One Piece: Path to Power

Chapter 128: [128] Pandemonium

[2485 words]

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[No Man's Land, Extinction Valley]

*Splash!* A massive column of water erupted as a silhouette emerged from the depths. Water clung to the young man's clothing as he breathed in the salty sea air. Naturally, it was just Damien enjoying a nice swim across the whirling seas of Extinction Valley.

It was a long swim over with annoyingly difficult currents to traverse, reflected in the approaching sunlight creeping past the horizon.

With a quick pulse of crimson energy, all water droplets were shredded at the molecular level, drying Damien off instantly.

He was welcomed into the dusty and rugged No Man's Land by a rather dramatic sight: a giant shadow looming over him. Damien's eyes widened at seeing a floating mountain nearly 300 meters in size!

That wasn't all…

*Bang! Bang! Bang!* Three simultaneous chained explosions went off near his feet, opening up 30 craters in a chaotic pattern. The ground beneath him trembled as if alive, each explosion sending tremors through the unstable earth. 

*Crunch* Within seconds, the giant landmass was crushed with a loud bang; gravitational forces from all sides rendered it into oblivion, the remnants pulled in different directions by unseen forces.

Another colossal mass of earth slowly floating in the shadow of the previous suddenly plummeted with catastrophic speed, exploding into a shower of debris and creating deafening rumbles that echoed across the landscape.

No one nor thing was spared from this randomized chaos.

"!!!" Damien narrowed his eyes as he felt the bones in his arm creak under a sudden, crushing force, while the other side of his body felt as light as air. The bizarre sensation was like being torn between two worlds, one of overwhelming pressure and another of near weightlessness.

The ground beneath him crumbled to bits, only for its fragments to shoot skyward in defiance of all natural laws.

"No Man's Land… an area with unpredictable gravitational changes," he muttered.

"Hmm?" Damien looked up and saw a giant hill of earth suddenly materialize from the sky, hurtling toward him with lethal intent.

He was about to disintegrate it when, without warning, his body was swept away, flung sideways across the chaotic terrain. It felt like being slammed with a violent tsunami with no time to breathe or respond.

"Horizontal gravity!" he grunted as his towering form was hurled through the air, colliding with a floating mountain that had appeared out of nowhere.

Before Damien could react, another force arrived—this time from above at a diagonal angle, as if the very fabric of gravity was twisted in some nightmarish contortion.

His body was flung downwards to the side, crashing into a boulder the size of an island whale, which exploded into dust upon impact. But the onslaught didn't stop—he was lifted from the ground and tossed into the sky, caught in an invisible vortex of gravitational forces.

Fwing!

Vvoosh!

Fwoooo!

Damien clicked his tongue as he was ragdolled through the air. "Torsion gravity… looks like the author got a little too creative!"

The pirate frowned as a tornado of forces approached. It looked like a whirlwind, but it was gravity spiralling in a mad dance of destruction instead of air.

Even with Damien's Haki, he could only predict the chaos some seconds ahead. No matter how far he looked, the landscape remained in a constant state of upheaval, a circus of violent gravitational storms that tore apart anything in their path.

[No Man's Land Image (in Discord)]

…

The screaming winds echoed in his ears, bits of earth collided with his body, and the powerful forces tried to crush him into nothingness.

It was like a rollercoaster ride, albeit a deadly one.

"Wait a second…" Damien muttered, completely ignoring his body being flung around like a ragdoll.

He went with the flow and focused on a singular event happening not too far away. An unseen force yanked a large hill into the sky, ripping it from its roots.

*Rumble* Within seconds, the hill collapsed into itself, splintering into dozens of smaller shards of earth.

The gravity shifted again, pulling each shard skyward in a chaotic swirl of debris.

Then, with another sudden shift, the shards of earth converged with tremendous force, slamming together and fusing into a single, massive piece of rock—a new formation born from the remnants of destruction.

What was shattered came together to create something new; from destruction emerged creation, a scene that sparked an epiphany for Damien.

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While the world of No Man's Land twisted and reformed, far away at Marineford, another kind of reformation was being discussed…

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A large banner hung from the wall, written in bold ink: "Hidden Justice." Its warm shadow filled the simple and modest room, which boasted no more than two sofas, a desk, and a carpet.

The owner of the office was Asahi, codename: Hakuchō, Director of the MCIS.

He looked rather refined, a man in his early fifties. He had medium-length white hair styled backwards while sporting a pristine white goatee.

Asahi donned a more unique attire to the Marines. He wore a green suit with a black shirt and purple tie. In addition to the marine coat draped over his shoulders was a green vest interlaced with said coat.

The marine also had a giant gun leaning at his desk, presumably his choice of weaponry.

[Hakuchō Asahi Image (in Discord)]

"What do you mean his location is unknown?" The man's questioning voice zoomed in on the transponder snail atop the desk.

"I, I'm not sure, Director! But ever since the Black Death's departure two months ago, we've been unable to track down the Sin Incarnate."

Asahi leaned into his chair, staring at the white ceiling. He massaged his temples in frustration, "Masao, I am sorry, but it seems I really can't aid you," the man mumbled. "Alright, it's fine. At least now we can monitor the Rocks without much problem."

The snail nodded, relief evident through its eyes. 

"They lost quite a few during the Scorched Sea War; it'll probably take them a while to recover those losses."

Asahi nodded in agreement, tapping his index finger. He went on to say, "But things aren't going as desired; the flow of pirates has ballooned by 40%," the Director sighed. "Even with the news in our favour, many pirate captains have deduced our weaker grasp over order."

"Paradise has reported a cumulative assault of 20,000 pirates attacking throughout the sea, even reaching major Kingdoms. It's terrible!"

The snail remained silent, used to the Asahi's habits of droning on to himself. 

"There is one thing you should know, Director," the snail said solemnly. "It's regarding the Hellspawn."

Asahi narrowed his eyes, "Zenora Indra?"

The snail nodded its two eyes, "Our reports have confirmed that the notorious pirate has consumed a Devil Fruit, a mighty one at that."

Hakuchō heaved a dull exhale, a foreboding feeling swamped his thoughts: "How bad could it be?" 

"That remains unknown; the pirate is not known to boast his strength, though one of our deepest agents can confirm that it was a power handed down by the Sin Incarnate himself!" 

"Damn it!" Asahi cursed, clenching his weathered fists. He reached for a pen and quickly scribbled down a few notes, leaving the grand office temporarily silent.

Alas, he finished, put aside the pen, and ended the call: "Alright, Agent. Exercise caution in your endeavours; your safety is as important as your mission."

The snail's eyes slightly widened, then quickly nodded. "Y-Yes, Director!" "Katcha~!"

Asahi scrambled out of his humble room. His boots rung over the blue spanning carpet, the prestigious floor made of the most solid wood of the seas. 

The array of hung-up portraits of legendary marines was ignored due to the man's haste, reflected in his destination: the office of the Admiral of the Fleet!

*Knock* *Knock*

"Enter."

Asahi stepped in, breathing in the authoritarian smell of the office, one of the stacks of paper and ink. "Fleet Admiral," he saluted with dignity.

A solemn Kong sat across the vast room and wooden desk, busy with reports. The muscular man made no strides to welcome his subordinate and hummed without prying eyes from his work: "Still no news on Ares' spawn?"

Asahi shook his head, "No, but we have some intel on his second-in-command. Our joint task force with Cipher Pol has unveiled that the swordsman has eaten a powerful Devil Fruit."

Kong paused in his work, his pen slowly letting ink loose into a black blotch. However, the pause was brief as the man returned to his scribbling.

"Keep your focus on the Four Titans; the Warborn of Polemos Island were destroyed decades ago," he answered, his voice carrying little interest. "The Swordsman hasn't showcased the Warborns' greatest power and can only be considered a failed experiment, much like his entire tribe."

Asahi understood his boss' thoughts but had some clashing thoughts: "The Hellspawn has shown great intellect in his combat. If he got his hands on a destructive ability, the–"

*Dung* Kong tapped his finger at the desk, sending a dull clang echoing through the office and silencing the esteemed intelligence director.

"The Warborn was indeed a worry decades ago when I was an Admiral, but that is in the past," the man said with an air of nostalgia, looking up from his work. "I understand your unrest, Asahi. But right now, we lack the forces to tackle every potential problem, let alone our current ones."

Kong sighed, massaging his weathered forehead ridden with wrinkles. "For the next little while, the Rocks Pirates will remain quiet. Didn't you get a tip from your agent in the West Blue regarding the War God's son? Go and verify its authenticity—we must focus on the top members under Xebec to dismantle his threat."

Asahi looked at the Fleet Admiral's solemn eyes and respectfully nodded, "Yes."

.

The tense air quickly disappeared, prompting Kong to question another important topic: "What about Paradise? Is it still messy there?"

Hakuchō took out a sheet of paper from under his coat and read off some information: "Dozens of crews have crawled out from the gutters, using our lack of forces to spread their destruction."

"There was even a storm in the South Blue, and two affiliated Kingdoms of the World Government, Roshwan Kingdom and Samda Kingdom, were hit hard by the pirates. They're requesting backup."

Kong stroked his beard with narrowed eyes. "Send some support from G-14 across the Styx Passage. If that isn't enough, have G-1 divert a fleet to handle things."

Asahi nodded as the orders came, storing them in memory.

"Also, seven new pirate crews stampeded a few non-affiliated nations. Today, they hit five separate islands. Namely, Cactus Island, Jaya, Banaro Island, Yozora Island, and Long Ring Long Land. Fires and death are all they brought with them."

Asahi gazed at his boss with hopeful eyes, "Although they are outside our jurisdiction, we can't just let innocent lives be left to slaughter."

Kong took in the information, remaining silent. "I see. Send our two Star Marines to the five ruined islands; let them see and deal with the destruction first-hand."

Asahi was slightly surprised by the order, "Aren't they too young to lead an entire operation?"

Only to be met with a firm rebuttal, "Be that as it may, we do not need timid talents. Let them show us their brilliance through their work."

Hakuchō nodded, stood up, gave a military salute, and exited the office.

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Back in the heart of No Man's Land, Damien watched the chaotic forces around him with new understanding…

His eyes widened as the realization hit. His mind raced as he connected the chaotic forces of No Man's Land with his own abilities. He had always focused on the destructive power of his Pulverize-Pulverize Fruit, revelling in the sheer force he could unleash.

But here, in this unpredictable environment, he saw something more. The land was not just torn apart—it was also reforming, creating something new from the ruins. Creation and Destruction, two sides of the same coin.

He had neglected the potential for restoration, for rebuilding what he had broken. A power he had barely used.

"Hmm," Damien pondered, lost in thought as his body was flung through the chaos. A new understanding dawned on him, the final piece of the puzzle falling into place.

.

"Death's Cradle."

.

A translucent stream of Pulverization energy was released at his command, quickly encasing the young pirate in a shell. The chaos was locked away in an instant, leaving Damien behind to develop his thoughts.

He held a fist-sized rock in his left palm, staring at its mundane nature.

*Purrup* A crimson energy current crackled out, spreading its volatile characteristic onto the rock. The sound of pixelation fired out as the rock was covered in a checkered pattern, resembling tiny red boxes.

Moments passed as the rock was broken down to droplet-sized levels, purposely done.

Damien focused on the dust-like debris in his palm, willing his powers to do something different.

.

"Restoration."

.

Like a magician's trick, the pieces floated up and slowly but surely began to move toward one another, remodelling themselves into the rock's original shape.

"It's the same power I used to keep Sol down some months ago," Damien acknowledged but was quick to frown. "So that's it; my destruction is ready to Awaken, but I've neglected to bring my restoration to the same level."

His ability to reconstruct went back all the way to Wano, where he had Ryushi forged for him, and he could make it change forms. In addition, only against Sol did he use it in combat, neglecting it otherwise.

Determination flashed in his eyes as he murmured, "Hadean Release."

Metallic clangs went off as the armour appeared all over Damien, plating him in its excellence. The wings spread out in their glory, unveiling a menacing figure.

The humanoid brought in a few more rocks from the outside hell, applying his powers again, but at a much smaller magnitude this time. 

With a poof, the rocks were reduced to pieces the size of grains of sand.

His concentration locked onto the messy substance in his hand; it was so light that it would have flown by the wind right away if it had not been for Damien's cradle.

Once again, Damien covered each piece with his powers, spreading it to every million or so grains and repeating what he had done before.

"…"

"Tch," he clicked his tongue, feeling the sand-like mess explode away, unable to reform, unable to restore.

The Sin Incarnate then grabbed another rock, breaking it down into slightly larger pieces and redoing the experiment.

Time passed as Damien continued without delay, spending days in a row to perfect his ability and restore to the atomic level, relentlessly pursuing the path to power.

He could feel it; Awakening was within grasp!

To Be Continued…

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Author's Corner. 

A storm hits Paradise with certain vital people embroiled in it, even some near Damien…

Another storm hits Damien in the form of an epiphany. You may remember him using "Restoration" in his fight against Sol. It was applied minimally as Damien was always caught up in destruction, neglecting the ability to restore things he had crushed. Ryushi swapping from Vanquisher to Crusher to Ravager was also an application of restoration.

Now, it's a waiting game till he brings his restoration to the level of his pulverization.

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