Chapter 53: [53] Amethyst Kingdom Crisis (III)
[3215 words]
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[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!"
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[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.
"Damien…" 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 emotions—gratitude 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 you…"
"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.
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.
…
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 sides—the 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.
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"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.
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"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 that…"
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 before…"
*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!"
[Image (in Discord)]
To Be Continued…
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Author's Corner.
Aurora had scouted the entire island alongside its defenses for a while. However, a mix of Xerxes' intel (Chapter 41) and Tsuru's brains gave them a chance to use her to get to Damien, sending Zephyr at the very last second to catch the assassin off-guard, and it worked.
And it can't be an anime world without the protagonist having different forms, right?
Images are available on Discord alongside other niche details: https://discord.gg/aJHHHPvb6q
Chapter 54: [54] Amethyst Kingdom Crisis (IV)
[2520 words]
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"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.
*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 fight—a 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!
[Attack Image (in Discord)]
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.
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"Red Sun!"
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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!
"…"
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 there…" Damien instructed, "Take me to the Poneglyph!"
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[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 much…" 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-sama…!"
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, your… 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 Continued…
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Author's Corner.
The major fights of Damien thus far have been against Sengoku, Enigma and now Zephyr. Which was the best?
Images are available on Discord alongside other niche details: https://discord.gg/aJHHHPvb6q
Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
98 Power
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