Sins that follow through life and death

As I stood atop the ocean, I employed my Haki to the fullest. At the depths, thousands of meters from the sea surface, there it lays. The hegemon, the absolute ruler of the sea, the Sea King. I can sense it, and it can sense me.

We both stood our ground, observing the other. I was treating him as a natural force of nature, and him treating me like an insect. I smiled.

'I have an idea! It is a crazy and suicidal idea, and the probability of it working is minuscule. But if it works, my strength will rise exponentially! Call me crazy, but in life, who can say that he is sane?'

I ran back to the island. Reaching there, I stretched my Haki fully, covering the entire island. The reason my Haki can have such a massive range is that since I figured how to imbue Haki to the water, I've worked on that. I can now use the water and air particles as a medium to my Kenbunshoku Haki, largely increasing its effectiveness.

Despite that, I'm still working on using Busoshoku and Haoshoku in air particles. That requires more in-depth research, and I'm still discovering the differences between air particles in my old world and this one.

Receiving the response from my Haki, I ran towards a cave, where inside was a family of bears. The mother growled at me, so I knocked it out. Grabbing its paw, I run back to the ocean and threw it down. Manipulating the water, I had it covering the entire bear.

My water manipulation wasn't strong enough to bring the bear all the way down, so I did a clever trick instead. I use pressurized water to send the bear down like a bullet until it was a few hundreds meter down. I waited with my Haki still activated.

I stood there for a few minutes, then it moved. I could sense a tentacle taking the bear down to unknown depths. I grinned.

'Eat. Eat all you want. I will feed you until you are satisfied.'

A few days have passed since I started feeding the Sea King. I have only one and a half months left to train before I need to regroup with the marines. By now, half of the animals on the island is missing, and the natives weren't happy as their food was disappearing. So I needed to find another source of food.

The giant birds were my first option but any attempt of mine to drag them towards the ocean is met with failure. They seem to be afraid of what lays there. I couldn't just kill one in its nest and drag it over, as I would be overwhelmed by them.

While thinking upon a solution, I ended up receiving a fax message in my Den Den Mushi. More pirates. They are not that close, but I could certainly catch up to them with my speed. I coldly smiled.

'Well, well, well... looks who's knocking over my door.'

Somewhere in the sea, a pirate ship can be seen slowly cruising the waters. It was a dark and misty night, and one could anything surrounding the ship. laughter and sea songs could be heard coming from the ship, in contrast to the depressing atmosphere surrounding it. In the mast, a black flag was hung, with the image of a white skeleton with a woman's hair, and a voodoo doll behind the skeleton.

"blurp. Gad damn. This booze hit like a train." Said a pirate as he stumbled out from the crew quarters. Outside, only a silver-haired man could be seen, seated atop a barrel and smoking from a pipe. The pirate went up to him in shaky steps.

"Heeey, Martyyy. Whatcha doin' out here? Come on, let's... burp... drink buddy." The pirate set his arm over the man's shoulder. "Sing with me... Yo ho ho and a bottle of..." The man, irritated, threw the drunk pirate to the side.

"Ooooi, that huuurt you bastard. Come'ere, let this big pirate teach... blurp... teach ya a lesson." The pirate tried to get up, but he was so drunk that he fell again.

"Tsk. Useless."

The pirate was finally able to stand up by using the railing of the side of the ship as support. Sick, he turned to the sea and vomited.

"Oh... Uh?"

He saw the mist coming from the side of the ship parting ways as if a big hand is separating it. Squinting his eyes, he was able to see a shadowy figure approaching. It was walking on the sea.

"Uh... Uh... hey Marty..."

"Don't bother me, you useless drunkard."

"Ghost... there's... there's a ghost."

"Huh? What bullshit are you spouting now? Did you hit your head?" He walked over and looked in the direction the pirate was pointing at. "What in-" He saw a man walking slowly towards the ship. Just as he looked down and tried to see in more detail, the approaching man disappeared.

"Hmmm. Thirty-two pirates on board, including the captain. It might be enough for two weeks if I use two per day." A voice came from behind the two pirates.

Turning around, both were scared shitless as the man who was at the sea moments ago just appeared behind them. It was a teenager even smaller than them, but his whole presence was powerful. Taking the saber out of his waist, the silver-haired man shakily pointed towards the intruder. Meanwhile, the drunkard sobered up instantly and ran towards the crew quarters. "Enemy! Enemy! Captain, there's an enemy in the ship!"

The boy turned around to face the one with a saber. He had only a single eye, as the other was apparently destroyed by an attack, assumed from the scar on the left side of his face. A terrifying wound snaked its way from his neck towards his chest. The boy smiled slightly.

"Ah. The natural survival instinct of every animal. Even with all your cells screaming to get as far away as possible, you just can't resist that slight thought. That maybe you can win, maybe I'm not as terrifying as you imagined. Maybe this is just an illusion playing tricks on your mind." His remaining eye gained a demonic glint.

"Try it. Strike me down." He opened his arms. "I'm giving you a chance. You can end this now."

The pirate started to sweat profusely. Multiple emotions surfaced on his face, but the most prevalent was fear. He could feel it. The aura of death coming from the man. If he does not do what he says, he will die.

His pupil dilated as he was trembling all over his body. Something got stuck in his throat, and he couldn't breathe. He gripped the saber ever more tightly. Seconds passed, but it feels as if it was hours.

'I can end this! I'm a pirate! I don't have fear! I don't have fear! I DON'T HAVE FEAR!'

With a crazed expression, the pirate gave a shrill cry and cleaved down towards the man's neck. Blade met flesh, and blood splattered. The pirate saw a head rolling and the body falling. The euphoria of having killed such a strong opponent hit him like a wave.

'I did it! I killed him! I'm strong! The strongest! I'm-'

Or so he thought. The blade was stopped by a thin black line that appeared on the teenagers' body, exactly where the saber struck.

"So this is it? The full-strength blow of the second strongest in this ship only amount for this? I now see where I stand in this world. Weaklings like you, are no longer worthy."

The pirate despaired. Suddenly, pirates started swarming the deck, swords and sabers in hand. From amidst them, a woman appeared. She was beautiful, with dark skin and golden hair. She was wearing a black dress, with a black feather coat and a black hat with a big feather as decoration. A tattoo covered half her face.

"And who might you be, boy?" She asked angrily.

"The 'Black Witch' Barbara. Bounty of 62.000.000 berries. A user of a devil fruit that has the power to 'curse' anyone you touch. I wonder how it works? What is this so-called curse?" He said instead of answering.

"I asked you a question. A question that will determine whether you live or die. Now, tell me, boy. Who are you?"

He smiled. "I'm Nero. A marine."

She analyzed him and matched his pants with those worn by the marine. They matched. Her eyes turned cold.

"Kill him, boys." The pirates started approaching.

"Kneel."

An invisible force struck the pirates, making them tremble. They subconsciously dropped to both their knees. All but the first pirate who was still fear-stricken besides the boy. Even the captain was no exception.

"W-What d-did you do?"

The boy ignored the kneeling pirates and sat down at a barrel, with one leg crossed over the other.

"Oi, you." He addressed the paralyzed pirate.

"M-Me?"

"I respect your spirit. Even under such extreme fear, you were able to overcome it and attack me. Not everyone can do this. So I will give you a chance. Do you know how to navigate the ship?"

"I-I'm the navigator, s-sir."

"Good. Do you know Treasure isle?" The pirate nodded. "Bring this ship there, and I will let you live."

"Are y-you serious?"

"Do you doubt me?"

"N-No! Of course n-not! Do we part r-right now, s-sir?"

"Before we part, I have a little job for you."

"I w-will do anything."

"I hope you will. The job is simple, break every pirate's legs and arms. I don't want anyone to escape."

Everyone paled.

"S-Sir. We can just b-bind them with rope."

"There are too many ways to escape from ropes. But not many from broken limbs. Now do it."

The pirates cried. Many asked for mercy, but the boy was indifferent. The navigator shed a few tears as he walked towards his ex-fellow pirates. Cursing every injustice of life he could think of, he drowned himself in the painful cries of the pirates.

A few hours later, the sun was starting to rise.

We finally reached the island. By this point the pirates are tired of screaming and begging, so they just stood there with listless eyes. But not her. Barbara glared at me throughout the entire journey, and even with the pain of having her arms and legs broken, she did not utter a sound. I have to respect that, she's a strong woman.

"We have reached, sir." Said the silver-haired man who calls himself Marty, the navigator of the ship. He stopped stuttering, that is good.

"Bring them down to the beach." I didn't move from my position.

"Yes." he closed his fists and did as I commanded. The pirates started raining insults upon him.

"You traitor!"

"You shall burn in hell, Marty!"

"I will kill you!"

"Fuck ya mother, Marty!"

He carried them down, one by one. The conflicts on his mind as clear as a mirror in front of me. When he finished, he walked up to me and said with his head lowered.

"I finished sir. Now..."

"You can use the ship." I said bluntly. Standing up, I walked up to the wooden ramp that he set up earlier. Just before going down, I stopped. "Oh, and one more thing." I turned sideways.

"Yes!"

"Don't forget to tell your pirate friends a simple message. The South Blue is mine." And I walked down.

Seeing the ship sailing away, I turned around to the pirates lined up at the sand. They aren't gagged on anything, so if they want to commit suicide is up to them. I only need their bodies.

And the days passed...

"Please... no... no! Let me go! LET ME GO!" Screamed a pirate as tears and snot came out of his face. I dragged him to the middle of the sea and doing the same as I did with the animals of the island, I send him down to the monster.

"Arghhhh... you monster! Arghhhhh... please, please..." Pleaded another pirate as I send him down.

As I walked towards the pirates, some were silently crying. Others were praying to whatever gods they know of. Others are so tired that no tears come out anymore. Only Barbara kept silent all the time. One of them killed himself by biting on his tongue, so I grabbed the body and dragged it to the sea.

"Oh god! Why did you bring such devil on this world?" Prayed a pirate as the water enveloped him.

"You are no marine! You have no justice, no morals! You are worse than the worst of the pirates..." Cursed the pirate as he was chosen next.

"..." No words were spoken. Only the silence of a broken mind ensues as another one was dragged down.

"Such a sin... you are guilty..." Said an older pirate just before he bit on his tongue.

"Haha. Are you even human?" Said one pirate with a crazed expression on his face. No one knows if he was laughing or crying, maybe both.

Returning from the sea, a frown could be seen on my face.

'Only a few more pirates remain, and no sign of movement from the Sea King. Will this really fail? No, I refuse!'

Walking off, just as I was about to pass by the pirates, I heard her voice.

"Not going according to your plan, is it?" Turning around, I looked towards the female captain. She never spoke during this whole time, why now?

"So you have something to say, witch?" Instead of answering, she closed her eyes and seemed to be hearing something in the air.

"Can you hear them?"

"Them?"

"The souls you've wronged. They are speaking, screaming all the injustice you did to them. There are... so many."

I frowned. "What are you speaking about, witch?"

She smiled, then opened her eyes. They were fully black. "I curse thee! Sinful soul, be haunted by the enmity thee did create by thy actions! Let the remnants of the wronged plague the very steps thee taketh! Let the vengeful curse thee through the dark! Let thy sins follow thee through life and death!" After finishing, she started laughing crazily. Her body slowly transforming into ashes.

"What does this-" My heart stopped for a second. The shadows turned darker, and vicious faces appeared inside them.

Old faces. Young faces. Adults. Children. Thousands of faces appeared in the shadows around him, and they kept appearing. But not all were from this world. He started seeing souls from his old world. From Earth. Silent cries echoed in his mind.

'Why?'

'Why didn't you stop?'

'Why did you have to create those?'

'Monster!'

'Devil!'

'Sinner!' 'Sinner!' 'SINNER!'

I stayed quiet and watched as they condemned me. As they hated me. But I didn't care. Ever since I started on this path, I knew I would be hated. That I would be the villain. It's their right to hate me, and I shall accept the hatred.

Then I sensed something and turned to my own shadow. There was a single spirit there. Of a woman. She was wearing a hospital gown, and her head was without any hair. Despite that, she was still beautiful. She was different from the other remnants, as there was no viciousness or hatred in her eyes. Only gentleness. But deep inside that gentleness, is a not so hidden sorrow, and it was directed at Nero.

'...'

'... are you disappointed?'

'... sister.'