[74] The Old World
[2395 words]
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[Flower Capital, Wano]
Four months had passed since the awe-inspiring birth of a new Supreme Weapon. Damien and Toki had been in the country of Samurai for seven months now.
Clang! Bang!
Metal slammed into metal as the shrieking noise bellowed out.
A sharp katana slashed onto the clawed edge of Ryushi, evoking a thundering explosion. The ground trembled under the collision as the Haki collided.
BOOM!
A short shadow flew across the area, landing on his feet.
"Pah! Growing old is annoying!"
The senior samurai twirled his treasured sword and shuttled through the air, slashing his weapon into the massive shadow of his opponent.
Boom!
The metal clashed once more, sending out waves of wind that swept up the nearby loose terrain; the already damaged land was further hurt.
Raizen's eyes sharpened as he saw his halted blade.
He used his tiny frame to jump around, using the dust and loose materials to create openings to drive his weapon forth.
The man was beyond impressive: jumping and spinning in the air, displaying the agility of a person many decades younger!
Clang!
Damien slashed down the weapon with his left hand and was deflected. Using the momentum behind the parry, he let go of the handle, grabbed it with his open right hand in a reverse grip and stabbed forth.
The old enemy saw it coming and used the very tip of his blade to essentially bounce off the pincered edge of Ryushi, effectively using it as a boost to lunge ahead.
*Shhhh!* The air howled under the shaped katana that was all but inches from its adversary's throat.
Yet there was no collision.
"!!!" Raizen's eyes widened as he felt Damien disappear and reappear above, swinging the mighty weapon down.
BOOM!
The clawed edge of the blade acted like a hammer, crashing onto the floor and sending out spanning ravines and torn lands under its weight.
"You're awfully fast yourself," the pirate muttered, noticing that his enemy had flickered to the distance.
"Your power is well beyond me even with your observation senses turned off," the old man muttered. "Try this strike!"
Raizen jumped into the air as petals of Ryuo shuttled down from his arms and into his blade in a blue bubble.
.
"Old Man One-Sword Style: Crescent Moon Senior Slash!"
.
The geezer brought down the blade onto his opponent with everything he could muster. What met him was the odd-shaped weapon's body that resembled that of a great sword, working in defense.
BOOM!
The Ryuo failed to do anything significant, falling apart against the integrity of the opponent's weapon.
Raizen grunted, clicking his tongue from the failure.
"Haaah, I'm tired," he murmured, sheathing his katana in acceptance of his failure.
"Rahaha! You're a lively old man, Raizen-sensei. That Ryuo of yours blocks my ability to change Ryushi's shape mid-battle."
The dust cleared as the towering body of the young opponent was unveiled.
Damien twirled Ryushi, leaving crimson arcs in the air.
*Fwooo* The blade howled as it was shattered into pieces, soon reforming around Damien's finger as a ring.
.
"You've mastered that weapon beyond what I can teach, I'm afraid any further mastery will come from true combats with your life on the line."
Damien nodded as he traced a finger over the red ring.
"This should mark my time to leave Wano, old man, thank you for everything," he said with some nostalgia over the past months.
Raizen smiled, his wrinkly face looking at Damien as a grandpa.
"I'm glad to have trained a user of a Supreme Blade, I hope you can show the world its might!"
Damien smirked, nodded, and left after bidding farewell.
…
'I've mastered Emission Haki to quite a high level, but it leaves another power to be desired,' Damien thought.
He was naturally talking about the Infusion of Conqueror's Haki!
Something only the very top of the top could ever use.
"Unfortunately Conqueror's Haki can't be trained by my usual methods, I'll need to grasp the power under another Supreme King," he muttered.
"I died a little too early but I'm sure with Kaido as his teacher, Luffy would have learned it well."
Damien recalled the feeling of Ryuo.
Emission was the gentle flow of Armament Haki, while Infusion was raging rapids of Conqueror's Haki; opposite in nature.
…
[Shogun's Estate]
"Toki, you're here too," Damien said as he sat next to the green-haired girl sitting before the Shogun.
She just beamed a gentle smile at him, the distance between them had grown very close.
Across the couple was Sukiyaki, playing with his mustache and slowly nodding. "Hmm, reminds me of my time with my late wife, how youthful," he murmured.
However, his expression turned somewhat sour, "The maids and guards during the night have told me of many dull cries they hear through the wooden boards, it can't truly be ghosts... I hope your rest hasn't been too disrupted."
Damien nodded, "Our room is further away but perhaps you should exorcize the estate before it gets out of hand."
Toki poked Damien with her elbow, maintaining her smile while trying to hide her burning face.
Sukiyaki broke out into a hearty laugh.
"So you have come to bid farewell? All of Wano will miss both of your presences," Sukiyaki said with some regret.
"After all, we owe you quite a lot."
Sukiyaki then unfurled a scroll, giving a summary, "News came from Kuri, it seems that troublesome boy, Oden, actually did as he said. He transformed the war-waged Kuri into a fully-fledged region!"
His face was covered with a wide smile, evidently quite glad.
"You seem very proud of him, Sukiyaki-san," Toki said as she heard the news.
The Shogun coughed, clearing his expression, returning to that of an esteemed noble.
"He even reached out to the other Daimyos, I suppose the boy has woken up from his foolish desire to run out of Wano."
Damien thought it was funny that Oden was probably hastening everything so that he could leave Wano soon.
Sukiyaki raised his hands into the air and exclaimed, "I've granted him the title of Kuri's Daimyo! I sincerely hope that boy can come around to become the next Shogun!"
.
The proud father then looked down and expressed his thanks in a way Damien approved.
He took out a small box containing some goodies and presented them.
"I wasn't sure how to thank you for all your help, but I hope this is at least the first toward repaying our debt to you."
He took out a bright red apple with yellow swirls and placed it on the table.
"I have heard of your sorcery coming from these fruits, my Ninja found this some months back, I hope this can come in use to you."
Damien raised an eyebrow at the sight of the Devil Fruit.
He inspected it and recalled the ability from his past studies, "Human-Human Fruit – Mythical Model: Adam."
Toki tilted her head in confusion, "Like the first man in the stories?"
"That's right," Damien answered, "the fruit can bring its user to their greatest potential: sharpening their instincts, bodily systems, and overall learning capabilities. If anything, it can turn a worthless man into an alpha male."
Damien nodded to the Shogun, "I accept your gift."
Sukiyaki twirled his beard with a smile, "Very good! Aside from that, I hear the young Amatsuki heir is quite interested in Wano's history, so I have something that may interest you as well."
He then stood up and began walking to the corridor, gesturing for them both to follow.
…
"I didn't know this area existed," Damien murmured as he arrived at the basement of the castle.
Toki nodded while examining the area.
"It's only natural, this area is strictly for those of the Kozuki Clan."
Sukiyaki said as the three were introduced to the large room made with brick walls.
A single pillar stood at the side, bearing most of the weight.
Toki walked over to a stand and admired the things on top of it.
"These are Kokeshi Dolls! You have quite the collection," she said while looking at the human-faced totems.
Sukiyaki smiled proudly, "It is a secret hobby of mine, these majestic dolls hide a lot of our history."
[Image (in Discord)]
Damien, however, was entranced by another object.
A giant blue cube, naturally, a Poneglyph!
Sukiyaki turned to the side and seemed quite shocked, "Can you read the text?"
"I can't read it," Damien replied, still glaring at the stele. "But I can hear it."
The Shogun blinked and recalled a thought, "Is it the Voice of the Universe?"
"Partly. The Voice of the Poneglyph comes from the one who carved in the message. I'm quite attuned with nature, allowing me to hear the contents even more vividly than other users of the same power."
[Image of the Area (in Discord)]
"..."
Toki and Sukiyaki waited as Damien spanned his hearing, taking in the voice.
"What is it, Damien-san?" Toki asked with some curiosity as she saw the pirate's frown.
Damien turned to the Shogun with a questioning look.
"Sukiyaki, this records the past of Wano. The Old Wano. Alongside the terrifying weapon hidden away under this very castle."
The Samurai slowly nodded.
"Well, I was going to read you the Poneglyph anyways so it is alright for you to know."
He then looked at both of them and explained.
"You see, more than seven and a half centuries ago, Wano was quite different. I don't know much, but I know that our land was near sea level; near the bottom of the very falls you climbed up to reach here."
Damien's eyes widened as he heard the news.
Sukiyaki did not stop, rather he opened up a small hatch in the ground, revealing a staircase.
"The Kozuki Clan were the ones who carved those stones in the Void Century. Since you can hear their voices, it isn't wrong to show you the entire truth that I am aware of."
He then walked down the mouldy staircase, the other two following behind once more.
…
"Here it is, the other stone of Wano."
Damien sighed as he looked at the familiar cube.
"This one is red?" Toki said with some curiosity.
[Image (in Discord)]
"A Road Poneglyph," Damien muttered.
Meanwhile, the Shogun spoke up, "I'm aware that you are aiding Oden so that he can one day aid you. I believe it won't be a mistake to reveal it all to you."
He then looked at the giant stone and continued.
"For whatever reason, Wano was eventually wholly encased in towering walls in the Void Century; the Old Wano remains intact as the rainwater created the sea surrounding today's Wano. I know not why, but these walls are also what hide the very weapon you brought up."
"The Ancient Weapon—Pluton!"
A tense atmosphere suddenly arrived, one born from the older man's many years of combat experience. The once giddy Sukiyaki turned dignified, meeting the bold pirate's eyes with great speculation, "Do you wish for it, the weapon of mass destruction?"
Damien smirked at the Shogun and shook his head.
"The Void Century is full of unexplained truths. If Pluton was locked behind Wano's walls, it wouldn't be easy to bring out. Beyond that, even if I got the weapon, I don't have the power to keep it."
Sukiyaki nodded with a sigh of relief.
"Indeed, to remove Pluton would come at the cost of our walls, shredding our greatest defenses against the outside world. To unleash an Ancient Weapon is akin to starting a world war."
Damien tapped on the red stone, "I'm going to keep a copy of the Road Poneglyph."
The Shogun nodded, "Of course."
...
Damien pocketed a folded piece of paper, content with the day's discovery.
The three of them made their way back to the main office, seating themselves down.
"I have readied the first batch of Seastone for you, Damien-dono," the man stated. "It will be ready for you when you leave."
The pirate returned a nod.
"Sukiyaki, if possible, I would like to begin a channel to export the ore."
The Shogun seemed interested, though also wary, "If it is as much of a treasure as you state, I fear it may attract unsettling attention."
Damien waved his hand, "Don't worry, it will be a secure channel."
"You see, I have a certain connection to the Underworld. I guarantee that the buyers will remain oblivious to the source of the goods."
"Though Wano is self-sufficient, I'm sure there are many things in the outside world that can further help you develop both your economy and defenses."
Toki, who was quietly listening, connected the dots as the figure of a young assassin came to mind.
Sukiyaki slowly nodded, "In that case, I'm sure we can reach an agreement. Do contact me with one of those magical snails you talked about."
Damien nodded, leaving with Toki for the time being.
…
[Later that Night]
The two had returned to their room as night fell.
"So we leave tomorrow?" Toki's soft voice questioned.
"Yeah, it's about time." He then smiled at the girl, "Are you going to be homesick?"
Toki shook her head and reached for Damien's hand.
"I'm ready to go with you, Damien-san. I'll be by your side."
Damien took the green-haired girl into his arms as the familiar night dusked the horizon.
"You know, Aurora said something similar to me a while back, I didn't know how to accept it then, but I do now."
Toki leaned into Damien's chest, embracing the warmth.
"Hmm, Aurora-san deserves happiness too, I'm sure she can find it with you."
Damien was a little surprised by her comments, "You know, most girls would be against the idea of sharing their partner."
Toki looked up, her bright eyes smiling at her lover.
"I was raised in the ancient traditions of Wano, it wasn't odd to see a man with multiple spouses." Though her face warped into slight unease, "Well, there is a limit to it."
Damien heard the sharp tone in her voice and returned a wry smile, "Don't worry, I don't have any plans to go picking up every girl around the block."
He kissed her forehead to reassure her as the darkness crept in from the open windows, a quiet night fell and surely tomorrow would be eventful.
To Be Continued…
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Author's Corner.
Wrapping up Wano with Ryuo, Ryushi, Road Poneglyph reading, knowledge on Pluton, and seastone trade in tow.
Images are available on Discord alongside other niche details: https://discord.gg/aJHHHPvb6q