Chapitre 61: [61] The Land of Samurai

[2940 words]

A new giveaway is live on the Discord!

The winner has the choice to create their own Supreme Grade Weapon that will be used by a character later on down the line! It ends next Thursday: https://discord.gg/aJHHHPvb6q

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[The Edge of the Island]

"Ehh? Is it already time?" Kuzan's childish voice grumbled.

They were at the South End of Mortem Island, the sole location with decent and pleasant weather at most times.

Kuzan watched as the Sea Skimmer was placed and the Sea Kings came and grabbed the long ropes at the boat's head. He also saw some baboons running around, transporting supplies and food to the boat, preparing to depart any second.

"Don't worry, Kuzan. I'll come by every here and there to keep you company," Aurora comforted the boy.

He looked up and narrowed his eyes, "Something's off with you Aurora-nee, you seem more… lively."

The purple-haired girl paused for a second to think over his words, "You think so?" she asked him and herself.

"Maybe I am," she said with a smile, glancing again at the soon-to-depart boat.

At that moment, a giant hand fell upon the ice boy's head, turning to both sides and messing up his hair.

"Don't make trouble while I'm gone," Damien's voice echoed in his ears.

The boy jumped back, a scowl on his face: "Just watch, one day I'll freeze you before you can even think to mess up my hair!"

Damien chuckled at the bold words and left a few words to cheer Kuzan up: "If you impress me enough when I'm back, maybe I'll let you in on some new techniques you can do with your Devil Fruit."

The words were enough to bring him some spirit as he pumped his fists.

"He's a bright and innocent child," Toki, who had arrived, commented.

Damien hummed, though his face was not all that approving. "Bright and innocent suffer the most; he still sees the world through a peak hole."

Toki was not as pessimistic, rather she softly said, "I'm sure it'll all work out well."

The pirate chose against replying and left for the boat, giving a single wave backwards, "I'll see you later, Aurora."

Toki walked beside him, "Aurora-san, stay safe."

The purple-haired girl gave a lively smile, treasuring the newfound bonds. She watched their boat skim away, off to the turbulent sea. Their destination: The Land of Wano!

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[Few Days Later]

The duo had crossed into the New World via Fishman Island.

Damien went in quickly and without alerting even the people of the island. He knew Cipher Pol were even more present at the entrances and exits of the main areas of the world. As of now, he preferred a quieter trip.

"Here I thought you would be excited to get closer to Wano, yet you seem so on edge," Damien commented at Toki's ambivalent expression as they drifted through the Calm Belt.

The green-haired girl looked up and gave her usual smile.

"It's just that I never thought my life-long wish could be fulfilled one day," she slowly answered. "It's a little surreal."

Damien hummed at her thoughts.

"Last I recall, you wanted to cast away your chains, well it's time to take the first step. Don't worry, I'll help you."

Toki felt relieved by the words, feeling more comfortable with what was to come.

She even leaked a small laugh, "Damien-san, you have a kind heart," she said with a bright smile.

The pirate hailed as the Sin Incarnate returned a wry smile. "'Kind'? There are a few billion people out there who would disagree with that."

However, the words didn't affect Toki: "Well, they don't know you like I do."

"Is that how it is?"

"Yes!" the girl exclaimed, feeling excited to finally go to her home.

…

In a matter of a few days of straight travel through the Calm Belt and with the help of some rather fast Sea Kings, the Sea Skimmer reached its target.

The gigantic Wano Waterfalls dwarfed the vessel in their magnificence. The sheer pressure created by the huge amount of water was enough to crush an ordinary ship into pieces all while drowning the area with its mind-rattling noise.

Not only that, but the nearby weather was just as chaotic. Stormy skies and heavy rain made it their sole duty to remain perpetually here, marking a significant obstacle to all invaders.

Damien, who stood at the hull of the boat, was not threatened by the display but couldn't help but mutter under his breath: "This thing better not fall apart from the water pressure."

The ship he had forever borrowed was from a super rookie who had stolen it from some rather wealthy individuals and could be considered a reinforced vessel.

{Bring us up.}

The words seemed like any other utterances, and yet they carried a degree of authority that echoed through the turbulent sea.

It took but a moment before the water exploded into a chain of splashes and five giant koi fish jumped up from below.

Damien was pleased with their appearance, and how they then grabbed the three ropes that were bound to the boat.

*Creak* The Sea Skimmer remained solid, though the point where the ropes were attached let out some dull sounds, other than that, it was alright.

The koi soon jumped into the water and began climbing it! They zoomed through the fall and rushed on without any difficulty.

…

"Wow, this is the soil of my home island!?" Toki said with starry eyes, grabbing a fistful of the mineral.

"It's just dirt," Damien deadpanned from the sides.

Though the pirate's appearance caused the vegetation to spark in life, however, there was not much there to begin with; a wasteland.

"Such a barren place, it must be Kuri," Damien commented.

It was South of the Flower Capital of Wano, a lawless land of corpses and criminals.

[Wano Map Image (in Discord)]

The two made their way through the wasteland, eventually reaching a forested area.

Damien leaked a smile as he felt the embrace of foreign nature around him.

He felt the breath of so many unknown and exotic species of nature never seen before; a truly special feeling.

Toki was also fascinated with the trees, though to any normal person, it was like a mermaid seeing a forest for the first time in their life.

{Show me the way to the Capital,} Damien ordered them.

Immediately, a path was cleared by the recession of grass and shrubs to the North.

…

[Twenty Minutes Later]

The smell of unpolluted air was quite refreshing, leaving Toki enraptured.

"You seem quite impressed by a few trees."

The girl was a little embarrassed and gave a small pout, "I'm just a little excited!"

Though at that moment a roar went off.

*Rumble*

A giant crocodile rushed out from the cover of a mangrove, its giant maw the size of a ship. It charged on toward the two people who he thought were a free meal.

"Oh look, Toki. Even the wildlife of this country is so welcoming that they offered us a ride."

Damien's words came in unison with a deafening boom as his palm dug into the beast's head. "Raawr!" it cried out in pain, forced onto its belly as its limbs waved around frantically, losing the previous flair.

"You did come here to offer us a ride, isn't that so?"

The alligator was leaking tears from its eyes, naturally, it could not help but incessantly nod, turning around in difficulty while offering its back.

…

[An Hour Later]

The party of two zoomed through the wasteland, nearing the border.

"!!!" However, it was not going to continue as smoothly once Damien received a warning from the forest.

*Fwooo* The air whistled as an arrow skimmed over and neared the pirate's chest.

*Ting* Unlike expected, the bladed edge simply exploded while the wooden body crumbled into bits upon contact with its victim.

Meanwhile, Damien's eyes flashed red in Observation, studying the next volley of attacks.

Dozens aimed at the alligator, an equal amount at Toki, and a few hundred at Damien. Naturally, the girl had also perceived the threat, her body jumping into action.

*Vooosh* *Vooosh* *Vooosh*

A volley of hundred or so arrows soon hurled their way over to the party of three, mercilessly aimed at their hearts and heads.

"Toki, it seems your fellow islanders have an interesting way to greet their guests," Damien casually commented.

"Obliteration Pulse."

A spherical burst of crimson energy soon rushed out from the pirate's body, shredding and annihilating the coming projectiles without issue.

The pulverizing energy was so masterfully used that it seemed to stop before hurting the alligator, the girl, or even the land beneath.

"Omega Beams."

*Szzzz* Two beams of destruction blasted out from the eyes of the man they deemed a sorcerer and began to dance around him.

They whizzed through the air, leaving a trail of demolition at every bounce and ricochet they performed.

The attackers could not even react before the two beams began to cut down their numbers by the dozens per second.

"Augh!"

"Ughh!"

"Aoowww!"

The beams went on mercilessly, leaving a trail of bodies and bits of flesh. Just like that, 70 or so men died before Damien purposefully reined back his attack.

*Rumble*

A loud and ground-shaking sound resounded in the now-quiet area as a giant shadow emerged from the trees.

The figure was that of a man who wore an open kimono with flowers that left his chest exposed. The face belonged to a young teenager with long, pink hair, standing over fifteen feet tall (4.57 m)!

His face brimmed with anger as he glared at Damien. "You! You slaughtered my men, I'm gonna kill you!"

Damien eyed the brazen lad and questioned, "You're the boss of these low-level thugs?"

"I'm Ashura Doji, the Ruler of Kuri!" he proclaimed with great zeal and anger.

[Image (in Discord)]

Damien did not respond to the boy's obvious look of wanting to fight.

*Shing*

The noise originated from the girl at his side. One who was once quite indecisive, now looking at the threat with calm eyes.

Her body was a little north of eight feet tall (2.44 m), yet Ashura was nearly twice her height!

"You think some weak woman can take me down, don't mess with me!" the samurai roared out, his blade drawn.

"I didn't expect my first interaction with a fellow Wano person to be like this," Toki said with a sigh, jumping down from the alligator.

Yet her words drew even more anger from the towering enemy: "You look like one of those pampered trash from the capital, you have no right to judge us who live in hell!"

The giant swordsman shot from his position, slashing at the girl without mercy with a blade that sliced through the air.

Clang!

The sound of metal hitting metal broke out as the two swords of vastly unequal sizes forced themselves onto each other.

Toki narrowed her eyes as she felt the weight pressing through her blade and onto her.

Boom!

The two continued a brief exchange of powerful slashes, though it was obvious Ashura Doji's wild attacks were superior. The blade began to press the girl down to the point where she had to rely on something else.

Bang!

Bam!

Boom!

Instead of blocking, Toki focused on parrying the attacks, using the giant samurai's weight against him which proved to be effective to hold off the first assault.

*Fwwm*

Eventually, Ashura grew impatient and imbued his weapon with pristine Haki.

*Clang!* The parry worked though it came at the cost of Toki's body being shoved back dozens of meters.

Her shoes dug into the soil below and her face was clouded with some difficulty. At this point, her katana glowed a vibrant green with the movement of her Devil Fruit.

"Time Enchantment."

Unlike before, Toki took offense. She used her lithe and slender figure to depart quick and carefully aimed attacks. Burst of green flashes glistened across the ruined grounds, filling the area with an ominous air.

Ashura Doji blocked the attack with ease, yet his eyes could not help but widen in shock. His Haki had thrown aside the bright green energy which had dissolved into the earth below.

*Hiss*

The soil immediately corroded and dried up, going from its earthy brown colour to sizzling into a burst of particles and drying up into nothingness; aged to the point of nonexistence.

"Sorcery!" Ashura exclaimed.

He jumped back subconsciously as if his body told him to retreat momentarily.

Toki took the chance and raised her sword vertically.

"Time Bow."

The sword was soon flooded with familiar energy as it formed the shape of a bow.

The girl pulled back on the string as tens of equally-green arrows materialized.

"Nullity Rain."

The air howled under the unleashing of the volley of arrows. They swished through the air at great speeds, all aimed at the samurai.

"!!!"

Ashura's instincts flared once more as he began to whizz through the air.

"Dammit!" he groaned at the loss of control from the duel, being forced to retreat.

He glanced back and saw tiny craters that continued to expand under the aging enchants from the girl's powers.

The fear he felt fuelled his anger and he channeled it all into his weapon. The young samurai's eyes grew sharp as his sword began to tremble from the excess Haki.

*Fwwm!*

It flowed in and turned its colour into a raven-black gleam. It was enough to make even Damien impressed who watched from afar.

"Take this!" Ashura swung his blade in a diagonal cut, unleashing a slash of red sword energy. It sliced its way through the air and onto the swordswoman.

Toki put her bow aside and instead raised her thin right palm.

The familiar green energy appeared once more, swarming out to the very soil nearby.

It was barely a second before the minerals began to vibrate and burst into a cacophony of sand-like particles. The grains of sand came together behind Toki and formed an ancient clock with Roman numerals!

At the center of the clock was an astrological spectacle, a bright sun at the core with stars surrounding it.

[Image (in Discord)]

"Clockworks: Aegis!"

The ancient clock responded to the words of its master as the two hands set to noon began to tick.

At the same time, a stream of energy burst out from the clock's center and collided with the coming slash.

Boom!

A shockwave burst out, sending tremors through the forested area.

*Tick* *Tock*

As the long hand of the clock spun around, the slash began to dry up and lose its power. The clock ticked on as the outcome became more and more obvious.

The small hand barely passed "II" before the attack was rendered obsolete.

The result left Ashura shocked once more; seeing his attack slowly corrode away brought a fix of anger and fright to his eyes, leaving him in a frozen state.

Toki felt proud at the display, looking at Damien with a smile.

"Well, the defense is quite impressive, but you still lack in offense," Damien commented, staring at the giant clock. "That's enough, let's get going."

He then glanced at the headstrong young samurai and thought to himself, 'As expected of Oden's Nine Scabbards, their talent for Armament Haki is very high.'

Toki jumped next to the pirate, meanwhile, Damien's amusement was quickly lost as he gestured to his alligator carriage to resume the journey toward the Flower Capital.

"You! How dare you ignore me!" Ashura roared out as he saw the enemies planning to leave, breaking out from his earlier shock.

*Woosh!*

The larger-than-life samurai slightly bent down, gathering momentum before hopping into the sky with his giant body.

The blade was once again pulled, brimming with Haki and brought onto the departing pirate.

Clang!

Sounds of metal grazing one another resounded once more, though this time in a different fashion.

"H-How...!" Ashura's expression turned upside down as he saw Damien block his attack with his finger! Not only was the attack easily destroyed but the gargantuan samarui's weight was held up in the sky with next to no effort.

Even after channelling his all, Ashura Doji could not move an inch.

The young samurai subconsciously took a deep breath as he felt the two crimson pupils lock onto himself, sending an instinctive chill down his back.

"It seems you spent so much time sharpening your blade that it left your brain dull."

A flash of black and red shone through the dreaded forests, followed by a sharp hiss of wind.

*Thud* Ashura's humongous body collapsed onto the ground covered in small craters and his eyes whitened out.

Damien did not even glance at the brazen samurai as the two tourists continued their journey.

"Damien-san, shouldn't you kill him?" came the bright girl's words.

The pirate glanced at Toki and asked with a hint of curiosity, "When did you turn so bloodthirsty?"

She tapped her chin, seemingly confused, "My parents taught me that once a samurai draws their sword, they put their life on the line, so it's only natural to give them a quick and painless death."

The answer came alongside a radiant smile, displaying Toki's pride in her knowledge of Wano's traditions.

Damien looked back at the disappearing figure of the knocked-out and self-proclaimed ruler of Kuri and shrugged.

"Well, I suppose you're right, but he isn't worth killing."

…

[A While Later]

The two eventually made it to a cliff that overlooked a fantastic view of the Flower Capital. Vibrant colours; blossoming trees; mesmerizing scenery and an exuberant atmosphere.

Toki's eyes shined brighter than the sun, lost in the Capital's grandeur.

[Image of the Capital (in Discord)]

"It's beautiful," she murmured, "this is Wano, my home!"

To Be Continued…

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Author's Corner.

Officially in Wano. Toki debuted some moves after the 5-plus months of training. The Land of Samurai offers brilliant sights but houses many who take outsiders as enemies... let's see how things turn out for the two humble tourists who have come.

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

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Voter

Chapitre 62: [62] Surname

[2900 words]

A new giveaway is live on the Discord!

The winner has the choice to create their own Supreme Grade Weapon that will be used by a character later on down the line! It ends next Thursday: https://discord.gg/aJHHHPvb6q

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[Fooljack Peaks, Grand Line]

A small and dim room, with high ceilings and carpeted floor, emanating a rather authoritative air.

"What the hell are you fools up to!?" a man thundered out at the table of Directors. The room shook with fury; the deafening argument ensued; the tension was palpable.

"The Government is the umbrella that houses us; how can you turn your backs on them!?"

The words, however, fell on deaf ears.

Chad Bizárré saw the man about to blow his wig off and tried calming him down. "Ardemi, anger is not good for your age," he advised.

Another of the calmer side added, "Bizárré is right, perhaps we can talk this out like civilized men."

The angered official grew even more furious: "Civilized!? The Government is readying to kill us off any second now, the calmness of you four is beyond me!"

Markus Goji, another of the Four Directors, could not help but click his tongue in disappointment, making his stance clear.

Meanwhile, Ardemi crushed the paper in his hand, still finding it unbelievable as to what these four had become.

"I don't know what happened to you four, you must have fallen in some illusion!" he cried out.

Newman Bradley nodded and opened his arms as if embracing the new him.

"We were in an illusion, Ardemi," Bradley said in a dim tone. "An illusion of greed and selfishness; selling our very souls to fool the masses. Isn't it better to do the right thing for once?"

Vase Ah Liné concurred with a deep nod, "I must say, each of us was once an aspiring reporter from Néa Island, but we fell into the abyss of greed, only climbing our way out after so many years… It really is invigorating to bring truth to the world!"

Ardemi was about to pull his hair out.

'How could four old foxes that did their utter best to get as much money to manipulate the news whenever possible, turn into such honest reporters!?' he screamed to himself.

Before he could continue, Goji blasted him with some cold water: "Today marks a new year and you begin it with such fury, I must say, your position as the Chief Executive Officer of the World News Agency ought to be reconsidered."

*Bang!* Ardemi's fist slammed onto the pristine wood that belonged to the wide table, sending cracks out.

The man glared at the other four with bewilderment and roared, "You want to remove me from my position!?"

"Indeed, perhaps a replacement is in order. I hear a young fiery reporter blazing his way through a plethora of news, what was his name again? Morgans?" Liné mused.

Bradley lowered his teacup with a smile and approvingly commented, "Such resolve, I must say, he reminds me of my youth."

Ardemi could not help but take a few steps back, his hands shaking from the thought of being fired.

"You can't do this to me. I started this company… You know how much I sacrificed!?"

Yet his words were met with blank stares.

"Oh, Ardemi. Please, don't make this more difficult than it has to be," Bizárré calmly stated. "We will announce it in the New Year's paper tomorrow morning."

The soon-to-be ex-CEO gritted his teeth as he saw the eyes of his superiors. Though technically they were of equal rank, a unanimous decision was beyond his authority.

He could only growl in anger and waltz out of the room, leaving the Four Directors alone.

Goji scoffed at the man's actions.

"Such weak tolerance, and even worse character, to think such a man held the position of Chief Executive Officer for so long, how distasteful."

Bradley cleared his throat to address the others once more.

"It is truly wonderful that we were able to snap out of our greed and bring truth to our papers, the New Year marks the revival of our creed as reporters!"

"Cheers!"

The four clinked their teacups, gulping them down with bright smiles.

Goji was joyful enough to utter some revolutionary words, "Perhaps, just maybe, it's time we step out from the umbrella of the World Government…"

…

[Outside]

"I can't believe this, those Four old dogs are gonna get all of us killed!" Ardemi roared out.

His thick boots dug into the insulated floors of the World New Agency HQ. The cold seeping in from the corners of the hallway was entirely extinguished by the seething fury of Ardemi.

He then reached for a snail in his breast pocket.

"Puru," "Puru," "Puru."

"Katcha~!"

"It's me, Ardemi."

The voice on the snail came right away: "Speak."

The ex-official of the WNA nodded with subservience, "Commander, it failed. The Directors have ousted me, I don't know how, but they seemed to have turned over a new leaf!"

"..."

The snail narrowed its eyes in deep thought.

"That is indeed bad news. We of CP-10 cannot fail any longer. Lord Xerxes had made that much clear," the voice replied. "Ardemi, no, Agent Demi, return to base, we cannot act too loudly just yet due to the Reverie but that doesn't mean we can't do anything…"

"Yes sir!"

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[Meanwhile, in the Underworld]

The news of Black Fish Barro's death had already made Underworld headlines.

The channels under his control had become turbulent, with previous contracts threatening to cut ties with the King of Shipping's entire industry. However, a new player entered the fold.

Even the other Emperors were caught off-guard as they heard of the new so-called King of Shipping that had taken over Barro's Empire with great haste.

Tens of bodies of bold spies were hung off the docks of the island, fresh crimson blood dripping down their broken corpses.

Such a loud display showcased the iron fist the new King ruled with and it made its point. Naturally, where there was such chaos, there was also Cipher Pol.

"Commander, should we try and take down this new King?" a masked agent asked.

The words echoed in the dull room, reaching the ears of the other man present.

He had a tribal mask on, donning a fully white attire. Standing nearly twelve feet tall with an imposing and mysterious figure.

Unlike the failures of CP-10, this group was far more efficient, they were CP-0!

"This new player's actions are calculated to showcase an iron fist to announce their ascension as the newest Underworld Emperor," the man slowly uttered.

"Barro was weak but his Empire was quite vast. If this new King can take over so fast, it shows their strength. For the time being, do everything in our power to weed out the identity of this Emperor."

The head agent cupped his chin over his mask and murmured to himself.

"She calls herself 'Fulcrum', I wonder in which direction she will tilt the balance of the Underworld…"

He then echoed a recent piece of information, "A Grand Banquet to invite all the ill-named personnel of the Underworld, it's ambitious… Perhaps it can be of use to the World Government."

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[Flower Capital, Wano]

Toki was currently mesmerized by closening Capital, a deep-rooted connection budding in her heart.

"Shall we enter?" a voice brought her out of her reverie.

She beamed a big smile and nodded with an, "Umm!"

…

Entering Wano, the bright sun bathed the area with its warmth while the pleasant breeze made one feel at home, the chirping birds adding music to the ear.

The two made their way through the streets that were lined up with commercial stalls and markets.

However, some people could not help but be drawn to the two 'guests'.

Toki was able to fit right in with her short pink kimono, even Damien had thrown on a simple black yukata to seem inconspicuous, though it did not work for everyone.

Some distant eyes had locked onto them, watching warily; Wano did not take kindly to foreigners.

Toki was too lost in absorbing the culture, going from stall to stall, breathing in her hometown's air and purchasing a few items.

The currency was not complicated. Naturally, Damien had borrowed all the cash from the bandits from earlier. Silver, gold and platinum are what they used.

…

Time passed.

The two visited many places.

Damien was also interested in the traditions of Wano, after all in his previous life, he had seen a lot of Japan through anime, and it was interesting to see it through the lens of Wano.

Dining on some meat stew, aka oden, drinking their custom saké and wasabi mix.

The two sat together at a public table with an umbrella to provide shade. Although they sat at the side of the street, they ended up garnering some stares.

'If I remember correctly, Toki's daughter from the original timeline, Hiyori, was the most beautiful woman in Wano so I suppose her mother would also earn worship,' Damien thought, feeling the lost eyes of a large line of men locked onto the gree-haired girl beside him.

What the pirate ignored was the effect of his own charm.

Damien, who brought an exotic flair from the outside world with his distinct hair and pirate demeanour was also quite the look for single and married women alike.

"Tch, no one told me not to bring my wife to the Capital today, she's entranced again!" a man in a blue yukata annoyingly snapped. "Last time it was that damn troublemaker, and this time it's this man!"

These words were uttered in quite a few gatherings as they tried to pry away their wives and daughters.

*Clatter* Though soon a giant man arrived with some smaller personnel.

"Boss-Hyo, that's them," a man whispered.

He spoke to the big man with flaming blue hair and goatee. He was bare-chested, fully displaying his blue tattoos with pink petals on his shoulders; quite the appearance.

[His Image (in Discord)]

The man who was esteemed by the people made his way over to the duo. His giant frame cast a wide shadow that enveloped them.

"Greetings, strangers," he calmly said, examining the two foreigners through his yellow sunglasses.

Damien looked up while taking a bit from a piece of chicken. He gulped it down, bone and all. Amused by the attention granted to him.

"We appreciate your welcome," he said, standing up.

Toki wiped her mouth with a napkin, gently placing it onto her empty plate and stood up as well.

The taller man narrowed his eyes and introduced himself, "My name is Hyogoro, are you two perhaps from beyond our land?"

His words put everyone nearby on guard.

Shing!

Damien felt the tense atmosphere, alongside the unsheathing of tens of weapons, namely katanas.

"We are guests."

Hyogoro squinted his eyes at the young intruder, unsure of the situation. After all, such a calm disposition was either indicative of a fool or someone confident in their ability.

"..." Toki stayed quiet, choosing not to interject. The silence left the air sharp and budding with danger.

Damien directed his hand toward Toki and spoke up, "My companion hails from Wano, we are here for a visit."

"Wano is a closed country," Hyogoro answered with a heavy voice. "Leaving and entering the country is a dire crime."

Toki bowed her head in the tradition of a greeting. "Please don't be at odds, Hyogoro-san. My name is Amatsuki Toki, my parents told me they once belonged here."

"!!!"

The statement brought quite a reaction from the people. The name-drop was enough to bring them back to some deep history of Wano.

Hyogoro became even more wary as he loudly questioned, "Amatsuki!? They were wiped out nearly four decades ago by the heinous Kurozumi Clan! Wano is indebted to them; how dare you try to use their name!"

*Shing!* He then unsheathed his sword and slashed down without waiting.

The blade was sharp and aimed at her throat, slicing through the air with a powerful buzz.

*Clang!* *Vvooo!*

Strong winds erupted from the sudden collision and sent the nearby spectators flying as they retreated to cover.

Hyogoro's men were also forced back dozens of meters, their sandals digging into the ground, leaving a trail.

One man was able to wince through the chaos and the result left him shocked. "He blocked Boss-Hyo's sword with one hand!"

The others also gawked in astonishment.

"Hmm!?"

Hyogoro's blazing eyebrows shook as he felt his blade immobile, he could not help but jump back five meters.

Another impasse arrived, leaving the swordsman glaring at Damien's unhurt hand.

"Perhaps you want to talk things out a little, Mr. Yakuza Boss," Damien calmly uttered, his crimson eyes locking onto the much larger opponent.

He did not mind fighting, but beating up a man as respected as Hoygoro would end his goal of attaining Ryuo without complications.

"..."

Hyogoro hesitated, then wrapped his blade with powerful Haki.

"I drew my sword, we can talk after you force me to sheath it."

*Woosh!*

He then jumped ahead, bringing the weapon down with much more force than before, sending out howling winds.

*Fwwm* Damien's left palm was clad in thick Haki as he met the blade.

Boom!

A far more powerful blast of air shot out in all directions, ripping the houses and buildings from their fasteners and taken to the sky. The very ground trembled as the samurai nearby tried their best to hold their balance.

"There's no way Boss-Hyo would lose!" they exclaimed.

Bam!

Another explosion went off as the Yakuza Boss' attack failed and forced him to retreat.

"Damien-san…," Toki muttered with some hesitation and self-blame.

"Never mind that, looks like I have to be a pirate and take what I want!"

This time, Damien took the initiative, rushing ahead with little care for defense. He spun in the air, directing a roundhouse kick onto the enemy.

The black sword met Damien's shin and vibrated incessantly.

"What monstrous power!" Hyogoro cried out as he was pushed back.

"Die, intruder!"

"We Samurai don't fear you, we'll cut you down together!"

Tens of yakuza members and even random people came in between the two, pointing their swords at Damien.

*Fwwm* Haki shone brightly as quite a few of them exercised impressive Armament Haki.

"Don't get in my way."

Damien's words came with a repulsive explosion of powerful and overwhelming weight. It befell the men as their very brains felt like exploding, completely overturning their consciences.

White foam bubbled out from their mouths as their bodies fell one by one, thudding onto the earth below. The fifty or so men all fell unconscious.

Hyogoro winced in shock, returning to his feet.

A sense of heaviness pervaded his mind as he gazed back at Damien as he heard the enemy's next words.

"Since you Samurai drew your swords first, I can kill you without any fault to myself, right?"

The Yakuza Boss could not help but glance at the destruction caused by the casual attacks of the intruder.

'Such a powerful man wouldn't lie…' he thought to himself.

Hyogoro then stared at the quiet Toki.

"Perhaps I was too hasty," he slowly said, stabilizing his heart. "I will put my all into the next attack, spare the others with my life!"

"One-Sword Style of the Flower: Flaming Hair of Holy Rage!"

[A/N: That's a canon attack; I didn't come up with the name.]

Hyogoro shot out from his position, his blade once again swimming with Haki.

*Purrup* However, what was surprising was that the sword was wrapped in a purple bubble. The gently-flowing Haki began to gather and cover the weapon.

Damien smirked at the usage of Advanced Armament Haki, excited to meet the attack.

"Excellent Haki!"

The pirate also rocketed out, this time his hand boiling with pulverizing red energy. The very advent of the crimson energy brought on a grizzly noise that came from the shredding of air.

"Fury Road!"

The fist caught fire that only furthered the intimidating attack and blasted through the air unto the coming sword.

Clang!

However, out of nowhere, the two met another obstacle.

"!!!"

Damien's eyes widened as he felt a sword meet his fist halting it in mid-air.

Hyogoro also froze as his blade was stopped by someone, bringing their soon-to-occur collision to a sudden stop.

The pirate glanced at the old man who had arrived, standing barely four feet tall (1.22 m). He had an aged face, probably in his eighties.

Hyogoro seemed quite surprised, "Master!"

"Hyo-brat, how many times have I told you not to be so hard-headed," the old man scolded with a sharp voice.

He then turned to Damien, "Young lad, I apologize for my student."

The Sin Incarnate did not answer, simply watching as the old man walked in Toki's direction.

"Young lady, may I see your katana," he softly asked.

Toki paused for a moment before nodding and removing the blade at her waist.

The short old man traced his wrinkly finger over the crescent moon symbol adorned over the scabbard with a lost look.

"This crest does indeed belong to the Amatsuki Clan."

The aged eyes fell onto the green-haired girl once again, "I didn't expect a descendant to still be alive to this day…"

Hyorgoro and his aides, and even the people of Wano remained quiet, letting the old man continue.

He looked up under the shadow of his long, white eyebrows and directed his words to the two, "Guests from the outside seas, would you please follow me? The Shogun would surely like to meet you both."

To Be Continued…

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Author's Corner.

Things got a little messy at the World News Agency, same with the Underworld. Meanwhile, Damien and Toki found a way to meet the Shogun, though with some obstacles.

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

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