[55] Scars

[2850 words]

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"What about it? It's just an arm."

The spectating marines nearly fell to the ground.

"B-But you are 'Black Arm' Zephyr, and now…"

The Vice Admiral stood up, his face slightly angered.

"Now what!? Do you want me to retire? I can take down just as many pirates with one arm as I did with two. My justice is worth far more than a single limb!"

His proclamation shook the nearby soldier, wondering if they could say the same thing in Zephyr's place. The thought left them with nothing but admiration and respect, reflected in their immediate arrow-straight posture and discipline.

"Ugh!"

Zephyr, who had stood up, could not help but go down on one knee.

His purple hair was still damp with sweat and blood, and now his face had gone pale from the sudden movement.

*Drip* *Drip*

Blood dribbled out from his stump as the man muttered under his breath, "Damn that monstrous pirate, I just hope he took some damage too!"

The Marines scrambled, frantically waving their arms, "Please rest, Zephyr-sama!"

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[The Catacombs]

The tunnels deep below the Castle were hidden and unknown to most. They were long and constantly branching into many others. 

However, under the veil of darkness were a duo, traversing the maze with great speed and precision.

Damien had bandaged the aching wounds, unlike most of his injuries, those caused by Advanced Haki took longer to heal. 

Aurora had let down her long silky hair, its colour matching the air around the two. 

"You know these tunnels well, Aurora."

The girl gave a thin smile, her eyes trying to hide her sadness.

"I used to play with my sister down here, we had a game where we would pick a path each and see which one of us could reach the end of the catacombs first."

The memory brought some genuine happiness to the girl as she momentarily forgot the loss that followed.

"In light of Proditor's betrayal, my father was killed right away. They found my mother but not before she gave us sisters time to escape through here. However, in my hurry, I lost my way and ended up splitting away from my sister."

Aurora shook her head, falling into silence.

"..."

The only sound was the occasional dripping of water that had seeped through the soil above, mixing into the Night Realm's aetherial ambience.

The two continued to walk on ahead.

The girl finally heaved a sigh, "I ended up in a part of the Catacombs I never ventured to before… it was where the giant blue stone and a purple Devil Fruit rested."

She then waved her hand as a trail of aether followed suit, dissolving into the purple shadows.

"I ate the fruit and my fear of getting caught by the traitors threw me into the Night Realm right away, allowing me to easily retrace my steps."

Damien narrowed his eyes as he saw the girl ball her fists; Aurora was turned away from him yet he could sense her gnashing her teeth.

"When I got there, everything was on fire… The Prabna Family's armies had already arrived."

She subconsciously looked at the ground, trying to hide her shame as she explained, "The Marines had caught my sister and Proditor executed her alongside my mother at the front of the burnt castle."

"Everyone just watched from the sides while I watched from the darkness."

The girl clenched her hand to the point of blood dripping out. "If only... if only I could control my powers a little more, maybe I could have saved them!"

.

Damien replied in a straight tone, glancing at the girl, "And then what? You think you can take down an Admiral?"

Aurora went silent, though still leading the way.

"I haphazardly rampaged around in a Mafia Stronghold after they destroyed my home island. Lucky for me, I was able to awaken Observation Haki and showered my own justice in their blood."

The pirate's voice was laced with nostalgia as he continued, "You came back and took down the usurpers; your family can rest now, that is the best you can do."

"As for Kurowashi? He'll get what's coming for him."

"..."

Damien did not need a reply, he was just sharing his thoughts.

He had a similar story. The usual greed of a few ruins lives. Justice was the right of the victor to claim. 

…

After a good few minutes, the girl had visibly calmed down. Her hand had been loosened, almost as if letting go of a heavy weight.

Aurora nodded to herself and slowly glanced back, locking eyes with her companion, "I'm glad I met you, Damien, she said with an honest smile.

Her purple eyes were exceptionally clear after reaching the point where vengeance didn't drive her life.

"Rahahaha!" Damien laughed as he felt the clarity in the girl's eyes and face. "You weren't this thankful when we first met, from what I recall, you tried to kill me."

Aurora turned her head away in embarrassment. "That was a different time… now, everything has changed!"

Damien looked at her with an amused face. 

The Voice of All Things allowed him to hear quite a lot; easily tracing the emotional spikes of the assassin.

"Here I thought your heart was beating that fast because you were treading this maze after so many years…"

his words send a shiver down Aurora's back, reflecting in another spike.

.

The two continued in dark silence once more as the pirate was left smiling wryly.

The little trip through the never-ending Catacombs went different from what the Sin Incarnate had expected.

He narrowed his eyes and casually remarked, "At this point, you'll make it seem like you've fallen for me."

Yet under the young pirate's thought came a reply that left him surprised: "Maybe I have…"

"..."

The girl's eyes were still glued to the dark tunnel ahead, unable to turn back.

Though Damien's response was quite blunt. "Rahahaha!"

Aurora's head shot back and locked onto Damien. The darkness of the Night Realm mostly hid her ruddy face but the pirate could easily make out the embarrassment in her voice. "W-What's so funny!?"

"!!!"

However, their conversation was put to an end as the catacombs opened up to a large spanning chamber with a mystical air.

The change in the atmosphere brought the two out of their chatter, forcing their attention onto the giant, indestructible Poneglyph. Blue in colour, barely visible from some ray of light that managed to find its way deep down here.

Aurora opened up the portal, allowing the two to exit.

'It's a little dark down here.'

*Fwwm* Damien applied some Haki to his finger and thumb.

*Snap*

The friction generated from the snap immediately lit his fingers ablaze.

He then grabbed some dried and rotten wood and brightened up the place, all the while burning the moss covering the cube of knowledge.

.

"Let's hear what you've got to say…"

The Sin Incarnate concentrated his mind on every symbol and listened.

"..."

The voices from all around them were drawn out as Damien focussed on a single one.

Little by little, he took in the story.

Whispers turned into a voice, a voice turned into a strong connection and bridged itself to the young pirate.

"Hmm, a story about the 'Sun God' Nika?" Damien muttered. "Warrior of the Liberation? The figure who freed slaves in ancient times."

Aurora just quietly stood there, letting Damien do his thing.

"He will appear again with the most ridiculous power in the world, bringing joy and laughter to the seas. Nika, was it?" 

Damien pondered for a second, cupping his chin.

"Such a figure almost sounds like a chosen one type of thing. A power… Devil Fruit perhaps? Warrior of Liberation? If it's detailed in the Poneglyph, it must be important."

The pirate narrowed his eyes, coming up with a theory of his own.

"Maybe, just maybe, it had something to do with a certain main character of the future?"

"..."

[A/N: As stated in the Author's Corner in chapter 19, Damien died after the release of chapter 1030. I don't want to just magically enchant his knowledge as I learn the new info revealed in the manga. So I'll have Damien acquire them through other means.]

.

Damien sighed, "Anyway, it had nothing to do with me."

It was not worth pondering on the eventual future that was over 40 years away, leaving the pirate to relent.

With a shrug, he instead walked toward the assassin who waited by the side. The crimson pupils locked onto the gem-like eyes of Aurora, shining with a purple gleam.

"This wraps up my curiosity," he announced. "So then, have you decided, Princess? Are you ready to put up your end of the bargain?"

Aurora took in a deep breath, hearing Damien's words.

The weight from the past had been fully released, leaving her with a long-lost emotion: excitement for what was to come.

With a genuine smile on her face, she firmly answered, "I am!"

Damien returned her a thoughtful look. "Zephyr wasn't wrong, you know," he spoke frankly. "I did pick you up to weaponize your power."

Though it was at this time that the pirate heard Aurora giggle honestly. "I know… and I don't mind."

Her voice then warped into that of hesitation as she muttered, "I don't think I can stay away from you anyway…"

Damien blinked. "You're certainly honest with your thoughts, but let's get out of here before more Marines show up."

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[The Ruins of G-4]

[A Few Hours Later]

"Vice Admiral, should we continue to search for them?" a Rear Admiral asked.

Zephyr, who was now bandaged up, was able to stand and move around.

"Forget it, even if you find them, do you think you can hold down that monster with our current forces?" 

The Rear Admiral's mind flashed to the apocalyptic scene he witnessed throughout the previous night.

*Gulp*

Just the thought of going against such a pirate made him shudder.

Zephyr nodded at his expression and ordered, "Focus on calming the residents. The Sin Incarnate knocked every single one of them out just last night, they're bound to be shaken up. And keep the surviving Nobles safe from any pirates that may take advantage of the chaos!"

The marine saluted and scurried away.

Zephyr walked around but his body still felt quite light with the missing limb. However, his eyes lacked hesitation, rather, they were filled with conviction.

The man chose a life of enforcing order to allow the weak and innocent a chance for a tranquil life; an arm was a small price to pay!

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[The Docks]

Aurora took a deep breath of fresh air, exiting the dark catacombs and finally burying the gloomy past.

Her gem-like eyes fell on the infinite skies above, bringing out an honest thought, "There's so much freedom up there, so much more peaceful than the islands down here."

The thought of the recent battle brought her out of her reverie and asked the big question: "Will it be okay, after all, the Vice Admiral lost his arm," Aurora muttered, a little hesitant about a full-fledged attack by the Marines.

Damien, who had brought out his sea skimmer and was readying it to leave, waved aside her worries.

"I took his arm rather than his life, he should be glad."

At the end of the day, a weak Navy would be more beneficial to Damien's rivals than to himself. Vanquishing an Admiral Candidate, even more so. 

>=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=<

[Zephyr]

[Age: 33 years, 9 months, 23 days]

[Height: 11' 5"] (3.48 m)

[Status: Injured; Disarmed] 

[Devil Fruit: None]

[Skills: Complete Mastery of Rokushiki, Unwavering Spirit, Great talent in Armament Haki]

[Haki: Mastery of Observation Haki, Armament Haki (Advanced Mastery)]

[Strength: Bottom Tier Yonko]

>=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=<

'Hmm, it doesn't say 'Advanced Mastery of Armament Haki' in the way it says for his Observation. In other words, Zephyr is still far from his greatest strength!' Damien surmised.

However, this only went to drive his point as he told his female companion, "Plus, Zephyr is in the running to become an Admiral, you think such a title can be given to a man who can't cope with the loss of a measly limb?"

Aurora slowly nodded in understanding, trying to fully take in any advice imparted to her.

"Aside from that, let's see what goodies we have here!"

Damien then started to check all the loot Aurora had taken from G-4.

First, the smaller things:

1. Seven hundred million berries.

2. Eternal Poses to a handful of islands.

3. Two Skillful Grade Swords.

4. Kagekiri – one of the 21 Great Grade Swords.

5. A sizable amount of seastone.

The pirate then unveiled a few more prized possessions.

"Oh, look what we have here… G-4 had quite the Devil Fruits in stock!"

Paramecia:

Saké-Saké Fruit – Allows the user to create, control, and transform into saké at will, making them a Saké Human.

Bender-Bender Fruit – Allows the user to freely switch their gender, making them an Omni-Gendered Human.

Balance-Balance Fruit – Allows the user to freely switch anything of equal value, making them an All-Conserving Human.

.

Zoan:

Bird-Bird Fruit – Model: Carrier Pigeon – Allows the user to transform into a carrier pigeon and its human hybrid at will.

"Well, well, well. A fruit fit for a pirate: Saké fruit!"

Damien found it amusing. The power came with the weakness of flames, however, its description almost made it seem like a Logia!

Other than that, another fruit caught Damien's eyes.

'Balance-Blance Fruit, I remember this one from 9 years ago,' Damien thought, recalling his first peak into the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia he found from the pirates that attacked his home island.

.

Aurora, who quietly watched from the side, felt some nostalgia in Damien's smile. She looked at the brown fruit that had a stem in the shape of a balancing scale with curiosity.

Damien smiled at her. "You did a good job," he honestly stated.

The girl just smiled back, then grabbed a scroll that remained in the bag. "I found this in the Vice Admiral's Office."

She handed it to Damien who unfurled it right away.

His face lit up as he read the title: "Life Return Training Manual!" (Seimei Kikan) Such a treasure was worth a colossal amount to the young pirate, drawing a grin to his face.

"You saved me a lot of trouble by getting all these things, tell me, what do you want in return?"

Aurora heard the words and was a little caught off-guard.

Summoning her courage, she looked Damien in the eyes and asked, "I, I've been wondering... what do you think of me?"

Her voice wavered slightly, betraying the composed facade she had attempted to maintain.

"..." Damien sighed, looking at the sea for a moment. He cleared his throat and brought the girl back to reality.

"Listen, Aurora," he slowly started. "You're a good girl but right now there are far too many unknowns in the imminent future for me to answer your feelings."

Damien's mind went toward God Valley.

As of today, it was December of 1483 and the fateful day would occur sometime in 1486. Damien felt obligated for his past and his future, to stray from any distraction along the way, or at least that is what he told himself.

.

Aurora heard the words and felt disappointed. Perhaps she had convinced herself that her princess dream of having a shining prince save her was not to come true now.

If anything, she could now clearly feel the wall in between them; almost as if Damien was subconsciously pushing her away.

She clenched her hands and met the red eyes with her purple ones, "You once said a pirate should always chase after what they deeply desire, right?"

"That's right," Damien nodded.

Aurora beamed a smile and exclaimed, "Then you shouldn't stop me from trying to open up your heart!"

The Sin Incarnate's eyes slightly widened at the declaration, feeling palpable determination emanating from the girl.

"Open up my heart?" he murmured; Damien was left lost for words as he fell into thought.

His mind fell into a long-lost memory as a few words echoed in the notorious pirate's mind, born from Aurora's proclamation.

'Gather those who you can trust with your life. Marry a beautiful girl. Treasure them deeply for they will be your greatest strength.'

They were his mother's final words that set him off on the path toward power. Spending every breathing moment to rush toward the highest level of strength he could obtain. As tiring as it was, the young pirate never wavered.

"..."

Damien's hand subconsciously reached up, pressing the scar above his eyes. A reminder of the past that had begun to throb.

.

Meanwhile, Aurora's gem-like eyes were fixed on him, feeling the air warp in emotion, it was a surreal sight for her.

'I was wrong. No one is born strong... The strongest are those who go through hell and can stand tall afterwards,' she thought. 'But it leaves scars behind...'

The girl clenched her hand and candidly spoke.

"You helped me put my past to rest, so I'll help you do the same!"

Damien was quickly brought out of his reverie, feeling the afternoon sun and the unshaken gaze of the assassin next to him.

"Rahaha! I look forward to it."

To Be Continued…

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Author's Corner:

Took me a while to write this one out. Realistically, Damien went through quite the hell in his younger years and as strong as he may become, it's not like his tragedy will just disappear. 

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