Chapitre 15: [15] Red Metal, Black Shadows

[2545 words]

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[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."

…

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 check…]

[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.]

[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 revelations—perks 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.

…

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.

…

[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.

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[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!

…

*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 bleed…"

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[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 location… 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 it…"

To Be Continued…

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Author's Corner.

Images: https://discord.gg/aJHHHPvb6q

commentaire Commentaire 12

Voter

Chapitre 16: [16] Evolution

[3080 words]

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[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.

…

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.

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, animals…"

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."

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[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.

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[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 years… 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.

"…"

"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 soon…"

To Be Continued…

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Author's Corner.

Damien would fit well to align as chaotic neutral. Giving up his past kindness and embracing his new life as a pirate in the Rocks Era was needed to ever stand a chance of fulfilling his goals.

Images: https://discord.gg/aJHHHPvb6q

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