One Piece: Path to Power

Chapter 136: [136] Invitation

[2180 words]

It was my first day of the Fall semester, jumping into another 5-course load. A lot of turbulence is heading my way.

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Damien was no saint, but he had no desire to slaughter aimlessly; in fact, he looked down on those who did. Others, such as Whitebeard, were no different.

Solomon grew up alone and against an endless supply of monstrous and savage creatures intent on nothing but chaos, leaving him bloodthirsty and adopting a bolder and reckless nature. 

Naturally, Damien had to ensure that such a person's humanity remained alive—he didn't want him to become an evil existence like Shiki or Rocks.

"Puru," "Puru," "Puru." The noise drew both the pirates' attention. 

Solomon looked at Damien while the latter looked around; it wasn't coming from the famed pirate. 

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

Damien's atomized body reformed before Olgar's charred corpse. He reached into a pocket to bring out the ringing device. 'How do these things not get destroyed is beyond me,' he thought as he answered the call.

"Katcha~!" "Ahem. You've reached Damien's Pizzeria. What can I get for you?"

"Yes, I would like an extra larg–"

"…"

"...Who the hell is this? Where's Olgar!?"

Damien winced back; his ears were ringing from the roaring transponder. "God damn, you're gonna blow my eardrums out." The snail conveyed the pirate's annoyed expression: "You're on the mic. What's your beef?"

Solomon snickered from the side; all the while, Damien knew full well who was on the other side of the call.

*Hisss* The two could have sworn the snail was releasing smoke from its eyes, seething from rage. Its mountainous hair and weathered face made guessing the caller's identity easy: "Okay, okay. Calm down, Mister Fleet Admiral."

The snail reined in anger, though remained agitated, "Who is speaking?"

"Einar D. Damien, nice to make your acquaintance."

The snail's eyes suddenly widened. Its breathing grew somber as he questioned, "Is Olgar dead?"

Damien spared a look at the fresh corpse near his feet and hummed, "I'll leave his body on the ship. Please collect it before it sinks. I'm not one to rob a family of the closure from burying their loved ones."

The snail gnashed its teeth and thundered, "How dare you strike down a Navy Vice Admiral!!!"

Damien scoffed, his look shifting to disdain. "Olgar had his fleet take a shot without knowing who was on board. You should train your men to be more patient and mindful."

The snail quieted down for a moment. 

If Kong knew it was technically Damien's fault for Olgar's enraged attitude, then who knows how he would react?

"...I should have hunted you down after your father made a mess at Marineford."

Damien narrowed his eyes, befalling the ship with a tense atmosphere, "So my old man was big enough of a pirate to warrant your attention? Marineford, eh?"

It was Kong's turn to scoff: "Don't worry, I'll make sure your entire existence is erased, much like your father. You have no idea what you're up against, brat!"

Damien allowed the man to continue: "The World Government has reigned supreme for over seven centuries! There is no force capable of bringing them down. Both Rocks and you have just angered them," Kong said hoarsely. "Your days are numbered."

Even Solomon felt the weight of those words, his mind wandering to his ambition to hunt down the man who ruined his home.

"The winner isn't the one who survives, and the loser isn't the one who dies, Kong," Damien began, his voice calm but carrying a weight that suggested these were beliefs he held close. "Survival is just the start; it's what you do with the time you have that defines you. Anyone can survive—just look at the rats scurrying through the gutters. But to shape the world, to carve your will into it, that takes something more."

The snail squinted its eyes at the pirate, almost as if they were having a face-to-face conversation. Kong could sense it, that blasted tendency for causing chaos that every D possessed.

"The winner is the one who has the last laugh. I look forward to seeing you in the flesh, Fleet Admiral."

"Katcha~!" Damien clicked the receiver into its place, setting aside the snail. 

Solomon's following question interrupted the Sin Incarnate's thoughts: "Boss, Endou should be one level higher than that guy, right?"

Damien nodded. 

"Kuhuhu! I've got a lot to learn."

…

The plumes of smoke from the wrecked warships had long dominated the horizon. Any ship within a few kilometers would be able to find such a mess with ease.

…

"Captain! There's fresh wreckage of ships to the West!" a man yelled down from the mast of a glorious ship, lowering his monocular. 

His words echoed down the massive sails, reaching the pirates below.

"They're probably from G-1. There's no need to go out of our way to pick a fight," said a refined voice meant to advise the captain of the ship.

"Wait! T-The Navy ships are on fire! It looks like one even sank. There must have been a fight recently!"

However, these words left the crew captain with a curious smile: "Oh? That sounds interesting. Sail toward the wreckage at full speed!"

…

"Hey, Boss. I think I see a ship…" Damien turned his eyes to the other ship and saw the Zoan user looking at the far seas. 

The words left the Sin Incarnate solemn, 'I didn't sense a ship.'

A sound of pixelation went off as the pirate's body dissolved into innumerable red particles.

*Pwee!* The stream of red energy flooded through the air and reformed at the other pirate's side, all under a second.

It didn't take long to recognize the incoming party, "Rahaha! This day just keeps getting better and better…"

"Is it some big-name crew?" A confused Solomon asked.

"You think just any random loser can kill my Observation?" The pirate turned to the enclosing ship and studied its appearance once more: thick wood made from the Treasured Tree, deep-red sails and magnificent design.

"That man… can change the world."

Solomon gulped at the high praise and looked at the ship with crimson sails with admiration and apprehension.

"I sense a beast on board that ship. Should we prepare for a fight?"

"..." 

Solomon blinked, glaring to his left where Damien no longer was.

…

The approaching ship carried thirty or so men, each glaring at the wreckage intently. "Captain, I think I see two figures watching from the marine ship… they don't look like marines! I bet we can swipe everything they got from the Navy!"

"Wahahaha! Don't waste your time. He's already here," the grinning captain said, his eyes flashing red.

"It's a tough opponent." Though the man talking had a shift in tone, almost becoming friendly, "But a familiar one."

*Rumble!* Neither of the two had to wait long as their mighty ship abruptly shook, almost sinking a few meters below.

"Rahahaha! I didn't think to meet you guys here."

Shing!

*Click*

*Fwwwm*

The pirates shot to their positions, each unsheathed or releasing their weapons in the direction of the man who invaded their ship.

"Enemy onboard!"

"How dare someone land on our ship!"

"Be careful. This guy is strong!"

Haki swam freely, attaching itself to the weapons of the men present. Their eyes carried no fear, almost as if they had already seen everything there was to see, everything there was to fear.

"Oye, Oye, calm down! Those weapons aren't gonna do anything to him…"

The man at the front of the pirates extended both arms to reassure his men while staring at the invader.

A mix of surprise and excitement waved across his eyes, "Wahahaha! What brings you here, Damien?"

The young pirate returned a grin matching the frenzy of the other lead pirate, "I saw you guys approaching, and I thought I'd say hi."

"Come on then!" The captain unsheathed his blackened cutlass, sharp beyond belief. Meanwhile, Damien waved his hand, summoning a clawed blade bubbling crimson energy from its ring configuration. 

*Kurru* *Crackle* Black lightning crackled off their weapons, releasing an overpowering momentum.

.

"Broken World!"

.

"Divine Departure!"

.

Boooom! *Rumble*

A breathtaking sight followed as the two Haki-flooded weapons slammed into one other.

The black lightning of their respective blades sent out ripples of pressure that raged wildly. Giant tides formed from the sides of the ships, growing larger by the second.

A pirate covered his face, trying to remain standing, but every second of the clash sent out such shockwaves that it took the majority of the pirates to the skies! Their bodies even reached the clouds.

The treasured ship groaned from the battle at its deck, the sails waving rapidly, threatening to collapse.

Solomon, who was still on the faraway ship, felt the powerful collision. A crushing force slammed onto every pore of his body, digging into his skin. His fingers dug into the railing to hold on, but his eyes were locked onto the display of strength: "T-Their blades aren't even touching!?"

He gulped in disbelief, with tingles running down his back.

"Looks like both our Captains are quite reckless." 

Solomon's eyes widened as the hair on his arms stood up. 'W-When did he get here!?'

Rotten black branches grew out from his body, taking the shape of a towering figure reeking with malice and disaster.

"Woah, you're one fearsome-looking thing."

Solomon growled from under the darkness of the skull on his face. A black fog leaked from his body, swarming the relaxed enemy.

"It's an interesting power."

The Wendigo saw his ability having no effect on this person, bringing irritation to his dark pupils. "Tch! Try this one!"

His palm was surrounded by the harrowing mist that sought to drive its victims mad with their fears. His sharp talons shot out, dripping with fear-inducing toxin.

.

"Profane Hex!"

.

The opponent's eyes twinkled with curiosity, but the shine of his glasses hid his amusement, "Don't be so hasty, young pirate."

Solomon sighed in disappointment, seeing his attack stopped by a single finger! 

"Kuhuhuhu! There really are monsters like you guys everywhere!"

…

The pirates aboard the creaking Oro Jackson slowly landed in the salty sea. Their faces stretched with anger as they felt being thrown around like a ragdoll, "Damn, what do we do?"

A man with twin axes sighed, sitting cross-legged over a broken piece of wood, "Just look up."

The others did so and saw the breathtaking sight, "The skies have been divided. There's nothing you can do."

…

"Wahahahaha!"

"Rahahahaha!"

Damien cracked his neck, releasing the stiffness over his joints. He also felt the throbbing pain in his fingers; it was the feeling one got after smacking a wall with a metal stick.

"Your Haki is really something, Roger."

The man he spoke to was sporting a thick black mustache and rather sharp attire, topped with a captain's coat fit for a pirate.

"Hehe, it looks like you've grown even stronger. I almost feel bad for the Navy to worry about you day in and day out!"

The air cracked with loose electricity in the form of black lightning.

.

The wooden boards through the deck and the fencing were left cracked and out of place, but overall, the ship held strong and required some touch-ups.

Damien glanced to the side and felt the three dozen or so men in the waters below. "I guess that's the bonus to having a crew that doesn't rely on Devil Fruits," he commented with appreciation.

His words invoked a hearty laugh from the older pirate. However, Roger's eyes soon fell on the weapon in Damien's hands. "So the rumours were true, Wahaha!"

The Sin Incarnate smirked, tracing his open hand across the powerful weapon; it hummed back with a warm pulsation. "Your sword is just as solid as my Ryushi, Supreme Grade."

Roger grinned, displaying his relatively simple cutlass. "His name is Ace!" The pirate then pulled out a pistol from his hip. "This one is called Ann!"

Damien looked at the gun with narrowed eyes. "I didn't take you for a gunslinger."

"I'm not. I just like its name," Roger blew up in laughter. "Heck, if I had a daughter, I'd name her that!"

Damien's smile twitched. With a helpless voice, he wagered a knowing guess, "And if it were a boy, the name would be 'Ace'?"

The notorious man's jaw fell comically, "How'd you know that!?"

"..."

The younger pirate sighed, massaging his forehead. Ryushi exploded into tiny particles, reforming over his finger in the shape of a ring.

Meanwhile, Roger watched Damien with interest. His Haki spun wildly, almost as if trying to figure out the pirate before him. Not only did he observe with his eyes, but he also listened to the voices around him.

"There's something different about you, Damien. I felt it back at Borealis' Auction," he muttered. "But I can never place my finger on it."

The words left Damien with a few thoughts he chose not to address.

"Well, whatever!" Roger grinned and proceeded to throw a wild question with nothing more than a signature grin: "Hey, how 'bout instead of Rocks, why don't you come along in my adventure? Let's turn the world on its head!"

To Be Continued…

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Author's Corner.

Damien shared some of his philosophy with Kong. Surely, pissing him off. I also wonder how Damien will reply to this wild offer by the future Pirate King. If Roger invited you to his crew, would you join?

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