One Piece: Path to Power

[1919 Words]

[Quick Q: I got a comment saying they can't see the italicized words, anyone else have that problem? It may show up as 'XXXXXX' instead.] ​​

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(Lerone POV)

"Luke, how'd the wheat production going?" I ask my advisor.

"So far we can expect a 46% increase in yield this year. I don't know why but it seems like there are fewer and fewer beasts out there." He answers.

"Haha well, it doesn't matter why or how, I just hope it continues for years to come," I laugh merrily.

"Hahahaha, indeed Chief."

"Chief, Parry is still having trouble with the food distribution." My left-hand man, Joshua, said as he entered my office.

"Ha?! It's been 13 years already! How is she still struggling with it?!" I yell in frustration.

"Well... ever since 'she' left, the tribesmen have been a bit more solemn and irritated nowadays." He says.

"Nadia died because of her own stupidity! They should know that by now!" I roar back in frustration.

"But still... she was someone many relied on during the 'Dry Decade'. Some still don't believe in her choice to protect the demon." Joshua said.

"Cheh, who is it? Someone is definitely behind this, so who do you think it is?" I ask him.

Joshua squints his eyes a bit, "probably Lenolds... he always had a thing for Nadia, even after that fiend bewitched her into having a child."

I furrow my brows after hearing this, "It's been 13 years since she 'left' the tribe. Bring Lenolds, we'll execute him in front of the others. It's about time we put this behind us."

Joshua gives a solemn nod as we walk out.

----- 30 Minutes Later -----

3200 tribesmen stand before me.

Their silver hair reflecting the light from the shining sun.

I walk up to the wooden stage and bring Lenolds behind me, he had a bag on his, hiding his identity.

"EVERYONE!

TODAY I COME TO YOU TO EXECUTE A BLASPHEMER!

HE, 7 YEARS AGO, WAS THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR BELOVED NADIA'S DEATH.

TODAY, IT ALL COMES TO AN END.

THE DEMON LOVER SHALL BE KILLED FOR JUSTICE!

I, AS THE CHIEF OF -"

*BOOOOM*

A loud sound echoes through the settlement as the people before me lose focus from my words.

"Huh?! What the hell was that?!" I yell out loud, pissed that someone dared to interrupt me.

The people too started murmuring as my lackey ran up with a nervous expression.

"Chief! We have invaders from the West Gate!" he yelled with fear.

"NANI?! Those damn demons are invading now?"

"SPEAK! HOW MANY ARE THERE?!" I question the boy who looked like he was going to piss himself.

.

"T-T-There's only 1!"

----- At The West Gate -----

(Damien POV)

I walk towards the large gate at the west end of the settlement.

*STEP*

*STEP*

*STEP*

I am just 2 feet away from the thick, cold stone wall as I release a bit of my Pulverizing Energy from my body as the entire section of stone before me is blown to pieces.

*BOOOOM*

Thousand upon thousands of cube-shaped pieces of stones blew in all directions as a giant portion of the wall went missing.

And I just kept walking, all the while the countless cuboid pieces of stone rained down upon the empty road.

*STEP*

*STEP*

*STEP*

I continued my little walk, not too fast, not too slow.

The same pace my mother kept as she gracefully left from this exact gate 13 years ago.

*STEP*

*STEP*

*STEP*

I kept walking as the first herd of silver-haired nuisances arrived.

There were about 50 of them, each had some cold weapons; spears, daggers, swords.

"DEMON!"

"WE'LL KILL YOU DEMON!"

"END HIM!"

"FOR SHIROGUMO-SAMA!"

They yelled their feeble war cries as they ran towards me.

I stopped in the middle of the street.

The guards were about 30 meters away, approaching fast.

I slightly tilt my head to the side as I think of what to use.

Over the 5 years, I trained, naturally I had made a few named moves, each for their own occasions.

'"Crush" was simply pulverizing whatever I was touching. Worked well for objects at rest like walls, gates, and hills.'

.

"Perhaps that will be fitting,"

I mutter to myself as I lift my left hand and point it towards the oncoming mob, palm out.

I squint my eyes a bit as I concentrate my Pulverizing Energy to my palm.

The warm flow of energy is guided to my palm as it starts glowing an eerie red as the air around it starts shaking.

.

"Raging Stream."

.

As the words leave my mouth, the crimson energy on my palm blasts forth with incredible momentum: ripping, shredding, and utterly destroying anything to everything in its path.

The stream of red, around 10 feet in diameter, keeps raging forwards as it encounters its first victim.

"AHH- " he couldn't even finish his words as he ended up exploding into a mist of blood and bones.

As for the others...

"AAHHH!"

"HELP!!!"

"AAAUUUHHHH!"

"EUUGHHH"

...

Cries of pain erupt as the entire group of guards was completely annihilated.

Limbs, heads, torsos, littered in the silent street as only one sound remains, echoing through at a melodious pace.

*STEP*

*STEP*

*STEP*

I walk forwards, keeping my earlier speed.

The ground before me, well all that's left is a devastated road, one with blood flowing like a stream.

.

The gentle wind assaulted my face as I kept walking with my indifferent attitude.

Looking at the carnage only left a satisfied expression on my face.

---

- Essentially put, I coated my palm with crush energy and solidified it.

- Then filled the underneath of the solid layer with tons more fluid energy.

- The outer layer, reaching its max volume, bubbled up as more and more energy gathered, just waiting to escape outwards

- All I needed to do then was to remove the outer layer instantaneously, causing all the energy trapped below to blast forwards, leaving behind a trail of utter destruction.

[A/N: Simple laws of pressure]

----------

*YAWN*

'These guys are so damn slow.' I complain as I get close to the center of the village.

"Seems like some sort of gathering, no wonder I didn't see a soul up until here," I comment with a frown.

[Perhaps some sort of social event?] Sibyl says.

"Hn."

I continue to yawn in boredom as sounds of hasty movements pick up while many guards run over.

"FINALLY." I sigh out loud as I get encircled.

Around 400 of them.

Well, either way, these guys are so indecisive, they keep waiting for their pals to step up, but their pals are doing the same. So in the end, no one really does anything.

.

"DEMON!"

"YOU KILLED OUR PEOPLE!"

"BURN BLASPHEMER!"

.

*FWWOOOO*

Dozens of arrows are shot towards me as they whiz on from all directions.

.

*YAWN*

I give out an overexaggerated yawn as the arrows reach their mark.

*CLATTER*

And they fall onto the ground, either stopped by my skin or simply by bouncing off it.

My (Superhuman Vitality) upgraded everything from inside to outside.

In other words, not only did my muscles and bones strengthen but also my skin.

Therefore I am practically bulletproof.

Arrows keep coming and they keep bouncing off at the surprise of the archers.

This act causes them to subconsciously take a step back as they gaze at me with a frightened expression.

"The dark arts..." some utter.

"Truly! A demon."

"We should kill him immediately." Another says.

Hearing their words I can't help but be offended. It's like finishing a super long exam and getting perfect marks then being called out for cheating. I worked hard for that!

"Ha? Dark Arts? Don't group me up with those bunch of losers who have to rely on some foolish ritual for strength." I scoff at them.

"AHHH!!!!"

A war cry erupts as a brave/foolish youngster runs forward.

"DIE DEMON!" He yells as he points his spear out, ready to pierce my chest.

.

"Oh? You're approaching me?" I asked with a smirk while raising my left palm out to block his incoming spear.

*SNAP*

The spear hits the palm and snaps apart.

*CLATTER*

The pieces hit the ground as fear envelops the youngling.

"Brave.... yet foolish," I say with an indifferent tone.

I tap his chest with my free right index finger as he quivers in fear,

"Crush."

His eyes pop for a second as he then turns red all over.

His body seems to divide into rather equal-shaped cubes as they clatter onto the ground. Instantly causing fear to flood into the spectators' eyes.

"Demon...."

"What a monster..."

"Mommy..."

I look at their fearful expression, "I only want Lerone and a few others. The rest of you can live, all you have to do is stand aside."

Some express joy, some fear, some anger, and some confusion.

"...We can't allow you to hurt the Chief!" One yells.

"He risked his life to exterminate the Demons! We won't let you have him!"

"I rather die than let you touch Lerone-sama!" Another proclaims out loud.

'Foolish. I rather not kill but I am no hero. Stand in my way and I will literally crush you.' I resolve myself.

'These people sat idly by as my mother was barely finding enough food for herself. She even died under their Chief's hands.'

'Ignorant they may be, but that doesn't make them innocent. One chance is what I will give them and they rejected. Now they can die.'

Making up my mind I turn to see that even more of these brain-washed guards have arrived.

Heck, even some of the 'brave' citizens joined in after hearing my proclamation to go after their beloved chief.

Though at that moment my senses flare as I look towards the stage 60 meters away.

.

A burly man stood tall, while another man knelt on the ground next to him as if he were to be executed.

The people around me had reached an astounding 1000, while another 2200 were shivering around the podium.

Seems like the stories of the black-haired ones are echoing in their minds.

My thoughts are disturbed as Lerone begins to speak.

"It's you, Demon."

"You have grown up. I thought you dead, yet...here you are." He said with a solemn tone.

The people murmured upon his words.

"Demon, 'Spawn of Leonidafu', have you come for your end?" He asked with a smirk.

The guards around me also tightened their grips on their weapons as they awaited my response and reaction.

An eerie silence follows as 6400 eyes are directed at me.

.

"Rahahahaha!!" a laugh is all that is heard as I laugh at his arrogant face.

"Y-You! What's so funny?" he roars at me.

"Lerone, Lerone... It seems there's a bit of a misconception here. The one who is going die here is not me...but you." I say with a mischievous smile.

The people nearby only get more frustrated upon hearing my words.

"FOOL!"

"Heathen!"

"Demon!"

The sheep continue insulting.

"HAHAHAHA! Me? You will kill me?" He laughs in mockery.

"Look around boy!"

He turns his head left and right from the podium, gesturing at the thousands of people around me.

.

You have no place to go."

"No place to run."

No way to escape."

.

.

"You... are completely surrounded."

He finishes with the same arrogant smile still plastered upon his aged face.

.

I study his expression, the same expression one would wear when they feel as if they know everything.

.

"RAHAHA! Surrounded?"

A rather frightening smile blooms on my face as my body starts to glow a menacing crimson red.

.

.

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

.

.

.

.

is fear."

.

.

.

"And dead men."

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[The following is excluded from word count]

Author's Corner:

I recently learn a new technique, here it is: [ Forbidden Arts: Cliff Hanger no Jutsu ].

PS. I'm trying to describe the scene more as I want you all to know how his powers and attacks work.

Describing Logia attacks is easy, fire there, light here, magma everywhere. Bit more difficult with these types of powers as they are harder to imagine so I want you all to get the main idea.

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Random Trivia:

Would you rather eat your favorite meal for every meal for the rest of your life OR never be able to eat your favorite meal again?

Thanks for Reading!