85 [85] Echoes of Shandora
[2780 words]
----------------------------------------------
With the Rumble Fruit out of his mind, Damien could now focus on the other reason behind his coming here.
*Fwooo*
At the moment, the two of them were flying through the air on a large block of vearth, skimming through the blanket of clouds and enjoying the breeze.
The Sin Incarnate saw Aurora standing, her eyes locked onto the endless white.
He could not see her face as she was turned away from him, but he could sense the unrestrained delight in her mood.
"You know, you've been dwelling in the Underworld for the better part of ten months, surrounded by the incessant gloom of that shady lifestyle—it's bled into your every move."
His critical words echoed in the girl's ears, drawing her attention.
"That's not true," she said with some deflection.
Damien smirked at the situation, "You think I strung you along to Skypiea just to use your powers as an elevator? I did it because I remembered your fondness for the freedom that comes from the skies."
Damien walked up and stood eye-to-eye with her, relatively speaking.
He looked deep inside and saw every hidden light within the gem-like pupils.
Aurora saw the prying gaze and subconsciously looked away, "I-Isn't it better? I can control the Underworld through the shadows whenever you need."
A slight hum escaped Damien's mouth as he narrowed his eyes.
"Looks like you, spearheading into the Underworld, built a confidence, not in Aurora, but in the mask of Fulcrum."
He found it amusing, "Around ten months ago you declared you would 'open my heart,' and now you can't even be honest with yourself."
"..."
Aurora did not respond, evoking a sigh from Damien.
"It's Toki isn't it."
His words brought the girl out of her reverie.
A slight silence arrived, only to be toppled by the whistling wind from their motion as they soared through the sky.
A light sigh followed by an admittance.
"Back on Yozora Island… Mina-san said that I would need to constantly attack your heart with warmth to get it to open up, it's what she did to get Vlad-san's affection."
Her eyes were soon plagued with a complicated look, "When I went to Mortem Island and saw Toki, I couldn't help but think of that warm and bright person."
Damien remained silent, letting her continue.
Aurora finally matched his eyes, "After I saw her again, ten months later, I saw how close she was with you and knew that Mina-san was right. B-But I couldn't help to think that maybe Toki was the best for you considering how much she changed yo–"
*Snap!* The girl was about to drone onward before being awarded by a sharp flick of a finger at the center of her forehead.
The stinging pain caused her to grab at the red spot, her previously emotional eyes now confused.
.
"Alright, I'm stopping you there with all that nonsense," he starkly stated.
"Toki helped me realize that even if I reach the peak on the path to power, it wouldn't be worth much if I couldn't share it with those whom I treasure."
Damien's crimson eyes stared into Aurora's purple ones, seeing the shaky character that had taken over.
"She helped unshackle me from my inhibitions, but you were the one who shed light onto them in the first place."
Damien read Aurora like a book, deciphering her recent changes.
Fulcrum had become her alter ego, a vessel to fuel all her heart and conviction into, all under the desire to be of use to Damien.
However, this left the confidence of the woman behind the mask to wane, retreating from her more selfish desires.
All born from the bright existence of Toki who had become very close to Damien, dimming away Aurora's darker presence, or so she thought.
.
The pirate felt that he could not easily change Aurora's insecure emotional mind with simple words and opted for a different tactic.
He slowly smiled as he thought of a method.
"It's not what you are which is holding you back—It's what you think you aren't."
Damien then gave a simple order, "Even though I haven't raised my flag, you are already a part of my crew. As your captain, I'm telling you to let go of those messy thoughts and start listening to that voice deep inside you; being selfish is not a bad thing."
Aurora, who was moved by the previous words, felt taken aback.
She saw the smirk on Damien's face and heard his voice once more, "What? You aren't going to disobey your Captain's orders, are you?"
And with that simple statement, the girl finally cracked a thin smile.
"There it is, those eyes that I want."
He grinned at the confidence that returned to the girl's eyes, "Both you and Toki are important to me. All I ask is for your best, soon enough, you'll take your rightful place as the Queen of the Underworld."
----------------------------------------------
[Midnight]
A man, in his mid-twenties, stood tall amongst a mass of troops.
They were on an island cloud, far beyond the scope of the Upper Yard, and therefore, the Skypieans.
He wore a long robe while donning a wolf-like mask over his head, emanating quite a ferocious spirit.
His face was turned to another man, though this man was mainly unclothed with only a simple band of grass around his waist, unveiling the many tattoos that covered large areas of his body.
"Have they healed up?"
The question was directed to not just the attendant, but the collection of warriors too.
Each with dark skin and little clothing, their muscular appearance resembling that of warriors from ancient times—the Shandia!
They stood in a group before a giant stone statue of a warrior with long, red hair, tall and proud.
.
"Yes, Chief. Should we strategize an attack? They won't see us coming."
The man at the front who was naturally the leader, seemed hesitant.
"Our people relayed that some foreigners of the Blue Sea have come," the Chief muttered.
Another warrior near the Chief's age walked ahead, his hand going to his chest as he declared, "First they throw around the title of 'God', and now they let those from the Blue Sea onto our stolen land, it's absurd!"
The man's anger was carried forward by the giant bazooka-like weapon in his hand.
The young Chief was about to decide until his eyes widened, following his quick movements to ready his spear.
"Who's there!?"
The sharp blade pointed at the area hidden in the darkness of the flora. The other warriors also pointed their weapons, ready to fire.
"..."
The moonlight cleared up, lighting the dark patch of cloud and therefore on the intruders.
The Chief glared with a solemn expression, his mind firing, "To think someone was watching so closely and I didn't know till he took a step…"
His eyes were locked onto the sole person who was barely five meters away.
"Chief, he must be from the Blue Sea, they found us!"
The rockets cocked into place, seconds away from firing.
.
"I didn't come here to fight you guys," were the only words that came from the intruder.
"Chief! Our ancestors were slaughtered by people like him, we should kill him now!"
The sentiment was shared between the other warriors, each filled with apprehension.
"Rahaha! Many have said the same thing."
Damien's words were laced with a hint of oppression. Faint tremors rippled out from his body, swamping over the few dozen warriors.
"Aughh!"
"My head!"
"Ugh!"
The weight fell onto their minds, forcing their bodies to stiffen and fall to the floor, trying to ensure their survival.
Even the Chief, who had been fighting since he was a child, fell to his knees; unable to rise.
He could not do much but match the enemy's eyes and try to find his purpose.
"W-What do you want?"
Damien returned a scheming smile, "You guys can't win this war anytime soon. It will go on far beyond your lifetime."
The hard-headed warrior named Vaper felt furious at the disparaging words, "We are ready to fight to get back our homeland till the end of time!"
Damien hummed, not impressed by his words.
Instead, he brought up something else, "Gan Fall, the newly risen God of Skypiean, is more diplomatic than any previous one. Haven't you ever imagined life outside of the endless war between your tribes?"
.
The Chief seemed ambivalent as he questioned, "What can you possibly do?"
"I can resolve your differences and bring an end to your war."
The hardheaded Shandia spat out in disagreement once more, "People from the Blue Sea cannot be trusted! They only bring destruction to our folk just like they did over seven centuries ago!"
Yet his words evoked a laugh from the intruder.
"What of the man that healed your people of your sickness, the one who earned your 'great warrior' Kalgara's respect and gratitude?"
Vaper's eyes widened, "You know of Mont Blanc Noland!?"
Damien simply nodded.
"The City of Gold that he boldly advertised suddenly disappeared, what do you think could have happened to him?"
The question earned no reply, just some complicated expressions.
"He died a liar and a traitor, executed before his own people; forever a shame to his land and family."
.
The revelation brought anger to the Shandia, recalling their ancestor, Kalgara's, respect for Noland.
The Chief changed the subject to something more personal, "Why would you even want to help us?"
The man's words were laced with concern for his people, and what the dominant invader wanted from them.
"I have use for battle-hardened warriors."
It was a casual and blunt reply.
"You want us to fight your wars!?" Vaper thundered past the heavy weight over his body.
"I can bring you an era of peace, a life outside of the endless war that will go on for generations to come," Damien whispered like the devil. "Don't you think that's worth fighting for?"
Vaper, with great tenacity, began to rise as Damien to his feet.
Veins bulged all over his face as he roared, "W-We can win our wars ourselves!"
*Drip* *Drop*
Droplets of blood fell from the shaken warrior's mouth, showcasing his spirit and defiance of Damien.
"Rahahaha!"
Once again, the Vaper's heartfelt words were ridiculed by the towering pirate.
"You!!!"
"Oh, my bad, you really mean that don't you?" Damien smirked.
Though his joking tone shifted into a threatening one, layered with domineering might.
"Just know this, I can eradicate every last one of you before the sun even has the chance to rise."
The eyes of the young man reputed as the Sin Incarnate flashed a dangerous glint, sending an ominous breeze at the height of nighttime.
"!!!"
The warriors felt their hearts drop as a chill ran down their backs, leaving cold sweat behind.
After centuries of war, they had developed instincts to know when their end was near, and right now, it was as if death itself was at their doorstep.
.
Damien raised both his hands in a helpless motion.
"I'm a pirate from the Blue Sea; I have no desire nor any interest in being your saviour," he candidly stated. "If anything, as a pirate, I should be looting and killing as I wish."
Though he paused.
A look of amusement took over Damien as he saw the warriors stand up once more.
Their breathing spiked alongside their heartbeat, though they still got up. Slowly but surely, they grabbed their weapons and spears.
Even the more diplomatic-looking Chief had a look of steel as he aimed his weapon toward the sole intruder.
"Even if we die, we will not die in a way that brings shame to our ancestors!"
Damien grinned and pointed out his left hand, "Even if I can end you with a snap of my finger?"
"..."
The Chief narrowed his eyes on the hand directed toward the masses.
He did not answer, rather he simply stabilized his breathing and prepared to fight. An action shared by the rest of the Shandia.
The spirited morale, though false, brought great confidence to their eyes, something they took for granted.
"Let's test that resolve."
With a resounding snap, everything went black.
"..."
"I, I can't see!?"
"W-What happened… my body can't even feel the air around me!"
"My ears went dry, w-why can't I hear anything!?"
"Augh!"
"What is going on!?"
The dozens of warriors fell into a panic as their warborn senses, sharpened over decades of fighting, were suddenly stripped away.
Eyes and ears that could detect the slightest of motions, noses that could pick up a scent from kilometers away, all gone with the snap of a finger.
.
Damien watched as his 'Sensory Deprivation' turned the warriors into headless chickens, scrambling around without any control, letting it play out for some time.
*Snap!*
"W-Wha…"
The Chief fell to his knees. The man's hands reached to his eyes with bated breaths, trying to figure out what had happened.
Vaper, who was currently the strongest Shandia warrior, had also fallen. His shocked eyes scanned the so-called pirate with a devastated look.
"I like to think of myself as a reasonable pirate. Trust me, there are some messed-up people down there."
"People who can fly, or give birth to natural disasters on whims, do you think you can contend against them?"
As if to nail down his point, Damien gave a signal to someone.
*Vrooo~*
The Shandia looked around in a panic as the very darkness of the night began to warp and squirm; it took on life, churning into something with a conscience.
"W-W-What is going on…"
They watched as their bodies were swarmed by the purple energy, pulling them off their ground and into its darkness.
Their world turned upside down as they were thrown around like ragdolls and played around as if they were toys.
.
Vaper, who hated the feeling of weakness, picked up a spear from one of his companion's hands and shot it at the figure of a woman with all his might.
*Vrooo~*
He was left dumbstruck as the razor-sharp weapon shot right through the attacker, passing without difficulty.
All that remained was a gaping hole, soon flooded with bright purple sparks, almost like distant stars as they reformed the 'injury'.
"Should I kill them?"
Damien shook his head and the aether immediately calmed down, releasing the warriors.
The Chief's breathing was heightened, his heart unable to keep up with the constant shock.
.
"What do you want with our people?" he muttered.
The man's previous drive to fight had plummeted, not because of fear, but because he thought there was a chance of survival, a false thought.
Damien nodded at his expression and gave a simple explanation, "Unlike most pirates, I don't endorse needless death. I just need warriors ready to fight when the time is right. Maybe in a decade or so."
"In return, I'll bring peace to your war."
The long timeframe was unexpected by the Chief as he subconsciously echoed his thoughts, "A decade…? A man of your ambition is willing to wait?"
Damien smirked, "What do you know of my ambition?"
"I've seen men like you… but unlike them, you have strength beyond my imagination…," the clan leader admitted.
Aurora, who had materialized beside Damien, chimed in as well, "You should take the deal. The Skypieans and the Shandia hail from the same place, a civil war never ends well once outside forces intrude."
Vaper disagreed as he pointed out his finger, "They stole our land! Our home for over seven centuries—you want us to peacefully lay down our arms!?"
His confident voice was laced with emotion and anger borne from his deep desire to take back his home.
But it was met with disdain from Aurora.
With a single thought came an influx of overwhelming force, befalling the lone warrior.
"Aughh!"
"The Skypieans are stronger than you," Aurora blandly spoke. Her eyes recalled the war which plagued the Amethyst Kingdom, "Only the strong can claim what is right and what is wrong."
Vaper's hand dug into the soil below, grasping it as if to continue defying his weakness.
*Creak*
His ribs cracked from the added weight, forcing him down. All that remained was his hope which bled away within moments, quieting him down.
.
Damien grinned and placed his hand on the girl's shoulder, taking a step forward.
"This conclusion may not be what you or your ancestors would have hoped, but at least your children can grow up in peaceful times, lighting your long-lost glory of Shandora."
His words ended there, though leaving a sole thought in mind, 'A glory that the First Twenty had to unite against to extinguish.'
To Be Continued…
----------------------------------------------
Author's Corner.
Let's be honest, Luffy can gain 'allies' alongside his adventures like picking apples. Damien does not have that kind of grace.
Images are available on Discord alongside other niche details: https://discord.gg/aJHHHPvb6q
