[56] Disarmed

[2900 words]

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[A While Later]

"A large ship spotted on the horizon!" an alarmed voice announced through an outpost set up near the shores of the Amethyst Kingdom.

Nearby marines jumped into formation: guns drawn, swords unsheathed and cannons ready to fire.

A tense atmosphere filled the sandy shores, one that was reflected in the sweat dripping off the faces of the younger recruits.

It was already night time and all they could wish for was a quiet period but things were proving to be the opposite. It had been a dark day for G-4; an enemy attack at this time would be disastrous!

The sole veteran at the head of the formation was Rear Admiral Cocoa who seemed exceptionally apprehensive.

"We don't have the ability defend this nation, not with G-4 destroyed," he muttered in a helpless tone.

"..."

"Wait, I think I can make out a marine flag on the ship!" the same man called out, peering through his telescope.

"I-It's a Marine Battleship straight from Marineford!"

The words greatly calmed down the soldiers at ready as they all heaved a sigh of relief.

...

After a little while, the Battleship docked a good dozen meters from the shores, lowering 2 thick iron anchors with a resounding splash.

Boom!

The wooden ramp was lowered and crashed onto the sand below.

*Thump* *Thump* *Thump* 

Heavy steps echoed as hundreds of marines began walking off the massive ship, each sporting a sharp look in their eyes. Sure enough, they were veterans of the seas!

The troops at the outpost were only from G-4 and couldn't help but marvel at the discipline emanating off the sea of allies.

*Whizz*

A black shadow flickered in front of the Cocoa catching him off guard.

The darkness made it hard to make out the young man's face but he wore a fedora topping a well-cut suit. He was quite tall and lanky.

"You there," the man addressed. "The comms at G-4 are down so we were unable to make contact you. Do not fret, we are here to help."

The nearby marines subconsciously smiled, feeling their jittery nerves calm down at the affirmation.

"Bwahahaha! That's right, so do the minimum and welcome your guests with a warm cup of tea and some rice crackers!"

The boisterous voice echoed past the near-500 marines who had come, dissolving the distinguished air of the mighty battleship.

"...Vice Admiral Garp!" Cocoa exclaimed.

The branch marines jumped into a salute, their bodies straight as arrows.

.

"Alright, alright, at ease now. Hehe, I must say, it's surprising we could get here in only 1 day, isn't that right, Bogard?"

The bladesman with the fedora locked eyes with the burly Garp donning a simple Vice Admiral's get-up and lightly sighed.

"With all due respect, sir, you nearly killed Captain Raito. It was a 3-day journey even with his Turbo-Turbo Fruit."

The short-haired Garp grinned in glee, slapping Bogard with a thunderous chop.

"That kid ate a very convenient fruit; cutting down a 20-day trip to 3 days. He should thank me, my directions made him do it all in under 1 day!"

Bogard twitched, feeling the aching pain across his back, for some reason he knew his well-ironed suit was already crumpled up.

'Did he forget that Raito is in a coma after he drove him like a horse to speed the ship for 20 hours straight?'

.

The Vice Admiral ignored the ruckus around him and locked eyes with the island.

"..." Garp narrowed his eyes, feeling the turbulent air. 'What kind of hell came here?' he thought.

"Take me to Zephyr," he ordered.

"Y-Yes sir!"

…

The newly arrived battalions had already been spread through the nation, bringing much-needed help to the surviving soldiers.

Garp and Bogard, with Cocoa as their guide, made their way through the quiet streets of Amethyst Kingdom.

Whether it was nighttime or the earthquakes from the day, every resident had simply retreated to the confines of their homes.

"So, you're saying it began with the little bounty hunter from Sabaody making a storm of hell that ripped the entire castle and G-4 to shreds? Then that guy who made Sengoku grow white hair came along and fought for half a day against Zephyr?"

Cocoa was left speechless as he heard the added bits of details in the quick report he had given.

.

"Anyways, he really did some damage, that Damien," Garp muttered as he walked through the streets littered with cracks.

*Crunch* Every step they took would make audible noises, credit to the shattered windows and bits of wood.

'This Haki is pretty dense, 5 months of disappearance and he brings the whole damn party to this small island!'

…

Eventually, the three made it to the marine branch within the city that was thrown together just some hours ago.

There, Garp saw a scene he never expected, even leaving him gobsmacked.

"Woah, woah, Zephyr! You actually lost your arm!?" Garp thundered, dropping his bag of crackers. His mouth widened in an O-shape and his jaw nearly comically fell to the floor as he pointed at his colleague.

'Black Arm Zephyr lost his prized arm… Do I call him Black Stump Zephyr now?' Garp thought to himself.

"..." The soldiers nearby shut their mouths immediately. Even though the Vice Admiral didn't seem to mind the missing limb too much, wasn't it a little blunt to point at it and question it so loudly?

.

Zephyr just sighed in helplessness. He knew the best way to deal with Garp was to ignore his impulsive words.

"The enemy's strength was beyond my expectations; I paid the price for it," he responded while lightly grasping at his bandaged stump.

Garp hummed as he picked away at his nose. "Oh? I guess those useless dogs of the Government are behind on their intel like always, to think their average salary is even higher than us marines."

The man reputed as 'The Fist' then found another subject of interest: "G-4, I wonder if I should report it to Kong-san now or later, his blood pressure may increase too much from the news," he thought out loud.

Zephyr almost slapped Garp as he exclaimed, "Of course, you report it now! That young woman's powers were far beyond our intel too!"

Garp casually nodded, slowly walking up to his comrade.

*Smack!*

He patted his booger-encrusted hands on the Black Stump's shoulder. "Don't worry Zephyr, everything will be alright."

Zephyr almost had a brain aneurysm as he slapped the trashy hand away: "You still have no regard for your position as a Vice Admiral! And I don't need your terrible attempt at reassurance!"

Garp scoffed and waddled away to get another bag of rice crackers, though he made his complaints loud and clear: "Hmph, Zephyr. You should be glad you have a friend like me."

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[Room of Authority, Pangaea Castle]

The five elderly men sat in their usual line-up. Each had a perpetual frown etched on their weathered face.

"The Black Arm was disarmed, how absurd!" Shepherd Ju Peter roared out.

*Shing* V. Nusjuro unsheathed his blade and reflected a dangerous light to announce his anger.

"After the fall of two Overlords, the last thing we need is for one of our top pieces to be so publicly beaten!"

Topman Warcury was just as furious: "That fool Zephyr, he should know what kind of a position he put us in!"

"On top of that, it seems Cipher Pol has failed again and again in their intel-gathering, to think the evil bud had sprouted to such a chaotic level under our noses," Marcus Mars chimed in.

.

The Five Elders were angry as usual, this time, however, things only got worse.

Boom!

The door to the room soon burst open and a Rear Admiral rushed in with a panicked expression.

"Lord Five Elders!"

Saint Saturn glared at the intrusion, though gestured to him to speak.

The marine gulped before delivering the news: "I-It's the World News Agency… they already published the news, hailing it as the Amethyst Kingdom Crisis!" 

"What!? How could that happen!"

The Rear Admiral felt his life getting snuffed out from the anger concentrated upon him. He almost cried out but had to force himself to continue.

"T-The report not only covered the defeat of Vice Admiral Zephyr but even the massacre of the Royals, alongside the deaths of the five Reverie Members!"

"!!!"

The veins popped all over V. Nusjuro's face, defining his wrinkles even further.

 "Whatever the price, recall the news immediately! The Government cannot take such a hit to its reputation at such a hazardous time!"

The poor marine felt suffocated, the final part of the news was not entirely any better. "W-We've tried but the Agency has already overruled our connections and printed the papers before we could react!"

.

"...World News Agency. The dog we raised has bit its master's hand! What is CP-10 doing!"

Ju Peter then sighed a dangerous exhale. "Those Four Directors were given so many privileges," he scoffed.

"To think they pulled such a move now, they must know the Reverie is to happen in a few months and yet the death of five such members was delivered so boldly."

Warcury also gave his input, "We must reassess both the Marines and Cipher Pol; Xerxes better have an answer for this."

He then leaned back into his chair, thinking of a solution.

"Hasn't Tensai at G-2 made good progress with Seastone? Let him craft a new arm; Zephyr must correct his failure with adequate performance!"

By the time the meeting wrapped up, the sole marine almost pissed his pants. He ran out to deliver every order received, naturally one connected to the topic of pirate bounties!

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[Paradise Sea, Grand Line]

"Is this the island you wanted to swing by?" Aurora's soft voice questioned.

She glanced at Damien who was going over Life Return.

*Clank* The manual rolled up with a dull clinch as Damien shifted his attention to the gloomy island.

"This is it, Yozora Island."

…

The two made their way on the dark soil, under the night sky that seemed infinite and endless.

Aurora felt at home, such a perfect night sky was truly enchanting to her considering her powers.

Damien led her into the island and through the widely spread vegetation that had long adapted to the darkness.

"It's me, Vlad-san," the Sin Incarnate announced himself.

Aurora paused, she looked around and didn't see anyone.

"!!!" She suddenly felt a shadow fall beside her, forcing her to react and jump back into a battle position.

Damien waved at her to calm down, while he smirked at the dark shadow before him.

"Young man, your senses have grown sharp."

The man wore a dull attire, though under all that gloomy nature were two brilliant and hawk-like eyes.

The sharp gaze then traced across the field and onto the alert young girl. "It's good to be ready to fight at any moment," Vlad complimented. 

He then eyed the mystical energy swarming Aurora's hands and calmly responded, "A dangerous power; do put it away, I won't harm you."

…

"Damien-kun, what a lovely surprise," Mina said while clapping her hands in delight.

They had made it into the dull castle that was as barren as before. Lit up by the green candles and occasional flash of lightning in the distance.

Damien smiled at the bright woman, "It's nice to see you, Mina-san."

Mina was exhilarated by their arrival, the gloomy island was a little out of character to be such a bright woman's home.

The woman beamed a smile. "And who's this beautiful little friend of yours?"

"My name is Aurora," came a concise reply from the purple-haired girl.

.

"Hawk-chan, aren't you gonna say hello too?"

Damien too felt the curious gaze from afar.

A small pair of eyes watched from the dark hallways as if trying to study the intruders. They were wary at first, then shaken with some distant excitement.

Damien watched as the small figure ran out and in front of him. Standing a little over three feet in height, Mihawk was now two and a half years old.

His thoughts were far too much from his immature face, an odd contrast.

The pirate crouched down to meet the boy's line of sight and greeted him, "Yo, Mihawk. Been a while."

The hawk-eyed boy shared the enthusiasm but was unable to fully display it. Perhaps the loneliness since the day of his birth made him quite reserved.

He just nodded with an audible hum, which was quite evidently joyful.

But his eyes soon fell onto the young woman at Damin's side. A mix of intrigue and curiosity laced within his sharp eyes.

The girl lightly smiled at the reticent boy. The contrast of the sharp gaze and childish face made for a funny combination.

"Mihawk, don't treat our guests as threats!" Mina scolded from the side.

The middle-aged woman then turned toward Aurora and pulled her into a girl talk, pushing the child to the side.

.

Meanwhile, a conversation took place at the sidelines, one between the two men in the lounge.

"Vlad-san looks like you've stepped up his training," Damien commented.

The one-armed swordsman leaked a thin smile of pride. "Mihawk has talent far beyond anything I've ever seen."

He then gestured to the hedge maze outside the glass panes, "He's been following your exploits over the past years, it seems his drive has reached new heights. Perhaps Yoru may finally get a worthy wielder."

Damien followed the older man's line of sight and eventually fell on the beautiful blade carved deep into the stone outside.

The silver blade with its magnificent design was a true wonder of a weapon. "One of the Twelve Supreme Grade Swords," Damien thought out loud.

He then looked at the boy who had seated himself on the couch facing the hedge maze, quietly listening to their talk.

"It won't be easy to get the sword's approval."

Mihawk nodded at the impossible task, balling up his little hands with fiery eyes.

Damien paused for a second, then reached into his newly reformed regal attire.

Under the curious eyes of the two other males, he pulled out a weapon.

"You can't go straight to Yoru anyways," the pirate explained. "This is Kagekiri of the Twenty-One Great Grade Swords."

Damien held it in front of the aspiring swordsman, "The Navy was kind enough to let me take it from them; consider it a late birthday present."

He unsheathed it with a sharp hum.

The sword had a black sheath with a white middle area printed with a drawing of a dragon on it. A traditional katana shape with a simple yet sleek handle and grip. The blade itself was your usual wave-like design, though sharp enough to cut most things with ease.

[Kagekiri Image (in Discord)]

.

Mihawk stood up from his seat and slowly reached out before grabbing the blade from Damien's hands.

*Hum* A slight vibration echoed from the blade, running down the child's hand.

Though the weapon was for an average-sized man with a heavier-than-average weight, Mihawk was easily able to hold it.

"..." The boy held onto the weapon with brilliant eyes.

Vlad did not interrupt the gift, instead, he encouraged Mihawk to try it out.

Meanwhile, Damien raised one finger and gestured to the boy. Something the aspiring swordsman picked up on immediately.

His tiny body jumped to the side and held the famed blade in both hands, under a one-sword style pose.

Damien suddenly moved his left index finger to the side, across his right shoulder while Mihawk burst out with his newfound blade in hand.

*Vvooo!* The air shivered from the impressive speed.

Clang!

Oddly enough, the blade crashed exactly where Damien had moved his finger. The resulting impact sounded like a rock hitting a metal wall.

'His skin is so thick!' the young attacker exclaimed in his mind, right before hearing a few complimentary words from the side.

"For your age, you really are impressive, Mihawk."

The child clicked his tongue and clanked the weapon back into its cover, somewhat annoyed by the weak attack.

Damien almost laughed out loud at the boy's attitude. Perhaps he did not know the average two-year-old would still be learning how to count while he was swinging a famed sword with ease.

.

Vlad, on the other hand, sucked in a cold breath. "You can already read the future?"

"Well, I picked up a few things or two in the past few years," came the reply.

Such a casual comment left Vlad with an urge to sit down, his surprise exhaled with a sigh.

"Okay, okay. That's enough of that," Mina intervened, breaking away from Aurora. "Why don't you both join us for a meal?"

She then reached out to grab the assassin by the hand, "Your arm looks all bruised up, come on, food always makes things right!"

…

The gathering of five ensued at the long table fit to seat twenty people.

Damien was surprised at how clean the castle was, after all, it seemed only Mina was responsible for it, considering the one-armed Vlad.

They ate their fill and it was nearing the time for the pirate and assassin duo to take their leave. However, it was not before the young figure of Mihawk ran in from the side, his hands clutching a newspaper.

"It's about you," the boy waved a wanted poster. "They upped your bounty!"

To Be Continued…

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Author's Corner.

The Reverie is coming up in a few months. Taking a hit to their reputation and losing a Marine Base is a huge deal!

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