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32.77% One Piece: Path to Power / Chapter 55: [55] Scars

Chương 55: [55] Scars

[2850 words]

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"What about it? It's just an arm."

The spectating marines nearly fell to the ground.

"B-But you are 'Black Arm' Zephyr, and now…"

The Vice Admiral stood up, his face slightly angered.

"Now what!? Do you want me to retire? I can take down just as many pirates with one arm as I did with two. My justice is worth far more than a single limb!"

His proclamation shook the nearby soldier, wondering if they could say the same thing in Zephyr's place. The thought left them with nothing but admiration and respect, reflected in their immediate arrow-straight posture and discipline.

"Ugh!"

Zephyr, who had stood up, could not help but go down on one knee.

His purple hair was still damp with sweat and blood, and now his face had gone pale from the sudden movement.

*Drip* *Drip*

Blood dribbled out from his stump as the man muttered under his breath, "Damn that monstrous pirate, I just hope he took some damage too!"

The Marines scrambled, frantically waving their arms, "Please rest, Zephyr-sama!"

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[The Catacombs]

The tunnels deep below the Castle were hidden and unknown to most. They were long and constantly branching into many others. 

However, under the veil of darkness were a duo, traversing the maze with great speed and precision.

Damien had bandaged the aching wounds, unlike most of his injuries, those caused by Advanced Haki took longer to heal. 

Aurora had let down her long silky hair, its colour matching the air around the two. 

"You know these tunnels well, Aurora."

The girl gave a thin smile, her eyes trying to hide her sadness.

"I used to play with my sister down here, we had a game where we would pick a path each and see which one of us could reach the end of the catacombs first."

The memory brought some genuine happiness to the girl as she momentarily forgot the loss that followed.

"In light of Proditor's betrayal, my father was killed right away. They found my mother but not before she gave us sisters time to escape through here. However, in my hurry, I lost my way and ended up splitting away from my sister."

Aurora shook her head, falling into silence.

"..."

The only sound was the occasional dripping of water that had seeped through the soil above, mixing into the Night Realm's aetherial ambience.

The two continued to walk on ahead.

The girl finally heaved a sigh, "I ended up in a part of the Catacombs I never ventured to before… it was where the giant blue stone and a purple Devil Fruit rested."

She then waved her hand as a trail of aether followed suit, dissolving into the purple shadows.

"I ate the fruit and my fear of getting caught by the traitors threw me into the Night Realm right away, allowing me to easily retrace my steps."

Damien narrowed his eyes as he saw the girl ball her fists; Aurora was turned away from him yet he could sense her gnashing her teeth.

"When I got there, everything was on fire… The Prabna Family's armies had already arrived."

She subconsciously looked at the ground, trying to hide her shame as she explained, "The Marines had caught my sister and Proditor executed her alongside my mother at the front of the burnt castle."

"Everyone just watched from the sides while I watched from the darkness."

The girl clenched her hand to the point of blood dripping out. "If only... if only I could control my powers a little more, maybe I could have saved them!"

.

Damien replied in a straight tone, glancing at the girl, "And then what? You think you can take down an Admiral?"

Aurora went silent, though still leading the way.

"I haphazardly rampaged around in a Mafia Stronghold after they destroyed my home island. Lucky for me, I was able to awaken Observation Haki and showered my own justice in their blood."

The pirate's voice was laced with nostalgia as he continued, "You came back and took down the usurpers; your family can rest now, that is the best you can do."

"As for Kurowashi? He'll get what's coming for him."

"..."

Damien did not need a reply, he was just sharing his thoughts.

He had a similar story. The usual greed of a few ruins lives. Justice was the right of the victor to claim. 

After a good few minutes, the girl had visibly calmed down. Her hand had been loosened, almost as if letting go of a heavy weight.

Aurora nodded to herself and slowly glanced back, locking eyes with her companion, "I'm glad I met you, Damien, she said with an honest smile.

Her purple eyes were exceptionally clear after reaching the point where vengeance didn't drive her life.

"Rahahaha!" Damien laughed as he felt the clarity in the girl's eyes and face. "You weren't this thankful when we first met, from what I recall, you tried to kill me."

Aurora turned her head away in embarrassment. "That was a different time… now, everything has changed!"

Damien looked at her with an amused face. 

The Voice of All Things allowed him to hear quite a lot; easily tracing the emotional spikes of the assassin.

"Here I thought your heart was beating that fast because you were treading this maze after so many years…"

his words send a shiver down Aurora's back, reflecting in another spike.

.

The two continued in dark silence once more as the pirate was left smiling wryly.

The little trip through the never-ending Catacombs went different from what the Sin Incarnate had expected.

He narrowed his eyes and casually remarked, "At this point, you'll make it seem like you've fallen for me."

Yet under the young pirate's thought came a reply that left him surprised: "Maybe I have…"

"..."

The girl's eyes were still glued to the dark tunnel ahead, unable to turn back.

Though Damien's response was quite blunt. "Rahahaha!"

Aurora's head shot back and locked onto Damien. The darkness of the Night Realm mostly hid her ruddy face but the pirate could easily make out the embarrassment in her voice. "W-What's so funny!?"

"!!!"

However, their conversation was put to an end as the catacombs opened up to a large spanning chamber with a mystical air.

The change in the atmosphere brought the two out of their chatter, forcing their attention onto the giant, indestructible Poneglyph. Blue in colour, barely visible from some ray of light that managed to find its way deep down here.

Aurora opened up the portal, allowing the two to exit.

'It's a little dark down here.'

*Fwwm* Damien applied some Haki to his finger and thumb.

*Snap*

The friction generated from the snap immediately lit his fingers ablaze.

He then grabbed some dried and rotten wood and brightened up the place, all the while burning the moss covering the cube of knowledge.

.

"Let's hear what you've got to say…"

The Sin Incarnate concentrated his mind on every symbol and listened.

"..."

The voices from all around them were drawn out as Damien focussed on a single one.

Little by little, he took in the story.

Whispers turned into a voice, a voice turned into a strong connection and bridged itself to the young pirate.

"Hmm, a story about the 'Sun God' Nika?" Damien muttered. "Warrior of the Liberation? The figure who freed slaves in ancient times."

Aurora just quietly stood there, letting Damien do his thing.

"He will appear again with the most ridiculous power in the world, bringing joy and laughter to the seas. Nika, was it?" 

Damien pondered for a second, cupping his chin.

"Such a figure almost sounds like a chosen one type of thing. A power… Devil Fruit perhaps? Warrior of Liberation? If it's detailed in the Poneglyph, it must be important."

The pirate narrowed his eyes, coming up with a theory of his own.

"Maybe, just maybe, it had something to do with a certain main character of the future?"

"..."

[A/N: As stated in the Author's Corner in chapter 19, Damien died after the release of chapter 1030. I don't want to just magically enchant his knowledge as I learn the new info revealed in the manga. So I'll have Damien acquire them through other means.]

.

Damien sighed, "Anyway, it had nothing to do with me."

It was not worth pondering on the eventual future that was over 40 years away, leaving the pirate to relent.

With a shrug, he instead walked toward the assassin who waited by the side. The crimson pupils locked onto the gem-like eyes of Aurora, shining with a purple gleam.

"This wraps up my curiosity," he announced. "So then, have you decided, Princess? Are you ready to put up your end of the bargain?"

Aurora took in a deep breath, hearing Damien's words.

The weight from the past had been fully released, leaving her with a long-lost emotion: excitement for what was to come.

With a genuine smile on her face, she firmly answered, "I am!"

Damien returned her a thoughtful look. "Zephyr wasn't wrong, you know," he spoke frankly. "I did pick you up to weaponize your power."

Though it was at this time that the pirate heard Aurora giggle honestly. "I know… and I don't mind."

Her voice then warped into that of hesitation as she muttered, "I don't think I can stay away from you anyway…"

Damien blinked. "You're certainly honest with your thoughts, but let's get out of here before more Marines show up."

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[The Ruins of G-4]

[A Few Hours Later]

"Vice Admiral, should we continue to search for them?" a Rear Admiral asked.

Zephyr, who was now bandaged up, was able to stand and move around.

"Forget it, even if you find them, do you think you can hold down that monster with our current forces?" 

The Rear Admiral's mind flashed to the apocalyptic scene he witnessed throughout the previous night.

*Gulp*

Just the thought of going against such a pirate made him shudder.

Zephyr nodded at his expression and ordered, "Focus on calming the residents. The Sin Incarnate knocked every single one of them out just last night, they're bound to be shaken up. And keep the surviving Nobles safe from any pirates that may take advantage of the chaos!"

The marine saluted and scurried away.

Zephyr walked around but his body still felt quite light with the missing limb. However, his eyes lacked hesitation, rather, they were filled with conviction.

The man chose a life of enforcing order to allow the weak and innocent a chance for a tranquil life; an arm was a small price to pay!

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[The Docks]

Aurora took a deep breath of fresh air, exiting the dark catacombs and finally burying the gloomy past.

Her gem-like eyes fell on the infinite skies above, bringing out an honest thought, "There's so much freedom up there, so much more peaceful than the islands down here."

The thought of the recent battle brought her out of her reverie and asked the big question: "Will it be okay, after all, the Vice Admiral lost his arm," Aurora muttered, a little hesitant about a full-fledged attack by the Marines.

Damien, who had brought out his sea skimmer and was readying it to leave, waved aside her worries.

"I took his arm rather than his life, he should be glad."

At the end of the day, a weak Navy would be more beneficial to Damien's rivals than to himself. Vanquishing an Admiral Candidate, even more so. 

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

[Zephyr]

[Age: 33 years, 9 months, 23 days]

[Height: 11' 5"] (3.48 m)

[Status: Injured; Disarmed] 

[Devil Fruit: None]

[Skills: Complete Mastery of Rokushiki, Unwavering Spirit, Great talent in Armament Haki]

[Haki: Mastery of Observation Haki, Armament Haki (Advanced Mastery)]

[Strength: Bottom Tier Yonko]

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

'Hmm, it doesn't say 'Advanced Mastery of Armament Haki' in the way it says for his Observation. In other words, Zephyr is still far from his greatest strength!' Damien surmised.

However, this only went to drive his point as he told his female companion, "Plus, Zephyr is in the running to become an Admiral, you think such a title can be given to a man who can't cope with the loss of a measly limb?"

Aurora slowly nodded in understanding, trying to fully take in any advice imparted to her.

"Aside from that, let's see what goodies we have here!"

Damien then started to check all the loot Aurora had taken from G-4.

First, the smaller things:

1. Seven hundred million berries.

2. Eternal Poses to a handful of islands.

3. Two Skillful Grade Swords.

4. Kagekiri – one of the 21 Great Grade Swords.

5. A sizable amount of seastone.

The pirate then unveiled a few more prized possessions.

"Oh, look what we have here… G-4 had quite the Devil Fruits in stock!"

Paramecia:

Saké-Saké Fruit – Allows the user to create, control, and transform into saké at will, making them a Saké Human.

Bender-Bender Fruit – Allows the user to freely switch their gender, making them an Omni-Gendered Human.

Balance-Balance Fruit – Allows the user to freely switch anything of equal value, making them an All-Conserving Human.

.

Zoan:

Bird-Bird Fruit – Model: Carrier Pigeon – Allows the user to transform into a carrier pigeon and its human hybrid at will.

"Well, well, well. A fruit fit for a pirate: Saké fruit!"

Damien found it amusing. The power came with the weakness of flames, however, its description almost made it seem like a Logia!

Other than that, another fruit caught Damien's eyes.

'Balance-Blance Fruit, I remember this one from 9 years ago,' Damien thought, recalling his first peak into the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia he found from the pirates that attacked his home island.

.

Aurora, who quietly watched from the side, felt some nostalgia in Damien's smile. She looked at the brown fruit that had a stem in the shape of a balancing scale with curiosity.

Damien smiled at her. "You did a good job," he honestly stated.

The girl just smiled back, then grabbed a scroll that remained in the bag. "I found this in the Vice Admiral's Office."

She handed it to Damien who unfurled it right away.

His face lit up as he read the title: "Life Return Training Manual!" (Seimei Kikan) Such a treasure was worth a colossal amount to the young pirate, drawing a grin to his face.

"You saved me a lot of trouble by getting all these things, tell me, what do you want in return?"

Aurora heard the words and was a little caught off-guard.

Summoning her courage, she looked Damien in the eyes and asked, "I, I've been wondering... what do you think of me?"

Her voice wavered slightly, betraying the composed facade she had attempted to maintain.

"..." Damien sighed, looking at the sea for a moment. He cleared his throat and brought the girl back to reality.

"Listen, Aurora," he slowly started. "You're a good girl but right now there are far too many unknowns in the imminent future for me to answer your feelings."

Damien's mind went toward God Valley.

As of today, it was December of 1483 and the fateful day would occur sometime in 1486. Damien felt obligated for his past and his future, to stray from any distraction along the way, or at least that is what he told himself.

.

Aurora heard the words and felt disappointed. Perhaps she had convinced herself that her princess dream of having a shining prince save her was not to come true now.

If anything, she could now clearly feel the wall in between them; almost as if Damien was subconsciously pushing her away.

She clenched her hands and met the red eyes with her purple ones, "You once said a pirate should always chase after what they deeply desire, right?"

"That's right," Damien nodded.

Aurora beamed a smile and exclaimed, "Then you shouldn't stop me from trying to open up your heart!"

The Sin Incarnate's eyes slightly widened at the declaration, feeling palpable determination emanating from the girl.

"Open up my heart?" he murmured; Damien was left lost for words as he fell into thought.

His mind fell into a long-lost memory as a few words echoed in the notorious pirate's mind, born from Aurora's proclamation.

'Gather those who you can trust with your life. Marry a beautiful girl. Treasure them deeply for they will be your greatest strength.'

They were his mother's final words that set him off on the path toward power. Spending every breathing moment to rush toward the highest level of strength he could obtain. As tiring as it was, the young pirate never wavered.

"..."

Damien's hand subconsciously reached up, pressing the scar above his eyes. A reminder of the past that had begun to throb.

.

Meanwhile, Aurora's gem-like eyes were fixed on him, feeling the air warp in emotion, it was a surreal sight for her.

'I was wrong. No one is born strong... The strongest are those who go through hell and can stand tall afterwards,' she thought. 'But it leaves scars behind...'

The girl clenched her hand and candidly spoke.

"You helped me put my past to rest, so I'll help you do the same!"

Damien was quickly brought out of his reverie, feeling the afternoon sun and the unshaken gaze of the assassin next to him.

"Rahaha! I look forward to it."

To Be Continued…

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Author's Corner:

Took me a while to write this one out. Realistically, Damien went through quite the hell in his younger years and as strong as he may become, it's not like his tragedy will just disappear. 

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


Chương 56: [56] Disarmed

[2900 words]

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[A While Later]

"A large ship spotted on the horizon!" an alarmed voice announced through an outpost set up near the shores of the Amethyst Kingdom.

Nearby marines jumped into formation: guns drawn, swords unsheathed and cannons ready to fire.

A tense atmosphere filled the sandy shores, one that was reflected in the sweat dripping off the faces of the younger recruits.

It was already night time and all they could wish for was a quiet period but things were proving to be the opposite. It had been a dark day for G-4; an enemy attack at this time would be disastrous!

The sole veteran at the head of the formation was Rear Admiral Cocoa who seemed exceptionally apprehensive.

"We don't have the ability defend this nation, not with G-4 destroyed," he muttered in a helpless tone.

"..."

"Wait, I think I can make out a marine flag on the ship!" the same man called out, peering through his telescope.

"I-It's a Marine Battleship straight from Marineford!"

The words greatly calmed down the soldiers at ready as they all heaved a sigh of relief.

...

After a little while, the Battleship docked a good dozen meters from the shores, lowering 2 thick iron anchors with a resounding splash.

Boom!

The wooden ramp was lowered and crashed onto the sand below.

*Thump* *Thump* *Thump* 

Heavy steps echoed as hundreds of marines began walking off the massive ship, each sporting a sharp look in their eyes. Sure enough, they were veterans of the seas!

The troops at the outpost were only from G-4 and couldn't help but marvel at the discipline emanating off the sea of allies.

*Whizz*

A black shadow flickered in front of the Cocoa catching him off guard.

The darkness made it hard to make out the young man's face but he wore a fedora topping a well-cut suit. He was quite tall and lanky.

"You there," the man addressed. "The comms at G-4 are down so we were unable to make contact you. Do not fret, we are here to help."

The nearby marines subconsciously smiled, feeling their jittery nerves calm down at the affirmation.

"Bwahahaha! That's right, so do the minimum and welcome your guests with a warm cup of tea and some rice crackers!"

The boisterous voice echoed past the near-500 marines who had come, dissolving the distinguished air of the mighty battleship.

"...Vice Admiral Garp!" Cocoa exclaimed.

The branch marines jumped into a salute, their bodies straight as arrows.

.

"Alright, alright, at ease now. Hehe, I must say, it's surprising we could get here in only 1 day, isn't that right, Bogard?"

The bladesman with the fedora locked eyes with the burly Garp donning a simple Vice Admiral's get-up and lightly sighed.

"With all due respect, sir, you nearly killed Captain Raito. It was a 3-day journey even with his Turbo-Turbo Fruit."

The short-haired Garp grinned in glee, slapping Bogard with a thunderous chop.

"That kid ate a very convenient fruit; cutting down a 20-day trip to 3 days. He should thank me, my directions made him do it all in under 1 day!"

Bogard twitched, feeling the aching pain across his back, for some reason he knew his well-ironed suit was already crumpled up.

'Did he forget that Raito is in a coma after he drove him like a horse to speed the ship for 20 hours straight?'

.

The Vice Admiral ignored the ruckus around him and locked eyes with the island.

"..." Garp narrowed his eyes, feeling the turbulent air. 'What kind of hell came here?' he thought.

"Take me to Zephyr," he ordered.

"Y-Yes sir!"

The newly arrived battalions had already been spread through the nation, bringing much-needed help to the surviving soldiers.

Garp and Bogard, with Cocoa as their guide, made their way through the quiet streets of Amethyst Kingdom.

Whether it was nighttime or the earthquakes from the day, every resident had simply retreated to the confines of their homes.

"So, you're saying it began with the little bounty hunter from Sabaody making a storm of hell that ripped the entire castle and G-4 to shreds? Then that guy who made Sengoku grow white hair came along and fought for half a day against Zephyr?"

Cocoa was left speechless as he heard the added bits of details in the quick report he had given.

.

"Anyways, he really did some damage, that Damien," Garp muttered as he walked through the streets littered with cracks.

*Crunch* Every step they took would make audible noises, credit to the shattered windows and bits of wood.

'This Haki is pretty dense, 5 months of disappearance and he brings the whole damn party to this small island!'

Eventually, the three made it to the marine branch within the city that was thrown together just some hours ago.

There, Garp saw a scene he never expected, even leaving him gobsmacked.

"Woah, woah, Zephyr! You actually lost your arm!?" Garp thundered, dropping his bag of crackers. His mouth widened in an O-shape and his jaw nearly comically fell to the floor as he pointed at his colleague.

'Black Arm Zephyr lost his prized arm… Do I call him Black Stump Zephyr now?' Garp thought to himself.

"..." The soldiers nearby shut their mouths immediately. Even though the Vice Admiral didn't seem to mind the missing limb too much, wasn't it a little blunt to point at it and question it so loudly?

.

Zephyr just sighed in helplessness. He knew the best way to deal with Garp was to ignore his impulsive words.

"The enemy's strength was beyond my expectations; I paid the price for it," he responded while lightly grasping at his bandaged stump.

Garp hummed as he picked away at his nose. "Oh? I guess those useless dogs of the Government are behind on their intel like always, to think their average salary is even higher than us marines."

The man reputed as 'The Fist' then found another subject of interest: "G-4, I wonder if I should report it to Kong-san now or later, his blood pressure may increase too much from the news," he thought out loud.

Zephyr almost slapped Garp as he exclaimed, "Of course, you report it now! That young woman's powers were far beyond our intel too!"

Garp casually nodded, slowly walking up to his comrade.

*Smack!*

He patted his booger-encrusted hands on the Black Stump's shoulder. "Don't worry Zephyr, everything will be alright."

Zephyr almost had a brain aneurysm as he slapped the trashy hand away: "You still have no regard for your position as a Vice Admiral! And I don't need your terrible attempt at reassurance!"

Garp scoffed and waddled away to get another bag of rice crackers, though he made his complaints loud and clear: "Hmph, Zephyr. You should be glad you have a friend like me."

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[Room of Authority, Pangaea Castle]

The five elderly men sat in their usual line-up. Each had a perpetual frown etched on their weathered face.

"The Black Arm was disarmed, how absurd!" Shepherd Ju Peter roared out.

*Shing* V. Nusjuro unsheathed his blade and reflected a dangerous light to announce his anger.

"After the fall of two Overlords, the last thing we need is for one of our top pieces to be so publicly beaten!"

Topman Warcury was just as furious: "That fool Zephyr, he should know what kind of a position he put us in!"

"On top of that, it seems Cipher Pol has failed again and again in their intel-gathering, to think the evil bud had sprouted to such a chaotic level under our noses," Marcus Mars chimed in.

.

The Five Elders were angry as usual, this time, however, things only got worse.

Boom!

The door to the room soon burst open and a Rear Admiral rushed in with a panicked expression.

"Lord Five Elders!"

Saint Saturn glared at the intrusion, though gestured to him to speak.

The marine gulped before delivering the news: "I-It's the World News Agency… they already published the news, hailing it as the Amethyst Kingdom Crisis!" 

"What!? How could that happen!"

The Rear Admiral felt his life getting snuffed out from the anger concentrated upon him. He almost cried out but had to force himself to continue.

"T-The report not only covered the defeat of Vice Admiral Zephyr but even the massacre of the Royals, alongside the deaths of the five Reverie Members!"

"!!!"

The veins popped all over V. Nusjuro's face, defining his wrinkles even further.

 "Whatever the price, recall the news immediately! The Government cannot take such a hit to its reputation at such a hazardous time!"

The poor marine felt suffocated, the final part of the news was not entirely any better. "W-We've tried but the Agency has already overruled our connections and printed the papers before we could react!"

.

"...World News Agency. The dog we raised has bit its master's hand! What is CP-10 doing!"

Ju Peter then sighed a dangerous exhale. "Those Four Directors were given so many privileges," he scoffed.

"To think they pulled such a move now, they must know the Reverie is to happen in a few months and yet the death of five such members was delivered so boldly."

Warcury also gave his input, "We must reassess both the Marines and Cipher Pol; Xerxes better have an answer for this."

He then leaned back into his chair, thinking of a solution.

"Hasn't Tensai at G-2 made good progress with Seastone? Let him craft a new arm; Zephyr must correct his failure with adequate performance!"

By the time the meeting wrapped up, the sole marine almost pissed his pants. He ran out to deliver every order received, naturally one connected to the topic of pirate bounties!

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[Paradise Sea, Grand Line]

"Is this the island you wanted to swing by?" Aurora's soft voice questioned.

She glanced at Damien who was going over Life Return.

*Clank* The manual rolled up with a dull clinch as Damien shifted his attention to the gloomy island.

"This is it, Yozora Island."

The two made their way on the dark soil, under the night sky that seemed infinite and endless.

Aurora felt at home, such a perfect night sky was truly enchanting to her considering her powers.

Damien led her into the island and through the widely spread vegetation that had long adapted to the darkness.

"It's me, Vlad-san," the Sin Incarnate announced himself.

Aurora paused, she looked around and didn't see anyone.

"!!!" She suddenly felt a shadow fall beside her, forcing her to react and jump back into a battle position.

Damien waved at her to calm down, while he smirked at the dark shadow before him.

"Young man, your senses have grown sharp."

The man wore a dull attire, though under all that gloomy nature were two brilliant and hawk-like eyes.

The sharp gaze then traced across the field and onto the alert young girl. "It's good to be ready to fight at any moment," Vlad complimented. 

He then eyed the mystical energy swarming Aurora's hands and calmly responded, "A dangerous power; do put it away, I won't harm you."

"Damien-kun, what a lovely surprise," Mina said while clapping her hands in delight.

They had made it into the dull castle that was as barren as before. Lit up by the green candles and occasional flash of lightning in the distance.

Damien smiled at the bright woman, "It's nice to see you, Mina-san."

Mina was exhilarated by their arrival, the gloomy island was a little out of character to be such a bright woman's home.

The woman beamed a smile. "And who's this beautiful little friend of yours?"

"My name is Aurora," came a concise reply from the purple-haired girl.

.

"Hawk-chan, aren't you gonna say hello too?"

Damien too felt the curious gaze from afar.

A small pair of eyes watched from the dark hallways as if trying to study the intruders. They were wary at first, then shaken with some distant excitement.

Damien watched as the small figure ran out and in front of him. Standing a little over three feet in height, Mihawk was now two and a half years old.

His thoughts were far too much from his immature face, an odd contrast.

The pirate crouched down to meet the boy's line of sight and greeted him, "Yo, Mihawk. Been a while."

The hawk-eyed boy shared the enthusiasm but was unable to fully display it. Perhaps the loneliness since the day of his birth made him quite reserved.

He just nodded with an audible hum, which was quite evidently joyful.

But his eyes soon fell onto the young woman at Damin's side. A mix of intrigue and curiosity laced within his sharp eyes.

The girl lightly smiled at the reticent boy. The contrast of the sharp gaze and childish face made for a funny combination.

"Mihawk, don't treat our guests as threats!" Mina scolded from the side.

The middle-aged woman then turned toward Aurora and pulled her into a girl talk, pushing the child to the side.

.

Meanwhile, a conversation took place at the sidelines, one between the two men in the lounge.

"Vlad-san looks like you've stepped up his training," Damien commented.

The one-armed swordsman leaked a thin smile of pride. "Mihawk has talent far beyond anything I've ever seen."

He then gestured to the hedge maze outside the glass panes, "He's been following your exploits over the past years, it seems his drive has reached new heights. Perhaps Yoru may finally get a worthy wielder."

Damien followed the older man's line of sight and eventually fell on the beautiful blade carved deep into the stone outside.

The silver blade with its magnificent design was a true wonder of a weapon. "One of the Twelve Supreme Grade Swords," Damien thought out loud.

He then looked at the boy who had seated himself on the couch facing the hedge maze, quietly listening to their talk.

"It won't be easy to get the sword's approval."

Mihawk nodded at the impossible task, balling up his little hands with fiery eyes.

Damien paused for a second, then reached into his newly reformed regal attire.

Under the curious eyes of the two other males, he pulled out a weapon.

"You can't go straight to Yoru anyways," the pirate explained. "This is Kagekiri of the Twenty-One Great Grade Swords."

Damien held it in front of the aspiring swordsman, "The Navy was kind enough to let me take it from them; consider it a late birthday present."

He unsheathed it with a sharp hum.

The sword had a black sheath with a white middle area printed with a drawing of a dragon on it. A traditional katana shape with a simple yet sleek handle and grip. The blade itself was your usual wave-like design, though sharp enough to cut most things with ease.

[Kagekiri Image (in Discord)]

.

Mihawk stood up from his seat and slowly reached out before grabbing the blade from Damien's hands.

*Hum* A slight vibration echoed from the blade, running down the child's hand.

Though the weapon was for an average-sized man with a heavier-than-average weight, Mihawk was easily able to hold it.

"..." The boy held onto the weapon with brilliant eyes.

Vlad did not interrupt the gift, instead, he encouraged Mihawk to try it out.

Meanwhile, Damien raised one finger and gestured to the boy. Something the aspiring swordsman picked up on immediately.

His tiny body jumped to the side and held the famed blade in both hands, under a one-sword style pose.

Damien suddenly moved his left index finger to the side, across his right shoulder while Mihawk burst out with his newfound blade in hand.

*Vvooo!* The air shivered from the impressive speed.

Clang!

Oddly enough, the blade crashed exactly where Damien had moved his finger. The resulting impact sounded like a rock hitting a metal wall.

'His skin is so thick!' the young attacker exclaimed in his mind, right before hearing a few complimentary words from the side.

"For your age, you really are impressive, Mihawk."

The child clicked his tongue and clanked the weapon back into its cover, somewhat annoyed by the weak attack.

Damien almost laughed out loud at the boy's attitude. Perhaps he did not know the average two-year-old would still be learning how to count while he was swinging a famed sword with ease.

.

Vlad, on the other hand, sucked in a cold breath. "You can already read the future?"

"Well, I picked up a few things or two in the past few years," came the reply.

Such a casual comment left Vlad with an urge to sit down, his surprise exhaled with a sigh.

"Okay, okay. That's enough of that," Mina intervened, breaking away from Aurora. "Why don't you both join us for a meal?"

She then reached out to grab the assassin by the hand, "Your arm looks all bruised up, come on, food always makes things right!"

The gathering of five ensued at the long table fit to seat twenty people.

Damien was surprised at how clean the castle was, after all, it seemed only Mina was responsible for it, considering the one-armed Vlad.

They ate their fill and it was nearing the time for the pirate and assassin duo to take their leave. However, it was not before the young figure of Mihawk ran in from the side, his hands clutching a newspaper.

"It's about you," the boy waved a wanted poster. "They upped your bounty!"

To Be Continued…

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

Author's Corner.

The Reverie is coming up in a few months. Taking a hit to their reputation and losing a Marine Base is a huge deal!

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


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