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76.66% One Piece: Path to Power / Chapter 134: [134] Allegiance

章節 134: [134] Allegiance

[3560 words]

Here is some canon info: Over 20 million islands are in the One Piece world. So, take that as context when it comes to purging a couple dozen insignificant islands—a drop in the ocean.

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Two weeks went by as hell arrived in nineteen islands throughout the world, all at the hands of pirates!

According to reports, these infernal individuals were claiming territory in the name of the Rocks Pirates—an offering to be recruited under their unholy banner.

To control this chaotic stream of terror, the invincible Admiral Basara had led nineteen excursions and purged all forms of tyranny alongside the islands themselves! 

In the name of the innocents, the Navy had struck a deal with the Underworld, using their ships to evacuate the islands on behalf of the benevolent Government.

Some forces smelled the stench of a cover-up, but even the liberated World Economy News Paper had confirmed it, leaving them no choice but to accept the justice employed by the World Government.

The hidden truth behind everything went down in a snail call between the Commander-in-Chief Endou and the 'Devil's Architect' Fulcrum, leaving the seas ignorant.

...

[No Man's Land]

A lone Damien stood at the center of the chaotic and damned No Man's Land. He had long become used to the absurd surroundings over the two weeks he'd been here.

"The Pulverize-Pulverize Fruit can not only crush things apart," a calm voice echoed through the hellish lands, "but it can also reconstruct crushed things back to their original appearance."

"Be that macroscopically, microscopically…"

He played around with palm-size rocks, sporting the appearance of an angel from hell. First, he crushed it into coin-sized pieces and reformed it. Then Damien turned them to a size smaller than the naked eye could see.

And once again, it reformed.

Finally, the young pirate mobilized his powers to break the reconstructed rock into smaller and smaller pieces.

From the size of a coin to grain sand to the size of common bacteria.

*Viz* Another round of pulverization reached a truly miniscule stage.

The limestone, reduced to around 1000 nanometers, and the very molecules that built up the solid were all that remained.

The crimson energy continued to seep deeper and deeper, turning the individual molecules into that of a checkered pattern and dividing them further!

It broke the ionic bonds of the molecules. At the young man's discretion, even the gases that happened to be near the rock were stripped of their covalent bonds.

"... or even atomically."

The sound of pixelation echoed through the nearby land; the atomic dismantling was done precisely, reducing the rock to its atoms!

Oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron, calcium, sodium, potassium, and magnesium were the elements that remained, all moving at the command of the demonic winged figure, staying afloat in the middle of endless hell.

*Purrup* Out of nowhere, a current of crimson energy burst out. It formed a small, uniform hexagonal prism that appeared around the dusted rock, floating in the young man's hand.

The shape was made of tens of triangles—the most durable shape in reality. It was stable, entirely encircling the palm.

[Prism Image (in Discord)]

.

"Atomic Modeling."

.

The hexagonal prism lit up with an eerie crimson glow, slowly spinning. Within a moment, it disappeared into a mist of red energy that attached itself to the loose elements from before.

"..."

A moment later, a rock materialized into the palm of the pirate's hand. It was the same rock, left in the same position, still the exact same size and shape, seemingly untouched from before.

Simply put, it had gone through atomic dismantling and was remodelled into its original appearance, completing a circle of life: creation to destruction!

Boom!

The winged demon began to transform. The wings receded, and the armour disintegrated. The loose energy was returned, unveiling the satisfied face of the Sin Incarnate.

His crimson eyes shone brighter than ever, filled with certainty. A surge of power ran through the young pirate's veins, a new feeling blossoming in his mind and heart.

It felt liberating… like a newborn breathing its first breath, expanding its untouched lungs. Damien breathed in the ruined atmosphere of No Man's Land, a thin smile etched on his face: "It's finally done," he clenched his fists in triumph. "My Devil Fruit has Awakened."

...

The feeling of wanting to test the extent of his powers was strong—Damien soon found himself in the den of beasts.

...

[Ring of Untold Horrors]

"So, you're just gonna run wild?" A surprised Solomon questioned. He had tailed his soon-to-be boss once he came out from No Man's Land.

"I'll bring down their population to a more manageable number," the pirate answered, fully locked in.

Solomon blinked and scratched his head: "But there are tens of thousands of them…"

"Tens of thousands of test subjects for me to fully realize my new abilities."

The frank reply left the Spirit of Fear speechless. He looked at the endless confidence in the eyes of the outsider and cautioned, "All right… but I gotta warn you, too much noise on this island, and you might end up drawing out worse things."

The duo of Damien and Solomon had begun to venture through the regions of Extinction Valley. Although most of the creatures inhabited the Ring of Untold Horrors and the Savage Lands, the other areas had their goodies.

Solomon was mainly a side character. He would watch and study Damien's techniques and Haki usages, trying to break out of the simpler and primal fight style that worked only against mindless beasts.

A total of two weeks passed by as the pirates went on a massacre, cutting up the Forsaken beasts like they were made of clay, going around the entire Valley that spanned hundreds of kilometers.

The undying pirate spent the days polishing the array of powers he had attained. What Damien learned was that his Awakening was far, far more than simply atomic-level pulverization. 

It also worked incredibly well with his Life Return technique. 

What followed his crusade were the deaths of the Forsaken, thousands by the night; their blood was sucked into the soil, even staining the air with a red hue. The Extinct celebrated as their nights grew quieter and quieter, a sense of peace gracing their hectic lives.

That was until Damien ran into a fascinating creature. A creature that stood out even amongst the terrors of Extinction Valley.

It was a nightmarish creature that stood around 6 feet tall and had a grotesque and otherworldly appearance. Its body was made of a web-like, organic substance riddled with holes and tendrils. 

"SKRRREEEEEAAARRRGGGHHH!"

Damien winced under the deep, guttural growling, echoing with an unnatural, bone-chilling resonance. The endless tiny holes that covered the monster were singing the horrifying sound from all angles and frequencies. This symphony came together in an unholy union that would strike fear into anyone who heard it.

"Oh shit!"

The pirate's eyes shot to the side where a shaken Solomon stood. He was carrying some dead animals for food, only to run into the nightmare that was forced to kneel before Damien.

The pirate glared at the shirtless, tattooed man with confusion.

Solomon felt the deadpan stare and woke up from his reverie. "W-What, that's a freaking Malvora!" He protested to preserve some dignity.

In his haste, he gave another look at the growling creature and gagged right away, "D-Dammit, all those holes make me queasy."

Damien was left without words—the man who could manipulate fear was now doing his absolute best not to look at the tiny Malvora.

[Malvora Image (in Discord)]

With a wave of a hand, the creepy thing was atomically dismantled.

"Each day, you make me question your title of the 'Spirit of Fear.' First, it was the sand, now a creature with holes."

Solomon sighed in relief at the dusted abomination and turned to his Captain: "Hey, don't put it like that!"

"..." Damien was unamused, prompting the Zoan user to continue, "Malvora are like the creepiest things out there…" Solomon's voice grew venomous as he finished his plea: "...as for sand, I just hate it!"

The dark-haired brute's eyes sharpened while a boom of thunderous Haki stretched itself to the ends of the visible earth, leaving tears and cracks in its wake.

Damien narrowed his eyes at the growling Solomon, recalling what he said a few weeks ago: "My mother was torn apart from the sandworms. I still remember coming across her ripped-apart corpse! We lost everything because of what that man damned us with!"

"Blaming yourself for her death won't solve anything, you know?" the pirate questioned.

The words broke Solomon out from his anger and forced his eyes to the ground: "What do you know…"

"I know."

Solomon looked to his Captain absently, feeling the somberness in his crimson eyes. 

"..."

"You won't get anywhere until you embrace those powers," Damien finally responded, having read the Extinct like a book from the past two weeks. "They aren't a curse."

"So, why don't you tell me what happened to you all those years ago."

Solomon once again looked away, growling at the memories resurfacing. His mind drifted back to a night long ago when everything changed...

[Twenty-One Years Ago]

Bated breaths echoed through the endless forest of the Ring. A young child with dark hair and eyes rushed through the green while his bare feet left bloodied footprints behind. His young heart was pounding in his chest.

Fear, exhaustion, panic, despair—the five-year-old was in a broken state, aimlessly running through the thick of night.

"Solomon!" a voice called out from behind. The lad gnashed his teeth, ignoring the woman's cry and continued his sprint.

The sound of rusting trees and distant monsters boomed in his ears, slowly driving away the woman's voice from behind. A smell of rain and humidity assaulted his nostrils, mixed in with some other gases released from the giant plants and trees.

But it wasn't just the fear of the unknown that drove him. It was anger—anger at the life he was forced to live, a life of constant hunger, of gnawing desperation, of watching his people eat scraps and rotting food just to survive another day. He was sick of it, sick of the hopelessness that clung to the air like the humid mist of the forest.

"Why do we have to live like this?!" Solomon had screamed earlier that evening, his tiny fists pounding against the rough walls of their shelter. His mother had tried to soothe him, but the frustration and exhaustion had boiled over.

"We're strong! We shouldn't have to eat filth and hide from monsters!" he had shouted, his voice trembling with the emotions he couldn't fully understand.

When his mother's gentle words couldn't calm the storm within him, Solomon had done the only thing he knew—to run. Run far away from the misery and despair that seemed to swallow his people whole.

As the night closed in around him, the reality of his actions began to sink in. The fear that had fueled his rage was now feeding on his exhaustion, turning the forest into a maze of shadows and dangers.

"Solomon! Please, come back!" his mother's voice grew fainter, the distance between them widening with every frantic step he took.

But Solomon didn't stop.

"Mother…" Solomon whispered, waking from his mindless dash as the reality of his surroundings crashing down on him.

He was deep in the Ring of Untold Horrors. He'd damned himself by coming here—and maybe her too.

The boy's dark pupils jumped from tree to tree, plant to plant, cloud to cloud. After another ten minutes of backtracking, he was in an area that looked the same as the previous one.

'Never go into the forest alone,' Solomon recited the one rule of his people.

*Lub* *Dub*

He gulped. The boy could hear his own heart beating out of his chest.

"No… I have to find her," he told himself, clenching his hands in determination. The heightened senses of the Extinct came into play as Solomon pieced together his earlier dash.

Slowly but surely, piece by piece, he was finding his way back. No Forsaken beasts were jumping to gnaw on his flesh for whatever reason.

Two hours and he knew he was closer.

Solomon sniffed the air—smoke.

A sudden tearing sensation washed through the boy before he could approach the foul smell.

"Ugh!" he cursed, falling to his knees while clutching his stomach from hunger.

All that running was very demanding for an emaciated five-year-old. He wanted to rush back, but the adrenaline wore off, and every step grew heavier.

He needed energy to get him to rush back for the few hours it would still take.

"Squaw!"

"!!!" Solomon's eyes darted to the side, and he saw a tiny bird glaring at him. It was barely the size of his palms but all the more appetizing.

With speed that he couldn't imagine outputting, the starving boy grabbed the rather grotesque bird with both hands.

As the bird squirmed in his grasp, Solomon hesitated, the grotesque sight of its exposed bones and hollow, gaping holes making his stomach churn. 'It's disgusting… but I have to.' He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block the revulsion clawing at his mind. 'If I don't eat this, I won't make it back.'

[Bird Image (in Discord)]

With a grimace, Solomon forced the bird into his mouth, the sharp bones scraping against his throat as he pushed it down. The bitter taste of decay filled his mouth, and he gagged, nearly retching it back up.

His body trembled with every swallow, each more painful than the last. The creature was pecking at his throat and down his esophagus, ripping holes and tears along his food pipe.

The rumbling lasted a good two minutes before calming down, leaving the hungry child breathing heavily. 'It's done. I did it.'

"!!!" He felt it instantly—a burst of energy and strength he never knew existed within his slender, lanky frame.

The distant noises, the smells and even through the night, he could sense through it all. 

But he recognized another collection of shaken emotions immediately: "Mother!"

The child's eyes widened in haste as he exploded from his tired feet. The rush of energy was strange but welcomed. 

Boom!

A leap off the tree left it torn apart, while another was used to propel him ahead, toppling it as well.

"Mother!"

Solomon's voice was shaken and plagued with despair. He knew the endless possibilities that could have caused such a spike in his mother's heart. 

Finally, at the heart of the collection of fear, he made out the beasts—giant worms.

The monstrous sandworms slithered through the torn-down forest, their massive, segmented bodies covered in thick, grotesque scales that glistened with a sickly sheen. Their gaping maws, lined with rows of jagged teeth, pulsed and writhed as they moved, leaving trails of churned earth and rotting foliage in their wake. 

The air around them was thick with the stench of decay, making their presence even more horrifying and unnatural.

[Forsaken Sandworm Image (in Discord)]

'I lead her right to them!' he cursed, blazing through the darkness.

Solomon's heartbeat with untold courage as he dove into the group of beasts; an instinct deep within told him he could survive this.

But there it was.

"No…" the boy absently muttered, freezing in his tracks. The surrounding predators dripping with blood and spit were ignored as all but one sight in Solomon's eyes.

Even in the giant splatter of blood and fluids, he could make out the shattered bones. Some limbs were missing, eaten by the sandworms. The mangled clothes and dripping flesh were all topped with a head that somehow remained intact.

"..." The world around Solomon froze. He saw her eyes wide open, staring into the darkness where the boy stood.

They were lifeless; she had been dead for at least ten minutes. 

A shrieking roar exploded from the five-year-old, and then—darkness. One minute, he was standing there, staring at his mother's lifeless body, and the next… nothing.

[Present Time]

"Nothing?" Damien echoed. He found himself seated on the corpse of a Forsaken Alligator within a sea of trees, gazing at the troubled Solomon.

The forest was quiet and calm, a boon of their two-week-long excursion.

"...When I woke up, I was near the Haven. I saw the ruins of the Day of Reckoning. I listened from afar as the survivors talked about a towering, frightening creature driving away the beasts with a single roar."

Solomon sat on the grassy floor, slumping in confusion. "I know it was me lost in my powers… but twenty years later, and I still can't drive them away like I did as a kid."

Damien hummed in thought. The pirate glared at the lost Wendigo, piecing some theories together. 'Such intense emotion with the addition of awakening Conqueror's Haki in the state of starvation… then returning to see his home in ruins…'

'Must have been too much for a five-year-old to filter through,' Damien mused. 'His subconscious must have buried it not to face his most damning mistake that led to his mother's death.'

[But he's also burying deeper extents of his ability,] Sibyl interjected with her usual down-to-the-point attitude.

'He sees his powers as a curse. The same power which could drive away those Forsaken Beasts right after being eaten. He's chaining himself without even realizing it…'

Alas, nothing could be done right now.

"Damn, you need a therapist," Damien huffed under his breath, massaging his forehead. The pirate stood up with a sigh and offered Solomon a hand.

"Come on, we still got another stretch of the forest to clear."

The much taller man blinked at the gesture and quickly took it. 

Solomon exhaled a heavy breath, once again returning to his more brash self. 

The duo of a pirate and a Mythical Zoan continued to trek through the tranquil Ring, making their way to the core. They brought with them a sense of peace and quiet, which had been lost from Extinction Valley for almost half a century.

[The Haven]

"I shaved off the Forsaken's population by seventy percent," Damien explained to the old village chief. "The remaining fraction can be used as a good food source for your people."

Choro felt his mouth dry, unable to respond as he saw the young man before him. 

"I-I can't believe it. This air is almost the same as before the Day of Reckoning," he muttered. "I-I-I never thought I could breathe in such pleasant air!" The man teared up, his pale face struck with disbelief.

Solomon nodded at the side with a hint of disbelief, "It really feels quiet around here. I didn't think it was possible for our chaotic home to ever be this serene… It brings out the beauty of primal nature."

The tattooed man glanced at Damien with a grateful look.

In return, the pirate shrugged at their tearful faces, not just found on the two but even the hundreds of Extinct who surrounded him.

"I fulfilled my end of the bargain."

Solomon nodded, even smirking at the pirate's nonchalant demeanour. He spared a final look at the home he had wished to return to for the past twenty years. He breathed in the tranquillity of his home and people, and his eyes finally returned to the sole outsider responsible for the purge.

Suddenly, the much taller Solomon went down on a knee, lowering his head to Damien.

"Kneeling is something we, the Extinct, only do at the death of our parents or when swearing allegiance to someone else, aligning one's life under another," Choro explained, satisfied with his nephew's actions and clearing up the confusion.

Damien hummed with a curious look. He stepped ahead and extended a hand toward the Zoan user.

*Fwoo* A cup appeared in the palm while a gourd in the other. "We, as pirates of the seas, swear loyalty through saké cups," Damien explained, meeting the questioning eyes of Solomon.

"I'm not one for traditions or alcohol even, but this is the right time to bring it out. Here, just drink with me."

Solomon felt enlightened by hearing the pirate's tradition and even relishing its simplicity. With a grin, he stood up to grab the cup, holding it in both hands.

In a moment of seriousness followed by a firm nod, he brought the cup to his lips and gulped down the saké. 

*Gurrug* *Gurrug*

"Then, I guess that makes you my leader?" he mumbled, licking his lips of the alcohol. "Or should I go with Captain? Supreme Leader? Boss?"

Damien's smile twitched: "Just pick one and roll with it."

"Boss, it is!"

.

However, what happened next even surprised the pirate.

He saw Choro, the Village Chief, kneel alongside the other 200 or so people.

One by one, the entire population lowered their heads. 

"What's all this about?" Damien asked curiously, though he could naturally guess the answer.

Choro placed his cane flat before the pirate and spoke for the people.

"The Great Change left us both blessed and cursed. But you've freed us from these chains... You are our saviour. Lord Damien! "

The old man raised his pale face as his tendrils floated in subservience. A bloom of Haki and the kneeling folks' limbs glistened black with varying density. "Though few in numbers, every single one of us, ranging from the newborn to the old few, can utilize Extinct Plating."

"If you ever need our strength, we will raise arms for you!"

To Be Continued…

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Author's Corner. 

Damien will showcase his Awakening in the coming chapter. The Government also successfully covered up the purge of 19 islands with zero reported casualties. This chapter also finishes Solomon's official initiation. It shows some of his past while leaving hints for the future.

What do you guys think about Solomon and the Extinct?

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


next chapter

章節 135: [135] Dawn of the Awakened

[4725 words]

I had the choice to split this chapter into two, but considering the special occasion of Awakening, I let it pass...

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Damien scanned the kneeling crowd. It included many animal-like humanoids, most resembling animals, while a small number were more human than beast.

Each of them was either born with or mutated to comprehend Armament Haki. 

"Alright, don't blow your back out, Choro. I'll call you when I need your guys' help, but until then, remain prepared."

Choro looked up with a smile on his wrinkly, non-human face. "Fighting's in our blood, Lord Damien. We're always ready."

He then stood up with some aid from Roark.

The Chief looked at another giant man, even taller than the mandrill-human. He had the features of a pitbull, mighty and wild: "Kyōken, go bring our offerings."

"Yes, Chief."

A little while later, the giant grey-skinned humanoid, Kyōken, returned and stood before Damien.

[Kyōken Image (in Discord)]

"This from Extinct People to Lord." He slammed a massive sack of goodies, their brilliance spilling out from the bag made of straw and grass.

Damien examined the goods he found: gold, antiquities, Forsaken animal bones and organs, fine gemstones and more.

Choro walked up, cane in hand. "From what he told us, the man you called Endou gave us a brief idea of the world's wealth. "This is what we could gather as an offering."

He then raised a finger, as if to make a point, "Alongside two of those demon fruit things you spoke of…" Choro tapped his cane. "Kemono," he called for another Extinct.

The man who next walked up to Damien was shorter, seven feet in height (2.13 m).

He had long golden hair that was wildly spiked back. Scars lined his face, and a metal mask covered his mouth, giving him the menacing look of a battle-torn hyena.

[Kemono Image (in Discord)]

His docile expression created quite the contrast with his wild nature.

Kemono extended his hands, holding two fruits, "Uhhh, I don't know if they're useful to you, but these are all that the Scavenger Unit could find."

Damien recognized the identity of the fruits quite quickly, the pristine memory coming into play.

One was a pink physalis fruit: 

Sharpen-Sharpen Fruit: Grants the user the ability to sharpen anything they touch, making them a Sharpening Human. 

The second was a vibrant green fruit featuring intricate swirls and patterns accented by purple highlights with an ominous fan-like design:

Rad-Rad Fruit: Grants the user the ability to absorb all forms of radiation into strength, making them a Radiation-Fuelled Human.

[Fruit Image (in Discord)]

"They're of great value to me," Damien commented, holding either fruit in his hands. The green one was the most intriguing.

"Really? That's good!" Kemono grinned a toothy grin. 

Finally, Damien turned toward the newly sworn-in pirate. 

Solomon remained in his previous attire: simple navy blue trousers, his top hanging around his waist, leaving his chest bare. The intricate tattoos, distinct and dark in colour, ran over the left side of his body and up to his face. 

"Solomon, let's go."

And just like that, after spending a total of three long months, the disappeared Sin Incarnate had finally returned to the seas of the New World. 

He also left behind books and information about the outside world, letting the Extinct slowly absorb everything beyond their tall mountainous borders—especially language. 

Soon, they were on Damien's small boat.

The pirate captain had also thrown on a fresh pair of clothes. He fashioned a shirt with a red gradient, going from a brighter top to a darker bottom. The brown pants were tactical—the day was a special occasion, so Damien wore some nostalgic colours.

[Clothing Image (in Discord)]

"The sea is so damn vast…" The towering pirate was lost in the infinite water, stretching from left to right, front to back, covering everything one could see in its bright blue magnificence. 

"Um, Boss," he muttered. "What exactly do Pirates do, by the way?"

Damien glanced at the confused man and shrugged, "We do what we want." This was a simple reply, further reinforced by the next words: "Those who get in our way get destroyed."

Solomon clenched his hands, his brash nature showcasing through the bright gleam in his eyes. He was hungry for war!

"Other pirates, the Navy and the World Government are our greatest foes. Though there aren't many pirates left that can threaten us."

Solomon grinned, "Then let's go hunt down the Marines!"

*Thwack!*

"Ouch!" Solomon massaged the back of his head, seeming confused. 

"Don't get cocky," Damien warned, lowering his Haki-clad hand. "They've ruled for centuries because they're strong. Even with my crew, we're not there yet."

Solomon had been told of Damien's current crew, but he had difficulty believing that a man whom even Damien respected still couldn't challenge the status quo. 

"So what now?"

The Sin Incarnate smiled, his eyes locked into a portion of the sea a few kilometers away, South of the Valley. "Looks like we have guests to welcome us back to the seas..."

[New World Sea]

"Keep heading North, and we'll be at the Styx passage soon enough!" a Vice Admiral commanded.

The man stood aboard a marine Warship the size of the average Giant. The ship spearheaded a fleet of two other such ships, carrying 3,000 soldiers total, led by three Vice Admirals: Olgar, Nouveau and Zazzaz.

Their banner had not only the Navy Flag but even that of a Marine Branch. It read "G-1" with pride. 

Marineford protected Mariejois from Paradise, while G-1 protected it from the New World. Naturally, the fleet was leaving G-1 and travelling to the Calm Belt toward the North Blue.

[Fleet Trajectory Image (in Discord)]

"Vice Admiral Olgar, there's a small ship heading toward us," a low-rank marine reported.

Olgar, the little giant in terms of height, picked up a telescope.

He peered across the deck of the warship and onto the distant vessel. "I can't make out their faces, but they aren't making way for us to pass."

Olgar narrowed his eyes, "Prepare to fire."

"F-Fire?" The marine was taken aback by the sudden order and protested, "Shouldn't we send a warning signal first…?"

The grizzly Olgar growled at his insubordinate soldier, "Our duty is to provide relief to millions in aligned kingdoms. Anyone who slows us down is putting all those lives in danger!"

The low-ranked marine shrunk under the towering superior and ran to echo the commands—it was a hasty decision, even for a man under Admiral Basara.

*Hweee* *Clunk* *Thud* Dozens of cannons aligned themselves, aiming toward the coming ship.

"Either they're brave or foolish. No matter, I'll sink them all the same!"

Within two minutes, the tiny ship was in range.

"Fire!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Nearly fifty cannonballs were shot simultaneously, zooming through the sea and leaving a trail of exploding water behind.

They soared across and were accurately shot, reaching the target.

BOOM!

Giant explosions went off, creating a huge black cloud of smoke that easily overwhelmed the tiny ship.

"Alright, stay on course. We need to reach Ballywood and Illisia Kingdom by sun-down, or the Fleet Admiral will be angr–"

"Hmm? No way, it didn't explode!?" Olgar gnashed his teeth, seeing the vessel zoom right through the smokey cloud, not having slowed down whatsoever.

"Olgar, you're too rash! You can't just open fire on anyone you deem deserving!" a marine admonished from the other ship, another Vice Admiral.

"Do you blame him?" This time, the third top marine was more accepting of what had transpired. 

The two veterans watched from the other ships, breathing in the smoke under the calm skies.

"Just a month ago, his brother was decapitated, and his corpse was turned into a puppet. It's not alarming for him to lash out a little."

Olgar's fury erupted in a roar: "Keep firing!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Fire, ash, dust and water burst out in chains of explosions, lighting the region with chaos and disarray. No matter how many projectiles they fired, the incoming vessel did not slow down!

"Looks like we caught a big fish. Prepare for possible close combat!" Olgar warned through the snail that resounded over the three warships. His face was warped in madness—the anger of losing his twin brother Orlov while being forced to remain in G-1 and swallow his frustrations.

'Damn the Government for protecting you… Just you wait, Fulcrum, I'll come for you as soon as you trip up!!!'

Olgar's fury was disrupted as a hefty shadow shot out from the plume of smoke, crashing onto the ship to the left side.

The wooden deck shivered against the enormous momentum of the intruder, his spanning shadow stretching across the mighty vessel.

*Click* *Cock* *Click* Hundreds of guns were aimed ready. These men were the gems of the Navy, tasked with protecting the Holy Land from the New World!

Nouveau, the blue-haired Vice Admiral at the helm, responded quickly: "Take down the invader!"

He watched as the thousand marines on board either began shooting or swinging their weapons. Suddenly, his personal snail blared.

"Katcha~!" "What is it, Zazzaz?" he questioned the other Vice Admiral on the line.

"..." The snail's face warped into one of trepidation, dripping with cold sweat. To Nouveau, it seemed it was out of fear of angering the Fleet Admiral: "Don't worry. I can hold down this one alone. We'll make it in time."

"...We have a bigger problem, Nouveau."

The snail audibly gulped, its eyes shaken, "Look at the man on the boat."

Nouveau turned his attention to the tiny little boat gently floating, all the while being surrounded by three marine Warships with their cannons drawn.

The smoke had lifted just enough to unveil the young face and pair of sharp crimson eyes.

Curious eyes warped into dread: "...shit."

He didn't have much time to think as Olgar, the leader of the Fleet, hurriedly spoke through a megaphone: "Sin Incarnate…" he called out in a somber voice, "...why don't we act like we never saw one another? Spare both of us the trouble."

The words carried faux confidence, but it was a worthy try.

"…"

Olgar heard no response and thought his words made a difference, so he continued, "No more bombardment, no trouble, no difficulties," he offered. "How about it, huh, no hard feelings?"

The Vice Admiral was hopeful as he watched the undying pirate return a smirk through the thin cloud of dust: "No chance."

Olgar crushed his megaphone, his face warped in anger. He turned to his troops and addressed them all, "He may be called 'The Undying,' but I doubt he can survive being bombed from all directions," Olgar proclaimed. "Fire at will!"

Bang! Bang! Bang! 

Bang! Bang! Bang! 

Hundreds of cannons at close range, all firing at the same time. A chain of explosions lit up the seas, sending vigorous rumbles through the seas.

Boooom!

The resounding eruption was akin to the roar of a mighty beast, loud enough to shatter eardrums. The tiny vessel was instantly smoked and charred; the debris itself exploded into a fireball, giving birth to a mushroom cloud.

"That ought to do it!" a marine Captain yelled heartily.

"Kuhuhuhu, you marines are an optimistic bunch."

Nouveau turned away from the carnage and back at the sole invader at the center of his ship. "A no-name who can't even speak basic tongue, take him down!"

The attacker, Solomon, smiled widely at their charge.

Bang! Boom! Bang!

Dozens of bullets flew toward him, yet they could not pierce through his skin. The clattering sound from the mayhem brought a grim air to the ship, but their experience shone through.

"Cut him apart with Haki!" a Commodore suggested, rushing with a giant blackened sword.

"Kuhuhu!" Solomon held out his right arm as it began to transform.

*Krrrr* *Snap* The sound of branches snapping apart, growing out from the man's arm and encasing it wholly. The wood was dark in colour, rotten to its core.

The Commodore roared past the unnatural sight and violently slashed his vast weapon. 

*Clang!* Sparks flew, and the ground shook. The veteran marine's arm trembled from the recoil, leaving it aching.

"H-How tough is his ar– guahh!" The officer's miserable cry silenced the sea of marines. They saw the Commodore being lifted to the sky as a branch-like arm tearing through his stomach.

Fresh organs dribbled out, splattering with bright red blood, falling from nearly 20 feet in the air!

The towering Extinct took a whiff of the smokey air, a smile etched on his face: "Is that fear I sense?"

With the flex of his raised arm, the body of the marine exploded into red paste, showering on the unlucky few nearby.

He then swiped his left hand horizontally, looking like he was grasping the air. The shocked marines felt hollow as a whirling black mist swirled in Solomon's hand—he had harvested their fear!

"Tasty, tasty, beautiful fear…!" the monster spat out with his raspy voice, opening his palm to release a fog of virulent plague:

.

"Deathly Curse!"

.

*Fuuuuu* It flooded through the ships at incredible speeds, encasing the thousands of marines with its gloomy nature; what was a bright day suddenly warped into dreadful darkness.

"W-What's going on!"

"M-M-My arm, no, my body..!"

"HELP ME!"

"Auuugh!"

"It hurts, it hurts!"

Hundreds of marines cried out in pain as the mist corroded into their pores, oozing through their veins. It left their blood vessels black, almost like they were rotting away!

"Uaghh!"

They collapsed one by one, clutching at their arms and legs, some even their heads, as they inhaled the substance.

"More fuel for me."

Solomon swiped his arm once more, smiling at the sight. But it was then a shadow flickered at him and his extended limb.

BAM!

A blackened fist drilled into the pirate's arm. With a thunderous snap, the wooden arm in the way crumbled into hundreds of pieces and a cacophony of rotten shards—the entire limb was gone!

Nouveau scoffed at the sight, looking up at his enemy with disdain.

But the man was left baffled as more rotten wood shot out from the shoulder, twisting and turning back into a limb, reforming the arm.

"Kuhuhuhu! You're a worthy foe!"

Nouveau narrowed his eyes, refusing to back down. He charged, unleashing a barrage of attacks.

.

"Finger Pistol: Brutal Assault!"

.

The Haki-clad fingers rained down, stabbing into the much taller Solomon with no mercy.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

It was like repeatedly hitting a drum. Nouveau roared in anger while the sounds of his weeping soldiers fuelled his spirits.

"You're no Logia… I'll just keep shattering you apart until you can't regrow anymore!"

Veins popped along the marine's arm while his face warped into a rage. He sent out a thunderous finger blessed with dense Haki at the enemy once more.

*Fwoo!* A body shot across the deck and was nailed into the tall walls of the warship, sending out a resounding boom.

Bated breaths of Nouveau echoed the dull ship. The man cautiously watched the dust cloud, only to hear a broken voice: "Ow-ow-ow! That stings!"

"No wonder Boss said not to get careless… you understood my power pretty fast!"

It was odd. The enemy clearly spoke gibberish, but they understood his titanic threat while onboard a confined space.

Solomon spat out some blood, driving away the ringing sound from his head. His pained face switched to glee in the form of a wild smirk. "Kuhuhuhu!" He revelled in combat, his blood boiling with impatience.

*Krrack* *Snap* His entire body began to transform, hearing the bloodthirst. Rotten branches swarmed over Solomon's body, encasing his limbs, torso, and head.

*Puuuuuuu* A black mist emanated from the dark figure, spreading across the ship. The eerie atmosphere was entirely overshadowed by the creature that had appeared at its center.

"A-A Zoan!"

The skull-face opened slightly, speaking out with a broken voice, "So even so-called Vice Admirals can release fear. I like this sea more and more!"

*Szzzzz* Nouveau suddenly felt stinging across his arms. Looking down, they were turning a rotten black!

"Damn it, stay away from his mist if you don't have Haki!"

His orders reached a few hundred men who had survived, but it was too late; the fog had covered the entire warship, and those who could use Haki couldn't focus on keeping it up:

"My head, it's terrifying!"

"Mother, no, don't die!

"Auugh, n-not my children?"

"Wife, why would you kill me…?"

Dozens of delirious thoughts echoed out from the marines. They all fell under Nouveau's eyes: "The mist is preying on their fear!"

He watched as the panic-struck men began to drop like flies, their bodies rotting away as their minds collapsed. 

Darkness dawned over Nouveau. He returned to the 20-foot tall Wendigo, gnashing his teeth, "Just where did this monster come from!?"

"Sin Incarnate, you want to wage war?" 

Both Olgar and Zazzaz watched Solomon run wild, but they couldn't back him up—Damien remained untouched, calmly seated at the edge of the central warship with his legs stretched out in comfort. Even with thousands of weapons trained on him, Damien smiled serenely, the fresh breeze tousling his hair.

"You guys fired the first shot," Damien said flatly. "This is simply the consequence."

Olgar's hands clenched, a mix of anger and helplessness flashing across his face. He was at the edge of reason, and in a fit of desperation, he grabbed a rocket launcher and aimed it at Damien.

"Get off my ship!"

Bang!

Sparks flew as the black rocket soared across the deck, aimed directly at Damien's head, ready to obliterate him.

Olgar and everyone else expected the projectile to fail—maybe to be deflected, perhaps even dissipated—but not what actually happened.

*Pweew* A sharp, pixelated sound rang out, almost like an arcade game.

The rocket reached its target, exploding into a fireball. Damien's upper body, including his head, disintegrated into fine, cube-shaped particles that floated erratically midair, spasming and crackling with thin arcs of crimson energy.

The marines' eyes widened in shock—Damien had exploded into tiny red pieces!

[A/N: Sound Effect in Discord.]

*Crinkle* One by one, the particles flew back together, reconnecting in pairs, rows, and columns. The chest, arms, neck, and finally, the head reformed, leaving behind the undying pirate with a wicked grin.

"L-Logia fruit!?"

Olgar had the same thought but quickly denied it: "No way! His ability has been classified as a Paramecia: the Pulverization Fruit!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Olgar fired three more rockets, each resulting in the same effect: Damien's body shattered into particles, only to reform moments later.

"I'm afraid your intelligence is outdated!"

*Phwee!* Damien's entire 11' 7" frame turned into a stream of crimson particles and surged through the air.

"Watch out, he can fly now!"

The volatile current of particles floated toward the ship to the right, reforming into Damien, who hovered calmly above the sea by the warship's edge.

With a grunt, Damien dug his hand into the ship's thick barricades, leaving deep cracks. His body floated effortlessly as the ship, nearly twice the size of a giant, was lifted into the air with ease.

The massive vessel cast a dark shadow over the sea, forcing marines to skid across the deck and scramble for balance. 

"Ahhh, someone grab me!"

"I'm falling!"

"I-I can't swim!"

Hundreds of marines fell into the sea below as Damien's empathy picked up their panicked emotions; he decided to grant them a final thrill.

*Purrup* Like a volcano, his hand glowed crimson, releasing energy across the vessel.

The colossal ship instantly vanished with a poof, reduced to particles invisible to the naked eye.

Damien then held out his left palm, summoning the countless particles back to him, forcing them to obey his will:

.

"Atomic Modeling."

.

With a thought, the particles reassembled into the ship—this time, a hundred feet in the air, without sails, its bow pointing straight down, ready to plummet.

"He's going to bury us!"

With the embrace of gravity, the sixty-meter ship dropped.

*Fwooo!* A howling wind erupted as the massive vessel crashed into the sea, forcing giant waves in its wake.

Amidst the panic, a bold Zazzaz appeared in the sky, arm's length from Damien and roared, "Logia or not, Haki is supreme!"

.

"Zaza Punch!"

.

The fist coursing with thick Haki shot ahead, nailing at Damien's core.

Zazzaz's eyes widened in shock as he felt absolutely no resistance—it was like punching through the air!

Tiny red particles crackled along the man's extended fist, zapping and quivering frantically.

"W-What the hell… Augh!"

Suddenly, a hand shot out and grabbed the Vice Admiral by the throat. He struggled like a fish out of the sea, desperately trying to escape the hold.

Zazzaz, in a moment of dread, reached into his pocket and slashed with what he was looking for—a dagger.

"!!!" Damien's eyes flashed red, showcasing a future where he would fall out of his current state. 

*Phwee!* The pixelation reappeared, and his abdomen dissolved into tiny particles, allowing the black dagger to go right through like the fist from earlier. "Seastone dagger, nice try."

Zazzaz felt the suffocating grip, slowly losing conscience. 

.

Olgar watched his colleague's lifeless body fall to sea far below. By now, only the leading ship under him remained with marines, one-third of what they originally had.

"You've turned your fruit into a Special Paramecia…?" he echoed Zazzaz's final thoughts. With a twisted face, the man commanded the remaining thousand men, "Get ready!" 

But his mind struggled to comprehend the escalating impossibilities. He watched in disbelief as the floating Damien extended his hand, palm down, fingers spread wide. Was that a blue glow emanating from his hand?

.

"Primal Charge."

.

A blinding flash of light followed by a sharp zapping sound cut through the air, and then the heat hit like a wave.

The eerie chorus of birds singing assaulted Olgar's ears—only it wasn't birds, but the shriek of lightning. His eyes tracked the vivid blue arcs of energy, crackling and leaping from Damien's finger. The air around them grew suffocatingly hot under the relentless surge of voltage, and the marines were caught in the storm.

*Crackle* Boom! *Rumble*

The electric current surged forward, its tendrils reaching out like the fingers of death, seizing the first marine in its grasp.

"Gwuah!" The soldier's scream was guttural, a howl of agony as the electricity charred his body black.

But it didn't stop there. The current tore through him, splitting off and lashing at two more marines. Their bodies convulsed as the electric storm claimed them, their cries mingling with the relentless hum of power.

*Zap!* *Pop!*

One became two, two became four, four became eight—the electricity leapt from man to man, each marine a helpless conduit for the deadly energy. The air sizzled as the chain of electricity multiplied, spreading like wildfire through the ranks.

Flames erupted from the sheer intensity, adding to the chaos as charred bodies hit the deck. Ash and smoke filled the air, suffused with the pulsing blue light of the electricity —a spectacle both terrifying and awe-inspiring.

[Primal Charge Image (in Discord)]

.

A puzzled Olgar instinctively retreated, shielding himself as best he could from the static electricity that crackled all around him. His mind raced, struggling to make sense of what he was witnessing.

"What's going on… first that strange Logia-like ability, and now lightning? This doesn't make any sense!"

The blinding light and his men's screams were overwhelming. He took another step back, trying to distance himself from the chaos.

"!!!" Olgar's eyes widened in horror as his boots landed in a large puddle of seawater.

*Crackle!*

A million volts surged through him in an instant, the current driving into his brain and frying his synapses. The Vice Admiral had no time to scream—his body went rigid before collapsing to the ground with a dull thud, smoke rising from his charred form.

A few moments passed as a stream of particles reformed into Damien. He stepped over a few fallen soldiers shivering with bloodshot eyes—he had come to the left ship.

"Boss, I didn't know you could use lightning too!"

"Electricity, not lightning," Damien corrected, raising his left hand with vivid blue energy crackling through his fingers. "Solomon, don't you know that all living cells have their own bioelectricity?"

The man seemed somewhat confused, but he didn't intervene.

"With my Awakening and Life Return, amplifying and weaponizing this primal charge is simple."

Nouveau, the Vice Admiral who lay on the floor with shaken eyes, heard the explanation too. The man's tearful face and hollow eyes regained spirit. "Awakening… I-I have to report this…"

Solomon glared at the man crawling across the deck with disdain. 

*Thump* *Thump* *Thump* 

The enormous Extinct walked up, his right arm swirling with rotten branches.

Without hesitation, Solomon drove his transformed arm into the man's heart and lifted him two dozen feet up with fresh blood dripping onto his bare chest.

"You guys are too used to taking the first shot and not expecting the other party to fight back," he scornfully spat, watching Nouveau's eyes lose their shine. 

"You can speak basic tongue all of a sudden?" Damien's curious voice resounded the deck. 

Solomon threw the corpse aside and undid his arm's transformation. Turning to his Captain, he responded, "I picked it up after absorbing their fear."

The revelation impressed the leading pirate, who once again marvelled at Devil Fruits. But distant splashes of water interrupted their conversation.

"Looks like we got runners." 

Damien's eyes turned to the far East and saw a group of ten marines swimming with great zeal. 

"Hmm."

The notorious pirate picked up a cannonball from the rack, casually tossing it up and down in his palm. It was a dense, iron sphere, heavy with potential. 

At Damien's mere thought, the solid iron began to dissolve, every atom disassembling and dispersing into the air like dust in the wind.

*Fwooo* An ominous air blew about, even leaving the marines with a chill down his spine. They swam three times harder, feeling the shadow of death upon them. 

.

"Atomic Remodeling."

.

Damien's creativity was boundless as the disintegrated atoms obeyed his command, swirling together in the air to form something entirely new. A red flash of energy later, and ten swords materialized, hovering menacingly in the sky.

*Snap!*

A mere thought from Damien and the swords liquified, reshaping themselves into deadly spears.

*Snap!*

Another thought and the spears transformed again, morphing into sleek, pointed arrows. 

Solomon watched in awe, realizing that he had only glimpsed the true extent of his Captain's Awakening over the past two weeks. 

Damien had become an Atomizing Human, a being whose power allowed him to reshape the physical world at its most fundamental level. His art was limited only by his creativity.

*Purrup* With a final snap of the finger, each projectile turned pristine black, and a crimson aura surrounded them.

Ten simultaneous sonic booms echoed across the sea—the Haki-infused arrows shot forward with merciless precision. They didn't just fly straight; they followed their targets' every move, twisting and turning through the air before delivering fatal headshots with unerring accuracy.

.

"Listen up, Solomon," Damien spoke, turning away from the sinking corpses. "Even though we're pirates, we live by a set of rules."

The words brought a spark of uncertainty to the Zoan-user's face: "Rules?"

"That's right. Simply put, we don't go around slaughtering people as we wish. If these guys didn't open fire on us, then I would've left them alone." The two crimson eyes washed clarity on Solomon, "But if someone tries to challenge us in war and combat, then you're free to unload hell itself upon them."

"If they mess with us, then you're free to unload hell itself upon them; otherwise, let them be."

"Kuhuhu! I didn't think you were so kind-hearted, Boss!"

Damien lightly smiled at the remark and shook his head, "It's not about kindness. It's about principles. I know you lived your entire life hunting and slaying those Forsaken Beasts, but now you'll go against real people who won't all be trying to make your kind go extinct."

A memory of the Hachinosu flashed by his mind, reminding him of the worst humanity had to offer.

"Without rules, we live with the animals."

Solomon's confusion warped into a grin as he reined in his bloodthirsty nature. Even with his rather brash demeanour, he understood the worth of human life.

"Don't worry, Boss. I pride myself in my self-control!"

To Be Continued…

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

Author's Corner.

The basic uses of Damien's Awakening were unveiled here, but much remains to be shown. Simply put, he can reshape the physical world using the building blocks of matter. But like any new power, it also needs mastering (GM-II and GM-III).

At the start of publishing, I said Damien wouldn't be getting multiple combat-focused fruits; instead, he would devise ways to use other types of powers with his pulverization. Primal Charge is an example.

You can find Damien's fruit power sound effect in Discord alongside his Conqueror's Haki sound effect: https://discord.gg/aJHHHPvb6q


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