One Piece: Path to Power

[2511 words - The following part is not included]

Had a mini-heart attack yesterday when I got a 0/48 on my Physics Assignment... ​​

My teacher is quite lenient with due dates but I misjudged her marking speed. So at 1:30 in the morning at night, I got a message with the 0 and that grade dropped from 93% to 77%

I was like, "NANI!?"

So I had to work 3 hours till around 4:30 am, upload it and hope she would accept it before we took it up in class.

Lesson - Don't Procrastinate (It never works out well)

Other than that, my grade high school graduation convocation is now a 'Drive-Through' Convocation...

You literally pull up in your car and they give you the diploma and your transcript and send you on your way... yay.

That's all from me, enjoy the chapter.

https://discord.gg/A2KQAkyCvm

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The Overlord, Thaddeus 'Medulla' Enigma has fallen!

(Damien POV)

.

"Haaaa, Huuuh, Haaah," I was currently trying to stabilize my breathing, that final attack took literally every drop of fruit energy I had.

Heck, I even entered a secondary form when I released it, kind of like Luffy's Gear 2 where all my abilities increased many fold.

It was a raw concept that requires work but definitely a huge upgrade.

.

Other than that, that dragon thing... I didn't see that coming.

I thought of a creature that incited fear and chaos while I was enraged and ended up forming a dragon from it, pretty cool. Surely my strongest move thus far.

.

"Haaa...", I breathe out a large tornado of air, my body was back to the point where I could move it.

Though my arms and legs were aching, my chest was like thousands of paper cuts, every muscle contraction sends a wave of pain. But it wasn't that bad, I was used to pain.

It was only the mental pain I had not grown used to, which is why Enigma's mind attacks caused such damage, I just couldn't train it before but once I adapted, I used him like a grindstone to evolve my Haki.

And evolve it did!

'Sibyl, play the notifications I muted during the fight.' I instructed my system.

[Coming up.]

*DING*

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[Your Conqueror's Haki has entered the (Advanced Stage). Congratulations!]

.

[Your Fruit Mastery has entered the (Advanced Stage). Congratulations!]

.

[Your strength has reached {QUASI YONKO}, Congratulations!]

.

[ < Multiple Quests Ready to be Claimed > ]

-----

'Sweet.' I couldn't help but smirk as I read the text.

No wonder Luffy grows so much while fighting stronger foes, such huge advances in life and death situations, heck this is actually my first true solo fight.

I then sense my surroundings and it was as I thought.

All over the island, even the seas beyond and all the pirates under Enigma's banner were freed, as of now, the largest pirate fleet had been dismantled.

Indra was simply waiting on top of some collapsed rubble as he cleaned his sword in patience.

I slowly start to move my body as I feel my regeneration kick in, it was a troublesome process.

I took out a potion from my {Inventory}, it was the [Healing Solution], and gulped 2 down.

*Gurrug*

Instantly I felt a warm current coarse through my body as the rips and tears all over start to heal. Though it did nothing to reenergize me, I need to eat!

I have never felt so starved in my life!

---

[Damien!] A voice yelled in my ear.

'Huh? What is it, Sibyl?' I asked her in my head, unused to such a hasty voice.

[Look at his corpse, don't you see it?]

I turned my gaze to mangled Overlord and observed his condition.

It was true, there was a glowing orb around his body.

I control the greenery nearby as a vine darts out from a tree and grabs the orb and brings it to me.

'What is this?' I wondered as I felt it. It was like that Memory Shard I got from Fishman Island yet something different. No weight, no temperature, it was as if it didn't even exist.

*DING*

[Evolutionary Relic found.]

'...huh?' I scratched my as the description popped up in my head.

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

[Evolutionary Relic]

[A wisp of energy left behind that can be used to further evolve a specific skill]

[Can be used to evolve: {Ancient Voice}]

[Proceed with evolution?]

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

'Ummm, Sibyl, do expand on this please.' I asked her as this sounded a bit crazy considering the skill it was talking about.

[I see. The Overlord Awakened his fruit which left behind a wisp of energy. His Mind-Mind Fruit is similar to your {Ancient Voice} in the aspect of control the mind of others.]

[Here's the evolved version of the skill: ]

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

[Ancient Voice (II)]

Secondary Evolution gains:

- Greatly increases the degree of compulsion

- Anyone below 3 sub-levels of strength will be fully compelled with your words (Low-Tier Yonko Commanders and weaker)

- Anyone below your level but above the 3 sub-level threshold will face a varying degree of effect

- Allows you to use your mind to inflict illusions of any form upon others

- The weaker the mind of a person, the more difficult it is for them to escape from your grasp

- Allows you to subject certain ideas into one's mind while them being unaware of your mental intervention

- Allows you to mould illusions with your Conqueror's Haki release to inflict greater fear and suppression onto your foes

[Evolution Cost: Requires Relic]

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

Geez, I had no clue that you could go further with this. So the relic only upgrades one part of the skill and not the entire skill. The real part of {Ancient Voice} was the voice part but this will upgrade the compulsion aspect of my skill.

'It has its uses for sure. I will upgrade it later as right now I have another matter to deal with.' I thought as I put the relic into my {Inventory} as I heard a voice.

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"Ma-Ma-Mam-MA! I didn't expect a brat to explode in so much power. No wonder Xebec took you under his flag." Big Mom commented as she came into view as the dust settled.

'I hope she doesn't try to fight us, even with Kaido, we are no match.' I thought.

She smiled at my bloodied body but then seemed quite surprised.

.

"You have already healed so much...I see, how old are you, brat?" She asked with curiosity.

I wasn't sure how this was relevant but told her nonetheless, "Almost 16."

"Ma-Ma-Mam-MA!"

"2 years then." That is all she said as she turned to the

"Huh? 2 years for what?"

She turned and gave a creepy grin.

.

"2 years till I come and collect your seed!" She said with a rather disturbing expression.

"Hah?! Don't even think of it you old bag! I'm not one of your toys you extract a seed from. Try anything and I'll kill you!" I roared back.

.

The last thing I wanted was to be r*ped by a crazy chick who literally ate her own mother and kills her own children.

She may be hot as hell right now, but who knows what condition her lower body is in. She already popped out 24 brats. Her uterus ought to be extracted and put on display in some museum!

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"Ma-Ma-Mam-MA! The stronger you are the better! I can make powerful children with your seed, boy. Just try to grow taller or I will have to extract it manually." She cackled.

I grimaced at the sight of being abused by a 28-foot tall witch, it was a horrific sight. She was almost thrice my height right now.

"Enough of your crap. What exactly is your play now, 'Evil Spirit'. Enigma is dead, the navy is probably on its way now. Just what are your intentions?" I asked.

She could kill both I and Kaido right now but she could have done that by now, it's obvious she's up to something.

.

"Hmmm. You brats messed up my plan with my 'Gigantus Serum' but I doubt that old fox Enigma would have given me what I wanted."

She then smirked, "But I haven't seen Xebec in a while now, hehe, I guess it's time to reunite with that crazy guy."

A crazy chick calling that guy man crazy, Xebec is impressive as always.

"Fine, but you will sail on your ship, ours' is too small for your giant ass," I said as I cracked my stiff body.

Kaido then walked up and looked at Enigma.

"Cheh, now all the other pirates will wake up and are starting to run away. Damn you, Damien! You took all the fun away." The grumpy ogre said.

"Yeah, yeah whatever. Let's go, I'm too hungry for your shit." I waved him off.

.

With that said and done, I, Indra, Kaido, Linlin and her kids went to the docks.

Big Mom's ship was already ready to go but most of the children were still knocked out by my Haki clash with Enigma.

-----

What none of the pirates sensed was a certain individual who was hiding nearby. His movements were wholly concealed as not even Advanced Observation Haki would be able to sense him.

He had a white mask while wearing matching attire.

He had a snail in one hand as he was currently reporting to his superiors and the new threats that had emerged.

.

After concluded his report, he simply created a portal-like window and disappeared.

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[The Suicidal Rambo]

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Thankfully the fodders still on the ship had noticed the collapse of 40000 pirates and took it as the signal to fetch us, their commanders. They sailed to the eerie sea, many ships were swaying in the current, broken apart from the tsunamis sent out from the clash of kings.

The waters were littered with bodies as they floated in varying conditions, all unconscious or dead.

.

I ran on the ship and dived into the kitchen. So hungry, running out of stamina is horrible in this world! I couldn't help but inhale everything we had in the fridge. I finally understood Luffy's appetite as I felt barely a third full.

My hunger was a bit odd right now though, even before I had never felt this gluttonous.

"Damn, I'm still hungry..." I complained as we set sail back to the Titanic.

We had a Vivre Card of Shakky so it was a simple route.

.

"Commander, you finished 10 days of meals for 12 people... I'm afraid there isn't anything left," Indra said as he sat in patience.

"Rahaha, stiff as always, Indra. And you say all food is finished? Not at all. We have a giant ship following us with tons of food!" I replied as I turned my attention to the sailing cake half a kilometre away.

"Ah, but Commander, are you sure? The 'Evil Spirit' is known for her impatience when it comes to food." Indra hesitated.

I just waved off his concern, "Hehe, I may have said some crude things to her but if she wanted she could easily have killed us all. I was able to beat Enigma because of his arrogance and overconfidence in his intelligence. She, however, is another case."

.

I wasn't exaggerating, the woman had reached the peak of Low-Yonko from what I could feel. That was nearing the same as Enigma. She was a monster on her own.

But again, she is 28 or so by now, her strength is to be expected.

That aside, the main reason for my reluctance to fight her was that I could not damage her without Emission, something I have yet to unlock. Her skin and endurance are too much to penetrate without it.

"Well, I'll go over there, see ya later," I said as I geppo-ed to her ship.

.

*Thud*

I landed at her ship with a small thud as I felt some presences rush at me.

"HALT!"

A huge amount of walking food yelled. There were gingerbread men, food pieces, tree-men, all kinds of things.

That wasn't what interested me, the real thing was the person sitting on the railing 30 meters away.

He was quite tall for his age, with a scarred face, magenta-coloured hair with cool clothes.

'Katakuri.' I thought.

.

"Maah, maah, so much hostility for measly little me. I come in peace." I said as I impersonated Kizaru while raising my hands in surrender.

I glanced at the boy, he was already nearing my height at 7 years of age.

Katakuri seemed to be in deep thought as he stood there with an inquisitive expression.

.

"Damien, why did you come here?" Linlin's voice echoed through the giant ship as the doors to the eatery opened.

A few kids came out.

I recognized quite a few.

'Oven, Perespero, Daifuku, Opera, Cracker, Brûlée.'

.

"Yo. We ran out of food so I came over here." I said.

"You want me to feed you my food? Boy, no one takes my food." Big Mom said as she walked over, some anger in her voice.

Her curves were a bit too sharp as they cut the air as she approached me.

She even had Napoleon in her hand while leaning the blade on her shoulder.

'Damn, to think she turned into that monstrosity later on. If she didn't already have like 10 husbands or a few bombs in the oven right now, then maybe I would have taken her offer. Or if I was in matching height.' I shook my head with a sigh.

On the outside, I kept a plain face as I just gazed at her.

Linlin hummed then laughed.

"Ma-Ma-Mam-MA!"

"If you can teach one of my kids in the Colour of Observation then I will let you eat as much as you want."

I raised my eyebrow, "Oh? Just which one of these kids is it for you to expect so much from them?" I asked.

"Katakuri!" She called out.

*Clank* *Clank*

He walked forth, his shoes clanking on the ground as he stood before her.

"Hai! Mama."

"Be a good boy and take Damien to the cafeteria. Once he is finished he will teach you Haki."

.

The boy was actually smiling slightly as he nodded, "Yes, Mama."

"Hmm," I looked at the boy, "What makes you think I can teach him, Linlin?"

"Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma! Don't play dumb, brat. I can tell when I see a wielder of Futuresight when I see one. I don't have great talent with Observation but you can already reach such a point. Katakuri is a good child, he will do as you say." She explained with some pride.

'Well, you're not wrong. One of the very few users of Advanced Observation. Even though he trained it himself later on, with my help, he may be able to unlock it much quicker.' I thought to myself.

.

I looked at the young future, Sweet Commander.

I had accepted her offer already but I wanted to test something else.

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"Katakuri is it? Talent is not enough to grow strong, ya know.." I looked into my eyes.

.

And then I released a bit of my Conqueror's Haki as a red pulse wholly descended upon the youth.

Boom!

It wasn't much but for a 7-year-old, it was quite the challenge.

"Ugh!" He stumbled as he tried to stay on his feet, his knees threatening to give in.

His siblings seemed to react, especially the Oven and Daifuku who were about to use their fruit powers to save their brother.

"Don't interrupt!" Big Mom said as she looked at her second-born to see how he would react.

I of course expected him to hold on but was caught off guard by his reaction.

Boom!

A blue aura burst out of Katakuri's body as he regained his stability and stood tall, though out of breath.

"I will do it!" He said with great confidence as his newly awakened Haki clashed with mine.

.

"Rahahaha!"

"Ma-Ma-Mam-MA!"

.

"Not bad," I said as I saw his defiance shine bright in his eyes.

His desire to protect his siblings and his fierce loyalty to his mother was reflecting off that cool gaze of his, materializing as his Colour of the Supreme King.

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[The following is excluded from word count]

Author's Corner:

For his {Ancient Voice} upgrade, another upgrade of convenience for his plans, the mind effects will work on weaker opponents but very little for those his level so I think it's perfectly fine.

He will help Katakuri awaken Observation Haki only, nothing more as of yet.

As for his hunger, there is a reason that will be shown next chapter.

And no, he won't be on his crew as Katakuri is extremely loyal to his family, but that doesn't mean he can't be a future ally or something like that.

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Random Trivia:

Would you rather be in your dream job and earn an underwhelming salary or be in a job you hate but earn a great salary?

Thanks for Reading!