoid them." Indra''s gaze became lost, and he was unable to find words. His battle to the death against Xerxes had awakened a buried past, leaving him uneasy and even unstable. ''Just what are you doing letting a Warborn so close?'' Ares thought to himself, feeling his son''s faith in who could be considered a ticking time bomb. Ultimately, he chose to trust Damien with whatever he was up to. "Quite the collection of talents you got here," Ares raised his arms, welcoming the sight of the endless potential before him. "The World Government has no idea what''s cooking on this tiny island!" . With his father acquainted with those he trusted, Damien waved the silent Kraft by the side. He had chosen to wait at the island''s edge, and the sight of such natural disasters had left an average human like himself without words. The same could be said for Pablo and his little friend. "You''re one of us now, so don''t act like a guest," he heard his Captain say, calming the apprehension in his heart. He cleared his throat, addressing the many pairs of eyes, "Quentin Kraft. Cap'' recruited me as the shipwright of the crew!" His voice was a little shaky, unsure of himself. The man''s words drew various reactions, but Solomon was the first to welcome him. "Looks like I''m no longer the newest member," he slapped the escaped prisoner''s back. "Welcome aboard, Kraft." The shipwright wryly smiled at the ache in his backбкeven a casual tap from the Extinct rang his entire body. Such was the problem of being only an 8'' 2" human against the 14'' 5" Extinction Valley native Solomon. . However, the warmer atmosphere fell apart alongside Ares as he slumped forward, his eyes widening. The throbbing pain returned, this time all over his body. It was like ants crawling from under his skin while suffocating on lava! Toki moved fast, extending a hand toward Ares'' chest, a doctor''s instinct. *Fuuu* A soft hum went off as the green energy floated on, diffusing through the man''s body and attaching themselves to his organs. The lungs were instantly relieved of the built-up pressure. At the same time, another stream of energy relaxed the heart muscles, considerably calming down his condition. However, it failed to do more than provide temporary relief. Ares breathed heavily, smiling at the worried Toki. "You hold a terrifying power I''ve never seen, daughter. But I cannot be healed with Devil Fruitsбн" Toki frowned, using her Observation Haki to sense the illness. She looked at Ares'' bloodied eye with confusion: "How comeбн?" "Ruhaha! Come now, I didn''t string along to ruin the mood." He wiped the blood running down his lips, nodding at his son. With a light sigh, Damien drew away the green-haired girl''s attention. "Toki, did we raid lunch in time?" The girl was still visibly disappointed about failing to heal Ares''s illness but replied with her usual cheerful spirit, "Yes, I paused them, so everything is still warm and fresh!" And just like that, the feast grew three seats larger. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 167: Departures and Destinies The feast under the moonlit Mortem Island was as wholesome as any place could get, considering the recent chaos spawned by the Sin Incarnate. Ares, a man of war, had acquainted himself with his son''s companions in the only way he knew howбкthrough combat. Now acquainted, he could get to the nitty-gritty under the only way a pirate couldбкthrough a banquet! A cheerful tune rang across the peaceful island, credited to a few Music Dials from Skypiea. The melody was both haunting and triumphant, carrying the weight of past struggles and hard-won peace. Drums pulsed steadily, grounding everyone in the moment. At the same time, flutes and strings added a bright, lilting counterpoint, filling the crowd with warmth and memory. It was a song that spoke of battles survived and bonds reforged, each note a reminder of lives fractured and now mended. Around the banquet tables, faces glowed in the firelight, eyes reflecting both weariness and relief. Those who had endured the chaos with Damien raised their cups, feeling the pulse of resilience in every beat, while others who kept the island alive in his absence looked on with quiet pride. Tonight, beneath the stars, the music served as a promiseбкa brief pause from turmoil and a chance to savour this hard-earned peace together. "So," a slightly drunk Ares began, wiping his lips off the sakиж. "How did you two meet him?" The two girls looked at one another before peeking at Damien. All they got in return was a shrug, letting them tell the story in their own way. Aurora went first, lightly clearing her throat. Not just Ares, but the othersбкKuzan, Mihawk, Kraft, Solomon and even Indraбкwere awfully curious. "It''s nothing out of the ordinary," the young woman rolled her eyes. "It started with me trying to assassinate Damien at Sabaody. I tried slashing his throat open, but his skin was so tough!" Aurora puffed her cheeks, glaring at Damien from the corner of her eyes. "He broke a rib and punctured a lung, too." Alas, she couldn''t stay annoyed and leaked a thin smile. "But I guess I had it coming from trying to get the bounty on his head. He also helped me put my past to rest." "Pfff!" Ares spat out his drink, dousing an unsuspecting Kuzan with the liquid. His sole eye fell on the girl looking at Damien with endearment. The son cracked a smile at the nostalgia, back when he was worth an abysmal hundred million. "Oh, the good ole days," he mused. . Toki was also smiling at their closeness. She turned to the speechless Ares and picked up from there. "Hmm, mine isn''t that special either?" she thought to herself, poking her cheek. "Well, it was technically set in motion over seven hundred and fifty years agoбн" As Toki went on, more jaws began to drop. Kuzan, under an alcoholic embrace, knew of Toki''s actual age, but it was still baffling to hear. Kraft was the most shaken, being the ordinary man he was. The girl brightly smiled at the thought of her past. "I was being chased by these grumpy and annoying people wanting to enslave me. I ran into a man with golden hair and eyes who gave me my fruit and a note." She cupped her chin, still unsure of how things came to this point. "...In one of my jumps to the future, I was pulled to this very island where I met Damien-san! He also fulfilled my greatest wish to go to my homeland of Wano!" "..." The thought of time travel was as confounding as it would be to people from Damien''s previous life. While Ares was left scratching his head, Damien was recounting how he met Toki. The note from the previous system user was the same note that carried the second Memory Shard, two of three that he needed to uncover the mystery behind the original user. "Assassination and time travel, just another Tuesday," he shrugged at the blank stare from his father. The War God slumped down, his hands covering his face in despair. ''Here I thought my story of meeting Nadia before leaving Marineford in dust was specialбн'' he mumbled to himself. бн The next few hours went by fast. Ares had begun questioning Mihawk, Kuzan and Solomon. Whether it was Yozora Island under fire from the Navy, Kuzan being enslaved and then rescued by Damien at Sabaody, ultimately killing four Nobles, or even Solomon''s Extinction Valley that granted Endou his devastating power, all left Ares endlessly invested. бн While the father had switched to telling the others his tales, Damien was conversing with three people. "It''s time to bid farewell to the Fourth Division." Indra was behind his Commander as they looked at two people who stood out from the crowd. They were at the island''s southern edge, near the ports where the Suicidal Rambo stoodбкit seemed like a goodbye ceremony. Droga Pablo, the short and unassuming drug-concocting pistol user, breathed out smoke from his cigar. To his right was a young lad with grey skin and hair, wearing a simple robe over his stone-like bodyбкit was a child version of Arai! "You two are the remnants of the Fourth Division''s Fodder," Damien addressed the duo. "Although I regret the deaths of the others, I''m glad that someone will be around to carry their legacy." "Patrиоn, we signed up for death that day! I know I speak for my hermanos when I say this," Pablo bopped his chest in pride, "There''s nothing to regret!" The young lad raised a clenched fist by his side while putting on a dangerous scowl to look tough. "Akai remember papa Arai! No regrets!" Damien chuckled at the 6-foot runt, pumping his fist while a few pebbles dribbled out of his body. It turned out that the Stone People of North Blue would reproduce through deathбкtheir remains would reform into a younger version of themselves! Luckily, the Sin Incarnate was naturally in tune with life from his mother''s powers. He sensed the specks of life from the rocks that he had handed to Pablo when they escaped from God Valley. . "So, have you decided?" The drug maker hesitated. He looked to the man who gave him the fruit that made him valuable and then glanced at Indra, who recruited him. With the faces of his late Fodder coming to mind, he resolved himself to reply, "Patrиоn. I came into pirating to get money to start up my own pharmacy in East Blue. My Abuela died when we couldn''t afford medicine, so I had to find other ways to get money while hoping to one day make it myself!" Damien nodded. It was the same reason he was told back when the Fourth Division was formed. "And you, Akai?" The stone lad blinked, lowering his head in thought. "..." He was putting a lot of thought into it but failed to find a reason. Thinking of his ''father'' Arai, he remembered being captured by the Government and researched on by the World Government''s scientists. It was a long three years of imprisonment under their probes. Finally, with a hint of maturity odd for his age, Akai gave his answer: "Akai go with uncle Pablo!" The drugmaker''s eyes shot open while his jaw dropped. He looked at the stone boy in surprise. "Akai is laughing at your face!" the child snickered at the look he got. He turned to his Commander and nodded with a grin, "Akai protect uncle from bad people! Uncle weak without help." . Hearing their decision, Damien snapped his fingers. *Fwoo!* The air quaked as a giant mountain of gold and jewels was carried out from the Night Realm, gracing the world with brilliance.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. With another snap, he applied his Equal Exchange to convert the goodies into pure bars of gold, arranging them in a small heap. "This is worthбн" Damien paused for a moment, seeing Akai''s childish glance. "...around two Indras." Akai began clapping, looking at his Vice-Commander with admiration, to think a swordsman was half the worth of this heap of gold! While Indra was left speechless from Damien''s measuring, Pablo was taken aback. "Patrиоnбн this is too much!" "Nonsense. The survivors of God Valley can be counted on two hands. It wouldn''t be odd for legends of yourself to break the seas one day. Take it. It will give you a nice head start to realize your dream." Gulping at the absurdity of four billion berries, Pablo slowly nodded. He patted Akai''s head, which looked rather odd since he was shorter than the lad. "Okay, Patrиоn. But if one day you need help, Akai and I will always answer!" The grey-skinned child nodded twice, giving a thumbs-up. "Go. The Suicidal Rambo is also yours. I had Aurora fit it with dials for easier navigation. The Sea Kings will guide you to the East Blue safely." Pablo took Akai''s hand, watched his Commander transport the gold onto the vessel, and then took what was most likely his final look at his pirating life. With a deep breath as he stood at the ship''s bow, he exclaimed, "I await the news of when you take the seas by the throat, Patrиоn! May the tides of this new era be with you!" "Akai is saying goodbye!" the lad waved, his words jumbled as always. бн [A few Hours Later] While the Fourth Division had officially dissolved, the collection of pirates at the hearth was still active. "My head hurts," a voice droned on. It was from the silver-haired Kraft, who had pulled down his goggles and turned them to dark mode in order to catch some z''s. It would be his first sound sleep since his enslaving decades ago. He could overhear a conversation between Ares and the others, leaving him to think: ''So many monsters on this islandбн it really opened my eyes.'' For a commoner locked up indefinitely, being thrown into a crew with a combined bounty of over seven billion berries was a mind-boggling experience. He had unlocked a lot of potential after eating the fruit of Adam. Still, it would take abundant commitment to tap into that very potential. бн "Oh, that''s pretty awesome, blazing through Marineford all alone like that!" Kuzan remarked, conversing with Ares. "Ruhahaha! Looks like you have some sense after all, kid!" "Is Endou really that strong?" a curious voice came from the side. Ares glanced at Solomon, who seemed awfully solemn. "That''s right," he answered with a sharp voice. "Endou''s Havoc-Havoc Fruit is considered an ''Extinction Fruit'' as he used it to turn dozens of pirate-infested islands into history. It was known for its chaotic nature and ability to impose disorder whence he pleased." Solomon, who heard the news, was furious. "Extinction Fruit, is it? That bastard destroyed my entire island to get that power. I really want to rip him apart!" Ares sighed, recalling his past where he was felled. "Endou''s chaotic energy could even disrupt the molecular bonds in matter, causing weapons to shatter, ships to break apart, and armour to disintegrate. Then again, he should have waned in power like me." Solomon shook his head in frustration, bursting with a ghastly Haki. "I need to get stronger before he dies of old age. Endou''s gotta pay for the hell he put my people into!" The sweeping Colour of Supreme Kings shook the island, knocking down the wildlife without mercy. But to Ares, it was a victory: ''Four Conqueror''s Haki users in one crew alreadyбн looks like they will cause quite the uproar when they sail out, Ruhahaha!'' . "Ehh?" Ares'' boisterous spirit dissolved as he saw Kuzan, who had previously chimed into their conversations, somehow asleep, sitting up, blowing bubbles and murmuring. Every breath he exhaled was attributed to the Ice Fruit, turning his exhalations into a white fog-like substance. With a quick glance to a nearby area of the island, he saw another young lad, Mihawk, finishing up his nightly training by chopping away at trees for hours now, the same trees that would magically regrow after a few minutes. Ares rubbed his forehead. "Where did he find these weird kids? I was still playing with sticks and stones when I was their age!" бн Nearby, another conversation took place. A green-haired girl sat facing Damien, intensely staring into his eyes. The bright sparkle of the green pupils with her rare-serious gaze created quite the contrast with her gentle nature. "Hmm, Damien-san, you feel different," the girl muttered, placing her right hand over the pirate''s heart. "Distant, even." Aurora, who sat to the side, also had a few thoughts. She examined Damien with her gem-like eyes: "Toki is right; your Haki feels darker and colder. Is there something you''re not telling us?" she asked worriedly. A moment of hesitation passed before he opened up, "It turned out that the man I was working under was also the one responsible for my mother''s death." The confession silenced both girls, their breath caught in their throats. Damienбпs voice was calm but carried an unmistakable bitterness as he continued. "She told me to live for her if I couldnбпt live for myself. Those words kept me going, even when it felt like the world had nothing left for me. But when I found out the truthбкabout Xebecбк" His words faltered for a moment, his jaw tightening. "I thought Iбпd failed her. I thought every step I took as a pirate dishonoured her memory. That Iбпd been nothing but a pawn in his game." Aurora leaned forward, her eyes soft with concern. "But you know thatбпs not true, Damien. Youбпve saved so manyбкlook at what youбпve built here. Thatбпs your legacy, not his." Damien offered a faint smile, the weight on his shoulders easing just slightly. "Iбпve come to terms with itбн for the most part. I donбпt blame myself anymore. Her memory deserves better than that. But at the very least, I canбпt get his damned face out of my mind." His hand clenched into a fist, veins rising along his forearm, releasing sparks of dark Haki. "That smile of hisбн like heбпd already won." Toki reached out, her hand still resting lightly over his heart. "Then let us share the weight, Damien-san. You donбпt have to carry it alone anymore." He looked into her eyes, then Auroraбпs, and for the first time in a long while, he let a breath of vulnerability escape. "Youбпre both stronger than I give you credit for. Iбпm not used to leaning on others... but maybe itбпs time I start." Auroraбпs lips curled into a slight smirk. "Itбпs about time. Besides, weбпre not letting you take all the gloryбкor all the pain." Damien exhaled a quiet laugh, shaking his head. "Guess Iбпm outnumbered." He also noticed the corrupted Haki slowly losing its spark. The venomous fangs of Xebec had dug into his soul not long ago, but its lethality was quickly waning. бн [A While Later] Midnight had crept into the island''s serenity, casting an infinite blanket of darkness. Most of the wildlife had gone to sleep, leaving the forested land quiet. Nothing but the whistling of the cold breeze or the eventual chirp of a cricket remained. Two men sat across from one another; the older one sat on the tree stump while the other leaned on a nearby tree. "So, you want to know about Mors?" the seated man questioned. The one standing up, Indra, nodded. Ares hummed, relishing the taste of his sakиж cup. He gave a quick glance at Indra''s body markings, easily connecting them to the shards of his past. "Well," he began. "I don''t know much about his past, but I do know that he hailed from Polemos Island, coming to sea nearly forty years ago." Ares filled his cup from a barrel of sakиж before continuing. "Mors kept to himself, trusting no one. The guy had a deep grudge against the World Government. One he made evident by his actions through the next decade or so." "He was eventually captured by Endou in 1460. I hear that was the same time that Polemos'' destruction was confirmed. Cheh, that guy got his entire race wiped out." *Gurrug* The older man chugged down a whole cup before tossing it aside, opting to pick up the entire alcohol barrel itself. "You know, unlike Mors, you''re not much of a patriot to your people. He would boast his Figures of War, leaving them on endlesslyбн And I can''t blame him. After all, it gave him the same physiology as the Lunarians!" Indra, by instinct, gazed at the markings over his arm, tracing his hand across the deep, tattoo-like marks. Complicated emotions flashed by his eyes, seemingly lost in thought. "Zenora Mors embraced the nature of Warborns. I chose against it." The swordsman matched the senior pirate''s gaze and gave a straightforward reply, "Our Figures give birth to rage and fury; such things only lead to tragedy." Ares gently placed his barrel downбкalready emptied through some magical drinking technique. He stood up, standing roughly eye-to-eye with Indra. An undisguised glare allowed him to harvest everything he needed from the swordsman. "You''re right. Those Figures threw Mors into a frenzy every time he used them, getting worse as the years passed. Still, they granted a body as tough as diamonds and a recovery rate on par with monsters." *Thump* *Thump* The God of War took a few bold steps ahead, standing arm''s length from Indra. "Trust me, had I not sensed your deep loyalty to my kid, I would have killed you the moment I saw those markings on your arm." Indra matched the war-like Ares with equal depth without hesitation. "..." "Ruhahahaha!" the man suddenly laughed out loud. "I know your people were made to become weaponsбкa failed experiment. Mors was his greatest enemy, forever a slave to his rage." Ares patted Indra''s shoulder, nodding, "I wonder what kind of monster you could become if you can fully harness the power in your blood." The veteran pirate left, leaving the swordsman with one final piece of advice: "You should share your story with him. Damien can probably help you more than you think." . *Fwooo* A chilly wind passed by, echoing through the woods. The cool moonlight reflected off Indra''s sharp eyes as he stood tall. Ares'' final words left him in thought. Suddenly, he recalled what Damien had told him over three years ago: "Welcome to the Fourth Division of the Rocks Pirates, Zenora Indra, you seem to have a story. I look forward to hearing it one day." Pablo and Akai''s departure left only two men of the Fourth Division behind. Technically, Indra was not yet officially under Damien''s unnamed crew. The Warborn''s once hazy eyes warped with a decisive spirit as he began walking, tracing a distant and familiar magnetic field. It was time to revisit a past he had buried long ago. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 168: Shards of the Past (I) The reticent swordsman made it to his destination, looking atop a cliff and making out the shape of a person. A flash of thunder and Indra appeared behind the resting Damien, overlooking the horizon. He waited patiently as his Commander breathed in the night''s cold air. "What''s up?" Indra remained straight as a flagpole as he announced, "There are things you should know." Damien gave a soft hum as he glanced at his right-hand man. "Don''t be so rigid," he casually waved at Indra. "Sit." Indra blinked and sat beside Damien, letting his legs hang off the cliff. "..." A wry smile was etched on Damien''s face as he stifled a chuckle. "Let me guess, it''s that power you showed back at God Valley," he said, glancing at the dark markings across Indra''s body. "Yes." Damien shifted toward the swordsman, striking a smile, "Storytime? Let''s do it." Indra nodded, remembering the tales that were told to him while he was young. "Well, it all began around two hundred years agoбн" ---------------------------------------------- [Marineford] [Year of 1285] A muscular mat sat in a grand office at the ever-stable Navy Headquarters and glanced at the marine before him. He had dark pants, a gray shirt, a blue undershirt, and a hat. He had a marine coat draped over his shoulder, sporting blue-coloured epaulettes. "F-Fleet Admiral." The veteran marine put aside a few papers, giving the other man his undivided attention. "So, what mess did you make this time, Sosen?" Sosen had white hair and a white mustache, boasting a dignified monocle. The man cheekily smiled, "Well, I heard the Science Unit made another discovery with the experiment." The words drew a frown from Suroviy, the Fleet Admiral. "We''ve been over this, Sosen. As a Vice Admiral, you shouldn''t be so stubborn about these things." Sosen sighed, boldly airing his frustrations, "With all due respect, Fleet Admiral, I followed that string of intel in hopes that the ones I was going after were criminalsбн not children!" However, his heartfelt thoughts were dismissed. "You came to me hoping for heftier missions; I gave you one that paid nicely," the top marine rebutted. Half a billion berries for all four of them." Sosen gritted his teeth, looking to the floor in shame. "They were children, and Cipher Pol was up my ass!" he cried out, clenching his teeth. "I regret turning them in." The Fleet Admiral looked through his drawer and pulled out another file containing four pages of paper. "Those children are wanted criminals of historyбкyou did a good thing bringing them in." Sosen obviously was not accepting of his boss'' words as he tried to speak up once more. "They had barely even lived their lives, Suroviy-san, theиC" Bang! Suroviy smashed his fist into the desk. "They were Lunarians!" He glared at Sosen with razor-sharp eyes, "When it comes to the rule of the Celestial Dragons, you do as told! There''s no time to pity the ones being wronged! If anything, it was their fault for being born into a clan that lost!" The prestigious marine shook his head, huffing a tired sigh. "Go home, Sosen." Seeing his argument fall apart, the Vice Admiral had no choice but to relent. He left the office with a twisted expression. [Sosen Image (in Discord)] бн "Lunarians?" Damien suddenly asked. Indra hummed. He raised his right hand, counting on his fingers while listing the main features of the god-like clan: "Dark skin, white hair, black wings and the ability to ignite their bodies; incredible physical prowess and regenerative qualities." Damien hummed, recalling the bits he knew from his past and from Ohara: "They resided in the Kingdom of Gods at the Red Line before their position was ripped away by the First Twenty, followed by their extermination." "I hear the Government gives a handsome reward of 100 million berries for simple information regarding their kind. No wonder they would blow up at the capture of four such children." Indra sighed and had to agree. "Yes, but it was the incredible mechanics of their strength that made them get chased down by the Governmentбн" бн A light shone off Sosen''s monocle as he expressionlessly watched the night set in and the horizon darkened. "Puru," "Puru," "Puru." "Katcha~!" "It''s me, Sosen," the snail said, taking on the figure of a cloaked figure. The man on the other side of the call didn''t allow the Vice Admiral to speak as he made his complaints heard: "You know, just calling you is akin to a major crime!" "Come on, it''s me, your buddy from war," Sosen wryly laughed. "While I kicked ass on the frontlines, you were doing your thing with MCIS!" The joking tone warped into pleading, "I just want to know about that experiment, and I''ll never call you again!" "бн" The snail hesitated for a moment and then seemed to look around, his actions conveyed by the snail''s cautious movements. "Fine, listen up." The man''s voice grew softer and quieter, "The Science Unit used the individual DNA of three of the four Lunarian spawns already; the cloning failed, leading to the death of the corresponding child." Sosen breathed heavily, recalling the eight to ten-year-old winged kids he had arrested, a miserable feeling budding in his heart. "Damn those assholes!" he cursed. "What about the fourth one?" Sosen asked with a hint of hope. The snail heaved a sigh, a hint of pity in its eyes. "They were able to learn from the failure of the other threeбн" "So the child lives!?" "Let me finish!" the snail hissed. "They cloned the genome structure of the fourth Lunarian into the DNA of ten orphans. Unfortunately, the transfer of the genome had little successбн I''m sorry, Sosen, but they will surely expunge those ten failed experiments any day now." . The news brought great despair to the Vice Admiral''s face. A few images flashed through his mind, that of his dying wife, who was able to be saved from the money he received. He didn''t regret it then, but he did now. Especially since his wife died from a pirate strike a few months ago, leaving him with nothing but a buzzing sense of guiltбнRoyal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. But guilt alone wasnбпt what gnawed at him; it was the bitter realization that he had been complicit in the very machine he once believed served justice. His hands trembled as he clenched them into fists, recalling the childrenбпs terrified faces when he handed them over. б░They were just kids,б▒ he muttered, his voice breaking the silence. The thought of them enduring experimentation, screaming for mercy in some cold, sterile labбкit sickened him. The words of his Fleet Admiral echoed in his mind, sharp and condemning: "There''s no time to pity the ones being wronged!" No time for pity? What kind of justice was that? What kind of man had he become? Sosen had devoted his life to the Marines, believing in their ideals, only to find himself a pawn in a game of power and privilege. His wife was gone, the Navy had stripped him of any honour he thought he had, and the haunting faces of the children weighed like a noose tightening around his neck. If he had nothing left to lose, then perhaps he could at least make right the worst of his sins. "I need one more favour, old friendбн" ---------------------------------------------- [A Facility on a Remote Island in the Grand Line] It was visibly a government facility. The halls were well-laid with concrete and expensive materials. Yet under its majesty was a blaring alarm, echoing through the maze-like hallways. Dozens of marine squads clamoured about, rushing to the same point where an invader had appeared. "There''s only one confirmed enemy. We must stop him!" the lead marine roared. . "One Sword Style: Beautiful Death!" . The chirping sound appeared out of nowhere, easily overshadowing the blaring alarms and inched near a company of soldiers. "Auughh!" "Ugh!" "My leg!" The enemy whizzed through the fallen marines, rushing to a particular area almost as if he knew what was waiting there for him. Boom! The wall exploded, allowing entrance to the sole invader. Naturally, the man was Sosen. He desperately looked around through the cloud of smoke, his Haki scanning the inner facility. Soon enough, his eyes landed on a group of ten children huddling in the corner of a glass chamber, fearfully staring at the swordsman. Sosen immediately sheathed his weapon, raising his hands in surrender as he walked toward the enclosure. "I''m not gonna hurt you, kiddosбн" he whispered, touching the glass. Inside, he saw a winged, dark-skinned child strung to a stretcher, his eyes shut with blood leaking from every orifice. "Dammit!" Sosen cursed under his breath, though the living children once again took his attention away. The little ones all had dark skin like the dead Lunarian, minus the wings, and their bodies were covered entirely with white clothing, marking them as research subjects. Casting his pride as a marine off like chains, Sosen desperately implored them, "Come with me! I''ll get you all to safety!" Perhaps it was the desperate gleam in the ex-soldier''s eyes or the sincere yearning in his voice, but it was enough for one of the braver children to reach out and take the man''s hand. Much to Sosen''s surprise, the hand that reached out had dark markings running all over it, like tattoos. бн "A marine with a moral compass and the balls to act on it," Damien voiced out with amusement. "How rare such a thing is in the rank of Vice Admiral." Indra slightly smiled, recalling the old tales. "Sosen saved the ten children in a moment of impulse, but he ended up saving a newly created species of people," the swordsman muttered, once again glancing at the markings over his arms. Damien hummed in agreement. "Though if your people were truly cloned Lunarians, then it''s no wonder they would deem it a failure." Indra slowly nodded. Evidently, he did not have any wings. "The only thing we seemed to share with that race was our complexion. Otherwise, it seems that the researchers utterly failed. But there was a slight anomaly that we inherited from the experimentsбн" бн The mess at the marine facility was quite loud, but the control of the World Government was firm in that era. Within days, a bounty graced the seas, bringing a wave of speculation; after all, it was a reward for an ex-Vice Admiral of the Navy Headquarters! -----< WANTED >----- < ZENORA?SOSEN > < ''Ronin'' > < ?? 1,000,000,000 - > < DEAD or ALIVE > ---------------------------- Such a hefty reward brought great greed into the eyes of bounty hunters. Beyond that, it was detailed that Sosen had stolen ten research subjects that were plagued with sickness and harboured a malignant disease, making Sosen a true villain. They even placed a 100 million reward for the successful retrieval of just one of the said subjects, bringing Sosen''s total worth to two billion berries! бн Naturally, those at the raided research base were quickly questionedбкthe experiment to clone Lunarians had begun the day they were felled by the First Twenty! Even centuries of failure were met with the relentless pursuit of the god-like clan''s power. бн [Interrogation Room of G-1] Bang! A fist slammed into the dimly lit table, sending echoes through it. A single lamp hung from the ceiling, shaking from the interrogator''s wrath. "Sir, please, I''m not lying!" The words fell on deaf ears: "Sosen stole valuable goods from your facility. Tell me, what should I do now!?" The lead researcher nervously swallowed as he made his case: "I can assure both you and the Five Elders that those subjects were complete failures. They have little worth!" The Agent scoffed, crossing his arms. "Then why would a distinguished Vice Admiral stake his life and career to take them away?" The researcher shook his head wildly, with sweat dripping down his neck. "I-I don''t know, but I do know that those ten clones failed to absorb the genomes. They had no wings, nor did they have the ability to ignite themselves on fire!" "Beyond that, they lacked the physical mechanism of Lunarians; the only thing that successfully transferred was the darkened skin andбн" The man hesitated momentarily, aggravating the Agent, "And what!?" "A-And a mutated gene deeply embedded in their DNA. Upon inspection, we realized it was an incomplete form of the Lunarian physiology; due to the broken piece, these subjects are prone to a state of uncontrolled anger, boosting their strengthиC" "To what level?" the interrogator questioned. "R-Rivaling the Lunarians," he quacked, "...in theory." Before the Agent could blow up once more, the researcher made one last attempt to save himself: "All my subordinates can vouch for it. Those kids will kill themselves off in those moments of seething anger. They are doomed to die out as soon as one of them activates that incomplete gene!" The researcher drove his point home one step further, guaranteeing, "They are of no danger to the World Government!" "бн" The Agent breathed in, factoring the vehement denials, and put on an indifferent face. "This entire experiment was to recreate the lost Lunarians with the sole purpose of becoming the greatest weapons for the World Government." "I hope for your and your fellow workers'' own good that your theory is correctбнotherwise, I would have to hand you to the Head of Torture and Interrogation Division and trust me, you don''t want them grilling you." The researcher gulped and could only nod, hoping he wouldn''t be put to the slaughter, cursing Sosen in his heart. бн Unfortunately for the World Government, there was neither hide nor hair of Ronin Sosen. Cipher Pol could only continue monitoring the Underworld and other such criminal channels in hopes of finding even a hint of intel regarding the ex-marines. However, they would eventually discover that they simply would never acquire any hint of Sosen for years to come. бн [A Deserted Island in the New World] "Alright, come now, kids." A cloaked Sosen beckoned the little group of children as they walked down the stolen ship with some fear. Soon enough, the soles of their feet hit the marshy ground, embracing what would be their new home. "Polemos Island," Sosen introduced. "It was once a vibrant forested land, but due to war and battles, the World Government summoned a Buster Call!" "However, the climate of this part of the New World is dry and easy to spark flamesбн the salvo of the Marine Warships birthed a fire that burned for decades on end, leaving everything in ashes." He dug a hand into the soil, feeling its fertility. "That was two centuries ago; now, however, it has regained enough life to be considered quite well-off." One of the more outgoing children pointed to the sea with some confusion, "What about all that fog?" Sosen hummed, tipping his monocle to the sea of fog around Polemos Island. "The fire created a thick smoke that fossilized into a ring around the island due to the New World climate. The thick haze will get anyone lostбкit''s nearly impossible to reach here." The swordsman sighed, finding some good in all the bad. "Due to its detrimental state and the Government''s desire to appear peaceful, there were only five eternal poses of this island before it was removed from the maps worldwide." The man showed off an Eternal Pose with the name "Polemos Island" printed onto it. "Don''t worry, this compass is the only survivor of the original five." [Polemos Island Image (in Discord)] The ex-vice Admiral was nearly 9 feet tall (2.74 m), needing to kneel down to meet the eyes of the young children. The man beamed a spirited smile at the quivering children. "It was auctioned at Sabaody; I was holding it off for my retirement homeбн looks like that''s what ended up happening, So-So-So!" Slowly but surely, they began opening up the man, allowing life to finally return to a forgotten island that would eventually be hailed as the home of the Warborn! To Be Continuedбн Chapter 169: Shards of the Past (II) [Polemos Island, Year of 1290] Five years had passed. Zenora Sosen, the Ronin, had been missing for half a decade, and his name was slowly being buried by the passing years. One would think such a gap of freedom would be a joy for the escaped subjects, but it was not that simple. "Haaaaaah," Sosen sighed, rubbing his wrinkled forehead. The man wearing the simple commoner get-up was currently facing an unconscious pair of young teenagers. Both had the same dark skin and dark hair, yet they were covered in tribal markings that had turned dark red, slowly losing colour and returning to the original hue. *Clank* Sosen sheathed his blade, frowning at the two children''s state. Around them was a torn-up region of earth. The once grassy field had been riddled with tiny holes while spanning gashes had opened up to expose the tree roots below. "If I was one minute late, they truly would have killed one another," he muttered, massaging his wrinkly forehead from recent years of stress. There was an air of dismay in his eyes. He was so familiar with the government facility when he broke the kids out because he used to work there once upon a timeбкSosen was a man of science! "Lunarians'' flames work toward homeostasis, specifically balance between metabolic energy production, bodily stress response, and cellular repair mechanism," he recounted what he knew from the prior experiments at the facility. "When their flames are active, it controls the mitochondrial energy output and stress hormone levels, maintaining equilibrium to permit cells on repair and regeneration, granting them nigh-invulnerability." "When the flames go out, the bodies divert energy from cellular reinforcement to focus on quick responseбкtrading their absurd endurance for incredible speed." Sosen absently tapped the guard of his famed blade, staring at the unconscious boys before him with sympathy. "These poor kids failed to inherit the flames in the cloning. While their marks turn red, they gain both invulnerability and great speed together, but at a lower intensity, and paired with great rage." Without the flames to balance their metabolic energy, these children were doomed to fall victim to the overload of hormones, manifesting in uncontrollable rage. . While the ex-soldier was thinking to himself, the other eight teens were soon to arrive. They came quietly and with despair. It was becoming increasingly more common for their fellow brothers and sisters to become lost in the power the Government wanted for themselves. The world around them, no matter the quiet Polemos, was losing its colour by the passing years. "Uncle, a-are we cursed?" a visibly frightened girl asked, her voice wavering while holding back tears. Sosen was quick to kneel before the quivering child. He reached to pat her shoulders, softly speaking to ease her heart, "Don''t worry, this is just a test of time. You kids will get through this, and I will be there with you." "Just remember," he spoke, looking around at the others with optimism. "The only thing we have is each other. That alone is enough to find peace in this broken world!" бн [Polemos Island, Year of 1300] "Waaaaah!" It was the cry of a newborn. The first breath was followed by a slap to the bum, inciting a booming wail. The child continued crying while the young mother tried to calm it down. Nearby was another girl of similar age, doing her best to clean up and keep the pregnancy room at bay. A young man, around 25, stood by the side of a middle-aged Sosen and heaved a lengthy sigh. "Go, meet your son," the white-haired Sosen said, pushing the father to his child. The stoic man gulped, slowly inching ahead to the woman and child, trying not to breathe too loud as to sicken the newborn. . They were in a small building made of sliced wood for the frame, thick leaves and vines to keep it together and a mix of mud and clay for the walls. Sosen had a complicated look on his face. ''Looks like the experiment is hereditaryбкthe child was born with the same features.'' He clenched his jaw, heaving a sigh, ''Is their entire bloodline to be damned because of one gluttonous desire to weaponize the Lunarians?'' The thought alone forced the man to clench his fists so hard that they began to bleed. He looked out the window and glanced at a freshly dug patch of soil mounted with a rectangular stone. Naturally, a grave. A quick glance would show evidence that the body had been buried at most a year ago. бн [Polemos Island, Year of 1320] *Drip* *Drop* A panting Sosen stood across a wet patch of grass, his eyes shut. A few grown-ups of darker complexion were nearby, all looking away from the scene. *Drip* *Drip* It wasn''t water. Sosen slowly raised his sword, glancing at the fresh red liquid streaked down his sharp katana and sinking into a ruddy patch of soil. In front of him was a middle-aged man lying on the floor in a puddle of blood. His eyes were stuck open as his life was lost. The scary thing was the etched-on smirk on the man''s face, further amplified by the blood-red marking all over his body. *Clack* Sosen sheathed his sword again, looking back to see a mother hugging her daughter behind him. "Prepare the grave." бн [Polemos Island, Year of 1340] The graveyard had extended from the island''s edge to nearly ten times its previous size. Twelve graves lined up in two rows, each headed with a stone detailing a name and range of years. The ten experimented children had already reached the age of around 65, yet only four of them lived to tell the tale. An aged Sosen, nearly 88, sat crisscrossed on the grass, quiet. He gazed with mixed emotions as he breathed in the coastal air. The island had gotten even brighter in the past decades, yet somehow, to Sosen, it felt darker than ever. "The third generation of children is coming up, but at this rate, they will surely die out once I''m goneбн" he muttered. A dry smile soon stretched across his wrinkly face as he recalled being hailed as the children''s saviour in the past 55 years of his life. He could feel death catching up and needed to do something; anything. . "Grandpa Sosen," a voice beckoned his attention. Turning to the side, he saw a lean yet muscular young man, around twenty. He had striking dark markings over his body, topped with long dark hair and sharp eyes. The truly special thing about the man was the fact that he had a katana sheathed to his hip, one awfully similar to that of Vice Admiral Sosen of the pastбкif only the lad knew how priceless the meito was!The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "Romo-kun, you look dashing with that blade. I''m surprised Konton accepted you so easily," Sosen called out, slowly standing up. "Let me help," the dark-skinned man offered, pulling Sosen up. "So-So-So! I was there when you were born, picking you up two decades ago, and now you''re doing that for me." Romo smiled thinly, shaking his head, "Father always talked about your help so many years ago. He said you saved them from a dark and cold place, bringing them here. He died hoping you could one day rest like he will." Sosen breathed back a tear, sighing out loud. "I was just making up for a mistake," the man muttered. "You taught them how to read, how to cook, how to make houses, how to catch food, how to clean, how to fight, and so much more. No matter what, we are forever in your debt." The old man looked at Romo once again. Romo then switched the subject to something brighter, proudly remarking, "You also taught me how to charm girls. She said yes!" Sosen''s tired eyes shot open with a prideful smile as he slapped the man''s back. Ignoring the aching wrist, he boisterously exclaimed, "So-So-So! It is a happy occasion!" бн [Polemos Island, Year of 1341] "Waaaaaah!" "Eeeeuuugh!" The familiar cry rang through the island once more. Nearby, fellow inhabitants each broke out in smiles and laughter, ignoring the pain of the past. Sosen, nearing 90, was escorted in by the tall Romo. "Look, Grandpa Sosen, it''s a miracle!" The old man''s face warped with surprise as he saw the mother, Kaguya, hold not one but two newborns in both arms. A warm, motherly smile on her face. "M-My eyes must be playing tricksбн there''s two of them!" the man remarked, laughing in giddiness. Romo laughed alongside the old man and even the nurses as the usual gloomy island was filled with a new sense of warmth. бн [Polemos Island, Year of 1350] An old man sat in a wooden chair, his eyes slightly shut. The warm sun fell on his body as he breathed in the fresh air. After decades, Sosen, at 98 years old, could finally give off a sincere and comfortable smile. He saw a scene that had once left him terror-struck, yet now, it was something truly special! "Come on, Terra, snap out of it!" The voice came from a 9-year-old as he weaved through the field. He had an annoyed expression on his childish face as he dodged a flurry of attacks. One coming from an identical boy of the same age. *Whizz!* The child was on the attack, though not out of his own choice. The familiar markings across his young body were blood-red, pulsing with rage. Even his pupils had taken on the same colour. Yet the attack that moved faster than Sosen''s old eyes could keep up with was easily dodged by the boy''s brother, Caelum. "Hehe, fine, catch me if you can!" The boy jumped from side to side, effortlessly weaving through a flurry of slashes from a sharp stone sword. Clang! Boom! Bang! Each strike would leave plate-sized craters, littering the ground like a minefield. The odd thing was that Caelum seemed to dodge the attack before Terra could even attempt to go through with it. бн Soon enough, five minutes later, the berserk Terra fell to the ground, huffing and puffing. The blood-red marking gradually calmed down, bringing sense to the boy''s face. "It happened again?" the child muttered, clicking his tongue. Caelum gave a sheepish grin and a triumphant thumbs-up. "That puts us at 72-74 enrages, which means you''re my servant for the day!" The tired Terra shot off the ground. While gnashing his teeth, he yelled, "Whatever!" бн Sosen laughed, though it was followed by a violent cough. ""Fossil-Grandpa Sosen!"" the children cried out, rushing the man. The ex-marine twitched in his seat, shaking his head. ''I can''t spare the energy on these two,'' he calmed himself. "Alright, boys, go clean up the mess you made of the field," a sharp voice came from the side. It was Romo, glaring at the two. ""Okayбн"" They hurried off, grabbing a bag of dirt to fill the holes. "Grandpa Sosen," the older Romo muttered, seeing the tired man. "Never mind me, this is the greatest miracle for us; how can you waste time crying over nature taking its course." Romo sighed, deeply exhaling. "Who could have guessed that twins could sense one another''s coming rageбн" Sosen smirked, remembering the first time the miraculous sight occurred. "It makes sense the more I think of it! It''s genomic resonance!" Romo looked confused as the old man was cackling to himself. "Identical twins share the same genome. They also have identical genetic markers and biological responses that make their processes almost perfectly synchronized. This means they can ''feel'' as their twin''s stress response is suddenly exploding, marking their rage state!" Sosen, although considerably aged, has bright eyes that shone with victory. But at the end of the day, he was not immune to timeбн "!!!" "What''s wrong, Grandpa Sosen?" Romo suddenly asked, seeing the old man''s widened eyes. Within seconds, the grandfather stammered in his steps, forcing Romo to help him sit once more. "Romo, I''m about to take my final breath," he casually stated, his eyes glowing red. "Those boys of yours, I know it; they can save your people from their cursed fate!" Romo, whose Haki also picked up on Sosen''s heart rate plummeting, immediately kneeled at the elderly man''s eye level. "OUR people!" he corrected, his eyes firm. "Although we don''t share the same blood, there is no doubt that you saved us all." Sosen felt the surge from the warrior he imparted his sword style to. There was nothing but pride in his eyes. "Keep that chest near youбн I pray for you allбн" Romo watched quietly as his people''s saviour breathed his final breath, staring at the blue sky above Polemos. He had spent the latter half of his life looking after the ten failed subjects. He had passed on his fighting style alongside a technique known as the Six Powers. But beyond that, a small wooden box was to be opened when tragedy struckбкa final failsafe left by the dishonoured marine. Romo slowly pulled Sosen''s eyelids down, leaving behind a fallen man who died without regrets, smiling. "Grandpa Sosenбн you can rest now." Zenora Sosen passed away at the age of 98. бн "It''s an admirable way to go," Damien said, narrowing his eyes to the darkened skies. The calm wind felt ever-so-slightly colder. Indra nodded in agreement as the two remained silent momentarily. "Zenora," Damien muttered. "Your ancestors took upon the surname of their saviour." "Yes, it was to honour his sacrifice, I wouldn''t have it any other way," Indra said with conviction. "Romo went a step further and named the position as the Clan Leader to be the ''Shadow of the Zenora.''" It was apparent to Damien that even Indra held the man in the highest of lights. "So the twin thing, I take it you are a twin yourself?" Indra glanced at Damien''s curious eyes and gave an affirmative nod. "I was of the third generation of identical twins of the Zenora," he explained. "Though the story of Terra and Caleum had just begunбн" бн [Polemos Island, Year of 1365] Every year, a celebration took place, one to celebrate the life of Zenora and one to honour the dead. Since the passing of Sosen 15 years ago, the duo of Terra and Caelum had grown into something incredible. "Don''t lock your elbows; it eats up all the momentum in that strike!" "The gap between your feet is too large; you''ll fall over before you cut anyone with that blade!" "Use your back! A half-assed slash like that isn''t scaring a mosquito!" бн The hollering voices came from two people. They walked around an assembly of fifty pre-teens to young adults of the Zenora, each possessing the tribal markings. The two men walking through the rows of students were both a strong 10 feet (~3 m) tall. One was lean and fast, while the other was burly and powerful. A sword sat at Terra''s hip, while Caelum preferred his fists. "Only through determination, commitment, and a firm will can you ever activate your Figures," Terra remarked. Caelum continued the teaching. "They are a blessing to us, a power that grants us speed, strength, endurance and enhanced recovery, but if left untrained, the Figures can just as easily run you mad!" However, one of the younger children began to waver. "W-What if we get lost in that angerбн My uncle killed my aunt like that!" Caelum, who was nearby, didn''t admonish the child. Instead, he kneeled to his eye level and calmly stated, "Terra and I built our control off one another," he began. Though you cannot do that yourself, we can help you." "Train with your heart. If you get lost in that background rage, we will personally snap you out of it. Remember, these Figures are a blessing and not a curse!" Under the strong leadership of Terra and Caelum, the Zenora thrived for the coming years. Though an array of tribulations continued to befall their people, they were able to make it out with their chins held high. The combined strength of their clan also skyrocketed as the relative peace era had arrived. бн [Polemos Island, Year of 1420] By the age of 75, Zenora Caelum was laid to rest under the tears and sadness of his people. A circle of nearly 500 of the Zenora stood as the legendary leader was buried beside the graves of Zenora Sosen and his late brother, Zenora Terra, who had passed just two years prior. Zenora Kaguya, the elderly Chief Elder of the Zenora, clanked her cane. "I have buried both my sons," she announced with a dull voice. "But I ask you, as their mother, to celebrate everything they accomplished rather than mourn their losses!" "Once again, by some miracle, another pair of twins was born to our people just two days ago." A woman stood near the front, holding a newborn child in her hand. Besides her was a man, presumably her husband, with another newborn. The mother glanced at her identical sons and breathed deeply at their birth-given responsibilities. "Remember their names," Kaguya voiced out once more. "They will be the brightest stars in today''s dark skies: Zenora Veta and Zenora Mors!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 170: Shards of the Past (III) [Polemos Island, Year of 1440] "Vetatatatata!" "Morararara!" Two boisterous laughs boomed across the grassy plains of Polemos Island. A duo of similar-looking men stood face-to-face, almost as if looking into a mirror. The only problem was that the mirror was way off in terms of height! One of them was lean and cut, boasting a rather sleek physique that counted on speed and precision, standing at around 14 feet (4.27 m). On the other hand, the second brother sported a far muscular and bulky build, opting for strength and durability, towering at a little over twenty-and-a-half feet (6.9 m)! They were the 20-year-old Zenora Veta and Zenora Mors! Their stances suggested that a duel was imminent. Veta, the elder brother, was the first to attack. The man zoomed into the air, raising Konton passed down through generations. . "One Sword Style: Beautiful Death!" . A deafening chirp of a peacock dominated the sky, flapping its way down under the embrace of Veta''s sword. Mors grinned, clenching his right hand into a fist. *Fwwm* A dense coat of Armament was quickly equipped, followed by the man jumping to the skies. . "Sky Scream!" . The raging punch sent out hounding winds that slammed onto the ground, tearing open giant chunks of earth. *Fwmm!* A similar black gleam coated Veta''s blade as he crashed into his brother. BOOM! The ear-rattling explosion echoed through the edges of Polemos as the brothers grinned on ahead. Bam! A secondary boom and the two were shot to opposite sides. "Let''s dial this up a notch," Mors muttered, cracking his neck. Veta hummed in agreement. "..." Slowly but surely, the dark markings across their bodies began to burn bright red, growing to the colour of blood. *Hiss* The increased blood flow was due to the body demanding much more oxygen to function, so much so that the moisture around their pores evaporated into steam. Their dark pupils turned blood-red, reflecting an inner darkness that would send shivers down most men. . "One Sword Style: Dance of the Dead!" . "Sky Shriek!" . Once again, the two met without holding anything back, sending tremors down the island''s roots. Trees were uprooted, the ground broke apart, and the air groaned under their clash. бн The reign of the new Shadows started strong. Veta showed the same talent as the deceased Romo, earning him the nod from Konton. Meanwhile, Mors took on the Six Powers, warping them into his brute strength and iron fist. However, a storm was soon to arrive five years laterбн бн [Polemos Island, Year of 1445] "L-Lord Mors!" a desperate voice rang through a sizeable wooden stronghold. A dark-haired man ran into the building, shaking in his boots. "What is it?" came a heavy voice belonging to one of the Two Shadows of the Zenora. The informant breathed in the majesty of the towering Mors, his vast shadow creating quite the shade. "S-Someone from the outside sea made landfallбнLord Veta is confronting them!" Mors'' eyebrow shot up while excitement brimmed in his eyes. "From the Outside!?" The Zenora had long been away from the rest of the world. Naturally, the dangers beyond the confines of their home were a curious thought. "Let''s go!" бн But Mors'' inquisitive mindset was quickly turned upside down as he saw what had become of his older brother. Veta was laid out at the island''s edge in a pool of his own blood. Mors smelled the iron scent, absently staring at his fallen brother. In the distance was a warship departing from Polemos in a rush. "..." With dead eyes and a lost glance, Mors looked at the foggy sea, feeling the collection of presences. Bang! The roar of a cannon went off as the cannonball rocketed toward the Zenora Shadow. It zoomed across the curtain of fog, inching toward Mors. "Vetaбн" he muttered, swiping his right hand across to deflect the cannonball aside. *Boom!* The explosion went off in the background while Mors'' increasing crimson body was bubbling with rage. His Figures surged with heat and intensity, his eyes falling into madness. The air trembled under the whizzing Mors as he leapt onboard the ship, his titanic weight forcing the intruders to crash to the ground. "K-Kill this monster!" a pirate roared, rushing at the invader with a giant axe. Clang! "!!!" The pirate was utterly stunned. It was as if his soul had left his body alongside the axe that had shattered from striking Mors'' arm. *Gulp* The man felt the cold embrace of death as Mors'' blood-red eyes locked onto him. ''I thought I''d find lost riches through the fogбнHow did it end up like thiиC!'' Pain flooded every fiber of his being as the Shadow''s giant hand grabbed him by the head. Soon enough, he was lifted from his feet while the pressure around his cranium grew. "You will pay with your lives." The head popped like a grape, bathing Mors with fresh red. The headless body crumpled onto the floor and, with a bang, crushed under the Warborn''s giant foot. With smoke from his landing, fog from the environment, and blood from the enemies dripping down his enormous body, the other pirates had all but one fate waiting for them, considering the look on Mors'' face.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. BOOM! бн A blood-covered Mors kneeled by his lifeless brother, absently staring at the corpse. "How could you die here, Vetaбн" "L-Lord Veta lowered his guard when the invaders'' leader took one of our young as their hostage," a nearby Zenora muttered. Mors gritted his teeth to the point where blood fell down his lips. His hands clenched in defeat. "My foolish, naive brotherбн" He reached out and closed Veta''s empty eyes staring at the sky by lowering his eyelids. ''You were the best of us. I cannot do this without youбн'' "Prepare for the funeral." "Y-Yes!" The nearby men felt a strong fear of Mors as they heard the voice void of emotions, almost as if all life and spirit had been drained out. бн [The Next Week] *Creak* A tiny wooden chest was slowly opened, unveiling the treasure within to the eyes of its beholder. "One of those magical fruits," Mors commented, seeing the blood-red Devil Fruit in the shape of a heart. [Fruit Image (in Discord)] "Zenora Sosen, our saviour, left this for troubling times," a fossilized old lady''s voice graced the towering man''s ears. "It was as much of a treasure as his sword, Konton." "Lady Kaguya," Mors muttered, seeing the half-dead woman. She was nearly 120 years old, yet clinging to life ever so dearly for the sake of her people. "These are troubling times," she nodded, though her face turned stern. "Yet I feel a disconnection in your heart. Do not get consumed in your rage, Mors!" The remaining Shadow of the Zenora was not amused, answering with a sneer, "Instead of waiting for our fate to come to an end, I''d rather go on the offence and secure it myself!" Kaguya slammed the butt of her cane, eliciting a loud clang. "Don''t be selfish, boy! You may have mastered your Figures, but how can you secure the lives of our young and old? Going beyond the fog will undo everything Lord Sosen did for us!" Mors growled, glaring at the petite old lady with defiance. "Enough! Zenora Sosen protected us in his own way; now, I will protect my people in my own way! The rest of you can remain on this small island while I go hunt down the ones who damned us here!" Kagura was livid. Veins popped across her face as the fury burned from her eyes, conveyed in her increasingly crimson markings. "Do you wish to dishonour your brother even beyond his gravиC" She couldn''t finish as Mors'' thick hand shot out and grabbed her by the jaw, forcing her into silence. "Do not bring Veta into this." The booming voice was laced with threat, further amplified by the blood-red marks on his body and reddened pupils. Cracks spread across the stone floor, and the wooden walls began shaking. "You think I haven''t read that book?" Kaguya, who was held into submission, widened her eyes. Mors picked up on the shift in emotions: "I found it in my youth, the journal Lord Sosen busied himself with in his older years. You were wise to hide it after your husband''s death." The woman''s face darkened. Her husband had hidden the truth of that journal even from her until his death, leaving it with her. She also chose to hide it since it contained matters that could drive a Warborn mad! "He may have saved us from certain doom, but staying here is inevitable doom. Without Veta, I cannot see any life in this prison on an island. I will give the ''World Government'' that spawned us hell they will never forget!" "They played around with the lives of our ancestors, even labelling us to become their greatest weapons! I will show them just how great of a weapon we are!!!" The anger-ridden voice began sending out dense pulses of weight. *Creak* *Snap!* The walls exploded into bits, sending tremors through Polemos. Nearby guards fell to the floor, foaming at the mouths. Everything happened under the aged eyes of Kaguya, who could only fearfully listen. ''He can use it, just like Romo did!'' the woman stiffened. Mors saw the look in her eyes and felt little emotion in return. Mercilessly enough, he tossed her aside like a sack of potatoes, walking out the shredded doorway. "Y-Your departure will spell death to us all!" she spat out, ignoring the aching pain from the many broken bones from the prior ragdolling. "..." Mors didn''t look back; his eyes were void of emotion, burning bright red. Every step he took beyond the house of the Shadow forced his body to change colour slowly. Initially, the Zenora were born with dark skin and black markings that turned red under the berserk state. Yet for Mors, his dark skin was slowly turning red, something beyond unnatural. Kaguya painfully pulled her body up, entirely shocked by the turn of events. "H-He''s lost in his angerбн what a terrible fate this has left us!" бн "So the Berserk state can completely vilify a person, leading them to endless rage and anger," Damien insightfully concluded. Indra, who was watching the clouds float away, couldn''t help but nod with a sigh. "By training off a twin, one could master the Figures; with that, they could teach the others. But even that leaves cracks behind. In Mors'' case, his original mission to protect his people through war quickly warped into nothing but hopeless vengeance." Damien narrowed his eyes, recalling the familiar face of the old man he freed from Impel Down. "So without the protection of Mors, the community would fall apart, slowly but surely," he said. The thoughts were once again confirmed with the nod of the swordsman''s head. "It was ten years since his departure, and our society was on the brink of destruction. Lady Kaguya died early on, and the sudden change brewed dismay in our people, leaving them even more victim to their frenzy state. From 1445 to 1455, it was just hell." "By then, the power of the ''Bloodspawn'' had reached the ends of the seas, even bringing the attention of the then-Fleet Admiral Endou, who eventually discovered the experiment files from over 150 years back." A distracted Indra flicked a pebble with his finger into the sea below, absently stating, "An ambitious agent of Cipher Pol, Spandune the Hunter with his Trace-Trace Fruit, located the lost Polemos in 1455. Fearing an army of these ''Warborns,'' the World Government sent assassins to recon and destroy the community." Indra shook his head with frustration. "There were attacks carried out for the next five straight years. Thankfully, it was nearly impossible for large fleets to navigate through the fog, so they relied on brave bounty hunters and pirates. Five years of invasion and all that remained of our kind was a sole Elder and nine othersбн" "...From thousands to a mere ten." . Damien sank into thought. His father''s legacy also crossed paths with the Bloodspawn. An odd twist of fate now links the two of them. "Zenora Mors was captured in the year 1460, twenty-six years ago. Matching with your timeline now." Indra affirmed with a nod, but it was evident that there was something else left. With a slight tremor in his face in his voice, he revealed, "Yet a year later, a sliver of hope graced over Polemos." "Another pair of twins," Damien deduced, slowly looking at the swordsman. "...You." Indra glanced at Damien and saw the red eyes. "Twenty-five years ago today, a new pair of identical twins was born to the only woman of the remaining ten Zenora. Their names wereбн" бн [Polemos Island, Year of 1461] "...Zenora Indra and Zenora Asura." The voice was tired and filled with aching pain, coming from an emaciated woman glancing at two newborns in her arms. The pain coursing through her body was effectively ignored, and she gently watched the two boys coo about. Indra seemed quite cheerful, swinging his tiny arms around while Asura was all curled up like a ball. With cracked lips and hollow eyes, the woman offered her two children: "P-Please take care of themбн Elder Kali." Death took her right afterбкyears of war and hardship, claiming her strength. Kali, an older Warborn, cared little and pried two children from the dead woman''s hands. Kali was a haunting figure with sunken, glowing red eyes that seemed to pierce through the soul of anyone who dared to look at him. His body was burning red from years of mania. His unsettling grin and wild, unkempt hair gave the impression of a man unbound by sanity, a creature born from nightmares of a half-decade of war. To make things worse, he even had Konton tied to his waist, unearned and stolen from Veta''s grave. [Kali Image (in Discord)] . Around the few that remained, the peaceful Polemos Island was in flames. Four-fifths of the island was either on fire or ashes, littered with charred and decomposing bodies of fallen Zenora but hundreds more of the money-hungry invaders. They had lost everything Sosen had given them. The graves from earlier times were destroyed, and the history of the Zenora was gone with them. Kali''s smile widened, his cracked lips curling into something inhuman as he held the two fragile infants aloft, their tiny forms dwarfed by his gnarled hands. His voice was low at first, a growl laced with manic fervour that built into a thundering proclamation. "These children... are the final hope of our people. But under my guidance, they will become more than mere children. They will be forged into weapons! Beasts! Demons!" The elder''s blood-red markings pulsed wildly, casting a sinister glow across his face as the flames in the distance mirrored his twisted intensity. His voice rose to a deafening crescendo, carried by the winds to the ears of the few surviving Zenora. "With their rage, I will destroy the chains that bound us! With their power, I will crush the vermin who dared to spit on our kind! And when their wrath engulfs this cursed world, all will remember the name Zenora not as a clanбкbut as the embodiment of vengeance and war itself!" The twins squirmed in his grasp, their soft cries swallowed by the haunting echoes of his laughter, "I will break them, mould them, and set them loose on a world unprepared for what it has wrought!" Kali''s glowing red eyes locked onto the burning horizon as if already seeing the devastation he would unleash. His final words came like a curse, leaving no doubt about his sinister intentions. "They will not live as children. They will live as harbingers, as shadows of the Zenoraбкand I will ensure they become the greatest weapons this world has ever seen. Even if it destroys them!" The twins'' cries faded as Kali turned, his towering silhouette shrouded by flames and smoke. Around him, the remaining Zenora trembled in fear, none daring to stand against the mad guardian they had no choice but to follow. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 171: Shards of the Past (IV) [Polemos Island, Year of 1465] A sad day graced the burnt-down island. The fossilized fog that once protected the island had been left with a giant ravine, opening a path straight to the island. Spandune''s trace had brought him applause from even the Celestial Dragons, especially since Mors was targeting them. The price of a hundred million berries per Warborn had long been issued, too. Now, the last lights of the Zenora were four years old, but their living conditions left much to be desired. "Asura, you pathetic child! Get up!" The sharp voice echoed through the remaining patch of forest that was used as a training ground. The forest was still quite big, filled with wildlife that would love to feast on human bones. Kali''s venomous voice stung the air, his perpetually red marking still hissing. He glared at the dark-haired boy who crashed into a puddle of mud. "Tch, I really can''t forgive your mother for giving birth to such a failure!" Kali cursed, shaking his head. Dismay flashed through the young lad''s mind. Even with his face smashed into muddy water infested with larvae, he couldn''t stop the nefarious voice of his guardian echoing in his mind. But it was then a young and firm voice called out to him: "Asura, here, take my hand!" The tearful child looked up, snivelling, and saw his brother''s hand reach out to himбкhe immediately took it. Soon, he stood eye-to-eye with his mirror image, his identical twin, Indra. The helpful brother shook his head as he saw Asura stumble forward from a twisted ankle and crash once again with a thud. . "Useless pile of flesh," Kali gnashed his teeth with fury leaking from his pores. "You have more use growing back the burned forest with your corpse than wasting our food!!!" The wrinkly and lanky Elder spat at the fallen child, only to be stopped by Indra, who shielded his brother by standing between them. "..." Kali glared at the two. Indra, the older one by three minutes, was confident, determined, and steadfast in his actions. Asura, the younger one, was timid, quiet, and indecisive in everything he did. Indra was incredibly talented with the blade, while Asura seemed anything but, or at the very least, too hesitant to show otherwise. The deranged Elder clicked his tongue, choosing to forget Asura''s uselessness in light of Indra, the child he believed could fulfill the true purpose of the Zenora. Initially, he wanted to mould both into his weapons of mass destruction, but now, it seemed he had to make do with one. ''The glory of the Zenora will grace the seas. We will join you soon, Lord Mors!'' Kali roared inwardly, his deep-seated hatred reflecting in his blood-red skin and burning eyes. бн [Polemos Island, Year of 1475] Another decade passed, taking the twins to their fourteenth birthday. Their childhood was filled with nothing but gloom. While the few other Zenora were busy taking down the bounty hunters through the years, the lads were forced to bear Kali''s increasing impatience. "Again!" Clang! "Again!" Clang! "Again!" Clang! "Again!" "..." Kali''s boiling-red eyes glared to the side and saw a kneeling young teenager. The man gritted his teeth in anger. "Asura, you pathetic, insufferable, useless spawn!" he hissed. Clang! Nearby, an identical young man was cutting down a tree by the slash of his own palm. Such a sight brought some sanity back to the wrinkly old man''s face. "You leave me no choiceбн Line up, you two!" *Whizz* Indra appeared in salute, his entire body emanating discipline as he stood straight like an arrow. On the other hand, Asura slowly crawled through mud and muck, clawing to his position. Although it looked depressing, the child''s ability to get back up was admirable; however, Kali found it annoying. He''d much rather Asura fall dead right now, but it never happened. Outright killing him was also problematic as it could break Indra. "You''re training doubles tomorrow on," Kali said right before turning around and departing through the pouring woods, his seething body and the clacking of Konton to his waist ringing alongside him. "бн" The two brothers looked at one another with a grim expression. Asura had to bear the brunt of Kali''s anger for tens of years and had a strong spirit, but his confidence was at rock bottom. While he loved his brother, he also couldn''t help but envy his talents. Indra shook his head, seeing his baby brother staring at the floor while mud covered his dark skin. "Come on, stop looking so defeated. We''ll get through this together, like always!" "..." Indra saw no response, leaving him to sigh. Then, a lightbulb lit up in his mind: "Here, look at this! I found this weird fruit the other day," he said, waving around a grey fruit to entice his brother''s curiosity. Asura slowly looked up, narrowing at the swirly fruit. "I-It looks rotten." He also noticed a bite missing: "Did you taste it?" Indra sheepishly laughed, scratching his long, dark hair. "Hehe, well, I''ll just say that the taste was three thousand times worse than rotten!" бн [Polemos Island, Year of 1481] Two young men kneeled in front of an older one. Kali, who had gotten old through the constant activation of his Figures, had been reduced to skin and bones. Yet the devil''s eyes were still visible, peering at the two in front of him enthusiastically, although mainly aimed at one of them. "Ka-Ka-Ka! Almost doneбн The purpose of our people is almost fulfilled!" the old man laughed to himself. "Shiv, is it ready?" The question was directed to another nearby man covered in blood-red markings. Shiv gave a tired nod. "Go." The other man left to do Kali''s bidding. "As for the two of you," the Elder began, earning the attention of the two young men. "I''ve ingrained our people''s true ideals into your minds these past twenty years. I expect you know that nothing but enemies lie beyond our island." He gazed at the kneeling twins. Kali''s eyes turned a menacing dark red as he then spat, "Your final task awaits you in the Forest of Death. Don''t return till there''s only one of you left." "The one who survives will become the most destructive weapon of our people!" Kali''s declaration brought a cloud of apprehension to the young men. Both had been hellishly trained over the past years, sharpening their minds and bodies into weapons. But now, they were given an order to return until one remained. "бнAsura, let''s go," the older one spoke out, standing tall. The two looked at one another, identical in visage but distinctly different in terms of demeanour and expression. Indra stepped toward the forest plagued with wildlife and carnivorous plants, his eyes unshaken. Asura trailed behind with uncertain steps. бн Dealing with the natural predators within the forest was easy for the twin swordsmen. They cleaved them apart like butter, as they had done for years. "!!!" Indra suddenly paused in his steps, glaring to the side. His instincts built over the past decades were blaring like an alarm. He felt a presence from the far left, then another in the far right, one in front, a few behind. Soon enough, they were surrounded by dozens of enemies. "Je-Je-Je-Je! When those monsters said they would let us leave after killing two others, I was scaredбн Now I see that those two are just brats, great!" "Shalalalala! I can finally go back home after ten long years!" "Let''s kill ''em quick!" *Whizz* Like a rocket, one hunter shot ahead, slashing his scimitar like a wild beast, aiming at Asura. Clang! Habitually, the younger brother raised his sword and blocked the attack. *Grrrrrr!* The metals began grinding against the sword, slowly overpowering the lad. "Ew-Ew-Ew-Ew! You can barely even move that blade, boy!" Asura gnashed his teeth as his boots sunk into the muddy soil. Sweat ran down his face while he pushed back with every ounce of strength. With a bang, the enemy was thrown back, crashing onto a tree that dropped him to the floor.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. *Shing!* A blade was soon put at the hunter''s throat, bringing the fear of death into his eyes. He met the young face of Asura, begging, "H-Hey, kidбн I have a seventy-year-old mother and a two-year-old son back home. I just wanna go back!" The heartfelt plea echoed in Asura''s ears as he gulped in indecision. He knew deep down that the hunter was talking nonsense, but the thought of taking away life made him hesitate again and again. "Die!" The fallen hunter shot up, took out a dagger from his sleeve and dug it toward Asura''s throat. The young Warborn couldn''t react in time, forced to watch the dagger near his carotid. Clang! A sword suddenly appeared, blocking the dagger. Then came a slice of the air and a fountain of blood exploding onto the frozen Asura. "You can''t hesitate, Brother," a calm voice came from the side. "These insects will only behave in death." Asura, whose body was dripping with blood, began breathing erratically at the sight of the fallen corpse. He gazed at the composed Indra, who had already killed a dozen hunters. ''I-I''m uselessбн He''s always been so much better than meбн Maybe it''s best for me to die so he can get out?'' Indra ignored his baby brother''s lost gaze and wiped Asura''s face from the blood with a rag. "Here comes another wave. There''s too many of them for me alone." Asura picked up his brother''s plea and nodded, straightening his blade. Fifty enemies soon swarmed in from all sides, moving like rabid dogs. Clang! Indra easily blocked five swords with his own, parrying them back. With a burst of power, he pushed them back, forcing them to stagger but also line upбн *Swish!* With a single spin of the blade, five heads fell to the ground, blood spurting along Indra''s boots. . Asura forced himself to calm down and began blocking and dodging attacks. His first few cuts were shallow, eliciting angry growls. Though soon enoughбн A spurt of blood shot out from a man''s throat as he fell to the ground, glaring at his attacker. The cold embrace of death brought great anger and despair to his eyes as he clawed at his wound, hoping to slow the bleeding. Asura watched the man slowly die, his life draining away. Clang! Bam! Bang! бн "Haaaah, huuuuh, haaah!" Bated breathing echoed through the forest as the two brothers cut down their enemies. "Good work, Asura." Indra patted his brother''s shoulder, leaking a smile. Suddenly, his eyes sharpened, and he felt another threat. A black shadow rocketed from the shade of a tree, roaring toward Asura. Indra narrowed his eyes, stabbing at the coming enemy. Yet surprisingly enough, the man made no attempt to dodge, taking the attack to his chest and spreading his arms to bearbug the young man. "Zahehehehe! Y-You''ll die with me, kid!" "Look out!" Asura yelled, seeing an archer in the trees. *Zip* The arrow shot through the sky, zooming into the hunter''s back and nailing it at the center. The projectile continued its advent, cutting right through his back and tearing into Indra''s lungs. "Guhh!" Asura''s heartbeat spiked at the sight of his brother collapsing with the dead hunter. Unknown strength surged through his veins as he held his blade like a spear, flinging it across the forest at incredible speeds. The katana cut through the air with a shriek, stabbing the archer right in the heart, taking him off his feet and nailing him into a tree. . "I''ll help you, Indra!" Asura broke the arrow between the two, ripping aside the hunter to free his brother. He gently and quickly laid him to the ground, the arrowhead still stuck in his chest. "D-Don''t, Asuraбнthat arrow was laced in poisonбн" The younger brother felt a storm take away his soul as he felt his brother''s life slowly disappear. Suddenly, Indra''s hand shot out, and Asura was grabbed by the shirt and pulled out. "Asura! Y-You have to turn in my body to Kali!" The desperate plea woke the young man up, and began breathing heavily. "We can try and heal you fiиC" "It stuck in my heart; the poison is already running through my system," despair flashed in the older twin''s eyes, alongside some tears of incoming death. But he forced past the pain, "You heard Kali. No matter what, if the two of us return alive, then who knows what he will do! It must be you; you have to kill me and turn me in!" Indra''s words came out with great pain as he began coughing blood. Purple veins popped all over, and his dark skin was filling up with dark blotches. Even at death''s gate, the older brother was still looking after the younger brother of three minutes: "You can do it. You can fulfill our legacy and become the great weaponбн" A final breath and a final statement: "Y-You were always the best of usбн" With that said, Indra''s body fell lifeless, melting into his brother''s hands, still staring at his mirror image with hope. "..." For a while, Asura''s eyes were empty as he stared at his twin brother''s warm corpse. A deafening silence fell like a blanket across the forest. The Warborn remained glued to his brother''s body, his mind blurring and his body trembling. бн Beyond the trees was a group of five people. All five of them were covered in blood-red markings, showcasing a particular ferocity about them. The thin, older one in the center was Kali, impatiently waiting as night arrived. A frown was stretched across his face as he narrowed his eyes. *Fuuu* An ominous wind picked up, sending whistles through the holes in the leaves and trees. "Finally," Kali muttered, feeling a presence walk toward him. He hummed, seeing a familiar face make his way out of the darkness of the tall forest trees. But what he soon realized was that the survivor was hurling a body, leaving a bloody trail in his wake. "You made me wait, Indra." "бн" Kali suddenly froze up; it looked like he was hit with ice-cold water. He backed up with widened eyes and jaw-dropped gaze: "Y-You''re not Indraбн!" The young twin didn''t respond and gently placed his brother before Kali, offering him to mark his victory. "It is as you asked. Only one of us survived; Indra is dead." Kali, who was hit with confusion, soon turned furious. A scowl fell across his wrinkly face as he violently kicked at the corpse. "You were the one who was supposed to die!" The deep-seated frustrations in Kali for the past decades blew up with an explosion, sending the dead body of Indra soaring across with the kick. Bang! It was a loud noise as the lifeless Indra was slammed onto a nearby tree, planting to the grassy floor. "!!!" Asura saw his only real blood relative being thrown aside like trash and fell under a cloud of anger. The young man loudly crunched his teeth, sending ominous echoes through the silent woods. A boiling rage spread through his body as he glared at Kali, "Indra believed every word you said, candidly following you for twenty long, gruelling yearsбнhow dare you kick him aside!" The hate-filled tone earned a loud sneer from Kali: "He was just a useless piece of scum if he died just like that. I should have fed him to the Sea Beasts six years ago when he couldn''t swim anymore!" The old man''s hateful words sent fury coursing through Asura''s veins as he clenched his fists. *Krrr* The wind began to pick up, sending shivers down the other Warborns'' spines. Meanwhile, Asura''s breathing turned heavy as he felt a wave of rage pump through his body. *Hiss* The ominous sound forced Kali to take a deep breath as he saw the markings over the young man''s body growing red. All of a sudden, Polemos Island felt colder, darker and gloomier. Kali rudely gestured to his few followers, "What do you think you five are doing standing around? Go and hold him down! I''m gonna have him spend the next few weeks in a cell with the corpse of his brother. Let him bathe in fury while that failure rots into the ground!!!" "YeиC Augh!" One of the Warborns who took the initiative to strike had been shot back with the slash of a sword in the enraged young man''s hand. Asura was skilled with the blade, yet his meek and timid demeanour made him hesitate. However, in his current fury, the boy was a killing machine. *Whizz* *Fwooo!* *Vvoosh!* The remaining four began frantically looking around, yet all they felt was the passing wind that hissed across their surroundings. The thick darkness made it hard to see, and the dead of night sent shivers of fright down the men''s backs. *Swish* A jet of blood and another Warborn fell. "Ugh!" Another collapsed to the ground, his eyes shaken by the pouring blood from his missing arms. "Auug-!" The man''s final cry was stopped by the fresh blood that suddenly spurted out from his throat, forcing him to choke and drown in his own blood. The helpless eyes were lifelessly open as they stared into the forest''s darkness, slowly turning vacant. бн Kali watched from the back, his crimson eyes narrowing at the harrowing display. "E-Elder, help me!" The last remaining Warborn under the old man''s command came crying, his eyes filled with dread. "Tch, here I thought activating your Figures by killing your father and brother would make you more useful," Kali sighed. "Useless fool!" The man who had come running suddenly froze, "F-Fatherбн B-Brotherбн you did itбн!?" Kali looked at him with disdain and shot out his right hand. Though the man was old and lanky, he hid great power in his emaciated body. Air hissing around his blood-red markings as Kali''s vice-like grip cupped the shocked man''s throat. "At least your corpse can be useful in rejuvenating our burnt forests." The indifferent man stared down the suffocating fellow Zenora as he casually threw him aside. While spitting at his people''s uselessness, a slight breeze passed across Kali, his hair flying up and back from the sudden wind. "Hmm? So you''ve come for me?" The old man found the young Warborn''s silhouette standing five meters before him. He tried to speak further, but the words didn''t come outбкonly the opponent''s voice echoed in his ears. . "One Sword Style: Beautiful Death." . Kali saw a bright flash before he suddenly fell to the ground, utterly incoherent from what had happened. ''His speed is beyond anything I''ve seen!'' His dazed eyes looked around while his brain fired at great speeds, finally finding a source of pain. "Ugh!" Kali''s grunts boomed through the dark forest as he felt warm blood drain out from his lower half that was no longer connected to him! The halved Elder could only remain on the ground, staring at the dark clouds above. "..." All of a sudden, the tense feeling that had welled inside of him for decades disappeared. A monstrous smile appeared on his face as blood escaped from his lips and nose. "Ka-Ka-Ka! I carried a grudge for the hell that fell over our peaceful island over three decades agoбн Such darkness clouding over our people, what a terrible fateбн" The dying man''s dull voice is all that remained on the dark island, heard by the sole figure that remained standing. "The ones who doomed us here wanted a weaponбн So I had to do it; prepare a weapon that I would carve to destroy them!!!" The voice was filled with venom, encapsulating the decades of hatred and anger that had left Kali the monster he had become. A manic smirk stretched across his sunken cheeks, "The weaponбн is finally born!" His blood-red eyes looked to the left and saw the silent Asura standing perfectly still. "You will do what your brother could notбнbut you lack a master who can wield you. Until then, you remain weak!" "Hehe, I''ll see you in hell, boy!" Kali''s obsessive gaze was followed by his psychotic grin, perpetually glued to the young Asura. "..." silence ensued. The reddened Asura lifelessly stared at the grinning corpse and then at the bodies littered nearby. He saw the remainder of Polemos, a shell of its former self. The deafening silence was truly scary. The contrast of nothing and everything left the young man frozen. But one sight brought Asura out of his reverie. Oddly enough, Indra''s corpse was unnaturally warm, as if he was only asleep. Asura took a few unsteady steps, his boots sinking into the ruddy soil. He knelt before his brother''s body, his hands trembling. The overwhelming silence of the night, punctuated only by the rustling of leaves and distant howls, was suffocating. His mind swirled with the weight of what had just transpiredбкthe betrayal, the bloodshed, and his brother''s final words. "All your life, you''ve protected me from Kali''s wrathбн" he murmured, his voice cracking. He reached out, gently tracing his fingers over Indra''s bloodied face. His touch was careful, reverent, as though afraid to disturb the peace his brother had finally found. "Your dream was to fulfill our people''s purpose and bring them justice," he continued, his voice firmer now. "You always believed in a future I was too afraid to see." Slowly, Asura slid his fingers over Indra''s eyes, carefully closing them. The action felt final, a symbolic passing of the torch between brothers. "Zenora Indra, brother, I will carry your will with meбн" Asura''s voice dropped to a whisper, his resolve hardening. "Both in heart and in name." The air around him seemed to shift as Asura stood, placing Konton, the blade passed down through generations and stolen by Kali, in his brother''s hand. His red markings hissed faintly, the rage still simmering beneath his skin. But now, there was something elseбкa quiet determination that cut through the chaos within him. With the weight of his brother''s legacy on his shoulders and his own identity shattered, Asura, now known as Indra, began to walk away from the forest. The glow of the blood moon followed him, casting long shadows as the island of Polemos, the birthplace of so much pain and despair, faded into the distance. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 172: Union of Disasters [Present Time] "''Heart and name''... so the meek and timid Asura isбн" "Me," Indra finished Damien''s sentence. The latter hummed, watching a complicated look flash by lightning pirate''s eyes. "My brother Indra was everything Kali ever hoped for. The final embers of the Zenora; a blessing amidst a cursed few decades." A brief silence passed as the two young men sat still while a cool breeze zoomed on, ringing a gentle hum through the forested land. Indra took a deep breath, glancing at the bright moon in the background. "Polemos was already in flames, left in shambles from decades of battle and war by the hands of the World Government." He continued, "That day, I cast away my old self, throwing aside my chains and weaknesses to become Zenora Indra." Damien leaned back, nodding at the newfound information. "That was in 1481, five years ago now," the undying pirate said. Indra nodded, "I spent the first two years drifting across the New World, slowly sharpening my skills. But even then, I was still stuck in a vortex of loss, unable to find anything to anchor down to." A self-deprecating smile thinly stretched across Indra''s face as he went on to say, "Kali was right. He spent twenty years ingraining our minds to become a weapon for himself. He made sure that no matter what, we would always be incomplete without someone to wield us." "My mind was subconsciously curious toward impressive pirates," he revealed. "During that period of numbness, I heard whispers of a monstrous pirate crew emerging from the shadows of the Three Overlords. A crew that broke every taboo known to the seas, the Rocks Pirates!" "It was right after the fall of Esso Borealis that they had begun recruiting more pirates into their Divisions." Damien chuckled at the memory. It felt so long ago when he was as weak as fodder. "Hehe, Shakky-nee threw me hundreds of pirates to pick and choose someone worthwhileбн the time when our paths crossed." Indra''s eyes met Damien''s, glowing with a solemn glint. "I have fought many battles in the Fourth Division''s name. But against Xerxes, it happened. I fell into my Figuresбкsomething I had resolved myself against doingбн" Damien remained silent, letting the usually quiet Indra continue. "All our people fell into madness by those exact Figures. Starting from Mors to Kali, both lost in their rage, spelling doom for our people." "Although I was trained to master them, I lost that confidence after the real Indra''s death. Even now, I can feel their influence gnawing at my mind." The voice was riddled with deep anger and self-loathing, something truly rare for the reticent Indra to do. . "You wanted to disprove that old hoot''s claim," Damien''s relaxed voice echoed in his ears, drawing him to silence. "Kali wasn''t wrong; the greatest strength of your people lies in that incomplete geneбн" Indra''s eyes fell onto Damien once more, wavering ever so slightly. "That''s it, isn''t it? You don''t hate Kali. Instead, you hate that he was right all along." The words were blunt and to the point. "Kali saw Asura to be a weak excuse of a Warborn, living in his brother''s shadow." Damien shot up from his seat, standing across the lightning human. Both pirates towered over most others, creating long shadows from the creeping night. "You became Indra and slowly began fitting into the picture Kali painted. Now that you have activated your Figures after five years, you can''t get that out of your own head." Damien smiled slightly as he saw Indra shut his eyes and lower his head in thought. "..." The silence was loud. Damien cupped his chin, knowing exactly how to proceed: "Activate them." He met Indra''s confused eyes and remained unshaken: "Do it. Let the hate flow through you." The words forced the long-haired pirate to take a deep breath. After seeing that Damien was genuinely serious, he followed through after a brief moment of hesitation. Indra closed his eyes, concentrating on his breathing. *Hiss* It was a whistle-like sound leaking from the man''s body. Slowly but surely, the moisture in the ambient air began to evaporate, creating a smoke-like effect. Indra''s heart was pumping rapidly, sending vast currents of fresh blood through his arteries. With that came the ruddy glow across his markingsбкthe ominous red glowing brighter and bloodier by the passing second. *Huuu* Indra released a deep, foggy breath, slowly losing his calm composure. He gritted his teeth, opening his blood-red eyes to glance at Damien. "Let''s see how tough a Warborn really isбн" The Sin Incarnate then struck without giving Indra even a second to think. *Krrrr* Black lightning began to spark through the pirate''s arms, crackling wildly with deep anger. BAM! The attack came at a speed faster than sound, easily shattering the sound barrier with a resounding boom. Indra, who was at arm''s length, was just as fast. Bang! A roar of thunder, and the hissing pirate disappeared into loose electrical sparks, dissolving in mid-air. "Pretty fast," Damien commented. He felt a presence appear not too far away and shot ahead once more. "Don''t worry, I used my powers to destroy the air particles surrounding where the others are sleeping; they won''t hear a thing!" The voice was lax, yet it came with a crushing punch wrapped in thick Haki. Indra, who had retreated previously, chose against retreating. *Crackle* The once blue lightning turned red, the colour of blood! It echoed through the skies. Some loose arks of electricity even rang through the clouds, bringing a bloody hue and emulating God''s wrath. The thunderous fists met like two unstoppable forces blazing ahead. BOOM! A colour burst of black and red crashed throughout the island, creating quite the spectacle left unseen by others. Indra frowned as he felt his crackling arm beginning to waver, ever so slowly being pressed by the weight of a mountain. *Crack* It was instantaneous; the ulna bone shot right out of its position, tearing through the elbow skin and protruding outwards. The blood splashed out, unveiling the white of the bone. Damien''s strength threw him back through the air, leaving a crackling trail of blood-red lightning. "Hmm?" The Sin Incarnate narrowed his eyes as he saw Indra casually press his protruding bone back into the arm with his left palm, putting it back into place. "So that''s what it looks like when I do it," he muttered, watching Indra heal the injury within moments. "Lunarians had incredible resilience and recovery. It translates through your incomplete gene even better than I expected." . The booming roars of thunder voiced out, sending shivers through the island. The red lightning''s zapping and cracking continuously increased. Shing! The Sacred Blade Tenmei was unsheathed; soon enough, it, too, was bathed in white currents of electricity. Indra lifted the blade, pointing it to the skies above. The combination of blood-red and holy white was quite the stark contrast. His thoughts mandated the clouds to churn and warp as Indra desired. The loose electricity began moving as he wished, slowly materializing into a giant divine hand spanning hundreds of meters, pointing out a sole finger. .This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. "Rumbling Sword Style: Hand of God!" . The white-red hand fell from the heavens alongside the majesty of Tenmei, both crashing onto the infamous Sin Incarnate. Damien smirked, feeling the budding threat moving at the speed of lightning, striking in a fraction of a second and leaving destruction in its wake. бн A red light flashed past Damien''s eyes as Indra unsheathed his weapon, readying the divine attack. In response, Damien tried something new. *Krrrr* *Sz* The air began to revolt under the pirate''s Haki. It went from a pristine black to a sizzling red. The frenzy-like Haki began steaming and fizzing through the air, sizzling with tiny red particles dissolving from the coat. Alongside the Armament were thick currents of black lightning that thundered out and into the open airбкEmpyrean Haki! *Whizz* Damiens shot to the sky, meeting the incoming godly strike with something that could only be considered legacy. . "Warstrike!" . BOOOM! A resounding and deafening explosion was followed by a bright flash of light that lit up the dark skies with a morning glow. The shockwaves quaked through the air and rang across the nearby tectonic shifts, creating dull tremors that birthed powerful tides. The howling winds were strong enough to rip the trees from their roots and take them to the skies. Alongside the blinding flash, a spectacle of red, black, and white lightning coursed through the shrieking air. . Indra, who brought down a thunderous attack, was on the defending end. The opposing Haki from Damien was far more devastating than he thought. The rippling pain through his arm forced a frown across the swordsman''s face as he gritted his teeth. ''Is this the Infusion of Haki? Not just that, his Haki has turned far more paralyzing than beforeбн almost to the point of buried rageбн'' Damien, who was essentially being bathed by what some would consider the wrath of the gods, was awfully unfazed. The volatile and violent lightning that crackled with millions of amperes of current was barely able to penetrate the shredding Haki and was dispelled without difficulty. BAM! The punch forced itself forward, shattering the giant hand into dust and then some. The sizzling Haki-clad fist slammed onto Indra''s chest, ringing it with incredible power. Infusion and Empyrean Haki, both running in synergy to echo through the Warborn''s chest. At the speed of lightning, he was sent hurtling through the air and crash-landing into the uninhabited North End of Mortem, ringing the entire landmass with tremors. . The darkness reappeared fast, hiding away the blinding light that had lit up the clouds moments ago. Damien, effortlessly floating in the sky in his Logia-like form, looked to the side, noticing a certain presence. "The tsunamis will ripple through and crash hard on nearby islands," came a woman''s voice. In return, the male pirate scratched his cheek, "Maybe I went a tad bit overboardбн" He looked toward another person who had arrived: "Kuzan, since you''re awake, go freeze them the waves." "Ehh? Can''t you just bop them?" Damien hummed, looking in the boy''s direction with crossed arms. "I could, but making kids do all the work is more fun." *Zap* The air whistled with the sound of pixelation as the stream of crimson particles reformed behind the inconspicuous Kuzan. "Here, I''ll give you a headstart." With that said, Damien picked up the ice boy by the neck and flung him through the skies, shooting him at incredible speeds. The howling winds masked any complaints from Kuzan as he disappeared into the darkness of the night. Damien dusted his hands with a clapping gesture, almost as if having done some excellent task. . Aurora walked up to Damien''s side, her attention fixed on the distant crater at the northern mountain range. Darkness was her ally, and Indra''s state was easy to read. "It''s no wonder the Government is so envious of Lunarians. Even what they considered a ''failed experiment'' is able to stay conscious after your attack." Damien slowly nodded, his eyes locking onto the motion a few kilometers away. With the roar of thunder, Indra was before them, revealing a somewhat miserable stateбкhis chest was purple with a noticeable depression in the shape of a fist. Clearly, a rib or two had broken inwards, piercing the left lung and slicing the heart. The Warborn, his body still hissing, absently placed his right hand over the injury, feeling his internal system working overtime. He even added in lightning to speed up the process! *Crack* Click* It was like hitting the undo buttonбкthe broken ribs snapped back into place while the electricity encouraged the flesh around to heal faster. The fractured bones were fixed within a minute, and the bleeding stopped. ''It pairs well with my lightning,'' Indra thought. He still remembered using his Figures to heal from Kali''s abuse for years on end. Yet it was significantly faster now! The only thing remaining was the spanning purple bruise and a nasty ache. ''His body is only a level or two from Kaido''s in toughness,'' Damien examined. ''The recovery alone is only a stage below mine.'' >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Zenora Indra] [Age: 25 years, 2 months, 13 days] [Status: Thriving] [Height: 11'' ] (3.35 m) [Devil Fruit: Rumble-Rumble Fruit (Nigh-Advanced Mastery) б№] [Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars] [Weapon: Tenmei of the Supreme Grade Series] [Skills: Figures of War, Absolute talent in swordsmanship, One Sword Style, Rumbling Sword Style, Moonwalk, Shave, Heightened Observation (Rumble-Rumble Fruit)] [Haki: Observation Haki (Nigh-Advanced Mastery), Armament Haki (Nigh-Advanced Mastery) б№, Conqueror''s Haki (Intermediate Mastery) б№] [Strength: Pseudo Yonko б№] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< ''His strength is even to the likes of the original Yonko''s top dogs. And that''s without his Figures activated,'' Damien thought to himself. ''But his Haki remains subpar.'' It was a very quick and dirty evaluation but satisfied the Captain. It only meant that Indra would take a few years to bloom into a monster. . "Well, how was it?" Damien questioned the swordsman. "Purposefully activating your Figures after all these years?" Indra looked down at his arms, veins throbbing a fiery red. "It''s a rush of strength as before, but far more intense than I remember." Damien narrowed his eyes, watching Indra pause in thought. "...I always felt as if it was incomplete." "Much like the Lunarians genes you were born with?" Indra''s gaze snapped up to meet Damien''s, where a knowing, almost playful smile lingered. The pirate strode forward with a light grin. "Nature is relentless, Indra. It doesn''t settle for imperfectionбкit adapts, evolves, and overcomes. You were created with an incomplete blueprint, a piece missing from the puzzle. Yet here you stand, alive and unyielding. That means your body has been fighting every moment since you were born to fix that error." Damien now stood at arm''s length, his voice softening into an almost reverent tone. "Life always finds a way." As if on cue, faint sparks of lightning coiled around Indra''s arm, unnoticed by the swordsman himself. His brows furrowed in confusion. ''I didn''t release that electricity purposefully,'' he thought. "The Lunarians regulated their system by switching between the fire ignited over their body," Damien continued, his voice steady and sharp. "Swapping between nigh-invulnerability and incredible speed. You lack that outlet. That fight within you turns inwardбкinto rage, into chaos." Damien gestured at Indra''s arm. "You ate the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. You not only create lightning, you are lightning. And now, your bodyбкforced to endure this incomplete stateбкseeks to release that rage in other forms." Indra''s dark pupils widened as realization set in. "You mean, I can emulate the Lunarians, not through fire, but through lightning?" "You can, or you will eventually," Damien said, crossing his arms. "Nature evolves past its hurdles, but it takes time. More time than I''m patient enough to wait for. So, why don''t I just rid you of that biological delay?" Without further preamble, Damien raised his arm, its surface shifting to a grey hue with luminous white cracks. . "Genesis Deprivation." . Indra felt weightless as his instincts went haywire. His sturdy frame trembled, his very insides bubbling as if liquefying. "!!!" The sensation wasn''t pain but a deep, unsettling awkwardness. Something intangible was leaving himбкa flaw embedded within his very being. Damien hummed a low tune, collecting the dull stream of energy into his palm, inspecting it as if it were a rare gem. "As perfect as Mother Nature is, she tends to take her time." He dissipated the energy into the night air, his gaze now locked onto Indra. "Don''t fight it. I removed the obstacle to your evolution. Let it do its thing." Indra remained still, his entire body teetering on the edge of an unknown precipice. Then it struck. Decades of pent-up rage and chaos erupted, a storm detonating from within him. A primal scream tore from Indra''s throat, reverberating through the ground and sky alike. *Krrr!* *Rumble!* The earth roared in answer. Massive shards of jagged metal tore free from the ground, their sharp edges gleaming like jagged teeth in the sparse moonlight. They converged toward Indra in a frenzied, magnetic dance. Sparks of static flickered through the air, carrying the promise of an unfathomable power. Damien glanced toward Aurora, whose usually calm demeanour cracked in stunned silence. A massive metal claw had erupted mere inches beneath her, displacing even her ethereal Logia form. Her voice was a whisper of astonishment. "He pulled it from deep within the earthбн" Above, Indra''s form began to shift, his body dissolving into pure lightning, coursing like a storm around the jagged metallic display. "Magnetic control?" Aurora murmured, her words trembling with the weight of their significance. [Spectacle Image (in Discord)] Damien''s brows knitted in speculation. "A man of lightning, now capable of controlling metal?" As the energy settled, Indra reformed, his towering eleven-foot frame crackling with red lightning. His Figures glowed a deep crimson, his eyes burning with unshakable clarity. With a single wave of his arm, another pillar of raw metal surged upward from the earth. Another wave refined the shape. *Rumble!* After half a dozen attempts, a perfectly rounded metal pillar stood erect, three meters tall. A mere push of his hand sent it retreating into the ground, followed by the rest of the shards. The battlefield cleared as if nothing had happened. . Indra''s voice was laced with awe. "This isбн evolution." His hands flexed as the power coursed through him, the answer echoing in his mind. "My lightning control has grown sharp enough to attract and repel anything magnetic. The rage from my Figures is also gone, releasing passively with this new power. And my mindбн it''s clearer than ever before." Damien''s smirk widened at the sight of Indra standing tallerбкphysically and spiritually. The light in the swordsman''s eyes spoke of a man reborn, unshackled from his past. "You are no longer a failed Lunarian," Damien said, his voice deliberate. Indra''s gaze sharpened as his past surged through his thoughtsбкyears under Kali, the death of his brother, and the transformation from Asura to Indra. All the pain and chaos had crystallized into something unshakable. "I''m the first perfect Warborn, the weapon they engineered us to become," Indra declared, his tone resolute. Damien''s eyes gleamed with approval as he extended the invite to the man who had been his right-hand man for the past few years, ready to make it official. "So, become the most destructive weapon in my hands, Zenora Indra." The weight of those words hung in the night air, filling Indra with a sense of purpose he hadn''t felt in years. With a measured step, Indra unsheathed the Sacred Blade Tenmei. He held it with reverence, one hand on the grip, the other supporting the bladeбкa swordsman''s vow of loyalty. "..." No words passed between them. The night''s cold breeze bore silent witness to this union of disastersбкa camaraderie that would shake the seas to their core. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 173: Bound and Unbound [Domain of the Gods, Mariejois] A reasonably tall, dark-haired young marine stood rather stoically. His young face sharply contrasted with his mature expression, though his heart was shaken at this moment. Standing at the very center of the world, the most heavily guarded place, swarming with defences and a sea of knights. The Domain of the Gods! The young marine stood tall before the Celestial Dragon Gate, which was embedded with priceless jewels. His stance resembled that of a loyal dogбкsomething he truly hated. One voice in the young marine''s mind told him to remain standing as he had for the past five hours, while the other told him to abandon everything and fall back. The Holy Land''s air was fresh beyond belief, and its flora and fauna were world-class. Everything yelled luxury and paradise, but the darkness behind the curtain of divinity was ever-damning. Five hours of waiting had left this thought in the young man''s mind, slowly washing away his sense of respect and loyalty to the World Governmentбн A picture was created in his mind through his Haki, one of the atmospheres many meters below the surface. A large open area held up by thick pillars. A vast array of slaves, hundreds of them. With sweat, blood and tears covering their faces, they were forced to heave a giant contraption to create an auto-walk that the Celestial Dragons could choose to use to move about their holy land. A moment of rest meant a sharp pain in one''s back as the guards mercilessly whipped them. Food breaks were awarded for ten minutes in the form of literal slop and dirty water. The bathroom was just a hole in the ground at the corner of the cave, with no privacy whatsoever. The men pushed the flat escalator while the few women were there to entertain the guards when they so desired. бн The desperate wails, the resounding screams and the deafening cries of woe all came together to pound the young marine''s mind. They were so loud that they began to break apart the mental defences of the young marine, gnawing away at his sanity and leaving him lost. ''We don''t deserve this!'' ''Someone, please... If you can''t save me, just put me out of my misery!'' ''I haven''t seen my kids since they were born. Will I ever get the chance!?'' The white marine coat that danced in the cool wind was printed with ''JUSTICE'' in bold ink. Yet he now stood lost while hearing the miserable cries of the weak endlessly oppressed by the very Justice he swore to uphold. Then suddenly, the screaming and despair were washed away from the creaking of the titanic gates before him. The thick doors opened outwards, shining a ray of light to reveal the majestic Pangaea Castle in the distance, blinding the soldier. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* Dozens of men in black walked out, their eyes scanning every meter within their eyesight for possible threats. They cleared the area and took their position to line up the sides of the path, allowing a giant man to crawl out on his hands and knees. Numb to the world around him, the slave continued his crawl with the explosive around his neck, keeping him in check. After all, a God was riding his back! The Noble held a chain that clanged on the ground occasionally, slowly pulling a string of three young girls, each moving rather robotically. . "Apologies for the short delay," the lead agent concisely informed. "Saint Roswald-sama wished to sleep a little longer." Naturally, he noticed the broken expression of the young marine and was obliged to warn him in a sharp tone, "You may be one of the Star Rookies of the Navy, but in front of a Saint, you are nothing more than a guard dog." Roswald, who had begun to put on his helmet before leaving the safety of Mariejois, was even more blunt: "Hmph, I only tolerate you because you are the son of the Marine Hero! He did well protecting us from that evil scum, Rocks; consider it an honour to escort me!" Naturally, Garp had gone to some lengths to prepare his son: ''Remember, boy. Those freaks up top are as bad and sometimes worse than the pirates out there. But even I can''t change that without throwing millions to die in the process of some revolution. Just know this: the Navy is the only thing standing in the way of anarchy. The question is: can you live with that?'' Dragon slowly nodded at the sacred presence before him. Deep down, he knew this was a test from the Five Elders onto Garp, yet it would yield a result the Government would one day regret. ---------------------------------------------- [A Week Later] [An Island in the West Blue] The West Blue was a sea known for its Five Mafia Families, who held an iron-like grip over the proceedings of their waterways. However, this order was disrupted by a certain young man nearly seven years ago when he killed Gambino Delago and slaughtered his Gambino Family. The unrest caused all those years ago still plagued the West Blue, the four remaining families clashing head-on often. Yet nowadays, this sea was known for a far grander occasionбкwhere the fateful God Valley Incident took place! бн A cheerful man casually lay with his head supported by his interlocked hands. He leaned back into his hammock, breathing in the warm air, hearing the birds squawking about. The afternoon sun was genuinely spectacular, pounding the man''s pores with its juicy Vitamin D. The feeling of being reinvigorated by the graceful sun''s rays was addictive. "Oh, it looks like I missed a lot of big news during my little vacation. Wahahaha!" A few bundles of newspaper lay on the floor, stacked in a pile. The man parsed through a few of them, looking for the most booming headlines.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. "Hmmбн" Many different big bundles of news that could shake the world. The Navy Headquarters'' Demilitarization. The Advent of Justice. The Great Escape from Hell. The Levelled Enies Lobby. The Ten Omens of Disorder. He read through the headline, and it brought out a wide grin fit for a pirate. "Wahahahaha! That guy really made it out of that hellhole!" No one would have thought that a boisterous man enjoying his vacation would be a fearsome pirate worth over 4 billion berries! The striking stubble, confident eyes and thrown-aside saber that could cut islands in halfбкthe man was Gol D. Roger! However, his attention on the papers was stolen by something more mundane. "Oye, Oye, kid! Don''t play with that!" Roger, an infamous pirate, was completely brought to his knees as he saw a young toddler, barely a year old, playing with an everyday straw hat. The older man gulped, seeing his prized hat being tussled and thrown around by the child''s iron-like grip. Watching the red-haired child gleefully laugh at the occasion left the pirate apprehensive. "Heh, let''s see how my special attack goesбн" Roger rummaged through his pocket and grinned, bringing out a giant lobster! He knew the young devil had a strong inkling of lobster, so he always had some in stock. The pirate tossed the fresh lobster to the side, drawing the eyes of the child like a magnet. "Ooh, aha!" he laughed. *Fwooo* The straw hat was thrown away while the toddler rushed toward the seafood, the pirate, to the hat. "That was a close oneбн" Roger sighed in relief, squeezing the grip over his prized headwear. He glared at the giddy child, remembering a conversation: "You''ll be lazy if I don''t have you do something. Hmm, I''ll let you take care of the lad." "This little devil, Shanks, why did Rayleigh make me take care of him?" the pirate annoyingly smacked his lips. Looking away from the toddler, Roger''s gaze lingered on the swaying tides, the usual gleam of mischief in his eyes dimming for a moment. The headlines he''d read replayed in his mind, each one a harbinger of the chaos stirring beneath the surface. "The seas won''t stay this calm for long," he muttered to himself. His fingers brushed against the brim of his hat, a symbol of the freedom he''d carved out for himself. "But freedom always comes at a cost, doesn''t it?" His grin returned, sharper this time, as he turned to the child gleefully chasing the lobster. "Let''s see if this new era can handle it." ---------------------------------------------- While peace found itself into even the Mafia-ridden West Blue, there was currently a rather loud Marine Battleship entering it. The glamorous Marine banner and flag kept away anyone with ill intent, both Marines and pirates alike. What seemed to be a routine patrol was instead used as a transport by a collection of infamous pirates who, together, could send the Navy Headquarters into a frenzy! Upon the upper decks stood two: a young child and a young man, a tutor and a student. Their main similarities lay in their choice of weapons: swords. *Shing!* *Whizz* *Zhaaaa* Swift and clean strikes done in practice to perfect the sole usage of a sword: to kill. "You''ve already learned to damage steel at a young age. It is remarkable," the older one stated. With dark skin, black markings and a razor-sharp sword at his side, naturally, it was the Indra. He calmly watched as the six-year-old lad went through a sequence of slashes and swings, using metal railings and posts to sharpen his attacks. *Swish* *Zing* ''His talent with the sword is beyond anything I''ve ever seen,'' Indra thought to himself. ''The discipline in his training is not that of a child.'' The appreciative glance of the renowned pirate was warranted as he watched the young boy, Dracule Mihawk, display skill and efficiency that could not be found elsewhere. бн Directly below the upper deck was a large cabin. One that was used as a mess hall to feed the thousands of marines that could both live and serve off this vessel. Yet under the dull light of a few closed windows sat a sole woman, glancing at a snail before her. "How was their response?" the woman questioned. Her voice carried authority as if speaking to a subordinate. The snail had morphed into the face of a bald man who nowadays was called ''The Voice of the Dead'' aka Nekrиоs, one of the two Hounds of Fulcrum. The man was quick to respond: "Better than expected, Boss! Looks like they realized the true worth of having an Underworld Emperor at their side!" Aurora pondered for a while, giving time for Nekrиоs to elaborate further. "The Styx Passage remains supreme. Though there were rumours of the World Government summoning big-name scientists to find a way of mastering the Sea Kings, even sending an invite to Buckingham Stussy." The bald snail snorted while providing crucial information: "We lost contact with half a dozen Sea Kings last night, only to return to their destination a day late." Aurora narrowed her eyes, sending a chill down Nekrиоs'' back: "Let me guess, there was no sign of the World Government''s tinkering." Nekrиоs, noticing his boss'' sharp tone, answered immediately, "That''s right! But although the Sea Kings were unharmed, they were quite agitated, even destroying a port." . Aurora leaned back, staring at the dark ceiling in thought. ''The fall of the Rocks Pirates and disappearance of Roger has left the Underworld as the remaining obstacles to the peace and order the Government seeks,'' she thought. ''It won''t be long till their snooping turns violent. Especially with the new Chief of Cipher Pol taking up office.'' The girl''s amethyst eyes glistened with a sharp light as she weighed her choices. ''I can''t go to Damien for every little problemбн'' "Nekrиоs, alert the other Emperors about the Government''s actions; the Styx Passage represents not just my interest but theirs as well." The young woman peered past the darkness of the room, locking with the transponder snail. "Remain wary; if the World Government keeps acting up, then war might come to our shores." A dull face and battle-hardened face came to mind, one of the new CP-Chief. "Kade is a lot more inquisitive than Xerxes ever was." "Consider it done, Boss!" "Katcha~!" бн A grand kitchen was revealed as the camera panned to the other side of the deeper layer. Healthy tunes and humming resounded in the area made to serve thousands of soldiers, now run by a sole woman: Toki. The good doctor had dived into Marine Specialties found in various cookbooks. That, along with state-of-the-art kitchen technology, had taken up quite a lot of her time. бн Beyond the thick walls of the inner cabin area was the primary collection of people. Near the edge was a snoring Solomon and Kuzan. After all, going from the Grand Line to the West Blue came with a somewhat overpowering jet lag. Working atop one lookout station was Quentin Kraft, the newly reborn shipwright drilling through a few textbooks and diagrams of the shipbuilding technology he had missed in the past twenty or so years of his imprisonment. бн Closer to the main mast were two men of striking similarities, father and son. "Ruhahahaha! You''re using their battleship to take the express passage," Ares laughed. Yet his eyes gleamed with a rather cunning light as he asked, "So, why bring a dying old man like me to this small sea?" Ares'' laughter echoed across the deck, but Damien caught the faintest tremor in his father''s voice. "You think I haven''t noticed?" Damien asked, his tone quieter now, yet no less piercing. Ares fell silent, the weight of his son''s words settling heavily between them. He glanced at Damien''s eyes, so like his own, and saw not accusation but understanding. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [Einar D. Ares] [Birth: 66 years ago] [Fate: A legendary pirate, feared by most, forgotten by all.] [Death: Within a day.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< "Ruhahahaha! So I guess this is my goodbye present?" Damien lightly sighed as a complicated expression appeared on his face. Instead of answering, the young pirate suddenly stood up, feeling a distant landmass. Ares did the same, though with a more surreal look. The aged man felt his breathing skyrocket as his eyes fell upon the mass of green on the horizonбкa rather nostalgic sight, not just for Ares but even for Damien. "I''ve spent over half a decade keeping away from this place to keep the chances of it being connected back to me low." A surge of nostalgia struck the younger pirate''s eyes, forcing his heartbeat to spike. "I''m finally back homeбн Renaissance!" To Be Continuedбн Chapter 174: Roots of Redemption It was late evening when the band of pirates arrived at the uncharted island. *Crunch* His thick boots dug deep into the rich soil, sending out a pulse of energy that rippled through the island, bringing evident joy to the wildlife and greenery. A lone Damien paused in his steps, standing tall and enjoying the warm air, hearing the singing trees and the dancing flowers. Such familiar grass. Such familiar breezes. Such familiar sights. After nearly seven years, Damien had come back home. A soft sigh escaped the notorious pirate''s lips, a reaction shared by Ares to his side, father and son, both heartstruck. The nostalgia from long ago came back in surges. *Fwoooo* A gentle breeze passed the two, almost as if they were welcomed back home. "All those years in a cold and decrepit cellбн I never thought I could enjoy this simple yet homely island ever again," Ares muttered, even forgetting his impending doom. Damien absently smiled, feeling the same. A mix of the mundane years of his childhood in a peaceful village and then the years he spent all alone on this very island. As if sensing the young pirate''s ambivalence, a soft hand grasped his own. "Damien-san," Toki''s cheerful voice beckoned his attention. She smiled at him: "The air here is even purer than that of Wano." Damien nodded, sensing the thriving nature. Though at face value, it was overgrown and uncontrollably so, at the same time, the blooming nature brought on its own disastrous beauty. The blessing of the Dryad Fruit and Damien''s own affinity had left Renaissance truly reborn out of its ashes from years ago, true to its name. Trees that had been reduced to black logs had grown to colossal sizes, giving home to a vast array of species to call their home. . "Woah, the vibe here is even more nurturing than from Mortem Island," Kuzan commented, pulling up his eye mask and shaking out of sleep. He ran a hand through a few blades of tall grass, pulling at that: "Jeez. This stuff is tough!" Mihawk went further, unsheathing his katana and stabbing at a tree. *Clang!* It was as if he had struck a solid column of dense metal; the shock reflected in his hawk-like eyes as it ran down his arm. "It''s tougher than steelбн" Solomon, who had grown up under the forsaken forests of Extinction Valley, was just as surprised. He leaned in to sniff another sturdy tree: "There''s no end to the weapons you can make with wood like this. Hell, even the grass is as sturdy as steel wire!" "I''ll say," Kraft said, tracing his hand across the bark of a tree. The shipwright''s mind ran through dozens of ideas inspecting the forest: "The wood here is close to rivalling Adam''s Oak!" Eventually, the party made their way through the verdant island. Where the average person would see an endless maze of towering trees, Damien saw nothing but a self-opening path, leading him to the island''s real treasure. бн [Ten Minutes Later] And there it was, the wide span of trees forming a mangrove. The spanning leaves allow the ideal amount of rainwater and sunlight to pass through, keeping this treasured area in its most perfect state. The smell of roses and lavender with rainbows was born from the dripping water under the approaching moonlight. "Damienбн t-this treeбн!" It was the first time the young pirate had heard his father stutter in such a stupor, frozen at the sight of the mangrove. A mass of trees, vines, flowers, grass, bushes, and shrubs collectively formed the face of a sleeping woman. The arriving moonlight gave the portrait a sacred halo, making it shine. [Image (in Discord)] "So mystical," Toki muttered, lost in a trance at the arboreal sight. "I bet sleeping in this grove would be heaven on earth," murmured the ice-boy. "The Dryad Fruit that you told us about," Aurora''s voice came to Damien''s ear. "Is this from it?" Damien hummed, his eyes still locked on the figure of the sleeping woman. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* Ares, who had woken up from his fazed state, slowly walked ahead, his shoes gently stepping through the grassy floor. A scarred hand was placed at the center of the enchanted grove portrait. After a brief pause, the man with the weathered and war-struck face brightly smiled and softly uttered, "Sorry I''m late." "..." The tranquil grove seemed to hum with a soft breeze as if embracing the newfound connection. A few spring leaves fell from the arboreal portrait, fluttering their way down to the ground. One tearful streak ran down the aged man''s face, his single eye wide open and not blinking as if it would disappear if he did. "!!!" Yet it didn''t last long as a bone-rattling pain suddenly spazzed through Ares'' body, rippling through his limbs, torso and even skull.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. *Thud!* The man fell to his knees, but with a final burst of strength, he shifted his fall so he could slowly lower himself by slanting against the tree. With a grunt, he sat down, sucking in a breath that made his lungs feel as if they were taking in lava. "It''s alright," he reassured Toki, who had rushed to alleviate the pain. He leaned his head on the tree and addressed them all, "My time is nearбн there are some things I want to share with my boy." The weakened words were an obvious way of asking the others to give the father-son duo some space. Indra looked to Damien and received a nod, taking his leave to the island''s edge. Most of the others were quick to follow... "Even a kid like me knows what he''s asking. Stop standing there and move on!" Kuzan hissed at the casual Solomon. "Tch, I know what he meant!" . "We''ll be fine," Damien finally spoke, asking the girls to leave, too. They looked at him with troubled expressions, knowing full well what was to come. Alas, leaving the two alone. "..." A breeze whistled through the emptied grove, creating a sharp tune for the two silent men to hear. "You know, I can feel Nadia''s grace all around youбн it''s almost like she''s been with you all along." Ares looked around after speaking, seeing the vibrant green around Damien''s feet. "Ruhahaha! Unlike me, she would never leave you alone, even in death." Damien blankly looked to the floor, seeing the lively grass and sighed. *Thump* *Thump* He walked up, rustling the grass, and sat in front of the waning Ares. The two were now at eye level, a meter apart. "This is quite familiar," Damien muttered, much to his father''s amusement. "I sat in front of you back in your cell Impel Downбн now we''re here, sitting before one another in a place of primal freedom, hehe, how ironic!" The younger pirate couldn''t help but smirk, "Life is full of ironies." . Another peaceful silence passed as the father-son duo felt the draft pick upбкthe sun had set completely. "I''ve been thinking, kid," Ares began, his voice hoarse yet steady. "I saw you pluck those Devil Fruits from those insects at Impel Down." The War God sheepishly smirked, catching his son''s narrowed eyes. "If your amazing mother can leave you such a gift," he said, his hand brushing through the lively flowers at his side, "how can I meet her in the afterlife without leaving you something of my own?" Damien remained silent, allowing the dying pirate the space to unravel his thoughts. "I''ve seen the pages of your past fights. That ice-kid is a big fan of yours, Ruhahaha!" Ares'' laughter turned into a violent cough, a raw sound that forced blood from his throat. *Ptui!* He spat, clearing his lungs, his bloody grin defiant even against his fading strength. "All that strength you''ve built in just a few yearsбн" His smile grew softer, weary but proud. "It''s a marvel, but it''s also a burden. Your body is being pushed beyond its limits, and while your will can carry you through, it won''t keep you standing forever." Damien''s lips tightened. He didn''t deny the truth in his father''s words. He could feel the echoes of exhaustion in his Haki. His body remained as titanic as ever, but there was mental fatigue born from nearly seven years since he left to a life of little rest and endless battle. "You meanбн" he muttered, his eyes narrowing in question. "Ruhahaha!" Ares roared the laugh of a man unafraid of the abyss before him. While raising a clenched fist, his single burning eye gleaming, he declared, "That''s right. I want you to have itбкmy War-War Fruit!" The words hung in the air like a thunderclap. "No man can bring down a mountainous force that has existed for over seven centuries." Ares'' tone grew sharper, charged with the weight of his own history. "History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, it need not be lived again!" His voice rose, a final rallying cry echoing through the endless green of Renaissance. "This fruit earned me the name ''God of War!'' Take it upon my death and bring the world to its knees!" Ares'' words continued to echo through the island''s forests, booming through its endless green. The dangerous words evoked a sharp, hissing gust of wind, leaving Renaissance shivering. If heard by a commoner, it would undoubtedly leave them frozen, but coming from a pirate that once terrorized the seas would leave them frightened. "..." The grove seemed to shiver; the arboreal figure above them basked in moonlight. Damien''s gaze remained fixed, his father''s words stirring a storm within him. He had one Fruit Ability Transfer Token leftбкthe last of the three gifted to him many years ago. He thought of the centuries-old mountain of power that was the World Government, one so stable that even the Rocks Pirates had barely shaken it. ''I alone can''t do it either,'' Damien thought, the fire in his eyes rekindling. Tales of Ares'' relentless campaigns against Navy forces played in his mind. The War-War Fruit''s power wasn''t just fearsomeбкit was a weapon capable of reshaping the tides of history. The dying Ares watched intently as Damien''s resolve sharpened, the flicker of fire in his son''s eyes mirroring his own from decades ago. "Ruhahaha! But kid," Ares said, his voice softening, "don''t be in such a hurry." Damien''s head tilted slightly, uncertainty flashing across his expression. "You''ve been chasing power like a demon for years," Ares continued. "Your body might be fine, but your mind needs a break too." He glanced at the darkening skies, his voice quieting. "Such greed and hunger for strength were my undoingбкand I don''t want you to share the same fate." The old pirate leaned back against the tree, tracing its dense bark with a scarred hand. "I''ve spent decades fighting the world, throwing myself into endless battles. But do you know the one moment I''ve never forgotten? The one moment that''s always stayed with me?" Damien raised an eyebrow but said nothing, letting his father speak. "It was the month I spent here with your mother. No wars. No blood. Just peace. I wasn''t a pirate or a fighterбкI was just me." Ares smiled wistfully, the weight of decades present in his eye. "Every story has an end, boy, and it ain''t always a good one. If you''re so focused on that end, you''ll miss all the beauty along the way." The weathered hand played idly with a blade of vibrant grass, his gaze now locked on Damien. "You were born into a hellish era, one ripe with clashing egos. Tragedy gave you strength, but it also gave you scars. You''ve got to carry that ambition carefullyбкit can guide you, but it can also consume you. It happened to Rocksбн he thought he could master it, but in the end, he became its slave." A soft but cool breeze passed through the grove, carrying Ares'' words with it. "Take your time, kid. See the world. Treasure your crew and those two girls by your sideбкthey''re more precious than anything else you''ll ever find." The strength in Ares'' body began to fade, his hands falling limp as his breathing slowed. "You''ve got the blood of the D and mine too. ''Sworn enemy of the Gods''бкthat''s what they call us. But don''t let them define you." His voice grew softer, every word deliberate. "Live freely. Love fiercely. And when the time comesбн give hell to those who stand in your way. I wasn''t there for your childhood, but I''ll be with you beyond my death!" With one final breath, Ares exhaled, the air carrying his words like a final prayer. A smile lingered on his faceбкa smile of peace, pride, and relief. Leave fell from the arboreal portrait, shimmering under the moonlight. They landed gently around the man who had found his peace. Damien stood in silence, staring at his father''s peaceful face. For a moment, the grove was still, the world holding its breath for the passing of a legend. To Be Continuedбн Chapter 175: Renaissance Einar D. Ares passed away at the age of 66. He was once known as the ''God of War,'' a man who alone stood against the esoteric might of the World Government. *Vvoooo* Damien remained seated, his eyes shut. The only sound in his ears was the passing nightly breeze. Before he knew it, five minutes had almost passed. "..." [Damien!] a voice echoed in his mind. ''...Sibyl?'' [His fruit power will soon respawn if you wait any longer.] Damien found Sibyl''s concise and straight-to-the-point tone rather refreshing. He nodded and once again looked at his resting fatherбкa fellow member of the D who was always smiling, even in death. "Don''t worry, old man. I''ll make them remember your power." With a slight smile, the young pirate directed his open hand, exercising his ability: the arm went gray as a white fern-like pattern emerged, pulsing with energy. It took but a few moments before a rather odd-shaped fruit appeared. The War-War Fruit resembled a durian with a crimson and gray exterior covered in sharp, natural-looking spikes. Dark red swirls etched across its surface like ancient scars. Its ripened, organic texture gave it an ominous yet alluring presence. >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [War-War Fruit (Sensин Sensин no Mi)] [Paramecia Fruit] [Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars] [Allows the user to siphon energy through all forms of combat, making them a Warmongering Human.] [Expanded: Any combat will grant energy that can replace the human need to eat, sleep or rest for the entire duration of the altercation with no future repercussions.] >=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=< [A/N: War-War Fruit Image (in Discord)] He glanced at Ares once more and then back at the fruit, then took out a golden coin-like item. Crushing the token, it burst out in a golden spectacle as it swarmed to the War-War Fruit, covering it whole. "..." Moments passed as the golden energy slowly absorbed the Devil Fruit''s power, leaving it as a dulled husk of its former self. The energy retreated and flowed to the undying pirate''s heart, blessing him with its mind-bending power. Damien sighed deeply while a ding went off in his mind. [One {Fruit Ability Transfer Token} has been used. The token has materialized into the following ability: ] [{God of War} иC Grants the auxiliary ability to reap energy through combat.] A satisfied smile appeared on the young pirate''s face: "It''s a fitting name." . Damien''s auxiliary fruit tokens had now been used up: The Deprive-Deprive Fruit, the Balance-Balance Fruit and the War-War Fruit. ''With these powers in hand, there aren''t many obstacles that can get in my way,'' he brazenly thought, clenching his fist with zeal. . "Damien-san!" Toki suddenly came from the sea of forests, hopping down from a tree with the cat-like movements of a kunoichi. The warm-hearted girl ran toward the pirate, gently holding his arm. Her green eyes looked up to meet Damien''s red ones, "Are you okay?" *Purrup* At the same time, the shadow below the young man''s feet began to squirm, quickly materializing into the shape of a woman. "He seems at peace," Aurora whispered, leaning into Damien''s arms. Damien hummed, stroking the girl''s silky purple hair while embracing the quiet Toki, "He died without regrets; many would envy that." бн It didn''t take long before a funeral of sorts was held at the usually tranquil Renaissance Island. Ares was laid to rest in front of Nadia''s arboreal portraitбкhusband and wife together. Damien stood at the forefront with the girls to his side while the rest of his unnamed crew were huddled around. Kuzan, usually chipper, had quieted down and, like Indra, was left staring at the newly buried grave. A fellow escapee, Kraft, shook his head, unsure of how to feel. He was joined by Solomon and Mihawk, who felt complicated by Ares''s death. They had known them for barely a week yet felt downcast. The island was plunged into darkness and silence, and all but a few torches hung from the trees to add an amber glow. "I resented him for quite a while," Damien admitted through the silence. "Now that I got to know who my father was, all I can say is that I''m glad he can rest in peace." Though his face warped into a smirk as he chuckled, "Rahahaha! He would probably rather us drink and celebrate his life than mourn his loss!" Solomon was the first to join in, and he loudly proclaimed while pumping his fists, "Kuhuhuhu! I wouldn''t mind drinking in the monstrous old geezer''s name!" "Hehe, I''ll join in as well then," Kuzan grinned, throwing a thumbs up. Though Toki quickly burst his bubble, "Don''t even think about it! You''re way too young to drink." Solomon smirked and slapped the boy''s back, mocking, "Don''t worry, kid. At the very least, I can slice you up into ice cubes to chill up my sakиж!" "Huh!? How about I freeze you into an ice sculpture to decorate Old Man Ares'' grave!" The exchange invoked a boisterous environment as the others joined in, bringing new life to the island. Meanwhile, a mysterious light passed Damien''s eyes as he whispered, "Death is not always the endбн" бн [Later that Day] The feast in the War God''s name had ended, leaving others to their own devices. Damien took the time to go over some thoughts regarding the coming future. He sat atop a spanning cliff, enjoying the night chill under a soft drizzle, pondering, "Without a doubt, the next four to five years will be quiet in terms of piracy, but beyond that will be a new era of unrest." The lonesome pirate reviewed some old plot points, nailing down his imminent actions. "Whitebeard, Big Mom, Shiki and even Kaido will begin recruiting their ships and building their influence. There''s no way I can miss out on that." He thought over his current forces with light rain dripping from his hair. Indra was indeed his strongest card. Yet even his strength was fragile against the masters of Haki since his own was weak. Solomon and Aurora were in the same boat, while Kraft, Kuzan and Mihawk had negligible strength. Toki had a rather unique power but was not a combatant at heart.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Suffice to say, everyone needs a handful of years to prepare for the coming eraбн the Era where the One Piece will surface!" The rain drizzled lightly, pooling into a small puddle near Damien''s feet. As he gazed into its dark reflection, a face stared back at himбкnot his own, but the scarred visage of Rocks D. Xebec. "Whether you like it or not," the Abyssal Sin''s voice echoed in his mind, "all your strength, your ambitionбкeverythingбкwas born from my shadow. And in it, you will forever remain! You will avenge me!" Damien''s jaw tightened as the venom of Xebec''s ambition clawed at the edges of his mind. The young pirate raised his dominant left hand. Clenching it, he felt a surge of violent Haki at the thought of Rocks. "So go on, defy the fate I couldn''t escape. Tear down the Government, destroy all they hold dear, and bring tyranny to the seas in my name! Einar D. Damien. You are the incarnation of my sins, and my will is yours to inheritбн You will avenge me!" "Inherit Will?" Damien lightly scoffed, feeling the venom along his Haki. But as the darkness of the corrupted Haki was doing its thing, another voice came to mindбкhis father''s voice, gentle yet resolute: "That ambition can guide you, but it can also consume you. It happened to Rocksбн he thought he could master it, but in the end, he became its slave." The storm within Damien calmed, the rain''s cold touch grounding him. Slowly, he unclenched his fist, watching as the face in the puddle warped. Xebec''s domineering grin dissolved, replaced by Ares''s warm, weathered features. "Xebec was the loser of his era, dragged into the abyss by his own ambition," Damien murmured. His crimson eyes reflected the clarity of his newfound resolve. "I''m done letting his words drag me with him." As he exhaled, the oppressive darkness in his Haki began to recede, shifting from its venomous rage to a refined, steely resolve. A faint glow of moonlight pierced through the clouds, illuminating the vibrant green of the cliff''s edge. He could feel the grass around him rustle and glow while Ares''s voice steeled his resolveбкhis mother''s grace around him and his father''s words within, both calling out to neutralize Xebec''s venomous touch. "This new eraбн I''ll make it mine," Damien declared softly, the weight of Xebec''s shadow lifting at last. The arcs of black lightning along his arms now flowed with clarity, manifesting his unwavering conviction. *Ding!* [Conqueror''s Haki Mastery has reached the Grandmastery (II) Stage.] The strands of controlled Supreme King''s Haki were thicker and more dominant than ever. A grin appeared on the pirate''s face as he basked in the newfound power. Empyrean Haki, the War-War Fruit and now something just as special! бн [Sometime Later] The remnants of the light rain had long sept into the soil, leaving a glow along the island''s grass. The smell of fresh water mixed in with the salty sea air from the coast filled the central grove. Dawn had begun to break; it would undoubtedly shower the island in orange any minute now. "Why did the Boss call us here so early?" a yawning Solomon asked out loud, still in his usual shirtless get-up. "For once, I agree with your words," Kuzan yawned with him, glancing at the skies that had begun to wake up. [A/N: I literally yawned as I wrote this in.] "What''s wrong, Kuzan-kun? Doesn''t the lifting night feel fresh?" Aurora commented, enjoying the cold embrace of the dark sky. The boy clicked his tongue, crossing his arms in protest. "That''s only because your fruit power thrives at night! I, on the other hand, was born with Need-More-Sleep Disease and always feel sleepy!" "I had the same problem when my old man used to force me into studying the intricacies of every ship that graced the seas," Kraft commented while tinkering with some gears as he leaned on a tree. Kuzan nodded thrice, recalling all the studying Damien had forced onto him. The boatload of homework that was set for tomorrow left the boy in tears. "What about you, Mihawk, aren''t you tired?" The jet-black-haired swordsman showed no signs of fatigue, returning a sharp response as always: "I like the night." The answer left Kuzan facepalming. "Why did I ask the guy raised on an island literally called ''Night Sky?''" But his gloom was replaced with warmth. He saw a freshened-up Toki bring over a steaming cup: "Here you go, Kuzan-kun. It will wake you up." Toki was shining bright, just like the sun which had crept from the horizon, blinding the boy as he reached for the drink. "Ooh, coffee, just the way I like it!" Boom! With the roar of thunder as his background music, another person appeared. His arrival sent tiny pops through the air from the heat. "You''re late, Indra," Solomon smugly said, glancing at the swordsman with a condescending look. Indra gave the Zoan user a side glare. "I long dissolved my electricity into the atmosphere. Hence, I am ubiquitous within the island," he calmly replied. "In other words, I was here before you even thought to arrive." "..." "Tch! Damn Logias," Solomon grumbled, somewhat envious of the universal attributes of the dominant fruit type. *Zap* Though a trial of crimson of innumerable red particles broke apart any other conversation as the Captain appeared at the center of the gathering. He stood tall, facing the others with the arboreal portrait and Ares'' grave behind him. "Looks like everyone''s here." Damien''s words drew all their attention, a new day and a new vibe around him. Indra was the first to raise an eyebrow and thought, ''He looksбн different.'' Aurora had similar thoughts but looked deeper. ''He hasn''t worn such bright-coloured clothes since he returned to Mortem.'' Damien wore a striking turquoise shirt adorned with intricate, lattice-like patterns along the shoulders and sleeves. The tailored fabric clung tightly to his muscular frame, accentuating his broad chest and powerful build. ''Not only that, but his Haki has also cleared up!'' Aurora exclaimed. Her eyes widened in relief while exposing the amethyst glow. [Shirt Image (in Discord)] . Damien returned the smile, knowing full well what the girl was thinking. "I called you all here to let you know we will lie low for the next few years. But I also think it''s time we finally dub our little group." The simple sentence elicited quite a reaction. Kuzan''s eyes turned starstruck, and he nearly tossed aside the coffee. "Are we finally getting a name!? I call dibs on making the Jolly Roger!" "Your drawing is at the same level as my singing; it''s trash!" Solomon countered. He turned to his soon-to-be Captain, pounding his chest in a declaration: "Instead, I think I should be left with making our flag!" Damien smirked at their argument and waved it off. He held up his right arm as if to invite someone to him: "I had Aurora craft up a few Jolly Rogers, so forget it." "Ehh, Aurora-nee knew all along?" Kuzan slumped, turning to the woman while feeling betrayed eyes. Aurora patted the shoulder of the boy. "Many Underground artists run entire businesses by piecing together flags and ship designs. Don''t worry, I made them work until they gave me something nice." She rolled her eyes at the thought of the lazy artists: "Those parasites get whiny working two hundred hours a week. Isn''t it their fault for taking so long to make something I could present to Damien?" Kuzan blankly stood, seeing Aurora stroll ahead while taking out a folded-up black fabric and handing it over. "Rest assured, I think you''ll like what they came up with." Damien grinned, slowly unwrapping the pristine cloth but ensuring that he took his time to allow the suspense to build up. As he unveiled the flag to the world, it embodied his legend, commanding awe and dread in equal measure. The centrepiece was a grinning, angular skull crowned with jagged black spikes that formed a dark, chaotic crownбкa reflection of Damien''s inevitable dominion over the next era. Its glowing crimson eyes mirrored his fiery ambition, piercing through any who dared oppose him. Separate from the crown, crimson wings spread outward, sharp and defiant, symbolizing his unyielding rise above the world''s constraints. Beneath the skull, crossed bones stood as a grim testament to the fate awaiting his enemies. Indra cupped his chin and slowly nodded. Mihawk was never overly fond of piracy but felt intrigued by the flag. "It''s perfect!" Toki said, bringing her hands together. Meanwhile, Kuzan was forced to put aside his frustrations and murmured under his coffee-stung breath: "It''s a little better than what I had in mind." "Kuhuhu, I''ll work hard to make sure everyone in the sea will shake in fright when they see that flag!" Solomon commented, unveiling his reckless nature. Kraft scratched his head, playing with his goggles. "If I saw this Jolly Roger pulling up to our old shipbuilding islandбн Well, let''s just say I would walk the other way." This flag was a dark emblem against the twilight skies. A symbol of conquering the incoming Era of Pirates! [Jolly Roger Image (in Discord)] . Damien then said, "Though they aren''t set in stone, I did draft the crew positions." He began listing them out: "Vice Captain иC Indra." "Combatant иC Solomon." "Ship Doctor and Cook иC Toki." "Head of Intelligence иC Aurora." "Shipwright and Sniper иC Kraft." Indra, the perfect Warborn, returned a firm nod to his Captain. The responsibility on his shoulders had just spiked compared to the Fourth Division. On the other hand, Solomon was left with a sharp glint in his eyes. He felt the scar across his chest throb. A look at Indra, and all he could do was accept. ''Cheh! I guess I''ll have to prove myself as the tank of the crew then!'' he exclaimed. But there were a few inconsistenciesбн "A-ra-ra!" Kuzan looked around as if he was the only child who didn''t get his test back. "Uhm, what about me?" Mihawk was also left glaring at Damien, blinking in confusion. "The two of you are still kids. You''ll remain as apprentices for now," Damien casually said. Kuzan was about to refute but suddenly had an epiphany. ''No direct position means I can laze around as I pleaseбн this is a blessing!'' he thought. "I agree. I need at least another hundred years of apprenticeship before graduating to any cemented position!" Damien rolled his eyes along with others in response. But it was Mihawk''s voice that brought up an equally important topic: "What about the crew name?" "..." "It''s a name that will become more fitting as the years go byбн" Damien allowed another moment of suspense to build up, enjoying their impatient looks. Alas, revealing the name firmly: "We will be The Undying Pirates." As dawn washed the seas of darkness, Damien stood tall, the Captain of the Undying Pirates, before his crew. Rocks'' era had long cast its shadow over the seas, but its echoes were finally beginning to fade, leaving behind scars and lessons for those who dared to inherit its chaos. The nefarious Golden Lion Shiki. The aloof Patrick Redfield. The overwhelming Whitebeard. The fallen Herja. The unpredictable Roger. The mad Mors. The hungry Charlotte Linlin. The wild Kaido. The undying Damien. Each set their sights on the horizon, ready to carve their legend into the times to come. While the World Government remained steadfast in its pursuit of peace and order, its focus sharpened with the approaching Reverie in two years. Yet, the keen ones understood that the next five years would be a quiet stormбкa deceptive calm before the world erupted into chaos. Unknowingly, it was bracing for an age of piracy, ambition, and the race for the ultimate throne. END OF PART ONEбнandбнTo Be Continuedбн [!!!] A ChapterщИецкЪ Close, for Now I write this as of October 7, 2024, intending to release it on New Year''s, hoping my thoughts have changed, but since you''re reading this, they have not. Fun fact: the first official announcement for publishing this rewrite was January 1, 2024; it''s been one complete year. Unfortunately, I don''t write this with the same excitement I had thenбн This fanfic has been and always will be a hobby. I don''t make money off it; I do it simply because I had an idea that went through multiple edits and even a rewrite to reach where it is now, spanning more than 3 years. However, what should be a hobby has begun to feel like a chore. I started publishing with 175 drafts. In other words, the most recent chapter you read was written before Chapter 1 was publishedбн This means I had a whole year to build on that headstart. Unfortunately, things didn''t go as hoped. My drafts were a little over 200 as of August. Even by Chapter 175, this number was still the same. I''m unsure if I''m burned out or stuck at a block, but I don''t feel the same fire I used to for this fanfiction. Back then, I was reading fanfics and keeping up with dozens of anime and manga, and I haven''t touched an anime or manga since COVID ended.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. On top of that, my classes are only picking up in workload, and maintaining the schedule is becoming harder to manage. At this point, it feels like another indefinite hiatus is inevitable, and I don''t want to let this story drag me down. At the very least, I did what I could to reach a conclusive point before hitting the brakes. Chapter 175 marked the end of Rocks'' Era, the climax of Damien''s journey thus far. He has also risen above obstacles since meeting his father and putting aside his past with Xebec. It''s nowhere near the end, but hopefully, it''s a decent place to hit that pause/stop buttonбкit started at Renaissance with a weak Damien in Chapter 1, and now it stops at Renaissance with a Damien who can protect what is important to him by the end of Part One. For the sake of my studies and my well-being, Iбпve decided to stop updating for now. Letting go at a fitting point feels better than being forced to stop as my drafts run dry. To everyone who has joined me on this journey, thank you. I appreciate your support and enthusiasm for this story. But as it stands, I can''t promise it will continue. I would rather be honest about where I am than risk producing rushed or hollow work that doesnбпt meet the standards Iбпve set for this fanfiction. This story has been a part of my life for years, and I hope youбпve enjoyed reading it as much as Iбпve enjoyed writing it. I donбпt know if or when it will continue, but I wish you all the best. Happy New Year to you all!