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39.44% One Piece: Path to Power / Chapter 67: [67] A Samurai's Welcome

Chapter 67: [67] A Samurai's Welcome

[2135 words]

----------------------------------------------

"He is the Daimyo of Hakumai. They call him 'The Hedgehog'—Shimotsuki 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."

[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!"

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. "Amatsuki… 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.

"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 Style…"

*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.

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 nature… 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.

"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 man…"

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 Continued…

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Author's Corner.

Kozaburo is Koushiro's grandfather and Kuina's great-grandfather. Katsuyoshi is an original character who is the teacher of Kozaburo.

Note: Orochi is around 14 and Oden is around 19 as of now.

Images are available on Discord alongside other niche details: https://discord.gg/aJHHHPvb6q


Chapter 68: [68] A Meaningless Endeavour?

[2000 words]

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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 banging… 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 elsewhere…"

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 anything… 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.

"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 materials… 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 remember… maybe I have gotten a little old…"

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.

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.

"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 (Heikō Heikō 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 Continued…

----------------------------------------------

Author's Corner.

Images are available on Discord alongside other niche details: https://discord.gg/aJHHHPvb6q


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