One Piece: Path to Power

Chapter 130: [130] Twist of Fate

"Seastone does affect Haki." Chapter 935, page 8: Luffy laments not being able to use Haki while in seastone cuffs. Later, Queen would have his cuffs removed to fight the fodder; Hyogoro would unveil Ryuo then. I can't provide any strong evidence that it affects non-fruit users, but if it didn't, how else would the Navy imprison the top dogs in Impel Down, Level 6? 

TL;DR: Seastone restricts all Advanced forms of Haki (Future Sight, Emission, Infusion) for this fic; basic applications remain.

[2745 words]

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

"A white coat draped over his shoulders, labelled with the word 'Justice' upon it! How damnable!"

"A marine did all of this?!" Damien jumped from his seat. Many things could have surprised him, but the revelation was genuinely shocking to the core. 

Choro didn't answer; he was still lost in his devastating memories, giving way to the other man present: "What is a 'marine'?" Solomon asked with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

The question left Damien to pause. "Right, a closed-off society like this wouldn't know…"

He turned to the taller man and briefly summarized: "The seas are ruled by an organization called the World Government," he began. "They hold the peace and balance of the seas with the Navy as their fist to knock down the pirates that plague their waters."

The Chief blew up in anger, his facial tendrils jumping to the sky: "Peace!? Is this peace? Such a horrendous life we've been doomed to live!"

Damien narrowed his eyes at the ironic twist of fate. He leaned back into his seat, shaking his head. "The innocents of such islands are collateral. As long as balance exists and the World Government holds strong, those at the top are content with how things are. That's just how it is."

*Boom!* The jug in Solomon's hand exploded to bits. 

The black mist appeared again, emanating from his body alongside ripples of overwhelming weight.

"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!"

The bushes and trees nearby began to wither, losing life and rotting away. Damien saw the effects and waved his hand, cancelling everything the Haki with his own.

"Calm down now. Although it was in the hands of the Marines, I have no right to preach what is right and wrong," he cleared up. A single thought of Shiki or Rocks made it clear who the true villains were. 

"I'm a pirate who does as he pleases. Some pirates are far, far worse than that marine. Though the Navy has plenty of bad apples, it would be wrong to say the entire tree is rotten." Damien shrugged at the irony of the situation, "If anything, those at the top of the World Government are the truly evil ones."

Solomon gnashed his teeth, "Then what should I do with this anger!?"

The undying pirate turned toward him, seeing a familiar glint in the furious man's eyes, amplified by the chaotic Haki. It was a whirlwind of hatred, hatred toward the people who damned his home to hell.

"You remind me of myself," Damien calmly stated, looking into Solomon's dark eyes. "But you're too weak to do anything."

'Too weak,' the words echoed in the man's mind. He slumped to the ground in broken vigour, helpless in his rage. 

Damien thinly smiled at the sight, finding an interesting possibility. But first, he wanted one final question answered: "Chief Choro. The Great Change, did it also affect your community?"

The old man nodded with a light chuckle, raising his pale arms. "We looked much like you back then, but that day changed us just like it changed the beasts. In fact, my dear nephew is one of the rare cases of non-mutation, much like his mother."

The thought of his deceased sister brought some emotion to the man's eyes. Still, he continued with a firm voice: "Many of our people turned inhuman, with a beast-like appearance. With that came a great boost in our strength and understanding of our Extinct Plating."

*Fwwm* Choro showcased what he meant as he wrapped a solid-metallic armour over his arm, giving off a dull luster. "All our children were born with great talent in this technique. It has saved me on a great many occasions."

Damien nodded in understanding, piecing together the earlier strength he saw from even the likes of a young boy, let alone an old man—It seemed their disasters did come with some silver lining.

.

Finally, he turned to the shaken Solomon: "Let's make a deal then."

The words demanded the other's attention; Solomon listened attentively. 

"Like I said, I'm a pirate." Damien looked into Solomon's eyes and offered, "I will be raising my flag very soon. But I need more powerful men at my side. You ate a mighty fruit, and I like the look in your eyes. You get what I mean, Solomon?"

The Sin Incarnate looked up and onto the bright moon in the middle of the night sky. "You have lived here for your entire life. Haven't you ever thought about what lies beyond these seas, the greater world?"

The tattooed man gulped, his eyes showing deep desires buried years ago. He finally shook his head, "I am indebted to you… but I can't leave my people to die to the beasts outside!"

Damien couldn't help but laugh, "Rahaha! What, you think I can't handle a bunch of rabid dogs? If you come under my flag, I will deal with the beasts' infestation."

The words came in a calm tone yet carried great confidence in the hauling task.

"…" The other two men were left with widened eyes; their minds felt the pursuit of strength echoing from the young man before them. 

Choro looked at Damien, then at Solomon's expression and firmly demanded, "Nephew, go."

He ignored the look from the zoan user and continued, "You have lived for over two decades protecting us in the shadows. If young Damien can clear those beasts, you have nothing to worry about! Live freely!"

Solomon heard the words and faltered, his mind shifting to ponder what lay beyond Extinction Valley's mountains.

Damien felt his thoughts immediately, knowing he needed a little push: "Give me a second."

The pirate reached into his coat, brought out a transponder snail and dialled a number. 

…

[Sabaody Archipelago]

On top of a root found in the lawless region of the Archipelago sat a small bar. 

Inside were a dozen customers, each trying to hide their fear of the bartender. A few bodies lay on the floor, beaten to a pulp and robbed of their goods. 

A sole woman stood at the bar, smoking with one hand while dusting the countertop with another. 

"Clean up your buddy's mess," she sharply said. 

Another man by the side frantically nodded, jumping to action. He scrambled about, picking up his dead brother-in-arms and left swiftly. 

"When you said you were washing your hands from pirating, this is not where I expected you to end up-nyo."

The one who spoke was a gorgeous young woman with light pink hair. She wore Amazonian clothes with a lot of skin, which showed off a desirable figure wrapped up with a female snake. She was roughly the same height as that of the barkeep. 

"Shakky, come back to Amazon Lily already. How can you spend your youth here-nyo?"

"Ufufufu. You know you can't convince me, Gloriosa."

[Gloriosa Image (in Discord)]

Shakky turned to the beautiful woman, also the Empress of Amazon Lily. "I like it here. It's nice, it's quiet, and it's peaceful."

Gloriosa looked at the bloodied floorboards and the cracked windows with a defeated expression. 

"Puru," "Puru," "Puru."

Shakky picked it up with a "Katcha~!" "This is Shakky. How may I rip you off?"

The snail warped into a familiar face, bringing a warm smile to the woman. "Yo, Shakky-nee. Been a while."

"Ara~! It's been a few months since I heard your voice, Damien-chan. I was thinking you forgot about me."

The snail chuckled, and the woman also returned one. Gloriosa watched from the side with curiosity. 

"Looks like you have company."

Shakky smiled, "It's just Gloriosa."

"Oh, the Empress?" The snail's eyes turn to the white-haired woman. "It's nice to meet you."

Gloriosa saw a few bounty posters by the wall, and matched the features of the snail to one said reward: "Damien the Undying… you're close to Shakky-nyo?"

The snail hummed, "She helped me out a lot when I was a newcomer, I owe her a lot."

The Empress narrowed her eyes in speculation, almost as if trying to zoom into Damien's soul through the snail. "Well, it's much better than that pestering Rayleigh."

The snail felt a little curious at her words: "Rayleigh found Shakky here?"

The black-haired woman puffed out a cloud of smoke, "Mhm, he tracked me down somehow. I think he's trying to court me, Ufufufu," she giggled.

"Huh, the Dark King is sliding into the Black Death's bar, not what I expected."

Gloriosa nodded with contempt, her pet snake mirroring her contempt. "A big-time pirate trying to befall a Kuja Empress. He thinks too highly of himself-nyo!"

"Former Empress," Shakky corrected.

"Hmph, it's the same thing."

The ex-pirate then addressed the elephant in the metaphorical room: "So, Damien-chan, how can I help you?"

The snail beamed a familiar smile, one looking for some intel, "I want to know about someone from around 45 years ago…"

…

[The Haven, Extinction Valley]

Damien was on call with the former Head of Intelligence of the Rocks Pirates. Meanwhile, Solomon and Choro gawked at the talking snail, marvelling at its magical nature.

"A marine with powerful Devil Fruit from then. Black hair and a bearded, scarred face. Ring a bell?"

"..." a pause ensued before the snail responded, "Oya, there is such a marine who made quite the name for himself over four decades ago. I wonder what you want with him."

Damien ignored Solomon's angry eyes and continued his query, "I have a future ally here who wants to know."

The snail's voice was curious: "Oh, I see. Are you thinking of breaking away from Rocks?"

Damien thinly smiled, feeling the woman's thoughts through the snail's speculative eyes. "I don't like putting all my eggs in one basket, Shakky-nee."

"Well, whatever. I'm sure you know what you're doing. As for the marine you want to know about, well, just be careful around him. He has quite the weight in the Navy." 

Damien waited as the snail's demeanour became more solemn, "After all, he reigns over both the Navy and even Cipher Pol with an iron fist…"

"...The man you're looking for is the current World Government Commander-in-Chief, Endou!"

"..."

"Pfff, to think such a person would cause this," Damien snorted at the absurdity of the situation. "Truly a twist of fate."

His voice was picked over the receiver, leading Shakky to elaborate, "Although he is older and much weaker now, be wary of taking action against him. He was known as a 'Pirate Butcher' in his prime, and his powers earned him the title of 'Great Disaster.'"

"I'd guess that from just his title," Damien nodded. "For those Five Geezers to give him such power, he ought to be quite the challenge."

"No, Damien-chan, you don't get it," a solemn Shakky interjected. Her serious tone brought tension: "His power spreads havoc and disharmony everywhere. It rips apart the very fabric of anything it touches, leaving nothing but chaos in its wake. In some ways, it's similar to yours."

The Sin Incarnate looked at the snail with narrowed eyes.

In all his readings and intel-gathering, the tales of Endou rarely described his powers in detail. At the time, the World News Agency was a stooge under the World Government, and they wanted to showcase their top dog in a bright light, hiding away the devastating details from all books.

"...You left me with some thoughts. Thanks for the intel. I'll talk to you soon."

The snail conveyed the woman's smile, "Mhm, come visit me at Sabaody when you're free. I promise not to rip you off too much."

"Katcha~!"

The pirate turned to Choro and asked, "Were you able to see the man use his power when he ate the fruit?"

The Chief frowned and returned a half nod. "He 'spared' us by using it near the edge of the Savage Lands. I didn't see it with my own eyes, but the scar he left there tells me enough of the monster he was."

Damien's eyes widened in realization. 

He recalled some weeks ago when he went past Tremor District and ran into a wasteland of utter devastation compared to the forest-y Savage Lands. The ground was fractured into jagged pieces, glowing with ominous red light as though the very earth was bleeding. Spires of rock jut out at unnatural angles as if they'd been violently displaced from deep within the earth. 

'I concluded it was a fruit ability that caused it then,' Damien mused, cupping his chin. 'So that was Endou's trial run of his fruit power.'

The thought of a fruit causing such mayhem with its first-ever usage brought the pirate to a solemn spirit. Oddly enough, the result did indeed resemble the effects of Damien's Pulverize-Pulverize Fruit.

"You have quite the prey on your dish, Solomon," he called out.

The man in question reined in his emotions and sighed, "I take it he's well out of my league." Though his words maintained an ounce of hope.

"He's left you in the dust." 

Damien then stood up, done with the conversation. "I'll be at No Man's Land for another little while. My offer remains till the–"

"I agree!"

Solomon's declaration surprised even himself. His heart pounded with a mix of apprehension and conviction. 'The only way to avenge her… to avenge us is by killing Endou with my own hands!'

He could feel Damien's confidence in every word—he also wished for this. Solomon's resolve hardened. He wasn't just joining a pirate crew—he was stepping into a new life, one where he wouldn't be defined by fear alone.

The sheer strength shown by Damien was also a wake-up call. The ambition in Solomon's eyes was burning in a fiery light, 'This is my only chance to set things right for my people!'

"..." The undying pirate returned an undisguised gaze, almost as if peering deep into Solomon's soul and excavating all his secrets.

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

[Solomon]

[Age: 25 years, 9 months, 25 days]

[Height: 14' 5"] (4.39 m)

[Status: Healthy; Enraged]

[Devil Fruit: Mythical Model Wendigo (Intermediate Mastery)]

[Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars]

[Skills: Primitive Shave, Inborn talent in Armament Haki]

[Haki: Armament Haki (Intermediate Mastery), Conqueror's Haki (Awakened)]

[Strength: Pseudo-Yonko Commander] (Bege, Hawkins level)

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

Raw, untamed power—that's what Damien thought of Solomon, a rough stone with the potential to become a gem.

The Zoan user waited no longer for the pirate and loudly declared, "I know you wield incredible strength. Teach it to me!"

The undying pirate's crimson eyes carried an air of amusement, almost as if seeing Solomon's hopefulness as a toy to test out. "Alright then," he casually answered. "I just hope you are ready; my training is rather… gruelling."

Solomon unconsciously gulped, though he reined in that uncertainty immediately, returning Damien a determined nod.

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

While the Haven at Extinction Valley continued to celebrate their hometown hero, a far more solemn fleet was sailing the seas of Paradise—one that carried the name of justice but, in some eyes, did anything but.

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

"We will arrive at Yozora Island in five hours. You're both in charge of the recovery operation!" a booming voice said. 

It originated from a man donning a Vice Admiral coat addressing two young men.

""Yes, sir!""

"Be careful. This won't be like Cactus Island, Jaya, or even Banaro Island! Unlike those three, we have zero intel from Yozora Island—it exists only on paper!"

The lead marine's face grew malicious as he thundered a new order, "Beyond that, the nature of our mission has changed from recovery to a military takeover!!!"

The words garnered some doubts in one of the Star Rookies' faces. "But Vice Admiral," he objected with confusion. "Yozora Island has no history of criminal actions. Shouldn't we go in peacefully as the Fleet Admiral instructed?"

The towering marine did not agree, and he was confident in showing that disposition, "Listen up, greenhorn. These orders were issued by the Commander-in-Chief, overruling the Fleet Admiral." He glared at the rowdy star recruit, "As a soldier, you do not ask 'why,' you simply do it!"

The answer was blunt and crass, but it was enough for the leading Vice Admiral. A final command was issued, one lacking humanity: "If the natives resist, you have the authority to cut them down as you please!"

To Be Continued…

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

Author's Corner. 

Endou has been name-dropped in the past; now you know more about the OC who resides in the Holy Land.

While Damien gains an ally, a marine fleet threatens another high-potential lad. What do you think they want from Yozora (Night Sky) Island?

Note: I will be in England for a week, so expect no chapters till next Friday.

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