[114] The Scorched Sea War (III)

[2345 words]

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"Aren't they supposed to be enemies!?" Sengoku exclaimed at the newly arrived enemies. 

Basara grimaced, "Scum tend to come together as one… and they can die together too!"

Garp floated in the air with his Rokushiki and howled, "Bwahaha! You caught us off-guard again, Damien!"

He raised his right fist, which was vibrating a catastrophic melody. "But they can't stop me from teaching you a proper lesson…"

*Fwwm!* A night-black colour appeared around it as the fist was coated in Armament, drawing the Sin Incarnate's attention.

*Purrup* A red bubble then swam out of the man's chest as it started to cover his entire body! 

But it was the next step which left Damien baffled. "And… again!" Garp roared, mobilizing his Haki again and running over his already-hardened fist. 

*Fwwm!* The black bubbled fist turned a deep purple, brimming with power. It was a technique beyond anything Damien had seen: Haki Layering!

"Hehe…" The Vice Admiral gave a gleeful grin as his right arm was reeled back.

He then shot forth with his dominant arm pulled back in a prepped fashion with broken skies behind him.

Damien deeply exhaled at the incoming attack. Ryushi shuddered as its wielder flooded it with enormous power and met the Garp with a diagonal slash.

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"Broken World!"

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A streak of red followed the blade, cutting the air into pieces. Garp's single fist shot forth as torrents of air currents were left in turmoil.

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"Galaxy Divide!"

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A single fist was thrown, carrying absurd levels of strength. Black lightning crackled all over. 

BOOOOOM!

Damien had sent tremendous amounts of his fruit powers upon Ryushi's blades, causing a black space around them to pummel the air into powder. What was usually a sound-killing space had been pierced!

"Uhh!"

"M-My ears!"

"It hurts!"

Garp's fist shook in the sky and pushed towards the Supreme Sword, sending screeching sounds whirling.

Hundreds of men near the clash covered their ears as a loud cry of literal destruction echoed in their eardrums.

Cracks formed around the clash as both sides raged; energy waves ruptured everything nearby as the two forces reached a tipping point.

Damien was shocked as he saw the fist inch forward as Ryushi edged back.

*Creak* His eyes widened, 'He's bending Ryushi!' the pirate exclaimed.

The unstoppable fist blasted the Pulverizing Blade from its user's hands and crashed onto his chest.

Ribs audibly cracked as the fist drilled forth, shooting blood from Damien's mouth. The dense Haki bounced around his insides, rupturing and shredding everything. The spinal cord was overwhelmed by the stimulation, ringing its host with a throbbing headache.

Damien was sent flying like a shooting star, leaving a crimson trail. 

*BOOM!* Eventually, he crashed into the mountainous wall, and his body was left tens of meters deep. Nailing and drilling his way through the thick rock.

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"…" The marines were silent as they saw the scene before erupting.

"Incredible!"

"That's the invincible Garp-san I know!"

"The Fist that can subdue all difficulties is on our side; justice will prevail!"

It was a morale-booster that fully countered the arrival of the fresh pirates. Grand applause ensued as the Marines felt reinvigorated; their minds were clear.

However, the atmosphere of reverence was met with furrowed brows. Garp flexed his right hand, wincing at the lingering pain. "Don't be too cheery now," he muttered, silencing the crowd. "That kid has some thick skin."

Thousands of marines followed Garp's gaze to a gaping, cave-like hole in the cracked mountainside. Audible gasps echoed as crimson eyes glimmered from the darkness ten meters deep into the cavern.

With startling suddenness, a hand shot out from the shadows, its fingers digging into the mountain, spider-webbing cracks along its surface.

*Thump* *Thump* *Thump*

A few steps went off as a humanoid body walked out of the cave.

Black armour fell off the body as human skin was visible, unveiling a gaping hole at the upper chest. Black and red flesh fell away, splattering into the distant sea below.

"Even Garp-san can't take him down…?"

"Can he not die!?"

Visible through Damien's ribs, a lone heartbeat echoed through the canyon. But another detail gripped the spectators' minds.

"His bones…" a blue-haired Rear Admiral absently muttered. His eyes were locked to the partially visible rib cage of the Sin Incarnate. "They're black!"

"Haki in his bones!?"

"Don't be ridiculous... Haki can't permeate the body like that!" a veteran retorted, disbelief etched on his face.

Garp's mouth widened comically, speechless at the sight of the pristine black bones. 

A stunned Zephyr grabbed his metal arm. "Haki in the bones; it's supposed to be a myth…"

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Damien winced in pain, stretching his back as more flesh and muscle sloughed off.

The commotion was the least of his concerns: 'Garp can layer his Haki,' he mused. 'That's a little scary.'

Then, something even more incredible occurred.

*Crack* *Crunch* Under the eyes of thousands, Damien's ravaged chest started to warp.

The black bones creaked back into perfection, shining a dull hue. The obliterated chest regrew its flesh, quickly closing the gaping hole.

The regrown skin was a little purple but had begun to slowly fade away. 

Sengoku rubbed his forehead, perplexed. "Even Garp's open attack didn't take him down… his recovery rate is on their level!"

Basara grabbed the left side of his face as he felt the empty eye socket and cursed, "He's too dangerous to be kept alive!" 

By some worldly law, Damien's pants were still intact enough to prevent him from going full commando. He jumped out of the cave and landed back on the Suicidal Rambo. 

The female pirates who were crazy enough to sail with the Rocks Pirates took a deep gulp and strongly desired to conceive.

On the other hand, there was the salivating Charlotte Linlin. "I wonder what a monster born from our union could do… Ma-Ma-Mam-Ma, I really have to get his seed!"

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*Fwoo* Meanwhile, the newly arrived pirates had the time to pull up to the battle.

"What a mess," Damien said as he saw the tens of wrecked ships from Basara's earlier attack.

Rayleigh nodded from the helm of his ship, long used to the younger pirate's surprises. "I suppose it's about to get slightly messier now."

*Thump* *Thump* *Thump* 

Melodious steps went off as the eyes of the significant pirate powers drifted to the main marine ship, The Ox Lloyds Warship.

A single man walked ahead and stood beside Sengoku and Basara. Under the reverent eyes of the thousands of marines, three men stood, bannering "Justice" on their backs.

A young yet vigorous man roared, "The three Admirals have gathered!"

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[Nearby]

The hell being wrought at Glint Island's shore paled in comparison to what was happening at its center.

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"Singularity!"

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A raging current of destructive, white flames blasted out of Sol's palm.

The heat boiled the air particles into some broken form of matter. The sacred-white flames ventured on as they came face-to-face with another damning power.

Rocks released a similar attack, although of contrasting appearance. An utterly black river of malignant darkness was marching at the oncoming flames.

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"River of Death."

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BOOOM!

In a spectacle of endless delight, white sparks and black wisps clashed, followed by a bursting shockwave of pure Haki.

Sol watched his attack evaporate away, scoffing at its sight.

He soon shone with divine light, floating to the skies, pointing his fingers at Xebec.

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"Divine Rain!"

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Countless orb-like jewels showered from the Overlord's hands and decimated the broken land. They resembled light while carrying endless power and heat with them.

"Hehe," Rocks grinned and reached at his hip.

Shing!

The air eroded away as the 'Inferno Blade' Mokushiroku was unleashed. The blade cried out in impatience, finally being used.

The evil pirate slashed down with little care for technique; instead, relying on raw and savage strength.

*Grrrrrr!* The air was ground apart as a pitch-black arc of sword energy was sent out toward Sol. 

*BOOM!* It met the white shower of blazing flames, bringing it to a standstill once more.

The Overlord felt a deathly wind and saw his foe appear at arm's length. Mokushiroku shook in delight as Rocks fueled it with endless energy.

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"Forsaken Death."

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The slash came with the cry of lost souls, clawing at any chance to revive themselves by aiming to suck up Sol's blazing vitality.

The Sun of Pride frowned, not just from the coming attack but also from his condition. He felt his power begin to leak away from him, evading his control.

He let out a roar, materializing a weapon of his own.

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"Sacred Strike!"

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BOOOOM!

The sword of death smashed upon the golden blade bathed in divine light, releasing a vast apocalypse onto what remained of Glint Island.

The heat came with endless plague, eating up embers of life on the island, creating quite a visual.

…

Damien turned away from Glint Island's white and black fireworks, hearing a proud exclaim, "The Three Admirals have gathered!"

Basara, Sengoku and the third man, Kurowashi Masao were ready to join in. The last one piqued Damien's curiosity.

He was a tall and lanky man, roughly 10 feet (~3 m) tall and relatively young.

His attire consisted of the usual white marine coat draped over the shoulders. That aside, he wore a full jet-black tuxedo, gloves and a black tie over a black undershirt. 

The man had medium-long silver hair messily combed over his young visage.

[Kurowashi Image (in Discord)]

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"Admiral Masao, codenamed 'Kurowashi,'" Damien recalled. "The Black Eagle of the marines that oversees the mighty Ox Lloyd's Warship."

Shakky, who sat on the wooden rails of Damien's ship, nodded, "He is a problem beyond the range of combat prowess."

The two watched as the man in question made a move.

Kurowashi raised both his arms in the air while his eyes swam through the marines present.

Over 7,000 Navy soldiers had died, and nearly 4,000 were left with injuries. The numbers had unfavourably declined, factoring in the appearance of the new pirates.

A soft yet stern voice broke under the ominous silence that had invaded the war, "Marines! Today, we stand amidst the wreckage of our fallen comrades, but we do not falter. Our mission is clear: to uphold justice against all odds!"

"In this hour of darkness, let our resolve be our shield and our unity our strength. For every life lost, we stand stronger, fueled by the courage to protect the innocent and secure our seas."

Each word carried a magnetic charm, filling the soldiers' hearts with courage.

"This war is not just against pirates; it is a battle for the future we defend. Each of you embodies the spirit of justice that defines us. Rise now, with hearts unyielding, and let our actions speak louder than words."

Masao's green eyes scanned the rising masses as he proudly finished, "Rise with the Ox Bell! Let its echo remind us why we fight—for the freedoms we cherish and the peace we safeguard. Together, we prevail!"

*Clang* The legendary bell rang in harmony with the words of the Admiral.

An invisible shockwave rippled out of the silver-haired marine, renewing the tens of thousands of marines with vigour and spirit.

They unleashed a bellowing roar, creating quite the spectacle.

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Damien squinted at the bold words, feeling the shift in the battlefield.

His eyes ran through the thunderous marines, examining the changes: The weak felt strength far beyond their limits, the injured recovered, and the ones at death's gate were suddenly rejuvenated.

One by one, every soldier was brought to their most excellent limits; their injuries healed, their broken bones mended, and their flesh returned.

The Sin Incarnate gave an appreciative hum at the sight before turning to the pirates.

He could feel the chaotic armies assaulted with fatigue, their strength slowly draining away; a despairing atmosphere broke.

Shakky sighed at the turn of events, "Such a power, in the hands of an Admiral who can command tens of thousands, is rather problematic."

Damien nodded in agreement, "The Pump-Pump Fruit, in its Awakened state, has the power to raise morale to great heights and even rejuvenate all allies."

"It also works to weaken all enemies," the Black Death added, "eating away at their spirit and strength."

"Only a bold and unforgiving assault can weaken the Marines' drive," Rayleigh quipped. He gazed at Damien from his ship, addressing a thought, "So, what's our game plan?"

The Sin Incarnate returned a wry smile, "Rayleigh, I like to dance at my own pace; taking charge is not my thing."

"Sometimes the dice don't roll in our favour," the Dark King shrugged.

*Bang* "WORORO! Let's just rip them apart!"

"Wawawawa! I haven't fought all Three Admirals before… I will show them the power of Wang Zhi!"

"I'm here to fight on behalf of my beloved Newgate!" A blonde beauty roared from a faraway ship. "You red-eyed troublemaker better not let these marines interrupt his fight with that idiot Roger!" 

"The Marines made their move; I'm curious to see how you respond, Sin Incarnate," the masked pirate, Henso, mumbled to himself. 

…

"Ufufufu, Damien-chan, they're all yours."

Relenting to his troubles, the young and bold pirate walked ahead, his movements drawing the attention of the tired horde of pirates.

*Thump* *Thump* *Thump* 

The final step was loud and echoey, opting to shut any side conversations.

Without averting his gaze from the Marine army, Damien extended his arm. The air crackled as a streak of black and red shot forth from a sunken ship, Ryushi returning to its master's grasp with a resounding boom.

Pointing the Supreme Blade directly at the Ox Lloyd's Warship, kilometers away and guarded by five Admiral-level marines, Damien defied the Navy's authority with brazen audacity—a gesture deemed the ultimate insult by pirate standards.

*Vvoooo!* An ominous wind howled, carrying the words of the Sin Incarnate, "Unleash all that pent-up rage you've harboured for years! Tear these marines to shreds!"

His crimson eyes locked onto the horizon plagued with enemies, radiating unwavering confidence. "And what's the worst that could happen? You'll only just die."

To Be Continued...

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Author's Corner.

Debuting the final Admiral's power and some original powers for Garp. I've set Haki Layering at Grandmastery (II).

Damien's undying anatomy also made itself known to the world.

Images are available on Discord alongside other niche details: https://discord.gg/aJHHHPvb6q