Chapitre 69: [69] Shifting Scales

[2760 words]

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The Balance-Balance fruit would enable its user to ultimately attain anything as long as item(s) of equal value was traded.

[You only have two tokens left, Damien,] Sibyl cautioned him.

"Rahaha! Those tokens are like money, worthless if they aren't used. It's better to make up my mind and go for it rather than to rethink every single choice."

Damien pondered about the strict nature of the token and added, "Plus, both the Deprive fruit and Balance fruit are fitting auxiliary abilities."

Damien's lax expression soon sharpened as he thought over something.

"On top of that, the Balance fruit can also be a contingency…"

[What for?]

"..."

Before he could think any further, a booming voice echoed through the surrounding area.

"Damien!"

Loud footsteps went off as a towering samurai walked toward the pirate with a wide grin and wild nature.

"Oden, you here for another beating?"

The man replied with a thundering laugh, not considering any of it.

He had arrived with both his retainers, Denjiro and Kin'emon.

The former was quite skinny donning a yellow kimono, sunglasses and a blue ponytail while the latter had spiky blond hair and a blue and yellow kimono.

[Their Images (in Discord)]

"Wahahaha! A samurai who fails to get up after a loss is nothing but a disgrace to Wano!"

Damien rolled his eyes and saw an annoying future.

"Stop reaching for your swords, I can read you like a book."

Oden paused, he looked down at his hand that was moments away from moving to unsheath his blades.

"You… Can you see the future?"

Damien smirked, "Not only can I see you charging at me, but I can also see you being shot back all the way to the Flower Capital with a punch of mine."

The Samurai laughed in the face of the threat, "Wahaha! Good, I want to see the look on Lord Shogun's face when I crash into his mansion!"

Though his mind switched interests disturbingly fast. "Say, I heard you come from outside Wano, is it true!?"

The man's face was bright in smiles, waiting in expectation and excitement.

Damien started walking to the Daimyo Building once more, with Oden trailing him.

"That's right."

The words filled the exiled man with fire as he declared with anticipation, "Good! Take me with you when you leave!"

"Oden-sama!" the two retainers gawked with fear; leaving Wano was a capital offense!

Damien turned his eyes to the grinning fool and scoffed, "I refuse."

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[Later that Night]

Damien and Toki had been given a grand room for their stay.

The girl was busy in the history of the region, leaving Damien alone. He sat on a cushion, playing around with a brown fruit.

"There's no time to hesitate; let's do it."

Damien then brought out a golden token, holding it in his left hand while the fruit was in the other.

*Crack*

He crushed the golden coin-like item as it burst out in a golden spectacle. The shiny mist swirled around Damien's hand as he then grabbed the fruit.

The energy surrounded the Devil Fruit as it was slowly drying up.

It took but a moment till the item was sucked up, leaving behind an ordinary fruit, devoid of any design or swirls.

The golden energy soon returned to Damien, flooding its way to his heart.

Damien deeply sighed while a ding went off in his mind.

[One {Fruit Ability Transfer Token} has been used. The token has materialized into the following ability: ]

[{Equal Exchange} – Grants the auxiliary ability to exchange for anything as long as item(s) of equal value are given in its place.]

Damien absorbed the details of the power, it was fairly simple.

He then willed some thoughts together that, with the help of Sibyl, created an interface of sorts in his mind.

>=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=<

{Equal Exchange Menu}

[X = Y]

[Please input the X value and the System will generate the required items to most efficiently exchange for it.]

>=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=<

Damien understood the concept and pitched his thoughts.

*Ding*

>=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=<

{Equal Exchange Menu}

[X = Ore needed to craft a Supreme Grade Blade.]

[Loading…]

*Ding*

[Items required for exchange have been calculated.]

…

[Exchange Offer #1: Requires 5 Great Blades.]

[Exchange Offer #2: Requires 2 Great Blades that have both become Black Blades.]

[Exchange Offer #3: Requires 3 Great Blade & 1 Great Sword that has become a Black Blade.]

[Exchange Offer #4: Requires 4 Great Blades & 4 Skillful Blades.]

[…]

(A/N: I rewrote 'Great Grade Blades' as 'Great Blades' as it was a mouthful to say "Great Grade Blade" every time.)

>=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=<

The list went on for dozens of offers.

The idea was simple, as non-Supreme Meito were considered failed replicas of Supreme ones, if brought together with appropriate quantity and quality, they could be traded for the desired ore.

"One Supreme is equal to five Great Blades while one Great Blade is equal to four Skillful Blades," Damien concluded.

The dilemma that plagued him was so simply resolved.

It was a good day!

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[The Next Day]

It was time for breakfast.

Unfortunately, it was crashed by a certain someone.

"*Munch* Damien, *Munch*, why won't you take me, *Munch*, with you?" Oden unloaded a barrage of questions, lacking any manners.

Damien disliked talking while he ate so he simply ignored it.

…

After the meal, Oden finally received a reply, though in the form of a question.

"Oden, how do you see the current Wano?"

His face scrunched up with irritation, "A prison! Leaving these borders is my life's goal!"

Yasuie, who had remained quiet, suddenly grew angry.

"Oden, you fool! You are the son of the Shogun and the future of Wano! How can you be caught up in such childish thoughts!?"

The young Samurai scoffed in return, "Uncle, don't try to convince me out of it! I'm already exiled from the Capital, I want to see the outside world!"

Kozuki Oden at his current age, simply put, was a failure as a leader, unbothered by his home. However, his future excursions would change that, though ultimately it would be too late.

"If tomorrow a huge fleet of pirates were to arrive at Wano, what would you do?" Damien questioned. "Will you use the opportunity to escape your 'prison', or will you stay and protect your home?"

Oden was about to refute but Damien did not plan to stop.

"Wano is a beautiful paradise for many. However, it bears great resources and is a natural fortress; a perfect place for a powerful pirate to conquer."

The Sin Incarnate continued, "Many centuries ago, the Sword God Ryuma protected Wano's borders from its attackers, but do you think the current Wano can do the same?"

*Tut*

Damien placed his empty tea cup down, opting to drink some saké instead.

The crimson pupils locked onto the silent Oden and examined every shiver on the swordsman's face.

"I know it's your dream to venture abroad, but first, you should consider the safety of Wano otherwise you will lose it faster than you can imagine."

The words took everyone, Yasuie, Oden, Denjiro, Kin'emon, even Toki, into a reverie.

Wano was powerful, very much so. But they were also ignorant of the fantastical reality of Devil Fruits. Centuries of isolation had left them susceptible to well-coordinated attacks.

Damien then gave the aspiring pirate a small grin, "You can hear its voice too, can't you?"

"!!!"

Oden's eyes widened as he heard the question and made an audible gulp.

"Y-You can hear it too?"

Damien nodded, "Wano's voice is calm, but for whatever reason it feels like it's harbouring great secrets. These walls won't protect you forever."

Boom!

He then shot a burst of Conqueror's Haki, sweeping at the ex-Noble.

"You're entirely ignorant to the conniving voices in this very building; open your ears!"

Damien's words echoed in Oden's mind, every syllable ringing within.

The Voice of All Things was something they both shared. It was not hard to observe the overarching emotions of others.

Oden did as told: he opened his mind to the whispers of the world.

"..."

He could hear the critters and crawlies nearby, deciphering their thoughts.

However, he also heard another voice plagued with vile thoughts and insecurities, originating from a small room in the Daimyo's Estate.

Oden, who had his eyes closed, could not help but show a scrunched-up expression as he heard the hidden snake-like existence.

It was slippery with dangerous teeth, much like a snake waiting to pounce. But it leaked a voice of betrayal and endless greed.

"That voice…" Oden woke up.

He shot up from his position, running to the far side of the manor.

Yasuie was about to chase after him, but Damien gestured to him to remain seated.

"There's a parasite in your home."

The daimyo was a little confused but gave his guest the benefit of the doubt.

…

"O-Oden-sama! Pl-Please let me go! I-I haven't done anything!" a pathetic voice cried out.

The main party watched as Oden threw a weepy, purple-haired boy onto the center carpet.

"Uncle, I don't know why, but this kid is harbouring a lot of hatred in his heart, it's creepy!"

Yasuie squinted his eyes, glaring at the boy.

"Y-Yasuie-sama, please! Help me, I-I've served you for a year and am deeply grateful for everything you've done for me!"

The Daimyo then glared at Oden as if demanding him to explain further.

At that time, another voice went off, "Yasuie, both Oden and I can hear the Voice of the Universe," Damien said. "It's telling us that this kid holds deep malice for both you and all of Wano."

"""Voice of the Universe?"""

Even Oden was not sure what his ability was, joining in on the unanimous question.

Shing!

The exiled prince broke out his swords, pointing at the little snake's throat. "Orochi, who the hell are you?"

Yasuie seemed quite angry though he reined it in as he still looked at Oden as the next Shogun.

The quivering snake, on the other hand, was shaking like a baby. Snot dribbled out from his wide nose and tears swamping out from his eyes.

"O-O-Oden-sama, I-I-I…!"

The wild aura being released from Oden was enough to force the teenager into a severely shocked state, unable to form words.

Damien stood up and grabbed Oden's shoulder, pulling him back.

Yasuie shot up as well. Glaring at the three. Eventually, he gazed at the messy servant, "Speak up, Orochi, I'll allow you to tell your side."

Orochi gulped, slowly inching to the exit.

*Thud*

Though his body collided with the duo of Kin'emon and Denjiro who had removed their weapons as well.

The influx of such hostility made Orochi run to the nearest source of light… Toki.

He tried crawling to the girl who was originally shining with kindness and warmth but was met with cautious eyes.

"Damien-san wouldn't say such things without reason," the green-haired girl firmly stated. "Your best choice is to be honest."

Instead of bringing relief to the boy, the words made him angry.

The weak and timid appearance was overtaken by eyes filled with malice and pure hatred.

Orochi looked around, every exit blocked, and exploded in his fury, "Y-You! I had to live through hell because of Wano! All because of my grandfather's actions! I won't be hunted down like a dog any longer!"

Boom!

With his vicious comments, the boy erupted with a vile light.

His body began to grow and transform. Thick, reptilian legs took over his limbs as his body grew larger and larger.

*Fwooo*

His neck elongated like a snake as seven other separate heads sprouted from his chest, totalling eight.

Orochi's body took on a dark green colour as serpentine faces appeared at the top of the heads, forming a fearsome spawn.

A hydra-like beast, the Yamata-no-Orochi!

[Image (in Discord)]

"Gufufufu! I've wanted to kill you all!"

Each of the heads soon shot out in different directions, their maws widening to devour the others whole.

"What a monstrous creature!" Kin'emon reacted as he slashed at the head.

Yasuie drew his blade as well, taken aback by how things turned out.

Oden growled, "Orochi, your slimy snake always gave me the creeps, I'll cut you apart!"

"Oden Two-Sword Style: Samurai Great Spirit!"

His Haki-clad blades shot forth at the collection of heads, slashing and cleaving them one by one.

*Thud* *Splutter*

One by one, each of the heads fell, beheaded. Blood shot out from the open throats as the beast roared out in pain.

"Auughh!"

Orochi's body thumped to the floor, reappearing as a feeble boy once more.

*Shing!*

A thin cut appeared on his remaining head, threatening to chop it off at any second.

The boy frantically waved his hands, as if asking for mercy, "Stop! Stop! I-I surrender, please!"

Oden snorted, unfazed by the cries for help: "Speak, who are you?"

Orochi gulped, his Adam's apple touched the edge of the blade while some droplets of blood leaked out.

"M-My name is Kurozumi Orochi…."

Yasuie's eyes widened as his body started glowing in anger.

"No wonder he is so vile at heart, Semimaru, that bastard who sought to take over Wano decades ago is his grandfather! The same man who killed the heads of every other Major Clan but the Kozuki!"

"Kurozumi…," Toki muttered, recalling the tale Shogun Sukiyaki had told.

The story concluded with her entire lineage being cut in Wano by the hands of the traitorous Kurozumi.

Damien saw her anger spark for the first time, watching the turn of events from the side.

"Why are you here?" Oden continued the interrogation.

Orochi began tweeting like a bird as he felt his life on the line, "I-I want to be the Shogun of Wano, to make those who hunted me down since my birth into my dogs! I am owed that little!"

Denjiro, who had disappeared to check Orochi's, soon came out from the back carrying a sack of items.

The thick bags hit the ground as the contents leaked out: bars of gold.

"That's the gold Orochi accused Oden-sama of stealing!" Kin'emon declared. "You bastard, you tried to turn Yasuie-sama against us!"

"P-Please spare me!" Orochi cried out as the blades got closer to his head. "I'm just a kid!"

Oden scoffed.

"When I was your age, I was carving rivers to help the drought-ridden Flower Capital so that the people had fresh water to drink!"

'And flooded it,' Yasuie thought to himself, recalling Oden's exploits.

*Swish*

Not even the air was forgiven as the two swords slashed down and decapitated the enemy, the fat head of Orochi spinning off.

Blood dyed the ground, as the fallen body could only twitch in the final embers of life.

"..."

A momentary silence arrived as the beast-like body of Orochi remained immobile, dripping with fresh blood as it seeped into the wooden floorboards.

The emergence of the hydra-like creature had already left the Estate with shredded wood and ripped walls.

Damien's heavy boots walked across the bloodied floors as he reached down and placed his hand on the beheaded Orochi.

"A waste of a Mythical Fruit, I'll give you a better user," Damien muttered under his breath.

The extended arm turned gray as white fern-like patterns appeared, shining brightly. The body began to twitch, almost as if it was feigning death, under Damien's powers.

Not long after, a purple fruit with a lime-green stem was pulled out.

[Fruit Image (in Discord)]

Damien tossed the fruit up and down, then pocketed it away. Regardless of the outcome, Orochi was a hundred percent dead.

The pirate's intimidating eyes fell on the others, leaving his final piece of advice, "There's no way this fool could hatch such a plan, he probably has people helping him."

It was a shuddering thought. The same clan that almost took over Wano a while back was close to rejuvenating itself right under the nose of a Daimyo.

What they didn't know was that Damien long knew the identities of the other snakes hiding in the gutters, planning the fall of Wano. Such pieces of information he chose against unveiling just yet. At the end of the day, he was a pirate, not a saint.

Oden sighed as he eyed the corpse.

"Damien, I owe you thanks for opening my eyes, or my ears in this case," he lightly chuckled.

Though his seriousness warped into a gleeful smile.

"So, can you take me out of Wano now?"

The words resulted in a giggle from Toki, a sigh from Kin'emon and Denjiro and an audible facepalm from Yasuie.

To Be Continued…

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Author's Corner.

Realistically the greatest threat to Wano was Kaido and not Orochi.

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

commentaire Commentaire 24

Voter

Chapitre 70: [70] Forging History

[2900 words]

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"Oden!" Yasuie roared out as he heard the familiar words uttered by the rebellious Samurai.

"Wahaha! I'm kidding, Uncle, don't slash at me!" the exiled boy yelled as the blade shot at him.

"I get it now, I'm not ready to go and leave Wano defenceless… that rat Orochi was a wake-up call."

Oden, who had a brash and bold nature, also had enough smarts to put two and two together.

After all, Orochi must have had a lot of outside help to grow under Yasuie for over a year while completely escaping the eyes of the Samurai and Ninja who were known for their stealth and surveilling nature.

A budding threat at the root of one of the major regions of Wano and no one knew about it.

Oden then looked at Damien with some thought, "Why are you helping me so much, have you decided to take me from here? Very good!"

The pirate rolled his eyes, slowly becoming immune to Oden's minuscule brain cell count.

"Didn't you hear me, Wano is a pot of gold everyone will chase after. Naturally, I will too."

"..." The frank words drew the eyes of everyone.

The pirate returned a grin and had little desire to hide his intentions.

"A turbulent event will happen soon and it will unleash the beasts onto the world in no time, even Wano won't be spared. I need my cards prepared and this land will be one of them."

Though his tone shifted to a slightly unimpressed one.

"That aside, I suggest you fix yourself up. Wano is weak right now. The Samurai are clustered; the experienced ones are getting older and the younger ones have no contact with outside threats."

"On top of that, your Ninja failed to spot a grave threat like the Kurozumi while allowing chaos to thrive in Kuri."

The pirate's face grew more and more disapproving as he finished his critique, "All in all, Wano is a mess with their only heir apparent running around like a spoiled brat."

Oden backed up, taking in invisible arrows to his chest, flopping on the floor under the volley of the stray bullets.

Kin'emon and Denjiro grumbled at the words of their homes being referred to as trash.

Damien glared at the dramatic Oden and thought to himself, 'I guess Kaido's arrival is what sharpened Wano to a decent force, but right now they're too used to peace.'

"Do yourself a favour and mend your bond with your father. Fix up your country and realign its forces," Damien advised. "Only then do you have a chance of changing the isolation policy for the betterment of Wano."

The exiled son remained quiet for a while, swamped on the floor, rethinking his life.

"Hmm, Lord Shogun won't take me back; I'm not the type to live under all those tiresome rules and traditions!"

Damien returned a shrug, "You don't have to, just mend your ties and, well, rein in your unruliness a little. If anything, you can bring the country together and take over under your father's guidance."

"Oden," Yasuie nodded from the side," if you tell the Shogun about the Kurozumi survivors, I'm sure he will favour you."

Toki clapped her hands, pleased with the way things were going.

Oden slowly stood up, "Okay, okay! Stop! I need some air to absorb all that information!"

*Whizz!* He dashed out of the room and into the busy streets of Hakumai.

His two retainers tailed him down, leaving three people at the estate.

"That boy," Yasuie muttered with a thin smile, "he's a little slow but it seems there's a budding flame in his eyes that wasn't there before."

…

[A Week Later]

Days went by as the time for the appointment with Katsuyoshi had come.

He had arrived at the decrepit house.

*Knock* *Knock*

"..."

"Oi, old man, if you're gonna croak, do it after my weapon is forged!"

*Creak*

The door slid open with a loud thwack and the hinges tore open from the force as the door frame fell apart.

"You brat! Look what you did! Now I'll have to get some lumber and fix it all, you damn kid!"

He doubled in anger once more as his very beard seemed to rise in fury.

Damien cleared his throat, "Alright, my bad. Don't burden your heart with all that blood pressure."

Katsuyoshi snorted, "I can't die till my ambition is fulfilled; death can wait like the brat he is!"

Damien found the grumpy man funny, unable to hold in his chuckle.

"Well, are you ready?" the senior swordsmith questioned the pirate.

The pirate hummed as he looked at the worn-out bin outside the house, "Say, old man, are you gonna use those swords over there?"

Katsuyoshi trailed his eyes over and saw the bin and replied with a look of distaste, "Hell no, the only thing they're useful for is scratching my back."

Damien smirked and walked over to the bin.

He opened it and was met with the shine of the masterfully crafted weapons. The pirate's hands went through the stash of dozens of weapons, choosing the best of them.

…

A few moments later, five swords lay on the cracked soil below. Each had also been Deprived of any minuscule dust and rust and brought to perfection.

Katsuyoshi waddled over, "The hell you up to, you unruly squirt?"

Damien didn't answer, he simply extended a palm to the five swords.

'Complete the exchange,' he ordered Sibyl.

*Vvooo~*

The {Equal Exchange} ability fired up as the blades soon hovered in the air with an ominous shiver.

A light brown hue fell on the barren lawn as the blades were freed from the handle and guard of the katana.

They began to spaz in the air, uncontrollably trembling.

*Poof* And they were gone.

"..."

Katsuyoshi blinked at the display, wiping his tired eyes as if thinking he was in an illusion. The light brown light shined once more as a purple brick of ore appeared.

Boom!

It slammed into the ground, leaving a crater behind.

A bright gleam glistened from the heap of metal, shining dully in the autumn sun.

"Boy… this!"

Damien walked up and traced his fingers on the chunk of metal.

>=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=<

[Universellium Ore]

[An ore that had crashed in the One Piece world 1000 years ago and eventually used to craft the 12 Supreme Grade Meito.]

[Enough for 1 weapon.]

>=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=<

[Ore Image (in Discord)]

Damien smiled with contentment, greatly pleased with the result.

Though his body was soon shoved to the side as the feeble Katsuyoshi jumped onto the ore, hugging it with all his might.

His hands dug into the ore so much that blood dribbled out from under his weathered nails, "T-This is it! I've waited so long for this! A hundred and eighty years… my wishes have been answered!!!"

His wrinkly hands traced the metal as if hating the idea of letting go. Tears fell from his fossilized face, a deep sense of fulfillment emanating from him.

"So, old man, can you do it?"

The words brought the weeping swordsman out of his reverie.

Katsuyoshi jumped down and ripped off his shirt, showing off thick and firm muscles; ten-pack abs and a shredded body built over a century of manual labour.

"KOKOKO! Brat, I don't know how you did it, and I don't care how you did it. just wait, I'll make a weapon worthy of carrying the weight of the heavens themselves!"

The declaration came with a resounding boom of energy that shot out in all directions, bringing the birds above and animals scurried about, to the ground, unconscious.

The living fossil led Damien into the smithy that had been fixed up and ready to be fired up.

*Crackle* Katsuyoshi lit the flame and added some reagents that riled up the blue fire to great proportions.

A spanning pot was prepared right above the flame, causing it to glow a blazing red.

*Purrup* The boiling heat began steaming as the moisture in the air evaporated, leaving a sizzling-hot cauldron.

Damien threw in the Universellium Ore at Katsuyoshi's command.

A wave of heat burst out that was hot enough to melt human skin. It took but a few moments to melt the solid ore into a liquid as the blue flame below continued its ravaging heat.

"..."

Katsuyoshi watched with hawk-like vision, examining the ore as it got to the desired level.

"Now!"

He moved fast as lightning, tilting the pot to the side, allowing the molten metal to flow into a previously prepared mould.

*Szzzz*

The air cried in agony as the heat caused an absurd amount of water vapour to materialize, blanketing the room with its foggy nature.

Katsuyoshi was not bothered; his bronze skin was long immune to such heat. He instead watched with great attention while the liquid metal filled up the mould to its necessary levels.

He moved around a metal prong that distributed the metal into every small crevice, ensuring it reached every nook and cranny.

…

Two hours passed as the mould was filled.

Katsuyoshi then grabbed two large hammers and went on a frenzy.

Clang!

Boom!

Thwack!

Bang!

Clang!

Boom!

Dozens of rhythmic explosions echoed through Hakumai. They resounded every three seconds, loud enough to awaken the dead.

"What's going on?"

"Is it the final hour?"

"It's so loud!"

Thousands of people scrambled out—some panicking, some curious, some fearful.

"Calm down, you all!" Yasuie declared as he knew of what was to come.

His eyes could not help but be drawn to the huge cloud of smokey air on the distant edge of the region. "He actually got old man Katsuyoshi to work, but this ringing is a little too much!"

Clang!

Boom!

Thwack!

Bang!

The unforgiving sound shook the town to its very roots.

*Rumble*

"The heavens are angry!" a zealous old man cried out.

The others looked up and saw arcs of lightning spawn in the clouds above. Thunder crackled, further amplified by the constant clanging.

…

Damien narrowed his eyes, rapidly sending out particles of Pulverizing energy to break apart into electricity.

It seemed the very hammer striking the metal was enough to light it with plasma, and naturally heat.

The walls of the smithy had melted away while the loose electric charge was swept into the air, creating a thunderous cloud above. It was no heavenly phenomenon, rather, just a build-up of electrons.

Katsuyoshi breathed heavily, though he did not stop for a moment.

His hammer had already melted away, forcing him to bring out twenty spare ones.

Clang!

Bang!

Boom!

…

Oden, who was sleeping under the graceful wind, was awakened by the crazy situation.

"What the hell is going on!"

He scrambled to his feet, reaching for his blades.

"Huh? Enma, Ame-no-Habakiri, what's wrong with you two?" he muttered.

The trusted weapons his seniors had gifted him were trembling. Every famed blade had sentience, the higher their quality, the higher their level of intelligence, showcasing the unique situation's effect on Oden's weapons.

He looked at the huge plume of smoke headed with a furious cloud and exclaimed, "Amazing! That's where Damien went, looks like I'm late to the party!"

…

Similar things happened all over Wano.

The ones with famed swords were reacting to the creation of a new blade. While the general public was awakened by the distant clanging that echoed all through the country.

Hyogoro, Raizen and Sukiyaki, all were taken to their feet.

"What is it?"

The question was shared by most as the cloud of smoke and building storm were far too sudden and out of the ordinary.

…

Even Ringo, a land far North of Wano, felt rhythmic tremors.

In the cold building of the Daimyo, the very wooden floor seemed to shake.

Ushimaru could not help but unsheath his blade, "What's wrong with you?" he asked the quivering blade. "Is it that young man? Looks like he fulfilled his wishes."

…

Clang!

Hakumai continued to shake while Katsuyoshi hammered away.

"Almost done!" he declared, though his eyes were still glued to the hot metal. The sheer crimson light was bright to the point that it could blind the average man.

"Get the handle," the swordsmith ordered Damien.

The pirate looked to the side and saw the long wooden handle made from Adam's Oak, polished and durable as a mountain.

Damien gently placed the handle into its designated area near the bottom of the blades; meanwhile, Katsuyoshi fitted the handle in place and added the necessary joints to ensure it would not come loose.

He then picked up a new hammer and went at it again.

Boom!

Clang!

Bang!

The blade was soon complete, much to Wano's relief.

BOOM!

A final explosion graced the region as the banging calmed down.

"Now, brat! You got a minute before the blade wakes up, add in your sorcery with Ryuo!"

Damien did not need to be told twice.

He placed his hand on the blade ripe with flames and electricity.

*Purrup* A current of pulverizing energy channelled out from his body, through his arm and into the blade. At the same time, a bubble of gentle Emission Haki was inputting itself into the blade.

The Ryuo opened a path for the pulverizing energy to seep into the blade.

*Bzzzz* The ground began to shake as the blade rejected the energy. Damien did not stop, rather, he increased the input of Devil Fruit's power.

Second by second, the warped metal began to shake loudly as the crimson energy seeped into its very molecules, attaching itself to every atom.

The purple blade was soon transformed into a blazing red colour as it inhaled the energy.

*Fuuuu* Crimson mist formed as the excess fruit power formed gaseous collections of destruction.

Katsuyoshi could no longer stay near, his body was soon ringing with the tiny particles of destruction leaking out, forcing him to leave. His three-foot frame waddled out from the destroyed house, meeting a tired Yasuie.

"Old man 'Yoshi, what's going on!"

The fossil couldn't care less about the mayhem as his eyes remained glued to the ruined smithy, "Hedgehog-brat, just watch, a true treasure is about to be born!"

The nearby Samurai who had arrived were also taken aback by the words.

"Oi, Oi, old man fossil, is Damien in there?" Naturally, the words came from Oden.

"Hehe, I'm going in!" As if to confirm his brash nature, Oden jumped ahead into the plume of volatile red, his curiosity taking over. A grin of pure glee was glued to the exiled noble's face as he felt the collection of hellacious energy.

*Fwooo* Yet his towering frame was soon halted.

"Whaaaat iiissss goooing oonnnnnn!!!?"

Oden's words were all jumbled up as his body was frozen in the air, a green halo surrounded his body like a shell.

"It's better you wait here, Oden-san," a soft voice came from the side, originating from a green-haired girl.

Toki eyed the plume of smoke and warned, "Damien-san doesn't want any interruptions, please stand back!"

Yasuie narrowed his eyes onto the girl's arm which was encircled with a green ring, "I underestimated the Amatsuki girl, to think she also has such powerful sorcery from the outside world!" he muttered in shock.

At closer inspection, it was evident that Oden was not necessarily frozen in the air, rather, his body was greatly slowed down, barely moving an inch at a time.

BOOOM!

An explosion shook the earth.

Cracks appeared all over the surrounding land, leaving dozens of people to lose their balance.

"What now?" Kin'emon muttered in the wake of the boom.

Hundreds of people stared at the origin of the smoke as they felt the air change.

Toki released Oden who fell to the ground with a thud, his swords trembling louder and louder.

"Wahahaha!" the samurai laughed, glancing up from the floor with burning eyes. "That guy got an incredible weapon!"

The onlookers watched as the air grew sharp and a howling wind broke out.

*Thump*

Rhythmic steps resounded under the shadow cast by the smoke and slowly but surely, a silhouette was visible.

"…" Silence pervaded as the figure cleared up.

Damien's familiar stature was seen as he held up a mighty weapon with his left hand.

A wide shadow was cast under the blazing blade.

Yasuie gulped at the sight of the newly born weapon. It had a dull staff-like handle that was connected to the body of a great sword. It was beyond an orthodox blade; the metal body held together a thick blade which coiled around and formed a pincer-like edge with seething red mist emanating from the dreaded weapon.

Katsuyoshi looked at the spectacle, unable to stop his tears of joy. The man's olden voice resounded the region, filled with emotion and pride, "There it is… the Thirteenth Blade!"

[Image (in Discord)]

The sun was perfect at noon, shining a single ray through the hellish cloud above and onto the pirate grasping the violent weapon.

A few words escaped the pirate's mouth as his eyes were locked onto the pulsating blade, "You will be 'Ryushi' meaning 'particle' as you render everything to dust."

The weapon responded with an audible hum, emanating with tyrannous spirit, declaring its birth to all of Wano and the world beyond.

To Be Continued…

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Author's Corner.

That's a checkmark on the two main things Damien wanted in Wano, I wonder if a few bonuses are coming his way before he leaves.

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

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