Damien sighed, his fatigue catching up. And yet, suddenly, he felt a cold, unsettling presence nearby.
His eyes drifted to the side, zooming in on the Titanic, landing on a sole pirate. He had long pink hair and a long red coat. The man was drowning himself in liquor, hoisting a sack of gold.
Damien narrowed his eyes as he felt his Haki flare in warning, but nothing unusual could be seen. 'My intuition is rarely wrong…' he thought to himself, feeling that the drunken pirate was something truly vile.
His crimson eyes ran a few thoughts, drawing up destiny itself.
>=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=<
[Captain John]
[Occupation: Tragedy of the Rocks Pirates]
[Birth: 41 years ago]
[Fate: ???]
[Death: ???]
>=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=<
Damien had long used Destiny Perception to excavate traitors and ill-intended fiends around him, but it failed to bear any fruit now. 'Something's definitely off; my Haki's not blocked, but it's almost like it's spinning in circles, and I'm unable to narrow anything down.'
A thunderous boom broke the pirate from his thoughts as the Suicidal Rambo shook under significant momentum.
Damien's eye twitched as he felt the newly arrived man. "Damn, old bastard, don't break my ship!" he thundered.
"Xahahaha! Don't sweat the small stuff, Damien," A hoarse voice went off. It was Rocks!
Just his arrival caused the nearby pirates to immediately scamper off; some even dove into the sea below out of primal fear.
As for the man's appearance, his black cloak was devastated; some pieces of fabric even melted into his skin. A few scars were added to his chest, but other than that, he seemed rather lively for a man of death.
"I had my fun with the human sun. Now, show me, where's Garp or Sengoku!" he cackled in excitement with a savage grin.
*Puff* Shakky blew out a cloud of smoke from the side. "You're a bit late, Captain. Damien-chan already sent the Navy scampering away."
This was not exactly good news in the Captain's eyes. "Huh, those assholes ran away!? Quick, go call them back. I haven't quenched my hunger yet!" Rocks roared.
.
Meanwhile, the other non-Rocks Pirates were in great distress at the sight of the very personification of death.
Wang Zhi reined in his usual spirit and waited on the side. The pirates from the Festival who joined in alliance also took an audible gulp.
Rayleigh, who had gone to the Oro Jackson, stood tall upon the helm. His fellow crewmates were prepared for combat, with weapons ready.
"Hmm?" Xebec's eyes drifted to the Roger Pirates as a curious hum escaped his crusty lips. "Xahaha… you're that Roger's subordinates? Did that fool finally join under my flag?"
His words could be assumed as a question, but under the glow of those empty eyes, it seemed more like a statement; anyone daring to go against it would be cut down without mercy.
Many men aboard the Oro Jackson shifted in their position, feeling the cold, deathly glare of the Abyssal Sin.
Yet a soft yet confident voice returned, "Rocks D. Xebec. Make no mistake; our Captain has no intention of joining you."
"..." The onlookers were ready to run as they could feel the tension rise to a dangerous level.
Xebec let out a savage laugh as his curiosity peaked. "Oh? You're his Vice-Captain? Rayleigh, was it? Xahaha! That fool really found a capable pirate under him."
But that curious smile turned savage and feral.
Pure rage in the form of Haki leaked from the man's eyes as tremendous pressure was thrust upon the Roger Pirates.
*Creak* The mighty Oro Jackson trembled, forcing Rayleigh to unsheath his blade; otherwise, he would be unfazed and ready to strike.
BOOM! Two thick bubbles of Haki collided into a spectacle of silver and black, rendering the air frozen.
A younger pirate fell on the ground as he stood nearly 200 meters from the point of conflict, his body reeking of urine.
From the very start, Rocks was synonymous with their greatest nightmare for most of the present. Even the great Fleet Admiral Kong wouldn't have caused such a reaction, yet Rocks was far worse, especially when angry.
On the side, Damien nodded at Rayleigh's courage, humming with admiration. Even Shakky put her cigarette aside, watching with some scrutiny.
But under the turbulent torrents of Haki was something else: "Wahahaha!" It was another booming laugh!
"Xebec, don't give my partner such a hard time. If you have a problem, why don't you come to me?"
Although the voice sounded rather friendly, it was laced with incredible levels of danger. It was more than just a threat; it was a declaration of war.
Rocks' fearsome eyes moved to the man who stood on the shore of the now-broken Glint Island. He had a red hat, a large moustache, a sinister grin and a cutlass at hand: Gol D. Roger!
Roger was a man who, under endless danger, would never turn tail and run! Retreating was absent from his dictionary. His usual joking demeanour, however, could flip into an unbridled rage that even the Fleet Admiral feared.
.
"Xahahaha! Roger! It's good that you've come," the big boss erupted in similar degrees of beastly nature.
However, the two seemed to be moments away from entering a full-blown fight: "Captain, it's best to hold off on any more fights."
The man turned his eyes to the side, slight irritation flashed by it. "Shakuyaku. Are you getting in the way of my fun?"
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
The woman let out a deep breath, her eyes wavering.
"...Of course not, Captain Rocks. But our fleet has taken a great hit, and most of our ships have been destroyed. If you end up in a full-scale fight with Roger, I'm afraid all the forces we collected over the past few years would have been for naught."
*Vvooo* A soft wind blew as a young man appeared beside the woman, shielding her from the cold gaze.
"Captain, Shakky-nee isn't wrong," Damien calmly added. "Our numbers have already dipped down to almost ten thousand. If you really want blood, you can take out the 14,000 or so pirates that Sol deployed over the two forts of Superbia."
Damien's eyes then glowed red in Observation. "Plus, the Marines are still on my radar and seem to be regrouping 3.94 kilometers away, most likely waiting for backup."
"..." At that moment, Damien practically told a wild beast not to dine on its favourite meal. And like any hungry beast, they tend to be rather aggressive.
*Vrrrr* Xebec squinted his eyes as the torrents of Haki descended upon the shirtless youth before him. The weight of an endless bloodthirsty spirit fell upon Damien, but it failed to draw any reaction.
"Xahaha!" the evil pirate laughed. "You've gotten ballsy, boy,"
"But you're not wrong. Cutting down the numbers anymore would be troublesome, especially with that fateful day approaching…" Xebec's voice grew slightly distant, as if he were in deep thought.
No one knew what the crazy pirate was thinking, yet it somehow caused fine sweat to trickle down the backs of many.
"Fine," he grumbled. "Shakuyaku, take the rest back to Hachinosu. I will return when I'm done with the fresh meat."
*Vvoosh* Xebec vanished into a blur of black dust; no one knew where he went.
Damien lightly sighed as he felt the weight lift off his body. Rocks was an unpredictable force of terror, and arguing with him would usually turn out badly.
.
"Wahahaha!"
The Sin Incarnate then looked to the side and saw a man with a broad and thick moustache land next to Rayleigh.
"Damien? I remember you from Borealis' auction!"
Roger then tapped Rayleigh's shoulder, the latter seeming solemn. "Sol is dead. I had a lot of fun here. I feel like we'll cross paths soon. Hehe, see you then."
With that said, the Roger Pirates loosened their sails and made their way into the horizon.
…
[A Little While Later]
"Oye, Kaido, why the frown?" Damien asked as he looked at the brooding giant bathing in saké.
"*Sniff*, Damien, you bastard, *Sniff*, just wait, I'll bash your head in with my club soon enough," he bawled, tears dripping down his broad jaw and splattering on the floorboards.
'He became a weepy drunk,' Damien rolled his eyes.
"Don't worry, I'm sure your bounty will increase," he tapped Kaido's shoulder in a comforting fashion. "Even then, the distance between the money on our heads would only widen."
Kaido's eyes blasted open, instantly sober. "YOU BASTARD!" The club in the ogre's hand seemed to extend its wielder's fury.
"Raimei Hakke!"
The lightning-bathed club of pure brute strength smashed the air apart as it raged toward the casual Damien.
Booom!
A loud shockwave graced the ship as the floorboards creaked in pain.
Kaido growled as he saw the result. He saw his club, which was strong enough to flatten a giant, being stopped by a single finger bubbling in a crimson aura.
"OUGHHH!" the ogre roared on as his eyes were filled with fury.
The sparks of Conqueror's Haki swam through the club and upon a surprised Damien. 'So he can use Infusion when angry enough,' the young pirate concluded.
*Vvoosh* Like a phantom, the Sin Incarnate disappeared, causing the giant Kaido to flop forward due to inertia.
Damien reappeared a few meters in the air, face-to-face with the faltering Oni.
BAM!
Without hesitation, a pulverizing fist slammed the Beast square in the face.
Ripples of force swam through Kaido's giant face as his eyes winced in pain, presumably due to the rattling of the brain, while a mild concussion seemed apparent.
Like a bullet, the brooding beast was shot off the ship and soared through the sky.
*Crash*
"Ah!"
"My leg!"
"The ship is sinking!"
"Abandon ship!"
Dozens of voices cried out as one of the ships at the very edge of the formation seemed to shudder in pain, cracking all over. The sails collapsed as the ship was torn from Kaido's landing, sinking immediately.
Damien was satisfied that his shot had made the target and smirked into the distance.
"Damien-chan," Shakky interrupted from behind. "Most of the pirates are readied, and the ships that could be fixed are so too."
"I will start sending them back now. Are you coming too?"
The young man shook his head, "You go first, Shakky-nee, I have a little something to do, I'll return later."
.
He then looked at the silver-armoured man who stood like a tower. "I'll leave the newly joined in your hands. There's quite a bit of mending to do."
Silver Axe nodded through his thick armour, unshaken as always.
----------------------------------------------
[A Few Kilometers Away]
A few hours passed on as the Rocks Pirates had left. Darkness bathed the seas as night had come to grace the world.
"Puru," "Puru," "Puru."
"Katcha~!"
A large-afroed man picked up his transponder snail. "This is Admiral Sengoku."
"Hmm? Sengoku, how's the regrouping going?" a deep voice replied. It was the Fleet Admiral!
Sengoku sighed with residual anger, "I failed, Kong-san. My miscalculation left far too many casualties; even the beacon of hope, the Ox Lloyds Warship, was lost."
However, the man on the other end of the line wasn't satisfied—not by the mission going awry but by Sengoku's attitude.
"Being an Admiral is a great honour, but the responsibility of countless lives comes with that honour. And lives can be lost. Don't get lost in the abyss of regret. Conquer it and bring forth the 'Reining Justice' you live by!" Kong's voice was sharp and heavy but held a slight nostalgia to it.
"Enough about that. No one could have expected Ares' brat to have such a thing up his sleeve."
"Anyways, how's the situation there?"
The Buddha looked to the side and saw the Marines running overdrive, fixing and remedying what they could.
"We'll be ready to return by dawn. There are 300,000 civilians at Superbia; I can't just leave them at Rocks' mercy," the Admiral replied in a determined tone.
Kong knew it was too much to ask a Conqueror to yield, so he compromised: "I won't stop you, but I'm sending you supplies and backup from G-5. They will be there by the time the sun rises."
"There will also be a VIP… do not leave without them. That's an order!"
Sengoku slowly nodded but couldn't help but ask, "Alright, Kong-san, but can I ask who this VIP is?"
"..."
"It's a little unorthodox regarding support, but it requires a delicate approach. Ensure their safety; this mission is not from me, but rather, from the Five Elders!"
"Katcha~!" The call ended.
----------------------------------------------
An hour passed.
"Perorin~!" Perespero licked his cane. "I can feel it, the treasures inside here!"
The young man stood before a giant vault.
*Sizzle* The thick metal released tremendous amounts of steam as a blazing palm slowly melted through it. "The metal is so damn thick!" Oven complained.
It was a significantly reinforced steel structure that held Superbia's gold reserves, an exuberant amount considering it belonged to an Overlord.
*Creak* *Rumble* And finally, after nearly 10 hours, the metal gave way for the Charlotte kids to enter.
.
Perespero's eyes widened as he saw the endless stacks of gold and diamonds. It was a ridiculous amount.
"That Sol really likes the gold colour…" Daifuku muttered as he saw it.
At the center, there were a few special goodies.
A sacred sword embedded in a white stone. A giant blue cube of unknown symbols. Yet such treasures were ignored by the sharp eyes of Katakuri.
The donut connoisseur narrowed in at the Devil Fruit placed atop a pedestal. Sure enough, the most valuable piece of the treasured heaps.
His mother's voice echoed in his mind, "Whatever happens, make sure to bring that out with you!"
It was an order regarding the particular goodie Katakuri was examining—a blue fruit with sharp scales and a green stem. "This must be it… The treasure Sol robbed from the Celestial Dragons!"
To Be Continued…