One Piece: Path to Power

"Its name is 'Ryushi,' the Thirteenth Supreme Blade!"

Damien held the clawed blade in the air, a bright glint reflected off its sharp edges.

Whitebeard laughed, almost as if he was welcoming the new addition to the records. The nearby pirates naturally heard the bold claim as well.

"That news about the thirteenth blade was actually true!"

"No wonder it didn't take any damage after eating an island-rattling quake!"

"Gledadada! Spread the word, our Rocks Pirates got another top dog on our side!"

Shing!

The boisterous man's head rolled onto the ground.

"Damn asshole, he screamed in my ear!"

Bang!

A bullet went off and a body dropped to the ground.

"His blood got on my shirt, you know how expensive it was!"

Boom!

A giant boot smashed a knocked-out pirate's head into mush, leaving his killer with a maniacal smile.

"Hehe! I always wanted to do that!"

…

The two VIPs made their way to Skull Rock, giving Damien time to run through Newgate's statistics.

>=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=<

[Edward Newgate]

[Age: 34 years, 9 months, 3 days]

[Height: 21' 10"] (6.66 m)

[Status: Thriving]

[Devil Fruit: Tremor Tremor Fruit (Grandmastery (I))] 

[Fruit Rating: 7 Stars (Ultimate-Class Fruit)]

[Weapon: Murakumogiri of the Supreme Grade Series]

[Skills: Overwhelming strength]

[Haki: Intermediate Mastery of Observation Haki, Armament Haki (Advanced Mastery), Conqueror's Haki (Grandmastery (II))]

[Strength: Top Tier Yonko] 

>=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=<

'Top Tier Yonko... He surely went easy on me.'

A loud cackle broke the young pirate out of his thoughts, "Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma! Damien, you're finally here to give me your seed!"

The words easily destroyed the pirate's good mood.

"Linlin," he muttered, looking far up to meet the gargantuan woman's eyes, "aren't you pregnant as we speak?"

The woman glanced down at her flat belly and grinned. "I think it's twins this time around, don't worry, I can preserve sperm to last long enough even if we did it now!"

"Jihahaha! Give it a rest, Linlin, no one here wants to be your sugar daddy."

The tall woman glared to the side, "Hah!? Do you wanna say that again, Shiki!"

The Golden Lion paid no mind to the furious Big Mom, rather he peered at the youngest of them all with great interest.

"You've set off quite a few waves of your own, brat! Why don't you work under me now?"

Damien made his answer clear as he said without reservations, "Forget about it, Golden Lion. I don't intend to work under anyone."

Shiki's smirk widened into a full-on grin, "So you're saying you wanna betray the Captain? Jihahaha!"

The man's manic eyes remained glued to his younger 'ally', examining every move.

"..."

"Hehe, not bad," he commented, seeing the lack of response from Damien before taking off back to Skull Rock.

.

At that time, Big Mom saw the opening and took the chance to walk up.

"What do you say, Damien, don't waste your youth and let's create some babies that can turn the world upside down!"

The female pirate went on to air her frustrations, "If I were you, I'd go around impregnating every woman I saw! You know how lucky men are, they can have hundreds of babies in a year while I can barely create a few in that time!"

Her voice grew more and more threatening. A dark fog began leaking from her feet, crawling in the Sin Incarnate's direction.

Its intent was clear—catch a worthy deposit for her army of children.

"Tch."

This time it was Whitebeard who was annoyed, "Linlin, it's unsightly to keep asking for the same thing."

The words evoked anger in the giant woman's eyes as her body began to release that fury in the ripples of relentless Haki.

Damien narrowed his eyes, addressing the gargantuan woman, "Linlin, if you don't take no for an answer then we can settle this in only one way."

"Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma!" she howled, leaning forward at the bold youth and advertising her ample cleavage, "if I knock you down then you will knock me up!"

Damien rolled his eyes on the pun.

"Fine, but in a month, I have no interest in beating a pregnant woman."

Big Mom scoffed at the bold remarks before giving another signature laugh and returning to Skull Rock.

.

"You really want to fight her?" Newgate asked in a serious tone.

Damien continued walking toward the mountain while answering, "As long as I can learn that power you used in a month, I'll be fine."

The pirate's voice turned ambitious, mirroring his deep desire for power, "That power is something only a select few can attain…"

Whitebeard took another look at Damien and broke into a laugh, "Gurarara! I don't doubt you can be added to that list."

"Let's go, Shakky is waiting inside."

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[Marineford]

A snail went off within the confines of a neat office.

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

The distinct melody graced the walls, reaching the plaque stapled near the back of the room.

It read: "Director of Marine Criminal Investigative Service" or MCIS for short.

"Katcha~!" "This is Hakuchō."

The snail woke up, taking the appearance of a panting woman, "Director, this is Agent Shēdo! I have intel from Hachinosu!"

The named marine leaned into his chair, the white clothing giving off a meticulous atmosphere.

"Go ahead."

The snail breathed loud and hard in desperation and despair, "It's the Commanders… they all gathered, the Sin Incarnate too!"

Hakuchō heaved a solemn sigh at the news.

"H-He clashed with Whitebeard, they almost sank the entire island! Director, the Rocks Pirates are back in commissi-"

"..."

The line suddenly went dead.

"Katcha~!"

Hakuchō hung up the snail clenched his hands in frustration. "The Black Death is effective in her means to silence the spies, what a terrible loss."

He then looked at the neatly written notes that he had taken and dialled another number.

The call was soon connected.

"This is Fleet Admiral Kong."

Hakuchō took a deep breath and reported the intel.

"I see, good work, Asahi."

Asahi, aka Hakuchō, shook his head in helplessness, "It came at the cost of a brave agent, Fleet Admiral. I wonder if it's possible to bring the body back, her family deserves that much!"

The snail shook its head, or eyes in this case, "You know we can't risk it, Asahi. The agents know the risk and we can't send more to die."

The truth was as blunt as Kong's voice, leaving Asahi to defeatly sigh.

"It's almost funny; Black Death Shakuyaku is practically an angel of mercy who grants them a quick death, otherwise god knows what torment would be imposed upon them…"

Kong gave no input on the matter of mercy before arriving at another topic, "What of the agent from SWORD you planted?"

"He'll get the job done, Fleet Admiral. I just hope he can live to tell the tale when his cover is blown."

The two top marines shared some more details, eventually drawing an end to the conversation.

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[Skull Rock]

"Damien-chan, you've gotten taller."

Said pirate was in the process of greeting the fearsome Black Death. The two shared a quick hug, a familial bond unbecoming of a crew like the Rocks Pirates. 

The warm air was quick to turn cold and deathly as the top dogs took their seats.

Shakky walked around, placing some refreshments all the while beginning the briefing. 

"Our other lovely colleagues, Captain John and Silver Axe, are out for some errands so it's just us five."

She puffed on a cigar while setting some papers. 

Damien felt like he was missing something, "Is he still locked up?"

Shakky beamed him a smile, "Kaido-chan… he's a little tied up now."

"Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma! That brat picked a fight with Garp and got locked up in G-2!" Linlin laughed from the side, her mouth filled with candy. 

.

"What about Rocks?" Newgate questioned. 

Shakky met the man's eyes and responded, "The Captain won't return for another few months. Until then, we need to get our hands on more resources."

"Ever since the deal with the Underworld fizzled out," She gave a side-glare to Damien before continuing, "we had to rely on the goods of other nations and the spoils of other pirate crews."

The nearby Shiki was the first to slam his fist on the table. "Hah? A small band of unruly rats in the Underworld, why aren't we robbing them blind? I can destroy that little Unso Island before the crack of dawn tomorrow!"

The Golden's Lion's voice was laden with pirate intent: to rob and pillage without a second thought.

"Because I spoke against it."

Shiki's burning eyes locked onto Damien with a scrutinizing look, "And why the hell do I care about what you say?" 

The Sin Incarnate was not fazed by the malice directed at himself and quipped back, "Because my allegiance to the crew outvalues the resources lost from the Styx Passage."

*Vvooo!*

The air suddenly grew thunderous, visibly and audibly trembling under the golden Haki leaking from the disastrous pirate.

Cracks branched out over the table while dark clouds gathered in the skies above.

"The Captain agreed."

Shiki's eyes fell on the black-haired woman with a hint of confusion, "Why would Captain Rocks allow that?"

The woman shrugged, "If you want to know, why don't you ask him yourself."

"Hmph."

The Golden Lion chose not to speak, leaning back into his seat and swallowing his frustrations.

.

Seeing the tension dissipate, the black-haired woman continued, "The Heavenly Tribute is out of our hands as well, so now we can only continue to aim at New World nations and other crews."

"Shiki-kun, you're responsible for humbling the Supernovas that have arrived in the New World."

She turned to the giant woman munching on dessert, "Linlin, the nations of Dové, Arkanesia and Elmo are your task to loot."

Another pause arrived as Shakky took in a gulp of her ever-burning cigar.

"Newgate-kun, you can do as you please."

Finally, her eyes landed on Damien.

A red glint flashed in the eyes of the Sin Incarnate as he saw the words before they were even spoken, forcing him to shake his head.

"I'm not a fan of leading entire armies, Shakky-nee," he said. "Plus, knowing the Navy, it's probably a bait anyways. A small squad will fare much better."

Shiki scoffed at the blatant use of Future Sight, "It is most certainly a trap, you want to spring it that badly?"

Then an amusing thought came to the Golden Lion's mind, "Jihahaha! You want to test those young sprouts your stooge has been collecting for the past few years now?"

Damien stood up from his seat.

"Shiki, unlike you, I favour quality over quantity."

His statement brought a frown to the Golden Lion. However, Damien did not stop there.

"I have faith in Indra, though I can't say the same about your second-in-command, last I heard he was slaughtered by Sengoku during your haphazard strike at G-5."

*Crack*

The sleek table imported from North Blue was instantly turned to dust. "Jihahaha! You got balls, brat! How about a bet?"

The sudden turn of events made even the Sin Incarnate curious.

"What are the stakes?"

"Hehe," the golden-haired pirate chuckled in thought. "When you come back to Hachinosu in failure, you will come under my flag!"

The threat in Shiki's eyes was apparent, even evoking the attention of the other titans in the room.

"Oh?" Damien beamed a smirk. "Alright, and if I win, then you owe me an undeniable favour."

"..."

The Golden Lion locked eyes with the Sin Incarnate, studying his every thought.

"Jihahahaha! You've got yourself a bet; I look forward to making a true monster pirate out of you under my name!"

Damien made a further effort to humour the infamous Shiki and proceeded to exit the room, leaving a single statement to echo in his footsteps. "I'll be back with Kaido within a month."

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[The Streets of Hachinosu]

The Sin Incarnate walked through the familiar streets.

On his way here he came across a mix of reactions.

Most were bloodthirsty pirates, either wanting to join Damien, kill him, or desire to be killed by him.

A few females, or in Damien's eyes, non-males, even tried to excavate his seed to give birth to their pawns of great potential; learning from their role model: Charlotte Linlin.

A trail of blood was left on the path Damien took, an abundantly clear indicator for everyone to remain away from.

"Such disgusting emotions," Damien muttered. "First time my Observation Mastery came at a disadvantage."

He felt all kinds of sick thoughts and intentions from the scum of Hachinosu.

>=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=<

[Ukulele Rambo]

[Occupation: Rocks Crew Pirate.]

[Birth: 46 years ago.]

[Fate: Nothing bright.]

[Death: Killed by Einar D. Damien twelve seconds from now for impeding his path.]

>=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=<

And as predicted, a head rolled after twelve seconds.

Previously, Damien had tried Destiny Perception on the likes of Kuzan, Toki and Aurora, but it all came "inconclusive".

According to Sibyl, it was because Damien's presence was too close to them, messing up any predictions due to his anomalous nature.

…

A few moments later in his advent, the young pirate suddenly spoke up, "Are you making sure it's the real me? I assure you, it's me, Indra."

*Woosh*

He smiled as a shadow flickered before him.

Standing at exactly eleven feet with dark skin, long black hair and tribal marks decorating his skin. A wolf-like appearance with sharp eyes.

The man donned a simple black vest and shirt and put his bodily markings on display, further deepening his fierce nature. The Deputy Commander of Fourth Division of the Rocks Pirates—Zenora Indra.

"Pardon me, Commander," he nodded in greeting in his calm and rather soft voice. "I was nearby when I felt the tremors."

Indra looked up to see Damien's more mature face since when he last saw him.

"You've been MIA for over half a year; quite a few daredevils have been coming here to take on your name seeking to garner attention and fame."

Damien found it amusing, "Rahaha! I'm sure they were late to realize that my name will only bring them an early death."

Indra nodded before his stoic face turned into a thin smirk, "It's good to have you back, Commander."

"It's good to be back, Indra," Damien returned the grin. "Show me the fresh meat you collected over the past little while."

Indra began to walk, leading his superior to the Fourth Division's territory.

…

[Fourth Division Headquarters]

A small building with access to a small dock, that's what headquarters meant at Hachinosu. The wood had begun to rot with visible violations of all construction codes around the seas.

Having such a location was already considered incredible, though.

Indra stood tall, his eyes piercing through the region.

"Line up."

Damien watched from the side as Indra commanded four pirates. Within moments, all of them were lined up, much like that of an army barracks.

Indra walked a little to the side, allowing Damien to take the front.

Meanwhile, the four pirates stabilized their breathing, feeling a mix of emotions. 

They watched as the notorious Sin Incarnate stood before them, in the flesh. His crimson eyes scanned them. 

It felt like a knife being put at their throat.

Indra introduced them, left to right.

First, the burly pirate who dwarfed everyone, even Damien.

"A brute from an underground fighting ring, Majin. Specializes in laying down destruction, low intelligence quotient but tough skin."

The pirate in question could only scratch his white hair. Though he was masked, it did not hide his dull nature.

Standing a solid 18' 3" (5.56 m), Majin wore only dull gray trousers. He had a burly physique which showcased his red skin. An equally red mask hid his face, simply showing large white teeth and gaping white eye holes.

[Majin Image (in Discord)]

.

"Next up is Ignio Kaen. A man chasing money for some personal purpose, he can be a little hot-headed with an inkling for arson."

There was not much for the author to describe. Damien saw a man 10' 5" in height (3.18 m). He wore a red shirt, red pants, red belt while sporting long red hair.

He also had a red tattoo running down his right arm. 

Kaen's face scrunched up at Indra's description, but he could only swallow his irritation.

[Ignio Kaen (in Discord)]

.

"Thirdly, a drug enthusiast looking for money to start his own pharmacy, Droga Pablo. He is decent with pistols but his main experience lies in concocting many types of serums to aid in battle."

Damien was amused by the relatively short man.

A little under 5' 6" in height (1.67 m) and not exactly fit. He sported a gray suit with blank pants. However, his notable characteristic was the thick 'stache.

[Droga Pablo Image (in Discord)]

.

"Lastly, a recent addition, Voyd Nomu. Born of a cult of the South Blue and a top Supernova of this Generation with a reward of 200 million berries, second only to the newly-rising Agon."

Damien raised an eyebrow, "It's not bad."

He glanced at the 7' 4"-man (2.24 m). He had long, nicely-combed white hair. His face had blue lines tattooed over it, even reaching down to his chest. 

The man wore a white caped coat, showing his torso and dark skin. All the while holding a staff with a skull mounted on it, similar to a witch doctor.

[Voyd Nomu Image (in Discord)]

.

"Since the four of you passed Indra's eye, I won't speak on your worth."

Damien's words brought them relief.

"Just know your place—you're my fodder to help whittle down the enemy at hand; your life is not worth much. Even the oxygen you breathe is considered a luxury at Hachinosu."

Those words were not as relieving as they had hoped and even brought them some tension.

"You're welcome to leave whenever, I certainly don't intend on keeping dead weight. Just know that any treasure you find, you keep; you get what you work for."

This calmed them down.

Damien nodded at their behaviour as he moved to the next step.

"I'm a nice and warm-hearted person by nature, I'll give you a tool to prove your worth."

He waved his hand as tens of odd-shaped fruits littered the floor. The four looked at one another and then at the fruits, gulping at the sight.

"You have five minutes; pick your poison."

…

[Five Minutes Later]

The four of them had chosen from the arsenal of Devil Fruits. Although none of them were particularly overpowering, the abilities were decent.

Of all the choices, it was Nomu who surprised Damien the most.

"That ability comes with a glaring weakness," he commented.

Nomu gave a cocky smirk, "Don't worry, bossman. I always had a strong connection to this power, this is my calling!"

The four soon munched down their fruit with much difficulty.

Majin almost threw up which would have made things harder as he would need to eat his vomit to get the ability had that happened.

…

Soon enough, the four stood tall, apart from Pablo, relishing in their newfound power. The basic usages swarmed their minds, allowing them simple mastery.

Damien addressed the party of four, giving them his final thought, "Very well, Fodder of the Fourth Division, you have two weeks to acquaint yourself with your powers, after that, we've got a marine base to raid."

The thought of ravaging marines brought great pleasure to their faces. It was truly something to look forward to.

To Be Continued…

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Author's Corner:

The OC Director of the Marine Criminal Intelligence Service of this era is Hakuchō. His image will be released in a few chapters. 

Kurouma means "Black Horse"; Hakuchō means "White Swan".

I made a channel that lists Damien's current forces on Discord alongside other more expansive details: https://discord.gg/aJHHHPvb6q