The Voice Of All Things

5 Months Later

Inside the Simoni Family's training center Ulrick was pushing his body to the limit. Dozens of people surrounded him armed with all sorts of weapons. Ulrick was blindfolded, but not blind he could see everyone and everything around him clearer than his eyes ever could. With his observation haki, nothing escaped Ulrick's senses. Not even the beads of sweat dripping off the tip of his sword. The people around him were cautious they had sparred with Ulrick since the beginning and knew how dangerous his attacks could be.

With one swing two people on opposite sides of the room were cut down and fell over. With graceful footwork, Ulrick slipped through a group of elite combatants from the Simoni Family and struck them all down as fast as the wind. His blade cut through their clothes, passed over their necks, but only nicked their flesh. Ulrick's moves were fast, efficient, deadly, and at times wild, but through it, all without falt Ulrick displayed extreme control.

Because of the tutelage from Rico and Zandry, Ulrick learned haki as well as the method on how to slice through steel including a few more things. Needless to say, they were both shocked by Ulrick's terrifying display of talent and growth speed. Since he had comprehended these things in an unheard of amount of time. Ulrick would have liked to have contributed his accomplishments only to them, but that wasn't true In truth Ulrick had three teachers. It was during the early stages of Ulrick's observation haki training when Ulrick discovered him/It a man in the wall.

It was just a sound at first and it still is just a consistent tapping that feels like nails on a chalkboard inside of Ulrick's brain. No one else could hear it except for him. At first, Ulrick thought that the sound was something trying to escape or be let in. That is when he listened closer and realized that the taps had meaning a meaning that only he could decipher. It showed him the error of his ways and corrected his useless struggle with a form of energy lower than itself.

It was at this point Ulrick realized the identity of this sound struggling to whisper into his ear. It was the very same thing that coursed through his body. It was the void a mysterious realm of extradimensional space, where the laws of physics hold little sway. But Ulrick also knew that the man in the wall could also be a being that exists inside the void. Its purpose is just as much a mystery as its existence. So, as for why this thing reached out to Ulrick even he wasn't 100% sure. From what he knew of the void entity also known as the indifference it meant no physical harm, but it has been known to drive people to madness.

A weak mind, but a strong body when you think of it like that the voids purpose is clear. Yet, despite knowing the danger Ulrick didn't shy away from the voids lessons. He knew such a thing was pointless because he was apart of the void and the void was apart of him. Running from this truth will gain him nothing, so Ulrick sought to understand this power rather than fear it.

Multiple translucent arcs flashed in the air splitting steel and deflecting bullets. The world moved at a snail's pace as Ulrick used void energy to enhance his thinking, sense, and reaction speed. Ulrick's mind wasn't focused on these insignificant things thought. He focused on the vibrations of the sword and how it spoke to him. He let the swords will guide his actions as more people were forcibly knocked down. As this was happening a dark-blue wind blade flew straight towards Ulrick threatening to cut him down vertically.

Ulrick was unfazed by this sudden attack. His sword radiated a red murderous aura before it was clad in an even darker aura. Facing down this attack Ulrick stood firm and unleashed a flying blade of his own. The two attacks clashed with each other kicking up an out gust of wind before both attacks canceled each other out. Ulrick looked at Zandry who unleashed that attack with emotionless eyes and cold murderous intent while she did the same.

Their exchange of looks lasted for a few moments before Zandry said, "You are truly some kind of other worldy genius. Your a skilled craftsman, skilled fighter in various weapons and martial arts, and you've reached an advanced level of haki in just a few months while others take years. You're so talented it's honestly a bit sickening".

Zandry groaned to herself as she sheathed her blade. Ulrick laughed at that statement as he replied, "don't chalk all my achievements up to mere talent I worked my as off for everything that I achieved. You've seen how much work I put in I nearly died from starvation just to learn haki".

"You shouldn't have pushed yourself that far. You could have at least drank water or taken a nibble of something to sustain yourself. Do you have any idea how much trouble we would be in if something happened to you"?

Ulrick shrugged off Zandry's words and said, "relax I knew what I was doing besides how could I live with myself if I took the bitch way out and cheated like that. I may not show it all that much, but I do have a sense of honor, well kind of".

"That's still no excuse your health and safety are both a top priority for us".

"Ya, ya whatever now tell me did my order arrive".

Zandry was a bit annoyed by Ulrick, but she got over it because she's gotten use to him already. "Ya, The Rokushiki techniques purchased arrive last night. I still can't believe you spent a billion berry to buy all six".

"Well I still can't believe most people are too stupid to utilize the black market to its fullest. Everyone always goes to the navy to learn these things why don't they just buy it like I did".

"DID YOU NOT JUST HEAR ME SAY A BILLION BERRY. NOT EVERYONE HAS THAT MUCH MONEY TO THROW AROUND LIKE YOU".

Zandry's face morphed into the face of a demon as she snapped at Ulrick.

"Ahh, so scary. I was just kidding you don't have to get all serious".

The weapons factory finished constructing about 3 and a half months ago because of King Nathaniel's support construction finished faster than expected. In these recent months, Alexander contacted and made a deal with one of the rulers in the underworld trade Madam Web. In exchange for 15%, she will act as the seller, promoter, and distributer. On the first sale, their product made a total of 7 billion berries ($70 million dollars U.S). Even after everything was distributed Ulrick still earned over 2 billion berries or more specifically ($ 21,271,250 U.S). With Ulrick's purchase of the Rokushiki techniques and the full down payment from Alexander while including his previous assets Ulrick now has under 1.1 billion ($ 10,732,250).

Those numbers were impressive, but Ulrick wasn't fooled by them. That amount can satisfy his needs for now, but can't even come close to achieving the dream Ulrick had envisioned. Ulrick needed more so much more because Ulrick didn't just want to rule an island and be called a king, nor did he want to rule multiple and be known as an emperor, or rule from up high and be feared as a god. This world had enough kings, emperors, and gods, but it didn't have an overlord.

It was madness simply madness to think that you can rule even higher than Im who sits on the empty throne. People would think Ulrick was crazy if they knew what he was thinking, but they would then cackle alongside him once they succumbed to the allure of the idea. Ulrick wasn't actually foolish though he had a few feasible plans to actually accomplish his idea without running headfirst into danger and only mostly relying on luck to get him out like a certain famous idiot with a straw hat. Ulrick had laid out his plan in detail and had made arrangements to accomplish them.

Using the Simoni Family's connections Ulrick uncovered the locations of many Devil Fruit users, potential crew members, and gathered a deeper understanding about the world that the anime didn't show. During this Ulrick also unearthed the effect his presence has had on the world.

In the Oykot Kingdom, a large number of the refugees that escaped Don Krieg's wrath are being killed by the king in secret. In Nathaniel's defense, he wasn't the one that started the problem. From various sources that witnessed what happened, it was the refugees that started everything. For no reason at all gradually lost their sense of reason, gave in to their emotions, and started attacking everybody.

Ulrick was weirded out by this at first until he realized it was probably most definitely his fault this was happening. Overexposure to void energy makes adults go crazy and since Ulrick lost control in that town he draped the entire town in it making anyone who spent too much time there a potential nut case. But the problem doesn't stop there because he also accidentally made Don Krieg a lot more dangerous. So, dangerous that the navy gave him a new bounty of 40 million.

That's because recently the Krieg pirates have been taking a liking to flying bloody red. Which is a red flag that is feared and seen as an omen on the sees because it means no quarter will be given. If you encounter someone with that flag it is a fight to the death and Don Krieg has kept true to its meaning by burning and kill his way through the east blue. Ulrick knew this was also his fault because while Don Krieg was bad he wasn't this bad.

After seeing these things Ulrick made a firm discussion to set out and kill Don Krieg himself. Not out of a sense of justice but because Don Krieg was going to fuck up cannon and make his future knowledge potential useless. In recent months Don Krieg's infamy has attracted a lot of low lives to his side so many in fact that he has almost achieved a massive fleet of 5,000 pirates. A number that he shouldn't have achieved if it wasn't for Ulrick's interference.

If that wasn't a problem enough the Kriegs Pirates have been doing mass recruitment all over the east blue on every island because they're trying to bolster their forces before they set off to the grand line. The more Ulrick goes on about that man the more he gets pissed off because he's ruining everything. Though this was bad there were two silver linings in this because now Ulrick has a target to fully test out the full capabilities of his warframe that he finished building a month ago. This gives Ulrick the chance to recruit one of his most favorite characters in the show a forgotten legend with endless potential.