One Piece: Path to Power

Chapter 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...

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

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."

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