[Two Weeks Later]
[Marineford]
Simple brick design, tall walls, navy markings and flags. A large building off the side of the main headquarters was at the Marineford General Hospital.
"Ugh!" a suppressed cry of untold pain rang out.
"Masao-san, you must rest!" a doctor yelled in a panic at the sight of his patient's attempt to stand up.
"What happened to me!?" the marine roared as he felt incredible pain.
"Y-You were out in critical condition for days! Your bod-!"
Kurowashi's hand shot out as it grabbed the doctor by the throat. "I've been injured many times," the man spat out as his body started to tremble in pain once more. "Why does everything hurt so much!"
Kurowashi was currently wrapped in bandages all over, leaving just his orifices unrestricted.
*Bam!* a loud bang erupted as the door to the ward was slammed open. A burly man with thick muscles and a body that seemed the epitome of power walked in.
"Enough, Masao! Settle down."
"Fleet Admiral, ugh!" Kurowashi once again winced in pain as he fell to his bed.
A few rhythmic steps went off as another, a much smaller man walked in. He had messy hair and a thin, dark mustache. He also wore a long white coat with a few tools draped around his neck. The man seemed to be in his mid-twenties.
The badge on his chest revealed him as the head researcher at the now-ruined G-2.
[Scientist Image (in Discord)]
Kong addressed the scientist: "Tensai, tell him."
"Masao-kun, how do I put it… Hmm, your body, well, it's in quite bad shape."
Tensai was about to elaborate. However, he was interrupted. *Bam!* The door swung off its hinges, slamming into the opposite wall.
"Bwahahaha! You look like a mummy, Masao!" Garp waltzed in with his casual marine get-up, snacking on some rice crackers.
"Be serious, Garp!" a man with a thick metal arm yelled as he entered the room.
.
After a week since Fulcrum's aid, Garp and Zephyr were recalled to HQ alongside the wounded Admiral.
Kong sighed loudly as he gestured towards the genius researcher to continue.
"As I was saying," Tensai cleared his throat, "your body took the brunt of the explosion. Apart from having your inner organs rattled by the shockwaves, you were also bathed in an inferno."
"Just a few months ago, I filed a report for every major threat as directed by the Fleet Admiral. The Pulverize-Pulverize Fruit should be able to divide things into smaller parts, including the building blocks of our universe."
A glance at his clipboard, he continued, "I found traces of the bomb in your muscular system, identifying it as the Jigoku Ore we once had at G-2. I can only assume the Sin Incarnate got his hands on it before sinking my wonderful laboratory, that damn pirate!"
The scientist then seemed to fall into his own world as he brought together his fingers with a grin, "But I must say, his powers would truly make my experiments hundreds of times easier… Kukukuku. How enviable!"
"Ahem," Kong coughed rather boldly in an attempt to wake up the mad scientist.
"Oh, right. Well, the ore was known to be highly reactive to air. Any contact would create a decent explosion, maybe enough to sink a small boat."
"That doesn't remotely line up," Zephyr commented in his usual calm tone, but the gloom in his eyes was evident.
"Well, ol' friend Z, just like how I turned that metal into a nice arm for you, the Sin Incarnate's atomic-level dismantling would have caused the explosion to be at least a thousand times worse."
Kong narrowed his eyes in seriousness. "How much of the ore did he get?"
Tensai shrugged, "They are only found on cold islands with very short days, preferably no sun at all. "The man hummed, pinching his mustache in thought. "He should have at most two more."
Kong gnashed his teeth, "That's not a small amount!"
"Listen, Fleet Admiral," Tensai cheekily said. "If you do by any chance get your hands on the Sin Incarnate, well, let's just say the science world would appreciate access to his body!"
Kong glared at the scientist, causing him to look away. "Get back to Masao's condition."
Tensai straightened his coat and nodded professionally, "Ah, as I was saying. It seems like the special chemical properties of Jigoku Ore weren't fully explored at G-2. They've left quite the list of conditions from the point-blank effect."
The doctor took out a clipboard and read off some side effects.
"Fourth-degree burns."
"Greatly scarred appearance."
"Permanent hair loss."
"Shortened lifespan."
"Uncontrollable growth of cells in certain areas."
"Erectile dysfunction and infertility."
"Extreme sensitivity to sunlight."
"A torturous itch that may never go away."
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Tensai looked away from his clipboard and shook his head in pity. "I'm afraid you've arrived at the stage where the living would envy the dead."
"…" A deafening silence broke out as Kurowashi soaked in the dire news, his body still rattled in pain.
Even Garp lowered his bag of crackers and saluted the man with a slow nod.
.
While the broken Admiral was lost in thought, absorbing the information, another man spoke up. "It seems rather intentional, no? The Hellspawn purposefully led Kurowashi to the center of the Ox Lloyd's," Zephyr claimed and recalled the events of Amethyst Kingdom with narrowed eyes, "Damien defeated me and left me alive. This... speaks loudly of retribution."
Garp, who stood beside him, waved his hand in dismissal, "Eh? Didn't he take your arm and Basara's eye? They're even calling him the 'Bane of Admirals.'"
The others slightly nodded at the title the young generation of the Marines had given Damien.
All the while, Garp was on a completely different frequency: "And that golden bastard Sengoku dared to cut down my cracker budget, hah! I can't wait to see what Damien will take from him."
"Zephyr, do you have a theory?" Kong asked, his eyes glued to the broken Masao, hiding deep anger.
The purple-haired marine slowly nodded, "Kurowashi was the one deployed to execute the royal family of Amethyst Kingdom for committing the taboo of translating Poneglyphs." He then touched his cold, metallic arm, "Considering he fought me on the ex-princess' behalf, well, it's not hard to make the connection."
Kong nodded in understanding, sighing in regret.
"Ugh!" a groan resounded the ward. "Fleet Admiral, no, Kong-san, let me go and hunt that Sin Incarnate down!"
Kurowashi reached for a marine coat folded nearby and threw it on to showcase his allegiance to justice. "I'll pay him back for all of this!!!" His eyes seemed fueled with a burning vengeance as they became a villainous yellow.
The sheer hatred born from the suffering even led him to rip off the bandages from his upper body, unveiling the mess below.
The "Dazzling Admiral," the ancient Ox Lloyd's Warship commander, was now a shadow of his former self. His completely bald head was marked by visible scars and charring, reflecting the toll of numerous battles.
His gray face was marred by burn marks stretching from his jaw to his nose, with additional scars adding to his broken appearance. Despite his weary and aged look, a glimmer of his former charisma and resolve still lingered in his eyes, all in the hope of hunting down the man who had ruined him.
[Current Masao Image (in Discord)]
Kurowashi had now stood up with burning eyes. Yet those vengeful eyes dimmed in pain as his body was struck by a ray of sunlight. "Ugh! Augh!" he roared, feeling the sun's kiss on his arm.
Tensai shook his head, "The burns of your skin will leave you restless. It's best to remain away from it." He then rubbed his chin in thought, "Maybe a full-body suit would suffice. Though with appropriate defensive capabilities."
Kong decided and gave out his orders, "Masao, you are to remain here till you've healed. Tensai will work on your skin condition. But I don't want any thoughts of revenge right now. Remember your position as an Admiral!"
Kurowashi ground his teeth as grains of enamel fell. The man nodded helplessly and laid back down. The others walked out, leaving Masao to his misery.
.
"Garp, Zephyr, remain vigilant for any movement from the Rocks. I have to report Masao's condition to Endou-san in person."
Garp causally picked his nose and asked, "Eh? You want to go to the big boss in person for that?"
The Fleet Admiral solemnly nodded, "I hope it doesn't happen, but depending on his actions, Masao's post as an Admiral may be under fire."
"Plus, I'm sure Xerxes is out looking for more Jigoku Ore now… there's no way he isn't interested in the damage the Sin Incarnate brought. What a mess!"
Zephyr gave an audible hum while Garp yawned in response, and the men went off to their own devices.
----------------------------------------------
[Elsewhere]
"WORORORO!"
"Rahahahaha!"
"Ufufufu!"
Two booming laughs in unison with a soft giggle resounded the seas.
It originated on the majesty of the Titanic. While the three laughed, the nearby pirates gulped in fear; their minds flooded with the instinct to escape. After all, the one they laughed at seemed ready to explode any second.
"Newgate-san," Damien wiped a tear from his eye. "I didn't know you had a mistress you hid from us!"
"WORORORO!"
Damien and Kaido shook the floorboards, and Even Shiki seemed to join in.
"Newgate, if you wanted a woman, you should have come to me!" Linlin offered from the side.
.
Edward Newgate, the man with the power to destroy the world, stood at the ship's center. His eyes shut while veins popped all over his face. The mighty weapon in his hand carried the same rage as it visibly shook.
"Like I said, you brats!" he roared out. "I have nothing to do with this woman!"
He then pointed out his glaive at a female by the side.
She was 5' 10" (1.79 m) tall with golden hair. Quite the short-haired beauty. Her name was Stussy, Buckingham Stussy.
Damien recognized her from the One Piece show. She was the self-proclaimed lover of Whitebeard and even said to have had his child, a future Warlord of the Sea—Edward Weevil!
[Buckingham Stussy Image (in Discord)]
.
Whitebeard raised a fist. *Purrup* A thick, white bubble around it held enough power to level an island. "Let me teach you brats some respect!"
What followed was a few destroyed ships, a few hundred dead pirates and a sky with a giant gash.
Stussy nodded, beaming a seductive smile, "That's my dear beloved."
…
[A While Later]
Damien sat in the embrace of the rare, gentle wind of the New World, leaning on the mast with the sails nearly 500 feet off the ground.
After he met with Aurora, the young pirate caught up with the Titanic and went through the past few days in peace.
His face was a bit skiffed up; having eaten a few earthquakes would leave anyone with some bruises. He was currently observing two posters, ones that were of some rather special individuals.
-----< WANTED >-----
< FULCRUM >
< 'Devil's Architect' >
< 𝔅 760,000,000 - >
< DEAD or ALIVE >
-----< WANTED >-----
< PATRICK⋅REDFIELD >
< 'The Red Count' >
< 𝔅 2,773,080,000 - >
< DEAD or ALIVE >
----------------------------
The word 'fulcrum' itself was a pivot point—an entity that held things in balance. This power could tip the scales in ways that may scare off many people and even greatly trouble the Marines.
And she was faithful to that identity.
Though she had strong connections with the World Government, that couldn't be paraded in the streets, requiring the bounty.
As for the second poster, naturally, it made even Damien curious.
Patrick Redfield was a lone wolf through and through. Yet, without a single crewmate, he was able to reach Roger and Shiki's level; it is not something that anyone could do. He was an anomaly, much like Damien himself.
"Sibyl, bring up my stats. It's been a long arc," he said with a slight yawn. And a panel revealed itself before the young man's eyes.
>=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=<
[Einar D. Damien]
[Age: 19 years, 3 months, 17 days]
[Height: 11' 7"] (3.53 m)
[Status: Thriving]
[Devil Fruit: Pulverize Pulverize Fruit (Nigh-Grandmastery) ↑]
[Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars]
[Weapon: Ryūshi of the Supreme Grade Series]
[Ryūshi Combat Arts Comprehension: 78% ↑]
[Notable Characteristics: Black Bones (MAX), Black Body (II) ↑, Fishman-Hybrid, Undying Anatomy, Seastone Resistance]
[Skills: Voice of All Things, Will of D., Rokushiki, Life Return (Advanced Mastery), Deprivation, Equal Exchange, Destiny Perception, Empathy]
[Haki: Observation Haki (Grandmastery (I)), Armament Haki (Advanced Mastery), Conqueror's Haki (Advanced Mastery)]
[Strength: Middle Tier Yonko]
>=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=<
"My base strength is still stuck at the Middle Tier," Damien muttered.
Hadean Release naturally surged his combat abilities, even allowing him to clash with those at the Top Tier like Garp; however, the strength boost was temporary, much like Luffy's gears.
There were, however, some other developments. "No wonder I've been feeling an itch in my flesh." The pirate reached for his heart, feeling the 10 bpm rate ever-stable.
It turned out that being burned with solar flames and hammered with Garp's Haki had bumped his Black Body into the second stage! He had embraced the way of the Shounen: pushing oneself to the limit and surpassing them to become something more!
But there was still something Damien wanted more, something he so deeply yearned for.
*Vvoooo* The air suddenly trembled and was shredded in a loud groan as the undying pirate's arms burst out in a robust, pulverizing red. It was a testament to his increasingly impeccable mastery over the Devil Fruit, inching close to its greatest potential.
"My powers are nearing Awakening, but at this rate, it'll still take a few years to attain them. I need to speed things up..."
To Be Continued…