One Piece: Path to Power

Chapter 121: [121] Sworn Enemies of the Gods

[2770 words]

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[An Hour Later]

*Rumble*

Boom!

Bam!

Powerful bursts of air and shock pulsated at a rhythmic pace, sending tremors through the already ruined Superbia in the form of powerful shrieks and bangs every ten seconds.

"U-Ugh, I can't take it anymor—guh!" The man suddenly fell to his knees, his eyes whitening from the mental shock.

*Thud!* Tens of other marines fell one by one, much like flies.

"Puru," "Puru," "Puru." "Katcha~!"

"This is the Marine Outpost outside Superbia. What is the nature of your emergency?" a formal voice asked.

The man slowly answered, "T-This is Rear Admiral Dongshire. My troops have all fallen unconscious," he shared with great struggle. "I-It seems to be Conqueror's Haki, pulsing out from Apollo Island without end… Auugh!"

"..."

"Rear Admiral!?"

"Please report, Rear Admiral Dongshire!"

.

[On the Other Side of the Call]

"..."

"Katcha~!"

The marine respondent shook his head in uncertainty. He couldn't help but look around and feel the same chaos befall the other two dozen respondents.

"Did you caller faint too?"

"Yeah, something about their mind feeling great weight."

"Conqueror's Haki? Just about every troop stationed at sea surrounding Apollo Island has collapsed, it's opened a hole in our formation!"

…

The chain of news quickly made its way to the top of the pyramid, leaving Sengoku to massage his temples. "Apollo Island, that's where Fulcrum went on her own," he murmured. "What could it be that is evoking such Haki?"

He looked to the distant skies, which pulsed with red and purple waves of pressure, sending tremors all over the nearby seas.

Basara sat to the side, not exactly disturbed by the news. "Looks like she fell upon some difficulty. It would be best for that Underworld rat to die!"

"Don't be ridiculous; she's imperative to the imminent future!" Zephyr snapped from the side.

Tsuru seemed just as bewildered, saying, "It knocked out even a Vice Admiral near the island seas. Such Haki is extraordinary!"

"All the threats have been reported to have departed. I can't connect the dots," Sengoku pondered.

"Isn't it outside of our jurisdiction for another nine hours?" Basara spat with disdain. "Let her deal with whoever's there."

"..."

His words were brash but not incorrect. Their duty was to wait out the 12-hour immunity before moving in, and that is precisely what followed.

…

[Eight Hours Later]

"It's still going on. It must be a powerful opponent!"

"Looks like Fulcrum is stronger than anyone thought. Her Haki is noteworthy!"

"We can only wait it out…"

…

The Marines' worry gave birth to many theories.

Some thought Fulcrum had encountered a great enemy pirate who wanted to claw at Sol's great treasures.

Some thought she was training. Some thought it was simply a residual effect from the recent war. But none could imagine the debauchery that had occurred for the previous eight hours.

…

After another twenty minutes, the banging finally concluded. All but the shallow breathing that remained at Apollo Island.

A beautiful girl with long purple hair lay defeated upon a white bed. Beads of sweat ran down her face.

The young man sat up, stretching his body. "That was fun… nice to release the built-up stress from the past few months."

A victorious smile broke out on the dark-haired pirate as he ran his hands through the young woman's hair. 

"I, I can't keep up without Toki's help…" she murmured, hiding under the blanket.

"Don't say that. It works nicely to train Conqueror's Haki, too," he casually said, fully recovered from previous injuries.

Damien stood up, looking around for some clothes, only to remember what happened. "Oh right, I only have rags left from my regal attire." He clicked his tongue; the convenience of having self-reforming clothes would be missed.

.

Aurora stared at the shirtless Damien with narrowed eyes. Although she adored seeing her soulmate's dense and shredded muscles, she also had some other thoughts in mind.

"Thank goddess, that trenchcoat of yours is gone," she whispered. "I don't understand how men don't get tired of wearing the same clothes every single day."

Damien scoffed at the accusation. "I'd rather be ready to jump into action in two minutes while wearing old clothes than spend two hours deciding what to wear."

Aurora hummed with a smirk, floating out from under the sheets and landing before the male pirate, fully nude. Damien clicked his tongue in slight annoyance as a burst of aether swirled, clothing the Empress again, hiding the glorious view.

"It only takes me two seconds to get ready," she quipped, reaching to fix her hair.

"And it just so happens that I've been collecting some nice clothes for you. Much better than that dark and brooding coat from earlier." The girl went into designer mode, unleashing torrents of purple energy. At her command, a plethora of shirts and pants floated and slowly spun in the air.

"..." Damien was left speechless at the sight of the dozens of clothing sets. Sure enough, Aurora had been waiting for the day he lost his regal attire.

Aurora hummed at a few shirts, cupping her chin in thought, sparing some glances at the unclothed pirate.

…

Five minutes later, the Sin Incarnate stood before a spanning mirror, looking at his reflection with some surprise. "I guess it's not bad to try on something new."

Aurora stood beside him, her head reaching his shoulder as she admired the sharp outfit with twinkling eyes—she was enamoured.

The mirror revealed a darkly charismatic presence, highlighted by his striking attire and intense gaze. He wore a form-fitting, deep purple shirt with intricate black and lighter purple floral and swirl patterns covering the entire fabric, creating an almost tattoo-like effect. The pants were dark and a mix of formal and tactical.

The woman shook her head from the reverie and made a few more changes.

"The shirt alone is a little too mundane…" she muttered, reaching for Damien's sleeves, rolling them up. Her hands then went for the buttons and loosened a few.

"There we go!" Aurora remarked in joy, taking a final look at the pirate.

The partially unbuttoned shirt revealed a well-defined chest, contributing to his sharp yet dangerous appearance. His dark, tousled hair, crimson streaks, and red-tinged eyes made for a mysterious and somewhat menacing demeanour.

"I couldn't possibly ever guess your favourite colour," Damien said with a smile, looking at the purple-haired, purple-eyed girl who picked out a purple shirt for him.

Aurora huffed an exhale, raising her proud chin at the comment. "Purple is a royal colour, which is why my great-grandfather, Amethyst Aurelius, chose it as our surname."

[New Look Image + Older Damien (in Discord)]

…

[Half an Hour Later]

In his new get-up, Damien stood at the shore of Apollo Island again, Aurora by his side. They enjoyed the breeze while the girl finished a report from Unso Island.

"How is it?" the young man asked.

"There will be a huge hike in the Heavenly Tribute tax for the coming year," Aurora answered, staring at the gentle tides. "They've bumped it up to fifty percent!"

The Heavenly Tribute was a yearly taxation system imposed on every nation under the World Government.

Over 160 nations gave up a significant percentage of their annual worth to the benevolent Mariejois. Due to the tremendous amount of wealth to be transported, the World Government had set up the Revenue and Taxation Bureau (RTB) to facilitate every shipment and ensure every berry was present.

The Commissioner of the RTB had authority equal to that of an Admiral, ensuring the 15-20 transports every month went without a problem! 

Damien pondered at the update, nodding, "The base tax is forty percent, but such dark times lead to huge hikes."

He clicked his tongue at the daylight robbery, which was understandable considering the Navy's losses. 

"You know what to do?" he questioned.

Aurora smiled proudly, "Since they've bumped up the tax on the world… It's only right for me to bump up the cost of using the Styx Passages."

"That's my girl," Damien laughed, playing with her hair.

.

The final minutes of the immunity encroached quickly as the pirate duo breathed in the calm seas; as the saying goes, after the storm comes a rainbow.

"There's a small thing you should know about, Damien," Aurora said, her eyes still enthralled by the beauty of the New World.

"What's up?"

The girl's expression warped into a more serious one as she answered, "The Navy. They've recently brought in two super recruits, Marine Supernova even."

Damien raised an eyebrow in intrigue. "Oh, who is it?"

"The first is the son of Garp—Monkey D. Dragon," Aurora stated. "He has the ability to spawn storms and manipulate weather."

The words brought a look of surprise to the Sin Incarnate's face. 'So Dragon, the future most heinous criminal, was an enemy created in the Navy itself,' he thought.

"Though he should be quite young being Garp's son."

Aurora nodded, "He's only sixteen but has been dubbed a rising star."

Damien didn't find it odd knowing Dragon's lineage, though another thought came to mind: "Who's the second?"

"Well, his case is a little odd," Aurora paused for a second, somewhat unsure. "He seems to have had a run-in with you."

"Is that so?" Damien rhetorically asked with a light smile, his curiosity peaked.

"Yeah, he was present when you stormed G-2. He goes by the name of Shinrai."

Now, it was Damien's turn to pause in thought. A figure came to mind from that day, months ago. A brave marine, or at least a marine feigning bravery, stood up to Damien right before his supposed fall.

"He should have died, let alone when I sank the base itself to the bottom of the ocean."

Aurora narrowed her eyes, "He was found unharmed through the ordeal. I don't know how that happened, but Kong is keeping a tight lid on his stars."

*Vvooo!* The previous passionate demeanour vanished and was replaced with the cold eyes of an assassin. "Should I take care of them?" she asked, holding an ethereal dagger that had claimed countless lives.

It was a simple statement awaiting a response.

Damien smiled at her expression, which resembled a death statement to be given. "Calm down, my dear assassin," He ran his hand through Aurora's silky hair, instantly turning her docile. 

His eyes turned a little more calculating following his words: "This Shinrai must have survived with the help of a Devil Fruit he found at G-2… Plus, getting a bold recruit isn't necessarily disadvantageous."

While enjoying the touch, Aurora became curious: "What do you mean?"

"A powerful Navy is bad news for me, but a weak Navy is even worse," Damien answered as a few faces of pirates appeared in his mind. "If I go around killing the top dogs, then there will be no one to contain monsters like Shiki, Big Mom and, of course, Rocks."

The infamous evils of the Rocks Pirates were fresh in the world's mind. Aurora knew of this, but she had other reservations.

"Is that why you left Kurowashi alive?" She asked in a muffled tone.

The Sin Incarnate paused in thought, seeing the gem-like eyes of the Underworld Emperor. He also felt the strands of apprehension exuding from her, mixed with melancholy. 

Sure enough, Aurora's mind flashed with the dark memories of her home being ravaged and her family executed, all under the cold eyes of the Black Eagle.

"I know your hatred for him," he softly answered, pulling her into his embrace. The warmth of his body tore her away from the dreadful past. "Don't worry. His misery is only beginning." 

…

[A Little While Later]

The Marines finally got the green light to move in. 

The fleet did so immediately.

Under Sengoku's command, they quickly salvaged what remained. The first priority was the forces at Superbia, the ones stationed at Helios Capital, and the two Forts.

It wasn't a surprise when the Admirals found the destroyed forts and walls alongside the majority of the Prideful Pirates dead. 

What did surprise them was that so many of them were cruelly drained of life… turned to bones and nothing but fleeting minerals. A horrifying image, to say the least.

.

Over the next twelve hours, Sengoku, Garp, and Zephyr scoured Superbia, clearing endless collapsed buildings, landmarks, and mountains.

In the wake of the Pirate Fest, huge waves and tsunamis had graced the island, leaving it in dust and rubble.

Of the 300,000 civilians, at least 40% died from such causes, while many were left injured and in a critical state. While the remainder had been knocked unconscious over a half-dozen times in the past few days, it was a true hellish experience.

The Marines' actions were not simply for Morgans' eyes but also for Sengoku's justice.

Though he wasn't naive enough to think he could save everyone and was ready to shed blood to maintain stability, he also wasn't the type to let innocent people die.

Garp was quite vocal in his actions, smashing ruined lands to facilitate the aid's arrival.

Vice Admiral Tsuru utilized her Wash-Wash Fruit as needed, bringing in some recruits. It was a long process but necessary; after all, the Marines were the good guys.

…

"Kong-san, I didn't ask then, but the Celestial Dragons… what's going on with them?" Sengoku asked over the snail.

Kong's stern voice responded, "A grand event will happen soon, Sengoku. The leaders of the nineteen Noble Houses have voiced their desire to calm the seas."

"Many things are happening in the background. Cipher Pol is moving at its highest capabilities. Even Endou-san has been working overtime."

The Fleet Admiral sighed in resignation, his fatigue conveyed through the snail. "I see you as my successor, Sengoku. Do as you're tasked, don't ask too many questions, and my seat will be yours eventually."

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[Room of Authority, Pangaea Castle]

Five men rested in the Room of Authority. They were the Supreme Authority of the World Government.

The Sword Elder slightly unsheathed his Supreme Sword—Shodai Kitetsu. "Balance has been tipped. The world is left hanging by a thin thread of order that weakens by the day."

Marcus Mars sighed as he massaged his temples. "With Sol's downfall, a vacuum of power has appeared in the New World. From one D to another. Rocks, Roger, Damien; they are far too dangerous to be left alive any longer."

Topman Warcury gnashed his teeth, "All our efforts have been voided by those insufferable Rocks Pirates! The fateful day approaches, and we lose more and more control with the passing second!"

*Shiing* Nusjuro fully released his sword, distress evident in his eyes. "Rocks has gotten stronger, and Roger has gotten far too close to the Final Island…"

He went on to say, "And that young pirate… Einar D. Damien. His father was just as problematic as he has now become!"

Saturn also chimed in while tapping his cane in a dull beat: "The D. will always blow up a storm! It was a mistake on our part to let him grow. The little seed left behind by Ares has sprouted and grown into an entity that seems to only know how to oppose the order we impose."

The voice then grew solemn as a sharp glint flooded the eyes of the Elders. It may be time to extinguish another light from history again.

"..." A deafening silence pervaded the atmosphere as each Elder was left solemn.

Saint Ju Peter, who had been quiet until now, finally gave his thoughts: "At the very least, the Rocks Pirates have lost a vast amount of their troops. It should take a while for them to return to their strength."

However, Warcury wasn't as optimistic: "We lost ten thousand at G-2 and another 25,000 in this Scorched Sea War; it's unforgivable!"

*Tut* *Tut* Saturn tapped his cane, reining in the others' attention. "What of the plan? It seems Xerxes' actions have bore fruit."

Nusjuro nodded, recalling a recent report, "The Operation is in progress. Two top agents of SWORD and Cipher Pol have weeded themselves into the Rocks Pirates; they will remain hidden till needed."

Ju Peter nodded in some satisfaction. "The Black Death has shown a desire to depart from Rocks' banner; it seems the operation has a great chance of success."

Warcury leaned into his seat, his eyes growing distant, "Time will tell…"

...

[The Next Day]

A great storm swept the seas, bringing a flurry of newspapers that concerned the world's stability!

Alongside the plethora of news came a haul of bounties totalling an inconceivable amount!

To Be Continued…

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Author's Corner.

Finally, a complete update on Damien's appearance.

The Marines have begun investing in future powerhouses, starting with the two rising stars. Although it came at a hike from the previous hike of 45% (Chapter 91) to 50%. You may also recall the RTB mentioned in Chapter 8 when Damien's claim over the bounties was taxed, annoying him.

By the way, the cliffhanger was not at all purposeful.

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