Ghosts of the Future

"Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are."

- Arthur Golden 

~-~-~-0-~-~-~

"Damn New World!" Dorian spat, already at the helm of his pirate ship. "SCARLET!" He ordered his navigator who was already ordering the crew. "I thought you said that we're in the clear!"

"We were!" She yelled back, pointing at five of his men to tie a rope. "THIS CAME OUT OF NOWHERE!" She shouted over the wind, her blonde hair wiping her face before she annoyingly cleared her view. "HURRY MEN!" She ordered those who were still too drunk but a glare from his navigator was all they needed to sober up and run around with the rest of the crew to steady the ship. 

Looking down at her log pose, she saw that they were getting off the trail. "THE WINDS ARE PUSHING US OFF COURSE TO EAST!"

Hearing her, Dorian immediately spun the helm, fighting against the currents. While the New World was filled with monsters that could give the first half of the Grand Line a run for their money, the most dangerous and unpredictable thing about it was the weather. Gritting his teeth, the captain put all his force on the helm, but he felt like even the ship itself was fighting against him.

There goes all the joy of partying for his new bounty of ฿195,000,000.

"Move! You stupid thing!" He roared at it and for a split second, the helm moved, turning west a little before it doubled down. "GAH!" Dorian groaned under the new force. "What the-" 

"CAPTAIN!"

"I KNOW SCARLET!" He shouted back before he heard the sound. The nightmare of any sailor in the world. The sound of the helm cracking underneath all the pressure. Before Dorian could open his mouth to insult the ship, his vision was covered by the splinter of wood in the rough air and the thing that he was forcing against was no more. 

"THE HELM BROKE!" He immediately warned the crew, his voice cutting over the crew who ignored his stumbling. Silencing them for a few moments before they all swore as one, doubling down to combat the weather and current. 

"ENEMY INCOMING!" The lookout at the crow's nest shouted over, his panic clear to hear for everyone. The pirate crew stopped at the sudden warning. They immediately prepared themselves for combat, surveying the water around them for an enemy ship only to see violent waves and gray clouds on the horizon

"IN THE SK-" The lookout was interrupted by a swipe of claws, his body flew towards the deck, crashing and taking down at least five of his crew with himself. 

"WHAT THE HE-"

ROOOAAARRR!

As one, the pirate crew of almost three dozen members looked up toward their attacker, freezing at the sight of a majestic white tiger glaring down at them.

Letting go of everything, "HOLD YOUR GROUND MAN!" The captain's order cut through the wind and tension, glaring at the beast that landed on their crow's nest. Though Dorian had questions, all of it could wait.

"PREPARE TO DEFEND THE SHIP!" He ordered, immediately his men took out their weapons. Sabres, katanas, guns, rifles, and some of the stupidest of his crews were trying to prepare a cannonball. But he couldn't blame them either. Though he suspected it, no, he knew it was a devil fruit user, and the attacker wouldn't negotiate. The glare on the beast was all that he needed. Either it was them or the beast.

"Captain," A cool voice whispered next to him. Though he didn't need to look to know that his first mate also understood. They were going to lose some of their men and if the power behind the surprise attack was anything to prove, the zoan fruit user in front of them was going to be troublesome.

"I know, make sure Vaughn is away from the battle but ready to treat men." Once Rorik moved towards the deck to remove Vaughn from the deck, Dorian took out his sabre and prepared to use his devil fruit.

The 5-foot white tiger, with its piercing black eyes fixed on them, leaped onto the deck after Vaughn had moved, BOOM! causing the entire ship to rock from the impact. Its fur was a dazzling white, its fangs long and menacing, and its powerful muscles rippled as it got into its stance, ready to shred them.

With lightning speed, Asher lunged at the crew, swiping his claws through the air. One crew member, armed with a spear, managed to parry the first attack, but the force of it sent him tumbling backward CRASH! crashing into a stack of barrels and then into the mask of the ship. Splinters of wood flew for a second.

"Get your footing, men!" Dorian barked, WHOOSH! rushing the attacker. He activated his Paramecia-type Devil Fruit power, surprising the tiger for a moment, enlarged his fists, THUD! and delivered a powerful blow to the tiger's face. The impact sent the beast staggering, but it quickly recovered and shook off the attack.

GRRR!

Seeing their captain lend a hit, the morals of the crew grew, their previous nervousness gone from their expression and instead grins replaced it.

BANG!

The sniper, "Eagleeye" Vizier, aimed and fired a precise shot at the tiger's eye. But Ash already saw it coming and his incredible agility allowed him to evade the shot at the last moment, the bullet harmlessly passed through the air.

"Damn it!" Vizier cursed before reloading his weapon. CLICK-CLICK! He aimed again, only for Ash to get away from his captain and head towards a group that was near him. 'Morons standing in front of my aim!' The sniper frowned his finger already on the trigger, itching to pull it. 

"MOVE DAMN IT!" Dorian shouted at the frozen subordinates, chasing after the beast to try and save his crew. 'If I can't get its eyes, then mobility is next.' Vizier thought, changing his aim to one of the hind legs.

BANG! 

The bullet sailed through the air, going straight at the beast's leg only for Ash to dodge by moving his body, surprising the stronger crew members. 

BOOM!

The beast's strikes landed on its target, the group between Vizier and Ash. The assault had already broken the skulls of the weakest ones but the claws dug into the flesh of the ones who moved away at the last second. Downing their numbers from 25 to 21.

"It knows Observation haki!" Vizier warned at the same time as Rorik returned, both his scimitar swords at hand, dashing to join his captain.

"I'll kill you!" Dorian spat, his sabre growing to 10 feet before it came crashing down at Ash, only for the boy to dodge the assault.

Landing away from the captain and the crew, the Zoan fruit user inhaled, ROOOOAR! unleashing a deafening sound wave that sent crew members staggering, clutching their ears in pain, some even fainting, bringing down their numbers. Even Dorian and Rorik stumbled before fixing their stances.

Taking the opportunity, Ash leaped towards them, claws raised and ready to kill the duo, only for the spear user to return. He thrust his weapon towards Ash, who managed to dodge the attack and swiftly counterattack.

Jumping over Juin's spear thrust, Ash lunged forward with a swipe of his powerful claws, aiming to catch the spear user off guard. Cursing under his breath, Juin somersaulted backward, narrowly avoiding the deadly attack. Buying enough time for his captain and crewmates to get back up.

Immediately after the effect of the roar vanished, Vizier moved away from the frontline, heading towards the railing in front of the cabin and next to Scarlet. 

CRASH!

With a tremendous leap, the tiger pounced toward the ship's mast, using it as a springboard to propel itself high into the air.

"Stop him!"

"On it!" 

WHOOSH!

"Sonic Resonance!" Rorik dashed to meet the Zoan, his two swords by his side. Once close enough, he hit them together, making sure to point the weapons towards Ash.

CLAAAAANNNG!

A deafening sound pierced through Ash's defences, stopping the tiger in the middle of his leap. Taking the opportunity given to him, Dorian joined his first mate, his sabre still enlarged. Without needing a warning, Rorik ducked underneath his captain's weapon, almost cutting through Ash's legs. At the last second the boy dodged by leaping into the air once again, though his leg was now bloodied. 

The pain was enough to stagger Ash and the sniper of the crew took advantage of it. "Can't move in the air!" Vizier smirked before pulling the trigger on his rifle.

BANG!

Only for the bullet to lodge itself into the beast's shoulder instead of its brain. But it was enough to completely stun the white tiger. With a mad grin, "You're done!" Dorian yelled, slashing at Ash. Seeing the enlarged sabre heading towards him, Ash grits his teeth, growling at the incoming weapon. With fury, Ash ignored the pain and swiped his right claw, meeting the sword in the middle and stopping it for a few moments before being overpowered.

The sabre flew at Ash's face and chest, cutting through the flesh and freeing blood, then sending him flying to the other side of the ship, crashing into the railing and then the figurehead. 

Ash struggled to regain his footing, blood streaming down his face and chest, he felt utterly pathetic and weak. He looked up just in time to see the captain and his first mate charging toward him with savage determination in their eyes.

Ash struggled to stay on his feet as the relentless pirates continued their assault, giving him no room to breathe. Ash fought with every ounce of strength left in his body, but it was clear that going head-to-head with such powerful adversaries would prove fatal.

Foreseeing an incoming attack from Dorian, Ash summoned every ounce of strength left in him and leaped into the air in a desperate attempt to dodge the attack.

BANG!

Only to feel another bullet piercing his body and settling in his guts, barely missing the bone. "Guh!" Ash spat a mouthful of blood, but the first mate grinned at the first scowl of pain the tiger expressed throughout the whole fight. 

Before Ash could land on the deck, his body prepared itself for the incoming attack. "Resonating Blade!" With his eyes widened Ash tried his best to move from the vibrating scimitars. Only to feel a spear pierce his right side, stunning him in place. Giving Rorik enough time to attack the white tiger, getting through the thick white fur and cutting through the flesh. From the right shoulder to Ash's hand.

"GAAAHH!" A guttural and intense cry of pain escaped the beast's mouth. 

As soon as Ash was going to land on the deck, BANG! A gunshot cut through his cry, another bullet but this time, it pierced Ash's left elbow, making him fall face first on the deck, painting the wood red.

"Good job Vizier!" Dorian praised while glaring down at Ash. "No worries, captain." The sniper replied with a grin of his own. 

With his free hand growing larger and larger, Dorian picked up the downed tiger, his glaring turning into that of a madman. "Now, let's see who you are." 

~-~-~*~-~-~

It hurt. Everything hurt. Since... Since always. Everything hurt. Moving hurt. Seeing hurt. Breathing hurt. And Ash hated it all. He hated the man- No, the monster in front of him. The monsters he called wife and daughter. The monsters he was surrounded with. 

Everything hurt and Ash didn't know what to do.

"Wake up!" The fat monster ordered, kicking the boy in the head. 

But Ash didn't obey. Instead, he continued to lie on the ground. His chest moved with each breath, no matter how much the boy wanted it to stop. 

He was tired. He was exhausted. But unfortunately, he had no rest.

"I SAID WAKE UP!" The fat monster shouted, kicking disgustingly at the 8-year-old boy under his foot, kicking him with impatience each second. But Ash didn't feel a thing. Couldn't feel a thing. 

The monster, his owner was weak. He was pathetic. He was nothing. But that didn't mean he didn't have ways to make Ash suffer. 

Annoyed with his slave's disobedience, "Listen to me and listen well, you pathetic worm." The fat monster muttered with an evil grin on his face inside the bubble that surrounded its head.

Taking out his golden pistol, he aimed at the boy.

"You have no right to die, worm. Not by some another bug's hands." Aiming the pistol at Ash, the monster's grin widened even more. He leaned towards the boy in the cage surrounded by darkness. "You can only die by my hands. Until then, you can only suffer." The monster whispered, pulling the trigger.

BANG!

~-~-~*~-~-~

Pain, pain, pain, pain, paIN, PAIN, PAIN, PAIN! PAIN! PAIN!

STOP! STOP! STOP!

IT HURTS. EVERYTHING HURTS! PLEASE STOP! PLEASE!

PLEASE.

KILL ME! 

JUST KILL ME!

STOP THE PAIN!

PLEase... Please... 

Kill... me...

'No, please... Why... Why... WHY! WHY! WHY!'

"Now, let's see who you are." The voice said. 

'IT'S YOU!' 

And as if finding the one. 

'IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!' 

Something inside clicked. 

'EVERYTHING IS YOUR FAULT.'

Something stirred. Wanting to be unleashed,

'I'll- I'LL KILL YOU ALL!'

Wanting to be free.

And Ash let it roar free. For the second time in his life.

~-~-~*~-~-~

Before Dorian could understand what happened, the crew members already stumbled and fell to their knees, overwhelmed by the sheer aura and will of dominance. One by one, they all fell unconscious. But it wasn't over yet. Dorian could still feel the overwhelming power- No it wasn't just power. It was also rage. Pure unfiltered rage and bloodlust hosing off of the boy in his weakened grip.

And in the middle of it all, was the culprit behind the black and red lightning.

Looking at his first mate, Rorik was on the deck, on one knee, barely holding himself so he wouldn't go flying like Juin. Before Dorian could adjust his grip on the zoan fruit user, it was already too late. With swift movement, the 5-foot white beast became smaller, and leaner, morphing into a humanoid shape. Stopping at 4 feet in height. 

And in a blink, the beast was gone in a white flash. "Wha-" 

"CAP-" Before Dorian could register Rorik's warning, all Dorian could see was a kid in a human and tiger hybrid, clothes completely covered with blood. But the most shocking thing of all was that the boy had one of his arms shoved through Rorik's body. His best friend's body.

In that same second, another flash of white, and the hybrid was gone and reappearing in the middle of his unconscious crew members. At that moment, Dorian saw what he was going to do with Haki. He knew what that monster would do. But he couldn't move. His knees were refusing to move. Refusing to attack a supreme king.

That's what the beast needed. In a matter of seconds, the hybrid went on a rampage. Its claws pierced through all the crew members, killing all of them without mercy. Without hesitation, in a fluid manner. 

All the while Dorian stood and watched. Seeing his crew getting butchered one by one. When the monster reached the lying form of Vizier, Dorian went back to the day they met. The sniper, all alone on an island, on the verge of dying from starvation. Now, there he lay with a crushed head.

When the hybrid reached Scarlet, Dorian remembered her words, her wishes for retirement and raising their kids on a remote island. Away from the marines, and pirates. But now, that monster had torn a hole through her guts.

When the monster reached the terrified Juin, Dorian remembered his litter brother's promise of writing the best story in the world. Yet, there he was now, his arms thorn apart with brute force, bleeding on the ship profusely. 

'Nightmare...' Dorian thought, blinking. But once his eyes opened. All he saw was the hybrid monster in front of him, glaring at him with his dark eyes. 

Before everything went black.

All Dorian saw.

Was a flash of white.

~-~-~-0-~-~-~

I've seen a lot of ghosts. Just not the way you think. A ghost can be a lot of things. A memory, a daydream, a secret. Grief, anger, guilt. But, in my experience, most times they're just what we want to see. Most times, a ghost is a wish.

By Steven Crain

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Author note:

So what the heck happened in this chapter? 

First of all, let's establish that our MC is in the new world at the age of 13, fighting off pirates that hold the amount of bounty as Bellamy after the two-year time skip.

So power scaling-wise, he's stronger than veteran pirates who are in the first half of the grand line. 

And he has to be because the first half of the grand line is a cakewalk compared to the New World. 

The crew that Asher fought has at least 2 to 3 devil fruits among them.

The first one is the captain who can enlarge everything he has contact with, even parts of his body. 

The second one is the first mate, who has the vibration version of his captain. 

The third one was the lookout who died.

Now about Asher himself, he has the next-level conqueror's haki plus a half-mastered basic observation haki. 

The reason I give him conqueror is because of his past, being tortured and held captive by the Celestial Dragons and his heritage: the D. clan. And yes, it's not the first time he used his haki. It's his second time, the first being during his escape from the top of the red line. This will be mentioned again in the future chapters.

Observation is for him to run away or to save himself from powerful enemies in the Grand Line.

I might be forgetting to mention something else. But I got you guys to ask questions and for me to answer.