[64] The Styx Passage

[2810 words]

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"Hey, Boss Indra, you sure about this guy?" a burly man asked. 

He stood around 18 feet (5.49 m) with explosive muscle and a bare chest, sporting a red mask. Although his massive frame addressed the far leaner pirate, it carried a tone of respect and subservience. 

They belonged to the Fourth Division of the Rocks Pirates, currently being headed by the 'Evil Omen' Zenora Indra.

.

The dark-skinned pirate was in the process of beating up a recruit. One that had come to Hachinosu to hunt for some bounties but was cut down by Indra's sword. 

A cloud of dust blew about the region of downed buildings and barren soil. They were at a corner of Hachinosu, home to the worst of the worst.

"Unlike the other treasure-eyed scum, this one had some merit," Indra briefly explained as he examined the unconscious man. 

Majin, the swordsman's first recruit, was not the brightest, to say the least. 

"Oh, I see. Well, why don't I pummel him some more to break his spirit?"

Indra looked up with dull eyes, shutting the man up. 

"He wants money, he can get it under our Division; it's a fair trade."

Their words were fuel for the downed man as he looked up with great difficulty. His eyes burned with refusal, refusal against death.

The man had fiery red hair that was messily scattered from the excess blood. A thin stubble and athletic figure.

"Y-You!" he cried out in desperation.

Bang!

Indra slammed his foot down without mercy, shattering the ground right next to the broken man's face.

The boot was enough to leave a deep imprint, yet the red-haired man did not even flinch.

"Majin, make sure he doesn't die," Indra ordered. "I want him alive."

The massive man hummed while tossing a bounty poster to the ground.

It read the name "Ignio Kaen" with a reward of 150 million berries. The face printed matched that of the near-dead bounty hunter below.

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"Ara~ You're going around making a mess of Hachinosu," a soft voice resounded in the area.

Indra glanced at the woman and slightly nodded in greeting, "Commander Shakky."

The smoking woman seemed annoyed by the reply: "You aren't as cute as Damein-chan, why so serious?"

The words went in one ear and out the other in Indra's case; he simply turned away.

*Puff* A white cloud exhaled from the woman's mouth as she examined the fallen hunter and took out her pistol.

Bang!

A green bullet shot through the air and nailed Kaen between his eyebrows, snapping his head back.

"Ah! You crazy woman, what're you doing!" Majin roared out, rushing on ahead. Yet he was stopped by a vice-like grip on his arm.

"Your intelligence quotient isn't advanced enough to think things through, stand down," Indra ordered.

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"...Ugh!" A cry went off as the near-dead Kaen slowly stood up, the cuts and bruises all over his body began to heal and wash away. "What the hell…?"

Shakky winked at Indra, "Damien-chan probably doesn't need corpses as his subordinates."

Indra nodded in his form of gratitude.

"What subordinate? I never agreed!" 

Indra cared little for his resistance, giving him a single statement: "You can go around hunting whoever you want, just do it as another fodder under the Fourth Division's banner from now on."

Kaen scowled at his options but deep down he knew it wasn't a bad deal. Ultimately, he chose to rein in his disagreement and remained quiet.

.

Meanwhile, Shakky smiled at the harmonious display.

"You are an interesting guy, Indra. You match Damien-chan's nature of going around wreaking havoc for the things he wants."

She lifted her fingers and counted: "North Blue Massacre, 'Black Arm' Zephyr Disarming, G-4's destruction."

The words brought the attention of both Majin and Kaen, recalling the name of the recently risen powerhouse.

Shakky then tossed around a fresh newspaper.

"Just this morning came the news of the immediate dismissal of Ardemi, the now ex-CEO of the World News Agency." She puffed another cloud of smoke and murmured, "I know don't why but I feel like this is his hand as well…"

Indra narrowed his eyes at the piece of news. "The Commander does as he pleases, I'm just here to complete my orders of recruiting a handful of muscle," he calmly replied.

Shakky snorted, "What a boring man. Hmm, I guess this island is pretty stale without him. So much trash gathering here."

The woman put aside her thoughts and met the eyes of the swordsman once more. "I wonder what mess your boss will make now..."

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[An Island in the New World]

"Gurarara!"

"Wahahaha!"

An extremely sharp naginata shone in the hands of a man with a white mustache as he clashed blades with another man with unique facial hair.

"I've heard of a lot of 'D.' making waves, show me what you can do, Roger!"

"Wahaha, come on, Newgate!"

Booom!

*Rumble*

A cataclysmic clash echoed all over the island, sending out shockwaves as it reduced the nearby lands to rubble and dust. The friendly greeting between the pirates had only just begun.

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[Unso Island]

Within a large hall with sky-high ceilings were forty seats lined in neat rows.

A red carpet adorned with intricate designs was placed beneath the table and chairs, spreading to the ends of the area. Expensive and regal paintings and tapestries hung down the walls, emanating with rich design.

Tens of people walked in and took their designated seats, their bodyguards stood by the walls, each ready to jump into action.

Of the forty seats, six were visibly more grand, standing much higher than the rest.

The King of Warehousing, Aizen Ward.

The King of Fortune, Du Feld.

The King of Drugs, Elo N. Muskato.

The King of Smuggling, Nelson Vacuum.

The Queen of the Pleasure District, Stacy.

All the major and minor seats had filled up except for the host, the one that sat at the head of the table.

Even with the fresh supply of expensive wine and snacks by the hands of servants and maids, the people grew impatient.

.

"The host is late, how uncivilized," Vacuum blurted out past his cigar.

"Perhaps there is some trouble," Stacy elegantly commented, playing with her long orange hair.

Muskata, who donned a fancy attire, was not as patient as her, "To gather us here and make us wait, this new King of Shipping is bold!"

*Creak*

Their argument came to an end as the tall doors opened once more.

A few people walked in and the bald Ebi stood in front with a bunch of goons. They then stood on opposite sides, welcoming their new boss.

Soft steps echoed as a lithe figure appeared. The body was feminine with a concealed attire. The face was covered in a black visor-like mask and donned a hood, wholly hiding the face beneath, emanating with mystery.

Some of the less important men widened their eyes, a hint of greed churning in their hearts. 

"What a hot figure, the new Shipping Emperor looks quite inviting," a mafia boss said as he licked his lips.

"Lady Stacy might have a competitor!"

Their faces turned into rabid dogs as if seeing a fresh bone in the yard.

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The lithe figure soon sat at the head of the table, ignoring the comments.

Meanwhile, Ward gnashed his teeth and smashed his glass of wine to the floor, shattering it to bits with a bang.

"You're this Fulcrum!? You think you can summon us while hiding under a mask?"

The young Du Feld was equally irritated, "There is honour amongst the Underworld! How do we know you're not some marine spy?"

Though his words received an odd reception.

"Du Feld, didn't you kill your daddy for your seat, why are you talking about honour?" Muskato said, puffing on two cigars at once.

Stacy giggled at the scene, attracting the attention of the hungry dogs below.

Yet the environment was soon flooded with tense air as a chain of explosions went off.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

Tens of bodies fell to the floor, a powerful force descending on them.

*Creak*

The hall groaned from the added pressure as wide craters appeared under the dozens of men.

*Click*

Hundreds of guns cocked in bullets as chaos seemed to arrive.

Though they all soon fell to the floor once more, their eyes popping out from their sockets.

Ward looked around in shock, then at Fulcrum.

"This is your doing isn't it, what are you up to!?"

Stacy's teasing demeanour warped into speculation as she studied the vertical forces raining down. The purple energy brought a striking thought to mind.

"Is it the Gravity Fruit?" the redhead muttered.

Meanwhile, the masked woman glanced at Du Feld, her right palm pressing down to showcase the eruption of the force.

"You were worried about spies, weren't you? That's all of them."

She then dramatically closed her palm.

*Pop*

Their bodies exploded in a pathetic display, dyeing the hall a fresh coat of crimson paint.

"..." Muskato and the rest looked around with some trepidation.

"Spies?" Ward questioned.

Fulcrum gestured to Ebi who handed out a report outlining the dead scum and their affiliations. Many were marine spies, while quite a few came from distant Kingdoms, some even Cipher Pol.

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Fulcrum then elegantly placed her hands on the cracked table.

"I didn't invite you all here to fight, I invited you here for business," she explained through the screen-like mask.

The words evoked some morbid curiosity from the others.

The minor players effectively remained shut while only the Underworld Emperors seemed to have any weight in this situation.

Seeing no further interruptions, Fulcrum had Ebi pass out a bundle of paper highlighting the main goods to be sold.

Each Emperor got a special goodie for their respective trade.

Modern drugs for the King of Drugs.

Motorized boats and ships for the Kings of Warehousing and Smuggling.

Modern insurance traps for the King of Loans.

And powerful aphrodisiacs for the Queen of the Pleasure District.

Beyond that, Fulcrum also gave out some of the blackmail Barro had prepped for the Marines' side to calm them down a little.

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Within moments, their faces were quite pleased after going through the detailed plans, enough to warrant their attention for this new Emperor.

"A welcome surprise," Stacy said with a vixen-like smile.

Ebi gulped as he saw Queen of the Pleasure District lick her lips in Fulcrum's direction, almost as if trying to seduce her.

All the while Muskato was lost in the chemical makeup of the products, smiling at the thought of people incessantly coming for more and more drugs that would only kill themselves. 

The others were just as satisfied.

"I must say, I didn't take you for an architect of our trades," Nelson Vacuum stated. "The devil's architect."

Fulcrum did not take their empty words at heart, rather bringing up the next order of business.

"This was just the appetizer, the next thing I want to put forward is a trade route that I'm sure will interest you all," she said with an inviting tone.

The words drew the attention of everyone in the room. Though as always, the voice was distorted, credit to the metal mask. 

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"The biggest problem in the way is the Navy. They hold the paths that will guarantee the fastest and most cost-friendly routes to move our goods."

"Knowing this, they heavily tax and control the goods being moved. Though deals are reached for them to allow our materials to be brought in, it is very strict and not so cost-effective."

She allowed her words to sink in before continuing with an entrancing tone, "There is one path they cannot control, a route even outside the domain of everyday pirates: The Calm Belts!"

"We know that little!" Du Feld remarked. "But the Calm Belts are the home of endless Sea Kings, our ships won't stand a chance!" 

The thought was shared among the others as well.

*Thunk* Fulcrum tapped her finger on the table to regain their attention.

"What if I told you I have a way to ensure safe transportation through the Calm Belts? A passage where no marine or pirate can get in your way," she offered.

Seeing the razor-sharp focus of the others, the assassin finished her pitch, "Sea Kings rule the belts so I will use Sea Kings to transport the goods."

"!!!"

Ward was the first one to jolt out of his seat. "You have such a thing!?" he thundered.

Muskata, however, was not as easily enthralled, "There is no such thing! Even the Government doesn't have a way of traversing the Calm Belts, let alone controlling those hungry beasts."

Fulcrum shrugged, "A… companion of mine can make it possible. I cannot prove it to you here, but you will need to take my word for it."

"..." The statement plunged the room into silence.

On one end was a woman who had given them some quite handy tools to further their shady trades. On the other hand, there was the sheer impossibility of the solution presented to them.

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The Emperors did not speak, though some semi-known mafia bosses made their thoughts clear.

"It's ridiculous, we cannot trust the words of a person hiding behind a mask. Who knows that perhaps she is under the World Government, trying to dig their claws into our business and removing us from the board!"

"I agree, this doesn't smell right at all!"

Another one stood up with a thirsty look, "I say we kill her here and split the Shipping King's Empire for ourselves!"

"A 'companion' who can master the Calm Belt?" a well-known mafioso asked in a mocking tone. "I haven't heard something so ridiculous in a while!"

The demeaning words echoed in the halls as more and more people stood up in disagreement. Though they seemed to overlook the clenched fists of the woman sitting at the head of the table.

"Acting all mysterious, Ha! "Sorry, young 'Empress', maybe in your naive eyes you have been played around by someone pulling your strings."

The once calm and collected Fulcrum's voice turned sharp as she heard the disparaging comments, not about her offer, but rather the insults aimed at her unknown companion.

"Don't run your mouths!"

The words were wrapped with a furious tone, stretching to the edges of the spanning hall.

"Augh!"

The man who spearheaded the insults was the first to fall to his knees, foaming at the mouth.

The others who had put across their disagreement also felt the same force overwhelm their mind as they were forced to the ground one by one, losing their conscience.

"..."

"W-What happened?" Ebi said out loud, blinking frantically. "I've never seen her powers do that one before…"

While the lower members had fallen into further disarray, the Emperors had their thoughts.

"That was…!"

"There's no doubt about it!"

Ward and Mukato sat up a little, narrowing their eyes at the display.

Stacy smiled wider, exposing her perfect teeth, "Things got more interesting."

Du Feld stayed quiet alongside Vacuum.

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Fulcrum turned away from the spectators and once again addressed the true decision-makers of the shady seas, her voice dripping with authority and determination, "The Government's grip on the world has stifled your freedom for far too long. Don't you wish to carve out your own path to power?"

Her voice was inviting, mixed with a tinge of distortion which drew the other emperors. 

"Well, how about a test run with simple goods?" she suggested. "If you're satisfied with the goods, then we can gain a true monopoly over the entire Underworld."

Ward's mouth twisted into a smile as he looked at the young woman with newfound appreciation. "I must say, you are far more daring than I would have imagined."

"Very well, Fulcrum, you have my approval."

Muskato nodded in agreement, "Seconded."

"I don't mind bringing in girls from all over the seas for a cheaper price," Stacy smiled.

Du Feld nodded as well.

Vacuum closed the vote with a thought of his own, "If you can back up your words with results then it seems that we will be working very closely from now on."

Fulcrum nodded, an air of satisfaction surrounding her tone, "Very well, the 'Styx Passage' will open up in a few days, connecting the Outer Seas to the Grand Line. Sea Kings will arrive on your islands and receive your exports."

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The Banquet closed after a hefty buffet with exotic meals. Such meat was from the highest quality Sea Kings, something only Celestial Dragons can get their hands on.

Regardless of what went down, one thing was certain: a new King of Shipping had risen, one far stronger and with far more influence than any previous one. 

An Underworld Emperor whose pull in the shady dark sea would surely take the hidden forces by storm!

To Be Continued…

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Author's Corner.

Indra adding to his collection while some big deals go down in the Underworld. All the while Damien enters his little training arc.

Some people commented on the Aether Fruit's similarity to the Gravity Fruit when it came to her spawning forces, well, it wasn't a coincidence.

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