"I can't let you take me away, Zephyr; I have a promise to keep, and nothing will stop me from fulfilling it. Not you, not anyone!"
Zephyr heard the bold words and could not help but narrow his eyes. For whatever reason, the Vice Admiral felt the air shudder of ominous tremors.
"!!!" The man's Haki flared, causing him to immediately react.
"Scatter!" he roared out to the marines that came with him, but it was too late.
*Purrup* Boom!
A purple force fell onto the entire marine side, it was a compressive force that weighted everything in its way to the floor!
"Augh!"
The fire row of marines was crushed to their knees as the gravity-like power fell onto them. Zephyr jumped out of the way, staring at the jarring display.
*Crack* A huge crack spread itself over the castle as the pillars creaked from the added pressure. Bits of thick stone and concrete rained from the lustrous ceilings of the Grand Hall, littering the tiled floors.
Aurora waved her hands like a maestro as the forces followed her every motion: horizontal, vertical, and even diagonal forces were thrown around like water.
*Rumble* The entire castle turned chaotic as its very reality was going wrong.
.
"'The Aether exists everywhere and it can mess with space'," Zephyr quoted. "Looks Tensai wasn't wrong in his analysis."
Though his attention was on the girl spreading the madness, it was soon diverted elsewhere. "You five, go and protect the Nobles, too many have already died!" he commanded.
The Rear Admirals saluted and rushed to the falling debris from the crashing castle, shoving the other marines out of the way.
.
"You killed a lot of innocent marines just now, young lady," Zephyr angrily said, peering past the ravaged land and onto the lithe figure at its heart.
However, Aurora was not shaken.
"When the Prabna Army arrived to take over our Kingdom, they also requested assistance from the Celestial Dragons," she responded.
Aurora gestured to the gold-embedded throne, alongside the jeweled surroundings. "Vari gained the favour of the Celestial Dragons, even sending an Admiral to ensure nothing went wrong."
Her words left Zephyr shocked.
She continued with a monotone voice, "I remember him. He just watched from afar like an eagle, all the while Proditor executed my entire family. His legion of marines laid waste to all of our guards."
A helpless look stretched across Aurora's face in light of the dark memories. "My parents were killed in an attempt to let us sisters escape, all before he took it upon himself to kill her."
Zephyr breathed out a deep and complicated sigh. "Kurowashi…" he murmured as a figure appeared in his mind.
.
"The only real truth is that if I don't have the strength to protect myself, I'll just end up dead or enslaved," the girl said, running her fruit ability down her hands.
*Vvooo* Another ominous breeze whistled out, creating a standoff between the assassin and the Vice Admiral.
"Is that what the Sin Incarnate told you?" Zephyr questioned with a sharp tone.
Aurora froze, letting the Vice Admiral continue.
"I faced great injustice, leading my way to the Navy, all in hopes to become the hero the world needed," he said, his words layered with sympathy.
"I failed."
The man shook his head with a sigh. "War and blood remain prevalent throughout the seas, even more so in the Grand Line. But my years in the Navy also let me see the world through a different picture."
"If anything, do know that there is still good in this world! Don't fall for the words of a pirate who wants to use you, surrender now and I will show it to you!"
The sincerity in the man's voice was palpable as it echoed through the scarred castle, reaching the girl's ear.
Aurora, instead, slightly smiled.
"Use me? So what?"
This time it was Zephyr who froze as the assassin continued, "The only thing that kept me going since that day was my desire to kill the usurpers with my own hands. He helped me fulfill my life-long desire."
"If he wants to use me, then so be it." With a resolute voice, she declared, "It just gives me a reason to stay alive!"
*Kroooo~* Aurora's body evaporated into a purple mist, dissolving into the air.
"!!!" Zephyr's eyes widened as he felt his shadow squirm, moments before the cold edge of a blade shot out.
Clang!
Aurora's advent was easily blocked with a coat of Haki, something she expected. Instead, her lithe figure danced in the air in impossible movements, twisting fluidly as she shot her leg toward his stomach.
Zephyr's eyes shot down as he felt the boot dig into his ribs, but beyond that, there was also a huge influx of horizontal force accompanying the kick.
Boom!
The man's feet dug into the ground, failing to make him fall.
Aurora, however, continued the assault as she materialized a purple flower in hand.
.
"Oblivion Blossom!"
.
The purple lotus spun in circles as it exploded at the Vice Admiral's chest, sending a screeching sound as the air was expanded from the impact.
*Grrrr!* *Szz!*
"Torsion force!?" the Black Arm exclaimed as the energy was drilling into his core, spiraling faster and faster. The girl's attempt, however, was not of much use as Zephyr's Haki-clad body was left unharmed.
"It's a dangerous power…"
The marine then flickered a meter from the girl within a fraction of a second. "Unfortunately you rely far too much on your ability!"
BAM!
The black arm hammered without mercy as the bounty hunter was flung far through the air and slammed onto the walls, dispelling all her momentum with a single hit.
*Rumble* The thick walls that even stood the test of Aurora's forces could not help but explode into pieces.
A dull cough went off as the girl leaked large amounts of blood. She looked down and saw her left arm freely hanging from her shoulder—broken.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Aurora grimaced but did not retreat even as the Vice Admiral was about to rush at her. She knew that another strike from Zephyr meant her capture and burst with power.
*Purrup* A copious amount of aether gathered around her free arm, swarming in a purple spectacle.
*Vvooo!* The purple energy brought in its own void as the very light in the room was sucked in. With a cry of defiance, Aurora swung the cloud of bubbling forces with everything she had left.
.
"Nihility Storm!"
.
The forces imposed by the energy soon fell all over the very castle itself. Not just that, but also reaching out to the nearby region, spreading past the castle and to the forest beyond.
Compression, tension, torsion and shear forces all gracing the nearby land with their might.
*Gruup!*
The ground spun like spaghetti, ripping it out of its roots. The forested hill was crumpled and eaten up by the forces; chaos fell everywhere!
[Attack Image (in Discord)]
Zephyr stood still in the middle of the storm, his Haki was more than enough to stand tall. However, this was not the case for the others.
The marines he brought were already turned to excess blood while most of the Nobles had died. The Rear Admirals tried to control the chaos but it was well beyond them.
"…"
Zephyr grew annoyed as he had to at least protect the remaining Nobles lest more hell would befall their respective nations.
Aurora took the chance to dissolve away, her body drained of energy from the disaster she had wrought.
…
Boom!
Zephyr smashed a huge boulder that spun around into a tornado of dust. He then slammed his foot to smash apart a huge section of the floor that had come loose.
His hands continued to move at sonic speeds.
"Finger Pistol Barrage!"
The air pockets shot out like a minigun as they obliterated all the obstructions that fell under the storm.
Zephyr's legs swung to more distant targets.
"Tempest Kick: Crescent Moon!"
He then jumped into the air and flew around to control the disaster at hand as strands of thick Haki coursed through his veins.
"Black Arm Suppression!"
…
The people outside had naturally felt the catastrophe. It was good that the storm of hell took place in the Castle that was a fair distance from the main population, something about keeping the dirty commoners away.
They saw the Prabna's Castle being ripped to shreds and could not help but jump in joy.
"Those damn leeches sucked us dry of all of our earnings when they succeeded with their coup. It's about time they get punished!"
"Good riddance; one less Noble is one more reason to celebrate!"
The castle was naturally in ruins by the time the attack calmed down.
Zephyr was flying around like a panicked bird, trying to be everywhere at once.
His elites were inclined with decent Haki and were able to contain the outer castle, though anything near the eye of the storm was now dusted.
"Vice Admiral, the assassin disappeared; we lost her!" a Commodore reported.
Zephyr removed his coat which was now covered in sweat and directed, "She used a lot of energy right there, there's no way she can stay hidden for long. Scour every port and find her."
"Roger!"
…
[The Next Morning]
The Marines ran around and took over the island.
Naturally, since the Amethyst Kingdom was under the World Government, the Marines could not interfere with national politics. But now that things had fallen apart, it was only right for them to get involved.
It did not take long to lock the island down; not a single soul could leave.
"Look around at every corner, she's tired and injured!" a Rear Admiral ordered at one end of a port.
"Hail down any ship that tries to leave, no matter what!" another said at the opposite end of the island.
The stationed Marines took no chances, too many of their fellow brothers-in-arms had just died and the agitation was palpable. Even the residents who were happy at the fall of the Nobles had no choice but to shrink under their fury.
…
"This atmosphere isn't right," Zephyr sighed, "I underestimated her capability, I'm the one they should be mad at."
Cocoa, who stood to the side, disagreed: "Vice Admiral if it weren't for you, the entire island might be facing far greater destruction!"
The two stood under the ruined Grand Halls, all the pillars and majestic architecture had been obliterated.
The morning sun had hidden the ruins of the previous night with its warmth.
Zephyr did not respond, instead, he pondered in silence.
"Her powers are born from the Aether. It seems she can also travel where light is absent. That's probably how she escaped from her tragic past."
He then gave an order, "Douse every port with seawater cannons. If the girl is nearby, it should throw her out of her realm."
Cocoa's eyes brightened as he ran to convey the orders.
.
Though it left Zephyr to think, "I have a feeling she will go somewhere unpredictable," he muttered. "Where else could she hide, let alone tend to her broken body…"
He then thought of a pirate that was probably responsible for her growth.
"Sin Incarnate… knowing his bold thoughts and guidance, the girl would choose to hide in the most dangerous place!"
Zephyr did not share his thoughts with others, rather acting on his own.
…
"Ugh!" a painful voice resounded.
Aurora, who was injured, got up from a blanket placed on the ground. Her arm was wrapped in a makeshift cast; the slightest movement sent pain down her body.
"I haven't felt so much pain in a while, Damien was right, relying too much on my Logia powers will bite me in the back…"
She had laid down to rest till the morning while the marines continued the search through the night, allowing her a good five hours to rest.
Naturally, she was not in some dark corner or stowed away in a ship, rather, she did as once instructed: "The most dangerous place is often the safest."
So Aurora went to the Marine Branch of G-4!
They had food, water, supplies, and a warm bath. Hiding from the occasional marine was not hard.
"!!!" However, the sense of peace warped into trepidation as she soon felt a dangerous premonition, that of a beast breathing down her neck.
Aurora spanned her limited Observation Haki and felt the threat inch toward her. "He found me… looks like I have to put everything I have left into this."
"If anything, maybe I can take out a future threat for him…"
The assassin dissolved into a purple mist, scrambling into a nearby shadow, all the while Zephyr reached the base.
"All of you, get out of the building," he ordered the remaining marines.
They were confused but executed the order nonetheless.
…
The Vice Admiral strolled through the main entrance of the base, taking in the peaceful atmosphere of the building.
"!!!" His eyes sharpened as his body turned around in a fraction of a second. The man's thick hands shot out and grabbed onto the throat of the enemy that appeared behind him.
Aurora felt the vice-like grip; unable to move and held up high.
"It's useless, I've already become used to your abilities. This time, you will not escape."
The girl could not help but sigh in creeping desperation.
She stopped struggling, and instead, grabbed Zephyr's wrist as tightly as she could. Her fingers locked onto the Vice Admiral's arm, even summoning strands of tension forces to ensure the enemy could not escape.
The Vice Admiral felt a foreboding feeling as the waves of energy once again reappeared.
*Fwooo*
An ominous wind echoed through the thick walls of G-4, followed by a flash of purple. The assassin's eyes swarmed with amethyst energy as her long hair floated into the air, bubbling with aether.
.
'Oblivion Starburst!'
.
Like the birth of a star, Aurora exploded into a nebula that lit up the sky.
BOOOM!
The thundering energy spread out as it dawned on the marine base, exploding and obliterating everything. A purple dawn eclipsed the region as the waves of forces arrived once more.
[Image of the Attack (in Discord)]
.
The blinding light came with a shockwave with a mixture of all types of forces. Even the mighty marine base was unable to hold up as much of it was leveled away.
The walls made to resist cannon fire crumpled and shattered like glass. The stone roads were ripped out from their path, dusting away into a fine powder.
The shockwave rippled out and dug out a giant sphere of earth with it.
…
It took a while for the rumbling to stop as cracks spread nearly 500 meters beyond the center of the blast!
A giant cloud of dust acted as a veil, hiding the grim fate of what was once a mighty Marine Base.
The soldiers who had fled soon felt greatly relieved, thanking Zephyr in their hearts. Though the thought of the Vice Admiral brought them back.
"Vice Admiral Zephyr, is he okay!?" a captain marine thundered out.
The officers looked around with some dread, worrying for the man they idolized. Alas, their worries were for naught.
"Stop screaming, as you can see, I'm quite alright."
The voice drew all their attention as they saw the man. He stood tall, though his majestic attire was ruined.
Instead, they saw the ripped muscles and faded scars. Blood leaked from the corner of his lips and down his chest, but aside from that, he was mostly unharmed.
The striking thing was that Zephyr was black!
His entire body glistened with a thick coating of Haki. The pristine shine came with a purple glint, reflecting the mastery over Armament Haki.
A Rear Admiral who had arrived was also stunned, 'His entire body is locked down… is this the Iron Body of the Rokushiki?! He's as stable as Mount Tai!'
[A/N: Had to sneak it in somewhere.]
*Fuuu* Zephyr soon undid his defense with a sigh.
"Hehe, looks like that assassin died in the explosion!"
"Thank god, she gave a Vice Admiral such a fight, who knows what a threat she would eventually become!"
Yet for whatever reason, Zephyr felt uneasy.
The celebratory words left him feeling even more worried and his worries were justified.
"!!!"
A foreboding pressure soon fell on all the marines nearby, as if their primal instincts drew their eyes to the top of the sole Marine tower that overlooked the now-ruined base.
It was where the flag of the Navy and the World Government was placed, still standing proud even under the storm of hell that had hit it.
However, instead of the beacon of might, there was instead a towering shadow spanning down from the tower, stretching upon the soldiers and leaving them under a blanket of turbulence.
.
Zephyr annoyingly exhaled as he saw the person, balling his fists.
Said figure held the familiar assassin's unharmed body on his left shoulder and a burning piece of paper was held in his other hand.
He was immediately recognized.
"The Sin Incarnate, Einar D. Damien of the Rocks Pirates!" an officer cried out. "Bounty of nearly 1.5 Billion Berries… he's the one who took down the Overlord: Thaddeus Enigma!"
"He's considered to be one of the two monsters of the next generation of pirates!"
"What's a big-named pirate like him doing in this sea!?"
Their worries flooded the base, or what was left of it. The majesty of the Navy and World Government's flags was utterly overshadowed by the titanic threat that had arrived.
"Rahahaha! To think they sent an Admiral Candidate to this small Kingdom. It seems you were expecting me…"
Damien gently placed the girl down to the side, locking eyes with the mighty Vice Admiral. "Well, I'm here now. Bring it on, Marines!"
To Be Continued…