[90] Zero Hour
[2850 words]
Both chapters 89 and 90 were released together; make sure you didn't skip the previous one.
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Aurora remained afloat, though her hands began to move.
With a swift motion, she waved her arm in a swatting gesture.
Damien's eyes widened as he felt a huge stream of force shoot out from the endless darkness to his side.
Boom!
The turbulent stream of weight crashed onto his side, tossing him away.
Aurora moved once more, this time waving downwards.
.
"Oblivion Press."
.
And much like before, the giant purple dome unleashed an oppressive force, nailing Damien to the ground.
*Creak*
Any normal man would have been crushed into powder with the sheer strength of the press.
"It's good training for my Black Bones," the pirate muttered, allowing the unprotected weight to crash onto his body.
Though his actions appeared as opportunities for others.
Kuzan, who had finally gotten up from the previous attack, returned his pain with interest.
.
"Ice Spikes!"
.
He cut the air with a slash of his hands, an equal amount of frost wrecking onwards.
Damien, who was pressed to the ground, was soon poked as the giant spikes of ice dug into his back.
Though even under the weight from the sky and the spike from below, it was not enough to cause any substantial damage.
.
"Nullity Rain!"
.
Toki, who stood twenty meters away, snapped at the bow in her hand, sending out a volley of arrows.
They shuttled through the air, leaving cracks in the sky.
Kuzan smiled from the side—the moment he had been waiting for over a year had come!
His eyes locked onto the frosted Damien at the center of the darkened Mortem Island as the dangerous arrows were about to hit their target.
However, even in his greatest imagination, what followed was shocking.
He saw Damien's body which towered a good 3.5 meters, begin to release a molten-like energy source.
*Purrup*
The crimson torrents shrieked out, erupting like a volcano.
Kuzan gulped as he saw Damien grow to 4 meters (~13 ft), with the pulverizing energy bursting without pause.
The incoming volley was withered away by the breathtakingly corrosive energy, reducing the projectiles to dust.
Damien's figure was then clad in thick Haki, resembling armour.
"Empyrean Release."
The black and red creature gave Kuzan a crooked smile, running chills down his spine.
.
"Omega Beams."
.
The creature leaned forward as his furious eyes sent out two rays of utter destruction.
The unstable energy zoomed ahead in its twinkly form, blazing through the air.
Kuzan yelped at the spike of danger borne by the Haki added to the attack. He used the trick Damien taught him and elementalized his body around the beams.
The twin beams ventured through and forth, allowing the young lad to effectively dodge them.
"A-ra-ra, that scared me..." Kuzan sighed in relief, though his mind indicated danger.
*Vzzzz!*
He overfrosted himself, running in the opposite direction.
The boy tried to sidestep, run zigzag, strafing up and down to stray from the chasing hell.
"They're like homing missiles!" Kuzan cried out. His frustrations echoed his desperate run, eventually reaching the border of the night dome.
*Krrrr*
The rays crashed onto the blanket of purple, cleaving right through and inviting sunlight.
It was both a window of escape for the boy as he rushed on ahead, yet still being hunted by the stubborn attack.
.
Aurora, who was still pressing Damien with her forces, realized it was doing absolutely nothing.
She clicked her tongue in thought, all the while continuously releasing her powers.
The huge scar in the dome was flooded with aetherial energy once more, closing the gap and cutting off the invading light.
"Toki!"
The girl knew what was asked and did as needed. She waved her hands as a giant clock appeared behind her.
.
"Clockworks: Chronostasis!"
.
She too unleashed her remaining powers, all coming down onto Damien, wrapping him in a wide shell of green energy.
"I've reduced his time constant to 0.0001 but it won't last long!" Toki yelled, her worries reflected in the clock behind her spinning at incredible speeds, covering an hour every second.
Aurora saw the frozen figure and knew it was time.
She had a 12-second window.
She grunted as the copious amounts of her fruit power followed her thoughts.
Every ounce of her energy was spent as she commanded the giant dome to come down with her. The symphony of forces and stresses was ultimately tossed at the sole opponent.
.
"Oblivion Storm!"
.
The volatile mass of black and red curiously watched, enjoying the moment as the very island itself began to crush toward him.
Forces of all nature imposed onto the 13-foot figure, all in attempts to do mass damage.
BOOM!
The scene that followed was apocalyptic.
The darkened island shivered at its core under the influx of energy.
Cracks formed in all directions, spreading through the mass forests of Mortem Island.
The concentration of forces exploded in a blinding light, sending tremors throughout the region.
…
"What happened?"
Kuzan woke up.
He looked around.
*Creak*
His body broke out from the mess he was in.
He had escaped the unforgiving rays but to do so, he had to jump into the sea!
"Thankfully ice floats on water," he dryly commented, shrugging off the huge block of surrounding ice.
Then came the memory of the monster figure from earlier, sending a chill up the Logia user's back, "That creepy form I saw in the papers, no wonder they call him the Sin Incarnate…"
.
Kuzan jumped out from the sea, checking out the island. What came into his vision was jaw-dropping.
"Am I still in the same place!?"
His eyes examined the mess. All he saw was a battlefield that seemed to have gone through years of warfare.
The forests had all fallen, crushed into many awkward angles.
The desert and jungle areas of Mortem Island had been cracked and dismembered.
The mountains had cracked, sending great amounts of debris into the ocean.
Only the North End of the island was still the same, littered with snow-capped mountains and lightning cliffs.
…
Kuzan carefully ran through the island, his body leaving a frozen trail.
Alas, he met another living creature.
"A-ra-ra~! Big Bro Damien, you look untouched!"
He saw the pirate, now back to his original height of 11' 7" (3.53 m), sitting atop a tree stump amid the hellacious ruins of the forests of Mortem Island.
Said pirate locked eyes, glancing at the panting boy, "Logia really do have great survivability."
"Wait, where are the two ladies?"
Damien pointed to the side where the two girls lay next to one another, fast asleep.
"They overdrew their fruit to press me down; it was a good attempt."
Kuzan sighed, slumping onto the floor, "I don't get it. No matter how hard we hit you, it doesn't leave a scratch."
Damien saw the defeated expression and hummed.
He picked up a dead branch and held it in his right hand, drawing the lad's attention.
With his free left hand, he hovered his index finger an inch away from the stick.
*Purrup*
A current of crimson energy streamed out and into the branch.
*Creak*
Boom!
It exploded into bits, raining into tiny splinters; what was truly surprising was the fact that the branch blew from inside to out.
"Awesome!"
Damien smirked, "Listen, Kuzan. When you meet a troublesome foe in the future who outclasses you with their Devil Fruit mastery and combat experience, then only Haki can help you find a way out."
He poked the kid's forehead, leaving him with a few words before walking away.
"Haki?" Kuzan muttered, clenching his fists.
…
[An Hour Later]
Damien munched on some fruits as he saw the girls finally wake up.
They wiped their eyes, sharing their confusion.
Aurora was the first to realize as she sighed, "Looks like it didn't work."
Toki nodded, though she seemed relieved to see Damien unhurt.
Their thoughts brought the young man's attention as he turned to them, feeling their emotions, "Good morning, ladies."
Kuzan lay on the floor next to him, one eye covered, murmuring a question, "Say, what happens now? The island's all messed up."
Damien raised an eyebrow, looking around.
"I suppose it is."
Ultimately, he seemed unsurprised by the wreckage, "Don't forget, nature is an old friend of mine."
Damien simply tapped the floor, sending in a pulse of his Haki.
*Rumble*
Kuzan jolted up, feeling the strong tremors.
He gulped at the sight.
"Wow…"
Toki echoed the words, marveling at the scene of the island changing shape.
The wrecked trees and flowers awakened. Broken stumps were dislodged from their positions as thicker trees took their place.
The scorched grass waved away its ashy look, giving birth to lush sights.
The flowers danced as they tasted the touch of life.
.
Aurora was the first to speak after the miraculous display, "I heard from my spies that the World Government put aside the theory of two fruits and instead, classed it as some tribe-born ability, much like the Fishmen with their inherent nature in weaving water."
Damien smirked at the thought, though not denying it.
"My mother possessed a fruit power deeply rooted in nature," Damien explained. "It may sound crazy, but I was able to inherit bits and pieces of the ability."
Kuzan "oohed", leaning into the story.
"I thought you can't pass on Devil Fruits to a child?"
Damien shrugged, "It was a Mythical Zoan of the Dryad. She ate it at the very second of my birth."
"Since Mythical Zoans carry multiple abilities, I was able to somehow 'inherit' the ability to converse with nature itself."
The pirate leaned back into a newly born tree, pondering his past.
Seeing this, Toki slowly got up, walked up and sat next to him. She leaned her head on Damien's shoulder, feeling his loss, "How did she die?"
"..."
Damien looked to the side and into the bright green eyes of Toki. He could also vividly sense emotions from his newly evolved Observation Haki.
From Toki, he only felt compassion and love, even sadness.
The male pirate returned a smile and explained, "She died to protect me, hiding me in a well while holding down an entire crew of pirates with her sickened body."
Before continuing, he felt a tug at his side, Aurora was holding his hand, quietly listening to the story.
Damien lightly exhaled and continued, "I heard her last breath through the cracks in the walls, but not before she gave her final lesson, hehe, she did everything she could to make sure I didn't collapse from being alone."
The picture of the white-coloured woman came to his mind, alongside that fateful day.
"..."
"What's wrong Kuzan? There aren't many times that you have nothing to comment on."
He gazed at the young boy who seemed too quiet.
"I'm just surprised…"
"Surprised that even someone like me was in such a weak position once?" Damien questioned with a grin.
Kuzan nodded, his childish eyes still lacking in some maturity.
"Back at Sabaody, you asked why I became a pirate."
"And you answered that it was to control your own fate," the boy interjected.
Damien nodded, "That's right. To master the fate that left me in hell all those years ago. Villains aren't born, Kuzan, they're created from painful times centred around injustice."
"Well, except for maybe Rocks. That guy is the personification of evil."
The pirate then coughed, "What I mean is, we all were once innocent children of the world, but reality is harsh on some and harsher on others. You'll know what I mean when you grow up some more."
He matched the boy's curious eyes and said, "So grow up quickly; only with strength can you ever protect what you treasure most."
.
Toki did not interrupt, just smiling at their exchange from the side.
She soon moved away from Damien's shoulder after some quiet moments went on.
With a clap, she garnered their attention, "Tomorrow is the new year, I will make some special dishes to celebrate, after that, Damien-san will be gone!"
…
The day went on as the feast came about.
Toki prepared a plethora of dishes all the while utilizing her Time powers to quickly cook and ready any form of meat.
She even set up her storage which essentially froze items so they would never go bad since they experienced time a hundred times slower than anything else.
The evening arrived and the hearty dinner was filled with a certain warmth that all four of them deeply cherished.
A warmth worth protecting.
…
[Later]
Damien sat with a jug of saké in hand, addressing the purple-haired girl.
"Aurora, how's the deal with Sukiyaki?"
She matched his gaze and confidently answered, "Very well. I set up the Anchors to maintain safe and secure trading overseas. The Seastone is being bought for food, weapons, medication, rare resources, and whatnot."
Damien hummed in satisfaction.
He had sent Aurora to Wano to nail down her Aether Anchor to facilitate trade. Everything seemed to have gone well.
"Begin forging it into weapons and other security devices. I'm sure they will go well on the market."
Aurora seemed a little unsure of his directions, "Okay, but should I reach out to everyone? I'm sure the Government would want a huge share of it."
"They will get their hands on it even if they have to hunt down all your buyers," Damien blandy commented, "might as well make a nice buck off them."
She did not ask any more questions, simply jotting it down for her return to Unso Island tomorrow.
.
Damien then turned his attention to the girl who was sitting with elegant etiquette, beaming her usual warm personality.
His eyes trace down her neck and onto the inconspicuous metal necklace.
"Looks like you've attained immunity to Seastone," he commented.
Toki's hand reached up to grab the pendant, tilting her head in thought, "Hmm, I guess so. It doesn't ache anymore…"
Damien smiled, opting to check differently.
>=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=<
[Amatsuki Toki]
[Age: 18 years, 5 months, 27 days (~791 years old by date)]
[Height: 9' 10"] (3.0 m)
[Status: Healthy]
[Devil Fruit: Time-Time Fruit (Advanced Mastery)]
[Fruit Rating: 7 Stars (Ultimate-Class)]
[Seastone Resistance: Immune ↑]
[Skills: Paper Body (Kami-e), Shave (Soru), Moonwalk (Geppo)]
[Haki: Observation Haki (Nigh-Advanced Mastery) ↑, Armament Haki (Intermediate Mastery) ↑]
[Strength: Middle Tier Yonko Commander ↑]
>=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=<
'It took me quite a while to attain immunity, I guess having fast-forwarding powers can move things along,' Damien thought.
He then glanced at the other girl and read up on her information too.
>=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=<
[Amethyst Aurora]
[Age: 19 years, 8 months, 6 days]
[Height: 10' 5"] (3.18 m)
[Status: Healthy]
[Devil Fruit: Aether-Aether Fruit (Advanced Mastery)]
[Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars]
[Seastone Resistance: Immune]
[Skills: Shave (Soru)]
[Haki: Observation Haki (Nigh-Advanced Mastery) ↑, Armament Haki (Intermediate Mastery) ↑, Conqueror's Haki (Intermediate Mastery) ↑]
[Strength: Top Tier Yonko Commander ↑]
>=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=<
Their heights had ballooned.
The vast array of Calm Belt Sea Kings was as nutritious as food could get, enabling the girls to experience a late but exceptional height bloom.
Damien was also pleased with their strength increased. It was a significant increase compared to when he first met them.
However, both the girls were too reliant on their fruits, hence his intentions to get them to focus more on Haki as well.
However, there was one stubborn person who did not like that thought as much.
.
"Oh, so it's my turn next!"
Damien sighed, looking at the ice statue who appeared next to him, an eye mask lazily covering half his eyes.
Kuzan had seen Aurora don the pendant for ten months straight, then he saw Toki take it for nearly five months. Naturally, in his mind, he was up next.
"Nope."
The blunt words dropped the boy onto the ground.
"Ehh? Why not?"
Damien gazed at the irritated boy and gave a simple reply.
"Your body is too young; it'll take too long to gain immunity and disrupt your training too much. Right now you need to focus on training your fruit power and grasping Haki."
"Toki will be with you while I'm gone, she can teach you the Colour of Observation. Don't fall out of pace or I'll personally instill discipline into your frosted dome," he instructed with a thin smirk.
A chill went down the ice boy's spine as he saw the Sin Incarnate flash his polished fist.
"F-Fine."
>=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=<
[Kuzan]
[Age: 9 years, 3 months, 10 days]
[Height: 8' 2.5"] (2.5 m)
[Status: Healthy]
[Devil Fruit: Ice-Ice Fruit (Intermediate Mastery) ↑]
[Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars]
[Skills: Shave (Soru), Moonwalk (Geppo)]
[Strength: Yonko Crew Pirate ↑]
>=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=<
Overall, Damien was satisfied.
Kuzan had the potential to easily enter the Yonko Stage, worthy of a future powerful ally. The one thing that worried Damien was that Kuzan had a mixed view of the world.
'Fiery Justice,' Damien thought. 'That was his motto as a young marine, before adopting Lazy Justice after the Ohara Incident.'
It was certainly unpredictable for someone, who developed an early nature to drive toward fiery justice, to become a pirate.
'We'll see how it goes,' Damien thought, putting a slight worry in the back of his mind.
To Be Continued…
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Author's Corner.
Not hinting at anything...
Images are available on Discord alongside other niche details: https://discord.gg/aJHHHPvb6q