[167] Departures and Destinies

An update was made to the first half of Chapter 153, which was misinterpreted by many. The conclusion is the same, but I made things more personal between Basara and Damien.

[3150 words]

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The feast under the moonlit Mortem Island was as wholesome as any place could get, considering the recent chaos spawned by the Sin Incarnate.

Ares, a man of war, had acquainted himself with his son's companions in the only way he knew how—through combat. Now acquainted, he could get to the nitty-gritty under the only way a pirate could—through a banquet!

A cheerful tune rang across the peaceful island, credited to a few Music Dials from Skypiea. The melody was both haunting and triumphant, carrying the weight of past struggles and hard-won peace. Drums pulsed steadily, grounding everyone in the moment. At the same time, flutes and strings added a bright, lilting counterpoint, filling the crowd with warmth and memory. It was a song that spoke of battles survived and bonds reforged, each note a reminder of lives fractured and now mended.

Around the banquet tables, faces glowed in the firelight, eyes reflecting both weariness and relief. Those who had endured the chaos with Damien raised their cups, feeling the pulse of resilience in every beat, while others who kept the island alive in his absence looked on with quiet pride. Tonight, beneath the stars, the music served as a promise—a brief pause from turmoil and a chance to savour this hard-earned peace together.

"So," a slightly drunk Ares began, wiping his lips off the saké. "How did you two meet him?"

The two girls looked at one another before peeking at Damien. All they got in return was a shrug, letting them tell the story in their own way.

Aurora went first, lightly clearing her throat. Not just Ares, but the others—Kuzan, Mihawk, Kraft, Solomon and even Indra—were awfully curious.

"It's nothing out of the ordinary," the young woman rolled her eyes. "It started with me trying to assassinate Damien at Sabaody. I tried slashing his throat open, but his skin was so tough!" Aurora puffed her cheeks, glaring at Damien from the corner of her eyes. "He broke a rib and punctured a lung, too." 

Alas, she couldn't stay annoyed and leaked a thin smile. "But I guess I had it coming from trying to get the bounty on his head. He also helped me put my past to rest."

"Pfff!" Ares spat out his drink, dousing an unsuspecting Kuzan with the liquid. His sole eye fell on the girl looking at Damien with endearment. The son cracked a smile at the nostalgia, back when he was worth an abysmal hundred million. "Oh, the good ole days," he mused. 

.

Toki was also smiling at their closeness. She turned to the speechless Ares and picked up from there.

"Hmm, mine isn't that special either?" she thought to herself, poking her cheek. "Well, it was technically set in motion over seven hundred and fifty years ago…"

As Toki went on, more jaws began to drop. Kuzan, under an alcoholic embrace, knew of Toki's actual age, but it was still baffling to hear. Kraft was the most shaken, being the ordinary man he was.

The girl brightly smiled at the thought of her past. "I was being chased by these grumpy and annoying people wanting to enslave me. I ran into a man with golden hair and eyes who gave me my fruit and a note." She cupped her chin, still unsure of how things came to this point. "...In one of my jumps to the future, I was pulled to this very island where I met Damien-san! He also fulfilled my greatest wish to go to my homeland of Wano!"

"..."

The thought of time travel was as confounding as it would be to people from Damien's previous life.

While Ares was left scratching his head, Damien was recounting how he met Toki.

The note from the previous system user was the same note that carried the second Memory Shard, two of three that he needed to uncover the mystery behind the original user.

"Assassination and time travel, just another Tuesday," he shrugged at the blank stare from his father.

The War God slumped down, his hands covering his face in despair. 'Here I thought my story of meeting Nadia before leaving Marineford in dust was special…' he mumbled to himself.

…

The next few hours went by fast. Ares had begun questioning Mihawk, Kuzan and Solomon.

Whether it was Yozora Island under fire from the Navy, Kuzan being enslaved and then rescued by Damien at Sabaody, ultimately killing four Nobles, or even Solomon's Extinction Valley that granted Endou his devastating power, all left Ares endlessly invested.

…

While the father had switched to telling the others his tales, Damien was conversing with three people.

"It's time to bid farewell to the Fourth Division."

Indra was behind his Commander as they looked at two people who stood out from the crowd. They were at the island's southern edge, near the ports where the Suicidal Rambo stood—it seemed like a goodbye ceremony.

Droga Pablo, the short and unassuming drug-concocting pistol user, breathed out smoke from his cigar. To his right was a young lad with grey skin and hair, wearing a simple robe over his stone-like body—it was a child version of Arai!

"You two are the remnants of the Fourth Division's Fodder," Damien addressed the duo. "Although I regret the deaths of the others, I'm glad that someone will be around to carry their legacy."

"Patrón, we signed up for death that day! I know I speak for my hermanos when I say this," Pablo bopped his chest in pride, "There's nothing to regret!"

The young lad raised a clenched fist by his side while putting on a dangerous scowl to look tough. "Akai remember papa Arai! No regrets!"

Damien chuckled at the 6-foot runt, pumping his fist while a few pebbles dribbled out of his body.

It turned out that the Stone People of North Blue would reproduce through death—their remains would reform into a younger version of themselves! Luckily, the Sin Incarnate was naturally in tune with life from his mother's powers. He sensed the specks of life from the rocks that he had handed to Pablo when they escaped from God Valley.

.

"So, have you decided?" 

The drug maker hesitated. He looked to the man who gave him the fruit that made him valuable and then glanced at Indra, who recruited him. With the faces of his late Fodder coming to mind, he resolved himself to reply, "Patrón. I came into pirating to get money to start up my own pharmacy in East Blue. My Abuela died when we couldn't afford medicine, so I had to find other ways to get money while hoping to one day make it myself!"

Damien nodded. It was the same reason he was told back when the Fourth Division was formed.

"And you, Akai?"

The stone lad blinked, lowering his head in thought. 

"..." He was putting a lot of thought into it but failed to find a reason. Thinking of his 'father' Arai, he remembered being captured by the Government and researched on by the World Government's scientists. It was a long three years of imprisonment under their probes.

Finally, with a hint of maturity odd for his age, Akai gave his answer: "Akai go with uncle Pablo!"

The drugmaker's eyes shot open while his jaw dropped. He looked at the stone boy in surprise.

"Akai is laughing at your face!" the child snickered at the look he got.

He turned to his Commander and nodded with a grin, "Akai protect uncle from bad people! Uncle weak without help."

.

Hearing their decision, Damien snapped his fingers.

*Fwoo!* The air quaked as a giant mountain of gold and jewels was carried out from the Night Realm, gracing the world with brilliance.

With another snap, he applied his Equal Exchange to convert the goodies into pure bars of gold, arranging them in a small heap.

"This is worth…" Damien paused for a moment, seeing Akai's childish glance. "...around two Indras."

Akai began clapping, looking at his Vice-Commander with admiration, to think a swordsman was half the worth of this heap of gold!

While Indra was left speechless from Damien's measuring, Pablo was taken aback. "Patrón… this is too much!"

"Nonsense. The survivors of God Valley can be counted on two hands. It wouldn't be odd for legends of yourself to break the seas one day. Take it. It will give you a nice head start to realize your dream."

Gulping at the absurdity of four billion berries, Pablo slowly nodded. He patted Akai's head, which looked rather odd since he was shorter than the lad. "Okay, Patrón. But if one day you need help, Akai and I will always answer!"

The grey-skinned child nodded twice, giving a thumbs-up.

"Go. The Suicidal Rambo is also yours. I had Aurora fit it with dials for easier navigation. The Sea Kings will guide you to the East Blue safely."

Pablo took Akai's hand, watched his Commander transport the gold onto the vessel, and then took what was most likely his final look at his pirating life.

With a deep breath as he stood at the ship's bow, he exclaimed, "I await the news of when you take the seas by the throat, Patrón! May the tides of this new era be with you!"

"Akai is saying goodbye!" the lad waved, his words jumbled as always.

…

[A few Hours Later]

While the Fourth Division had officially dissolved, the collection of pirates at the hearth was still active.

"My head hurts," a voice droned on.

It was from the silver-haired Kraft, who had pulled down his goggles and turned them to dark mode in order to catch some z's. It would be his first sound sleep since his enslaving decades ago.

He could overhear a conversation between Ares and the others, leaving him to think: 'So many monsters on this island… it really opened my eyes.'

For a commoner locked up indefinitely, being thrown into a crew with a combined bounty of over seven billion berries was a mind-boggling experience. He had unlocked a lot of potential after eating the fruit of Adam. Still, it would take abundant commitment to tap into that very potential.

…

"Oh, that's pretty awesome, blazing through Marineford all alone like that!" Kuzan remarked, conversing with Ares.

"Ruhahaha! Looks like you have some sense after all, kid!" 

"Is Endou really that strong?" a curious voice came from the side. Ares glanced at Solomon, who seemed awfully solemn.

"That's right," he answered with a sharp voice. "Endou's Havoc-Havoc Fruit is considered an 'Extinction Fruit' as he used it to turn dozens of pirate-infested islands into history. It was known for its chaotic nature and ability to impose disorder whence he pleased."

Solomon, who heard the news, was furious. "Extinction Fruit, is it? That bastard destroyed my entire island to get that power. I really want to rip him apart!"

Ares sighed, recalling his past where he was felled. "Endou's chaotic energy could even disrupt the molecular bonds in matter, causing weapons to shatter, ships to break apart, and armour to disintegrate. Then again, he should have waned in power like me."

Solomon shook his head in frustration, bursting with a ghastly Haki. "I need to get stronger before he dies of old age. Endou's gotta pay for the hell he put my people into!"

The sweeping Colour of Supreme Kings shook the island, knocking down the wildlife without mercy. But to Ares, it was a victory: 'Four Conqueror's Haki users in one crew already… looks like they will cause quite the uproar when they sail out, Ruhahaha!'

.

"Ehh?" Ares' boisterous spirit dissolved as he saw Kuzan, who had previously chimed into their conversations, somehow asleep, sitting up, blowing bubbles and murmuring. Every breath he exhaled was attributed to the Ice Fruit, turning his exhalations into a white fog-like substance.

With a quick glance to a nearby area of the island, he saw another young lad, Mihawk, finishing up his nightly training by chopping away at trees for hours now, the same trees that would magically regrow after a few minutes.

Ares rubbed his forehead. "Where did he find these weird kids? I was still playing with sticks and stones when I was their age!"

…

Nearby, another conversation took place.

A green-haired girl sat facing Damien, intensely staring into his eyes.

The bright sparkle of the green pupils with her rare-serious gaze created quite the contrast with her gentle nature.

"Hmm, Damien-san, you feel different," the girl muttered, placing her right hand over the pirate's heart. "Distant, even."

Aurora, who sat to the side, also had a few thoughts. She examined Damien with her gem-like eyes: "Toki is right; your Haki feels darker and colder. Is there something you're not telling us?" she asked worriedly.

A moment of hesitation passed before he opened up, "It turned out that the man I was working under was also the one responsible for my mother's death."

The confession silenced both girls, their breath caught in their throats. Damien's voice was calm but carried an unmistakable bitterness as he continued.

"She told me to live for her if I couldn't live for myself. Those words kept me going, even when it felt like the world had nothing left for me. But when I found out the truth—about Xebec—" His words faltered for a moment, his jaw tightening. "I thought I'd failed her. I thought every step I took as a pirate dishonoured her memory. That I'd been nothing but a pawn in his game."

Aurora leaned forward, her eyes soft with concern. "But you know that's not true, Damien. You've saved so many—look at what you've built here. That's your legacy, not his."

Damien offered a faint smile, the weight on his shoulders easing just slightly. "I've come to terms with it… for the most part. I don't blame myself anymore. Her memory deserves better than that. But at the very least, I can't get his damned face out of my mind." His hand clenched into a fist, veins rising along his forearm, releasing sparks of dark Haki. "That smile of his… like he'd already won."

Toki reached out, her hand still resting lightly over his heart. "Then let us share the weight, Damien-san. You don't have to carry it alone anymore."

He looked into her eyes, then Aurora's, and for the first time in a long while, he let a breath of vulnerability escape. "You're both stronger than I give you credit for. I'm not used to leaning on others... but maybe it's time I start."

Aurora's lips curled into a slight smirk. "It's about time. Besides, we're not letting you take all the glory—or all the pain."

Damien exhaled a quiet laugh, shaking his head. "Guess I'm outnumbered."

He also noticed the corrupted Haki slowly losing its spark. The venomous fangs of Xebec had dug into his soul not long ago, but its lethality was quickly waning.

…

[A While Later]

Midnight had crept into the island's serenity, casting an infinite blanket of darkness. Most of the wildlife had gone to sleep, leaving the forested land quiet.

Nothing but the whistling of the cold breeze or the eventual chirp of a cricket remained.

Two men sat across from one another; the older one sat on the tree stump while the other leaned on a nearby tree.

"So, you want to know about Mors?" the seated man questioned.

The one standing up, Indra, nodded.

Ares hummed, relishing the taste of his saké cup. He gave a quick glance at Indra's body markings, easily connecting them to the shards of his past.

"Well," he began. "I don't know much about his past, but I do know that he hailed from Polemos Island, coming to sea nearly forty years ago."

Ares filled his cup from a barrel of saké before continuing. "Mors kept to himself, trusting no one. The guy had a deep grudge against the World Government. One he made evident by his actions through the next decade or so."

"He was eventually captured by Endou in 1460. I hear that was the same time that Polemos' destruction was confirmed. Cheh, that guy got his entire race wiped out."

*Gurrug* The older man chugged down a whole cup before tossing it aside, opting to pick up the entire alcohol barrel itself.

"You know, unlike Mors, you're not much of a patriot to your people. He would boast his Figures of War, leaving them on endlessly… And I can't blame him. After all, it gave him the same physiology as the Lunarians!"

Indra, by instinct, gazed at the markings over his arm, tracing his hand across the deep, tattoo-like marks. Complicated emotions flashed by his eyes, seemingly lost in thought.

"Zenora Mors embraced the nature of Warborns. I chose against it."

The swordsman matched the senior pirate's gaze and gave a straightforward reply, "Our Figures give birth to rage and fury; such things only lead to tragedy."

Ares gently placed his barrel down—already emptied through some magical drinking technique.

He stood up, standing roughly eye-to-eye with Indra.

An undisguised glare allowed him to harvest everything he needed from the swordsman. "You're right. Those Figures threw Mors into a frenzy every time he used them, getting worse as the years passed. Still, they granted a body as tough as diamonds and a recovery rate on par with monsters."

*Thump* *Thump*

The God of War took a few bold steps ahead, standing arm's length from Indra. "Trust me, had I not sensed your deep loyalty to my kid, I would have killed you the moment I saw those markings on your arm."

Indra matched the war-like Ares with equal depth without hesitation.

"..."

"Ruhahahaha!" the man suddenly laughed out loud.

"I know your people were made to become weapons—a failed experiment. Mors was his greatest enemy, forever a slave to his rage." Ares patted Indra's shoulder, nodding, "I wonder what kind of monster you could become if you can fully harness the power in your blood."

The veteran pirate left, leaving the swordsman with one final piece of advice: "You should share your story with him. Damien can probably help you more than you think."

.

*Fwooo* A chilly wind passed by, echoing through the woods. The cool moonlight reflected off Indra's sharp eyes as he stood tall.

Ares' final words left him in thought. Suddenly, he recalled what Damien had told him over three years ago:

"Welcome to the Fourth Division of the Rocks Pirates, Zenora Indra, you seem to have a story. I look forward to hearing it one day."

Pablo and Akai's departure left only two men of the Fourth Division behind. Technically, Indra was not yet officially under Damien's unnamed crew.

The Warborn's once hazy eyes warped with a decisive spirit as he began walking, tracing a distant and familiar magnetic field. It was time to revisit a past he had buried long ago.

To Be Continued…

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Author's Corner.

The previous chapter was for Ares to get acquainted with the strength of Damien's companions. Now, he also knows who they are and what they value. While the Fourth Division has officially disbanded, only Indra remains to decide his future.

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