[120] The VIP

----------------------------------------------

Another two hours passed as Sengoku was ready to return to Superbia, not to wage war but to salvage what was left and control the chaotic tides that had originated on the island.

On top of that, he had 300,000 civilians to attend to.

"This 'backup' Kong-san talked about," Basara's hoarse voice graced Sengoku's ears. "I assume it should arrive soon?"

The latter watched the calm seas nearby under the slowly rising sun. The mixture of the two aspects caused the tides to glow a warm orange.

Cries of birds went off overhead as a serene yet solemn atmosphere remained. "Hmm, anytime now."

Speaking of the devil, a voice went off: "Admirals, there's a fleet of ships approaching from the West!" A rear Admiral informed the two.

Sengoku just nodded; however, the Rear Admiral seemed a little stiff.

"What is it?"

"Uhh, the ones arriving aren't exactly what we expected…" the man gulped.

Sengoku's eyebrow rose as he murmured, "Isn't it just a marine fleet from G-5?"

"There are the battleships from G-5, but that's not the problem..."

The two Admirals moved to the ship's left side as they saw the fleet arrive—at least 50 ships!

Basara's mouth dropped, and Sengoku's eyes widened.

Twenty of the fifty ships hailed the Marines' flag, which was to be expected, but the other thirty were the cause of concern.

The ship that led the second fleet had a wide sail with a logo printed on it.

It was a weird, eye-like symbol surrounded by six other circles of unique designs. The designs were intricate, but the logo's layout suggested some form of fulcrum between the six circles.

[Emblem Image (in Discord)]

The two men immediately recognized tens of other symbols near that ship.

"What is this!?" Basara roared out as he saw the tens of ships with non-marine emblems. "Why would the Fleet Admiral send that filth here?"

The man was ready to raise mountains in anger but was stopped by his colleague. "Basara-san, though I am as confused as you are, don't forget the Kong-san's words!"

The brown-clothed marine reluctantly yielded as his single eye narrowed upon the figure at the helm of the leading ship. 

The person donned elegant clothing, black in colour. All the while sporting a black vizor-like mask to wholly cover the face.

"Of all the 'unorthodox' support we could get," Sengoku sighed indignantly, "why is it from the Underworld?" 

The VIP in question was a woman whose identity was unknown to the public but feared by most Nobles around the seas.

She was an Emperor of the Underworld, known as the 'Devil's Architect'—Fulcrum!

----------------------------------------------

[An Hours Later]

Chaos at the distant sea contrasted with the joy on a departing ship off the coast of Apollo Island.

Four of Big Mom's children had filled up their ride with as much treasure as they could hold without risking the ship.

…

On the other side of Apollo Island was beach-like terrain near the shore.

However, most of it was filled with broken debris and other trash from the earlier fights. It went to show just how far the area of effect spanned when such a war was waged, especially considering Apollo Island was far from Glint Island.

It was here that a young pirate stood, watching the orange sun. Naturally, it was Damien.

"You're finally here," he muttered, his eyes flashing red.

Seconds later, a female figure appeared from his shadow, matching that of the VIP who had arrived.

"I haven't seen you in a while, princess."

The woman wore an avant-garde black ensemble featuring a form-fitting design with sleek lines and minimalistic detailing. It included a draped overlay that cascaded down the body, adding a dynamic and elegant flair. 

Her right arm was sleeveless, leading to gloved hands. The overall attire did well to outline the young woman's desirable proportions.

[Attire Image (in Discord)]

'She's gotten far more comfortable and confident now,' Damien smiled, watching Fulcrum dissolve away her mask, allowing her long, silky hair to cascade down.

A radiant smile was present on the young woman's face. She didn't respond but went in for a deep hug.

Damien ran his fingers through the silky hair, hearing the young woman's heartbeat. "I missed you so much," she muttered, her heart calming down.

…

[A Little While Later]

Another hour ticked by.

Damien sat on a wooden log and ate a giant piece of meat attached to a thick bone. His shirtless, raggedy look resembled a troglodyte, paling compared to the elegant young woman at his side.

*Munch* After taking a large bite that even Linlin would be impressed with, Damien asked, "Twelve hours?"

Aurora slowly nodded, "That's all I could get the Five Elders to agree to; for the next twelve hours, now ten, Fulcrum has full rein over the spoils of Superbia, within reasonable bounds."

Damien smiled, "It's more than enough."

…

On the other side of Superbia was another chat going on simultaneously.

"Half a day immunity, it's ridiculous!"

Sengoku stood with a grim expression, understanding Basara's objections. He turned to the leader of the backup fleet of the marines, a woman. "I expected you to come, Tsuru, but not with such unsightly company."

The Great Advisor of the Marines sighed in response.

"We cannot direct any more troops from the Grand Line," she explained. "This was a special occasion where all the major threats came together; if not for that, Kong-san would never have allowed all five of you to go."

"With all Three Admirals deployed alongside Garp and Zephyr, we had to count on other 'allies.'"

Basara stood with his arms crossed, expressing his profound disagreement with the turn of events. "Cheh, they went to an Underworld Emperor… she even brought that bastard Morgans here!" he roared. "That bird brat will eat up this defeat and continue to denounce us in the news!"

Sengoku drifted to the 'allies' standing in the large ship beside them. He saw the young feathered humanoid. The Star Report of the World Economy News Paper—Morgans!

.

"Now, now, Sengoku, Tsuru-chan, Basara-san, let's all get along. I personally met Fulcrum, and she isn't that bad!" A raucous laugh went off.

Sengoku rolled his eyes as he saw Garp in a floral shirt, lying on a hammock, enjoying the breeze off the coast.

"Garp, you buffoon! You're only saying that because Fulcrum brought you top-quality rice crackers!"

Tsuru ignored their chatter, instead looking at the horizon, her marine coat flying in the wind. "Our failure, as Basara-san puts it, will be highlighted regardless. But the News Paper will be in our relative favour."

Another voice came from the side, belonging to a man.

"Fully taking control of an Overlord's territory; liberating 300,000 people; capturing tens of thousands of New World Pirates. It makes for a good headline, especially with Morgans being the author." It was Zephyr, wearing his usual marine shirt and coat, his muscles ever-vibrant.

Tsuru nodded, "things could have ended worse for us."

"Though it is alarming… the Star Reporter seems to be in good tidings with the Devil's Architect."

"..." A thoughtful silence ensued.

Basara looked around again, focussing on the fleet under the Underworld Emperor. Thirty of Fulcrum's ships spanned across Superbia. They salvaged what they wished, all the while the marine helplessly watched.

"'Voice of the Dead' Nekrós, 'Bone Demon' Kaiser, their bounties add up to 700 million berries, yet we can only watch them from afar," he grumbled.

Sengoku felt the same chagrin, but he knew what was at stake. "Not only the Styx Passage that allowed our backup to arrive in such a timely manner but most importantly, Sea Prism Stone trades are all conducted by her."

He sighed, rubbing his forehead, "As much as I hate it, we simply cannot lose those assets while the Rocks Pirates thrive now with the entire New World to themselves."

…

[Back to Apollo Island]

"He looks anything but his image of the prideful and graceful Overlord," Aurora muttered. Her shocked eyes were glued to the corpse in front of them.

Damien smiled at the body. Naturally, it belonged to the late Overlord of the Sea—Pryde D. Sol.

"Leave it to a D to be smiling in death," Damien muttered at Sol's smirk. "Rahahaha! I had a few Sea Kings acquire his body before it crashed into the magma below."

Aurora then recalled something: "Then… his fruit?"

Damien smiled. He reached into his pocket and took out a spherical orange-red fruit wrapped in a paper-like design resembling a sunflower. "The Paramecia-Type Devil Fruit: the Sun-Sun Fruit."

Damien tossed the treasured fruit up and down, feeling slightly warm at every point of contact.

[Fruit Image (in Discord)]

.

Aurora thinly smiled, glad to see Damien's satisfaction.

"A few pirates made their exit an hour ago; they went through Sol's main treasury, taking as they pleased," she informed.

"They're sailing quite slow, keeping away from the marine's eyes."

Damien nodded, feeling the distant presence through his Haki. "Let them live; just bring the true valuables they took."

"Hmm?" He suddenly muttered with narrowed eyes, feeling a wild and primal sensation within the departing vessel.

"...Let them keep the blue fruit."

Aurora nodded, and the aetherial darkness enveloped her again, disappearing into Damien's shadow.

…

[Five Minutes Later]

'Azure Dragon,' the red-eyed pirate thought with a smirk. 'It must be a quirk of my Grandmastery of Observation to hear your voice.'

The sounds echoing in his mind made it seem the fruit was hunting... looking for a worthy user.

An image of a gigantic and war-hungry Oni came to mind, mixing well with the savage Zoan fruit he could hear.

*Purrup* At that moment, Damien's shadow warped like liquid. A few light footsteps unveiled Aurora alongside a heap of items.

Amongst the rare artifacts were the usual fruits, a folded-up sheet of paper and a large piece of white granite housing a treasure of its own.

The first thing to look over was naturally the Devil Fruits!

*Fwoo* The air shuddered again, this time from Damien's actions. "I was collecting some fruits myself. Let's put them all together…"

ZOAN:

Bat-Bat Fruit: Model Horseshoe Bat – Allows the user to transform into a horseshoe bat and its human hybrid at will.

Human-Human Fruit: Ancient Model Neanderthal – Allows the user to transform into a Neanderthal at will.

Bird-Bird Fruit: Model Hawk – Allows the user to transform into a hawk and its human hybrid at will.

PARAMECIA:

Lust-Lust Fruit – Allows the user to control the lust of others, gaining authority over them, making them a Sexy Human.

Illusion-Illusion Fruit – Allows the user to impose illusions onto others, making them a Conjuring Human.

Sun-Sun Fruit – Allows the user to personify the sun, making them a Celestial Human.

.

"It's a pity that all but Cupid of the Six Vices died before I could get to them, losing the chance to deprive them of their abilities," Damien muttered. After all, Devil Fruits vanished off the dead within five minutes of their passing. 

His thoughts were broken by a collection of whispers from a spanning paper sheet across the ground. 

"You're just dying to tell me your story," Damien murmured, striding over. Naturally, the paper was a copy of Sol's Poneglyph.

Little by little, he took in the story. Whispers turned into voices, and a voice turned into a strong connection that bridged itself to the young pirate.

"Another story of the Sun God."

Aurora floated to his side, looking over his broad shoulders. "Just like the one we heard in my hometown?"

"This one..." Damien mumbled as a smirk came to his face, "details a Devil Fruit that carried the will of Joyboy; a mythical Zoan type that grants its user the body of rubber alongside the most ridiculous power in the world."

"A fruit that shall never enter the hands of the people who cage the seas!"

'There's no longer any doubt left. The Gum-Gum Fruit must be a Mythical Zoan at heart,' he thought with a light sigh.

Aurora recalled the Poneglyph from the Amethyst Kingdom. "The most ridiculous power in the world," she echoed. "If it's such a crazy power, then why doesn't the Government turn the seas upside down for it?"

The Sin Incarnate had similar thoughts. He cupped his chin to ponder, quickly reaching a conclusion. "These mythical fruits," he began, facing the girl, "I heard it in that blue one I asked you to leave behind, a complete consciousness."

"Zoan fruits have a mind of their own?" Aurora exclaimed.

"That would explain why it eluded the Government for so long—fruits that seek their most fitting user."

The revelation of the future Monkey D. Luffy's ability was a marvel of its own. Still, it begged the question: What ridiculous powers can the Nika fruit bestow its user?

"Rahahaha! I look forward to seeing it, no matter how many decades later Joyboy returns!" Damien declared, clenching his fist.

.

Aurora stood silently under the burst of Haki, her mind filled with conviction that she would remain helpful to her captain. 

"Damien, there's one treasure left." The young woman's voice broke the pirate from his thoughts. He turned to the side and saw the hazy white granite stone containing a sword.

The Sin Incarnate walked to her side, raising his chin with a dignified look. "I once read that Sol got his hand on a treasured sword. I thought it was a rumour, considering he didn't even use it in our fight…"

*Buzz* Ryushi, in its ring form around Damien's finger, pulsating from being near such a fine-quality weapon.

"Why wouldn't he use it?" Aurora asked, blinking at the white boulder.

Damien shrugged, "This katana design and nature fit Sol's holiness and grace narrative. Knowing him, he would see it to be a shame if the blade was soiled by the blood of others."

*Purrup* a fragile strand of Pulverizing energy, and the granite cracked. "Let's bring you out…"

With a boom, it exploded into large pieces, unveiling the treasure for Damien to grab.

It was a katana with a pearl-white scabbard swimming with white fog. Alongside the white guard, the sword indeed screamed purity.

*Shing!* The blade was unsheathed as its glorious white blade was revealed. It had a unique horizontal mist-like pattern over the entire blade, sharp enough to cut the air by a single movement.

Damien felt the torn air and heard the blade's capricious voice. A voice as firm as that of his Ryuishi. "One of the Twelve Supreme Grade Swords: The 'Sacred Blade' Tenmei!"

[Tenmei Image (in Discord)]

To Be Continued…

----------------------------------------------

Author's Corner.

In Chapter 55, Damien learned of Nika and his nature to bring joy and laughter. Damien's theory of it being a fruit was now confirmed.

Chapter 65 listed Tenmei to be "in the possession of Pryde D. Sol." He used a different sword in battle (made from his powers), leaving the katana more of a trophy.

Images are available on Discord alongside other niche details: https://discord.gg/aJHHHPvb6q