One Piece: Path to Power

[3040 Words - Thicc Chapter]

[I made a discord with the images and whatnot in order - https://discord.gg/A2KQAkyCvm] ​​

[I edited hastily so there may be some errors]

[Enjoy or Die]

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"The only thing I'm surrounded by is fear."

"And dead men."

.

Dropping my Vader shtick I prepare myself for a quick slaughter.

My body starts to glow red as I extend both my arms out to the sides, forming a 'T' shape with my body.

I send out a flow of Pulverizing Energy to my hands as you could literally see a red glow travel from my heart to my arms.

.

"Grand Ripple."

.

A wave of crushing energy ripples out from all sides of my body, pushing and pulverizing everything within a radius of 20 meters.

It was similar to Pain's 'Almighty Push', focusing on clearing all obstacles in any direction.

*FWOOO*

The air echoes as it too is divided all the while my attack continues to ripple through.

Everyone around me faced 2 forces. One crushed them to bits through pulverization and pressurization, while the other pushed them back with great momentum.

By doing this, the ones closer to me, nearly 400 of them, were blasted into bits and pieces, completely crushed to oblivion as their many body parts splatter on the ground, painting it a warm red.

The other 600 who were further away were pushed back with injuries, varying from broken bones to crushed lungs to missing limbs.

''Grand Ripple' is a simple repulse type attack, fit for encirclements such as these.

"Ahhhhh!"

"IT HURTSS!!"

"MY LEGGG!"

"Ouch."

"EEEUUUUGGHH!"

.

Chaos ensues as both the guards and citizens are frozen in fear, seeing a thousand of their silver-headed tribesmen fall onto the ground, blood dyeing their lustrous hair a menacing red.

*Step*

*Step*

*Step*

I continue my walk, my right hand behind my back, all the while my eyes glowed red, reflecting the rivers of blood flowing on the ground.

.

Lerone is the first to break out of his stupor as he sees me casually walk closer and closer to the stage.

"K-Kill him!!!" He yells.

A few more experienced guards follow suit, encouraging the others as they all run forwards, weapons drawn.

"Stop now. I only want Lerone and a few others. If you keep coming in my way,"

"I. Will. Kill. You." I offer them one last chance.

.

Though it was ignored as they kept their speed, running to their own demise.

"Bunch of fools," I utter in pity.

Switching tactics, I send some Haki flowing down my arms as a coating of a rather dull black surrounds my fists.

'Such weak coating... you can barely even call this armament,' I sighed lightly, seeing the weak and dull black on my hands.

*BANG*

*Boom*

*BAM*

Black fists connect with tens of jaws as the guards are sent flying back.

'7...15...34...57'

"DIE!"

A spear rushes forth, nearing my left lower abdomen.

Seeing the attack, I contract the muscles in the region, thoroughly locking all gaps in my lower abdomen.

"Tekkai." (Iron Body)

*Snap*

The spear crumbles as the shaft splits and a black fist greets the attacker's left cheek.

"Eughhhh" he wails as he is sent 40 feet back.

"Shigan." (Finger Gun)

*Pew*

"AHHH"

*Pew*

"UGHHH!"

*Pew*

"EUOOOGHHHH"

Compact air bullets whiz out of my fingers, drilling into some unlucky men within the sea of silver.

'65...72...84'

I continue racing and razing through the horde of guards, making my way to the stage.

.

"DAMN IT!"

"Joshua! Go kill him!" Lerone yells in panic.

"On it!"

The 40-year-old man jumps into the sky as he clenched his fist, descending with great momentum.

"Face your end, Demon!" He cries.

The fist flies down and is caught midair without much effort, causing the man to widen his eyes as fear entered his eyes.

"What a weak punch."

I comment with mockery as I drill my right fist into his gut, causing him to cough blood like a fallen Wuxia character.

Hundreds, no, thousands of bodies lay on the floor.

Some groaning.

Some twitching.

Some dead.

I then jump onto the stage, gazing at the frozen geezer, though he was a head taller, his expression only showed fear.

"Your time has come, Lerone."

"Y-You... I should have killed you when I cut down my sister for the greater good..." he utters while gritting his teeth.

His words cause my eyes to widen as I clench my fists in anger.

"Sister... so you killed your own sister just because of some absurd legend... You truly are PATHETIC." I spit out in disgust.

He clenches his fists in anger, "I would never accept a demon like you to be in our tribe!!"

I smirk, "ha, and I would rather die than associate myself, let alone my name, with someone as pathetic as you."

I then gaze at the civilians who chose not to run at me.

"People like you," I gesture at them by shifting my eyes through the masses.

.

"You who judge others based on some stupid differences over physical attributes... are nothing but a scourge."

"To declare someone weak or wrong simply because of difference in skin colour, physical deformities or ancestry, or in my case, something as absurd as hair colour, you are nothing more than a waste of human flesh."

I gaze into Lerone's shaking eyes, "It would be a mercy for you to even have the honour to return to the earth at your death, one I refuse to grant you."

.

I grab both his arms and snap them.

*Crack*

"AHHHH!" Lerone groans as both his arms dangle in the air.

.

I then smash my foot onto his right knee, breaking it as well.

"AHHHH! P-Please... Stop!" He begs.

.

I walk behind him, both of us gaze forth, looking at the few remaining tribesmen.

I smile at their expressions, "You all shall know pain."

I then look down at the chief kneeling before me,

"Starting. With. You."

.

I speak slowly as I bring my glowing left hand and place it upon his head white-coloured head.

.

"Crumble."

.

I say softly as a rather thin spark of Pulverizing Energy flows into his head, squirming through his nervous system.

"AAAAAAAHHHH!" He thunders in pain.

"AHHHH!!!"

"EEUUUUUGH!"

"P-PLEASE! K-KILL ME ALREADY!! AHHH!"

He continues yelling as he falls to the ground, twitching and shaking in unimaginable pain.

I had sent my fruit power through his nervous system, squeezing all the nerves with my crushing powers, yet not enough to overload, just enough to make him go through insufferable pain.

"UUEEEUGHHHH"

"AAAAAAHHH!"

.

His eyes bulge out as he starts smashing his head onto the ground, hoping for some way to end the pain.

The people shiver in fear as they see the display before them.

.

Alas, the energy I sent in finally flows out of him as he lays on the floor, a pitiful display indeed.

He had released a smelly fluid from below his waist, his mouth had foam leaking, his eyes were hazy.

I grab him by the throat and lift him half a foot from the ground.

"You are not worth any more of my time," I speak in disgust.

"Hashi..." I called out softly.

*RUMBLE*

The ground shakes a large wooden post extends from the broken ground through the stage directly behind me.

"You called for me, young man?" Hashi, the conscience of wood, said as only I heard.

I looked at Lerone's pitiful expression.

I turn my body and look at the wooden post.

I then toss the 10-foot tall chief towards the post.

His body lands where directed as the wood warps a little around his wrist and shins.

Holding him up in a crucified position.

.

"bring out 30 other posts," I tell him.

*SHAKE*

The ground rumbles once more as 30 identical barks of trees emerge from the ground.

I pinpoint the other voices that I recalled from the time they came to my home to kill me and my mother. I made sure not to kill them from my earlier attack since I wanted them to feel pain.

'I guess my mother killed half of them before she too fell... they were lucky to have died then and not now...'

Hashi hears my intentions as he sends out tendrils of wood as they wrap around the 30 people.

"W-Wait!"

"N-No!"

The men cry out as their backs slam onto the wooden posts, once again in a crucified state.

So now there are 30 trees with equal amounts of people strapped upon and they squirm in fear.

"I HAVE MONEY!"

"STOP PLEASE!"

"AH--"

I waved my hand as a sharp wooden splinter grows from their respective wooden posts and punctures their larynx', stopping them from screaming.

"...ahmgna..."

"..Aeiughh..."

Groans leak from their mouths' as they try to voice out their fear, failing to do as they hope.

The people kept watching without moving, as they didn't want the same fate.

.

I walked the man who was kneeling from the earlier execution.

I took off the cloth in his mouth and looked at his face.

"You are?"

He panics a bit then answers in a shaky voice, "M-My name is L-Lenolds."

"What do you know of Nadia Von Daisy?" I ask him.

"Nadia? Y-You know her?" he questioned back.

"Of course I know my own mother."

"M-Mother!!? Y-You are that child!" His face widens in shock.

"The same child who had his own frail mother cut down by 60 grown men for protecting her own kin. You all are quite pathetic no?" I ask with sarcasm.

The man lowers his head, "Please. For your mother. Please forgive us for our actions. We were blinded by the olden days and because of it, the woman we all respected was killed. Please forgive us, or... at least the children."

I scoff, "Don't worry, I only came for these men. I gave everyone a chance to live... and the ones left alive will remain so."

The living tribesmen sighed in relief as they looked down in shame after hearing about my mom.

'Seems like they quite liked her... of course, her soul was so pure. Too pure.'

I shake my head with a slight sigh as I look at them once more.

.

"I personally want to wipe you all out."

They freeze.

"But."

"I know that my mother would be disappointed if I killed so many in her name."

"The children too should not be held guilty for their parents' stupidity."

I look at the old man as I finish my words.

"From now on you are the Chief," I tell the man.

Lenolds starts tearing up.

"I hope you can teach your children well otherwise you will be the cause of your own extinction."

"My mother, even with her hardships, never once hated her home, but rather the one who leads it. I hope you can honour my mother's pure heart."

He nods vigorously at my words while crying.

.

I then turn around and gaze at the crucified 30 in front of me with a very menacing smile.

Though I felt someone missing.

"Wait I did forget a certain someone..." I scan through the group of people.

.

I saw a 5'4 tall woman, she was around 27 years old.

Her eyes are quivering a lot more than the others, her hands shaking, her hair is standing up.

'This chick... it's her!'

'Ilene.'

"That bitch who dropped me at birth!'

No wonder she's shaking so much.

I squint my eyes as I smile at her, our eyes meet.

*FWOO*

I 'Soru' right in front of her and grab her by the throat.

.

"Remember me, darling?" I ask her while she starts crying in fear.

.

'Geppo'

.

I popped the air with her still in my hand.

After 20 seconds I reach a decent height.

.

I am now floating around 500 meters in the air with Ilene held firmly in my right hand's grasp.

She struggled in my grip, tossing and turning with her legs, quite the nuisance.

I increase my grip strength as she stops flailing and looks into my eyes with tears of fear.

She meets my gaze, I see a mix of emotions, fear, hate, sorrow, anger, despair, sadness...

I can't help but smile as I see her plead for her pitiful life.

I bring her closer and whisper into her little ear.

.

"Bon Voyage, Bitch."

.

I let go.

.

"KYAAAAAAAA!!"

.

.

Her cry echoed through the empty skies as she struggled against the blasting wind, descending to her inevitable doom.

.

.

"...AAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

*SPLATTER*

.

Splattering all over the ground, leaving a puddle of fresh blood and messed up flesh.

I landed on the platform once more and then focuses on the 30 shaken men.

Heck some of them even lost control of their bladders, leaving behind yellow stream the trickled down their quivering legs.

.

"As for you all..."

I squint my eyes as a crimson glint flashes in my eyes.

"Hashi,"

"Drain them of their life force for 7 days. A day for every year my mother spent scavenging for food and struggling with her illness." I dropped the verdict.

I gaze at the people once more, "Consider this mercy."

*FWOOOO*

I 'Soru' out of there as the wooden posts start siphoning the life force from the 30 men as they try to cry in excruciating pain.

In 7 days' time, all that is left of them would be shriveled corpses, reduced to the bones.

A VERY painful process, having your skin wither, your nails crack and fall off, your bone weakens, your blood to clot, your throat tightens, all the while your eyes slowly lose vision as the nerves are reduced to atoms.

----- A While Later -------------------------

I was 'Soru-ing' northwards and came upon a familiar landscape.

it was near the cliff I escaped from, a sorrow-inducing sight that was obscured by a prompt in my ears.

[⚠ Devil Fruit detected ⚠]

A notification popped up as a yellow beacon was pointing to the sky as I whizzed over to it.

*Thud*

I landed on the ground as I saw the large tree in front of me.

It was a fruit tree.

Though an impostor was present among the many fruits.

Its size was the same as the rest, but the colour was something else.

.

A dark green fruit with light green swirls printed all over it.

I walked up and plucked it from the tree and saw another notification light up.

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

[Human Human Fruit, Model: Dryad]

[Zoan Fruit | Mythical Type]

[Fruit Rating: ??????]

[Allows user to transform into a Dryad. The user gains the ability to become immune to any illness while greatly increasing lifespan, body functions and overall bodily capabilities. Allows user to also control and converse with nature.]

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

"..."

*SIGH*

'I mean I know the theory of fruit reincarnation and all but I suppose I was trying to forget it subconsciously.'

I went through 7 years of training. Nature kept me company, but I never went back home.

I was afraid.

I was afraid it would make my resolve crumble as I might despise myself.

What if I didn't grow complacent of my second chance?

What if I used my time to train and have had reached a level where I could have escaped WITH my mother?

What if I didn't comply with her words and got food myself and looked after her rather than the other way around?

Why me, a useless reincarnator, got the chance to live while a loving and kind soul like my mother died?

'Is this the fate of the weak?' I ask in my head, lost in thought.

Though a feminine voice interrupts my thoughts.

[Indeed Damien.]

[You must know that anything can be done with enough strength. Something you lacked, and your mother ended up dying from it.]

[But you must always remember your mother's words. 'Live Damien. Live.' Your goal is assigned and accepted, but you must be the one to actually vie for it to ever mean something.]

[Sometimes it's a worse fate to survive than it is to die.]

[Because the only thing left behind is sorrow and regret, rather than a clump of hair and withering bones.]

[But at the end of a storm is a sunny morning, all you have to do is make it through the night.]

[And now's the time you make a choice, to be strong and to persist, or to be weak and wallow in despair.]

[The choice is yours.]

Her words ended as if she were waiting on standby to see what I'd choose to do.

.

I stood there for a few minutes as I took a deep breath.

*Fwoooo*

The oxygen cleared my mind as I focused on the now rather than the past.

*Fooooo*

I exhale from my mouth as my eyes are glued to the green fruit in my hands.

I clenched my right hand hard enough for drops of blood to drip out.

.

"Mom struggled through hell for 7 years and died for me."

"I failed her for 7 years, "

A determined glint flashes in my eyes as I continue my words.

"I won't fail her ever again."

My voice echoed through the forest as a loud sound was heard.

*RUMBLE*

The ground shook as nature itself emerge out and wrapped around me in a loving embrace.

Trees, grass, vines, branches, they all flooded out from beneath and projected an image of a woman holding a child in her arms, with a loving smile on her face.

All the while the blood on my palm disappeared and the small wound healed from the nature energy radiating off the sight before me.

"My mother will always be with me. Protecting me... from my own darkness."

I smiled slightly as I stored the fruit into my {Inventory}.

"One day... One day I will reach the apex! Never again shall I yield to the unfairness and injustice of this world. For only with enough strength can I ever be truly free!"

There weren't any witnesses that heard his declaration, but the world will soon shake as he makes his way to the top, never to submit to fate nor destiny.

-------

What Damien didn't know that at his declaration, a certain flow of energy started building up within his soul.

A warm current, whirling around, waiting to burst out from the final worries that imprison it.

A few shackles left to be broken... before a new man can reborn.

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[The following is excluded from word count]

Author's Corner:

Hello.

Finally wrapping up this arc.

I'd say one more chapter till he sails.

Hope you enjoyed it so far.

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Random Trivia:

Would You rather live without the internet Or live without AC And heating?

Thanks for Reading!