Chapter 24. Oni Kuma Part 1

Promise Keeper: Here is for the post I missed on monday.

Chapter 24. Oni Kuma Part 1

The seas of the Grand Line were alive with whispers - carried by the wind and waves - of a ship unlike any other. The strongest, most powerful ship in the entire world was on sail. It wasn't just a ship; it was a floating fortress, an island of steel and wood, a colossus that dwarfed all others. Describing it in detail would take all the words in the world, but the only thing one needed to know was that it was enormous - really, really enormous. And aboard this behemoth was the most powerful being in existence, a figure who struck fear into the hearts of even the World Government, the Marines, and the Emperors of the Sea.

This being was not a World Noble, but a prince of unparalleled might. He was on a quest, searching for something he had lost to the sea, a piece of himself that he believed he couldn't live without. As he watched the distant waves and the minuscule organisms that danced upon them, this thought consumed his mind.

Many had called him a god, worshipped him as one. But what kind of god was he? A god of the seas like Poseidon? A god of war like Ares? Or perhaps a god of everything? If not for his kind and warm soul, his name might suggest he was a god of mischief, but his personality transcended such a narrow domain. In truth, he was a god of nothing and everything, a deity by name, status, and action. He commanded the strongest military force in the world, a power that could reshape nations.

The prince sighed at the sea, his eyes carrying a sheepish, distant look. Unknown to him, each breath he released caused turmoil in the waters below. Birds struggled against the sudden gusts of wind, and one news-coo, caught in the chaotic currents, cursed him and the existence of his kind. 'Beings like him should stay in one place like trees,' it thought, but such thoughts did nothing to change reality.

This prince, the most powerful person in existence, would not stop. He would never order the sails to be dropped until he found what he was looking for. His journey was just beginning, but in the seas of the Grand Line - in the New World - he longed to obtain the prize he had been waiting for, for what felt like the longest time.

As he savoured his memories, his blissful thoughts were interrupted by the sudden yelp of one of his crew members, followed by a timid voice - too timid for the crew member's size - saying, "She has done it again, your majesty."

The prince sighed, a sudden weight sinking in his stolen heart. "She's just ten," he mumbled to himself inaudibly, feeling sad and worried about what might have happened. As tears of sorrow welled in his eyes, he managed to speak, avoiding breaking down in front of his subordinates. In a strong, cold voice, he demanded, "Whom did she kill this time?"

---

In the cold depths of the Ice Island mines, I lay sprawled on the frozen floor, my body resting comfortably against a mound that had once been a towering mountain of gelato. The scene around me was the aftermath of my insatiable craving for ice cream - total destruction.

Gelato containers that had once held the mined treat were scattered haphazardly, with remnants of ice cream barely registering in them. Most had been licked clean, their contents devoured. The topography had suffered the most, with large sections missing and the underlying soil now exposed.

Despite the chaos I had caused, my mood was oddly serene. The cold floor pressed against my skin, but the lingering sweetness of the ice cream on my tongue provided a delicious aftertaste that made me feel content.

I closed my eyes, savouring the faint, sweet aroma of the gelato that still hung in the air. The tranquility of the moment was a stark contrast to the frenzy I had been caught up in earlier. My mind drifted back to the flavours I had just savoured. Even though it was unprocessed, the gelato from the mine had served to satisfy my craving - for now.

With my stomach full of crude, unprocessed ice cream, I wondered if the craving for ice cream would return any time soon. But what brought me the most relief was how well I had managed to keep Ares out of the picture.

I had come to realize that hunger pangs quickly unleashed the god of war in me, consuming much of my consciousness. However, after much practice, I had learned to suppress that part of myself - at least for a limited amount of time before it would start fighting back. If the hunger persisted, Ares would inevitably emerge and start his own, prolonged craving.

Still, my ultimate goal remained: to gain full control over my own monstrosity.

As I lay on the ground, it dawned on me just how oblivious I had been. Even with some semblance of control during my hunger pangs, I hadn't realized the danger I had been putting people in. The screams of terror from the miners, the frantic cries for help, had been lost in the fog of my craving.

Now, as I stared at my uncomfortably stretched stomach, wondering how it hadn't burst yet despite not being made of rubber, the reality of the pain I had caused the miners hit me. Some had sunk into the gaping holes my insatiable hunger had created, and I couldn't shake the grim thought that maybe - just maybe - I could have swallowed...

'Nah, that's too dark,' I pushed the thought away.

To console myself, I considered that if Ares had been in control, the outcome would have been far worse. The devastation would have been absolute, and they would all be dead. In a twisted way, I had spared them from that fate, and maybe they should be grateful for that.

Still collecting my thoughts, I overheard Moscato's panicked cries from the sidelines.

"Nonononono…" His voice trembled, rising to higher pitches. "Mama's gonna kill me."

"Where will I get the gelato from?" he wondered aloud, his gaze darting around in a panic.

"You could tell Mama what happened," Galette suggested. "I'm sure she'll understand."

"No, you don't get it," Moscato protested, raising his hands above his head, his skate shoes offering little stability. "It's not just this time. It's all the other times Mama will want gelato for other parties."

"Come on, bro," Galette urged. "Ice Island is huge. There's got to be more mine-"

The Earth quaked, a short but intense tremor that reverberated through the icy caverns. The quake was so powerful that everyone lost their balance, stumbling and grabbing at whatever they could to stay upright. The floor shook violently, and the sound of grinding ice filled the air as if the entire island were groaning under immense pressure. Despite its magnitude and ferocity, the quake didn't shatter the ice walls or crack the ground, leaving only a subtle yet disconcerting impression of its power.

As the tremor subsided, the others resumed their previous demeanor as if nothing had happened. But Moscato...

Moscato bit his lips as he processed some important, forgotten information. He banged his head with both hands. "This can't be happening."

"This is bad."

"This is really bad."

"We have to get out of here," Moscato said urgently, turning towards the mine entrance. "Right now!"

"No," Galette countered. "We can't leave Keki like this. We have to wait until he digests enough to walk. Besides, what's the rush?"

"So what the prince ate an entire mine of gelato?" Galette added. "Compote barely flinched when Keki indulged in her Eden Garden back on Fruits Island."

I could sense Galette implying Moscato should have anticipated this. My travels across Totto Land often followed a familiar pattern: a craving would strike, leading to a monstrous confrontation. For example, in the Eden Garden of Fruits Island, I had craved a mixture of fruits and ended up fighting and defeating a serpentine creature - neither snake nor a recognizable animal, but definitely not a devil in disguise.

"Don't you think you're overreacting, Moscato?" Galette asked, raising an eyebrow.

Moscato's voice grew increasingly frantic as he tried to explain himself. "It's not just about the gelato or the mines any more! The entire island is about to fall, capisci?" His Italian accent slipped into his words, amplifying his urgency. "We need to get outta here, subito!"

His words were rushed and tangled, leaving everyone confused. But before anyone could try to calm him down, a deafening roar echoed through the mines, causing everyone to freeze and shiver simultaneously. The sound was so intense it rattled the very ice walls around them. The roar seemed to shake Moscato to his core, and for a brief moment, his panic gave way to a strange calm.

"What was that!?" Galette gasped, his voice trembling with apprehension.

'What indeed was that?' I wondered lazily from my cold, yet comfortable position. Satisfaction had a way of dulling my nerves.

Moscato's shaky, unsteady voice cut through the panic. "That... that roar! We need to leave now - immediately!"

When Galette tried to resist, Moscato mumbled incoherent Italian phrases, his hands flailing in desperation as he addressed her and the rest of my unit. His eyes were wide with fear, and his urgency grew more frantic when he realized no one was heeding his warning.

"Death for Ice Island!" Moscato shouted, his voice rising in panic.

"Run if you want to escape. It's better to sink in the sea than face what's coming," he urged desperately.

"I'm sorry, sis, but this might be the end for Keki. We can't help him now, and if we stay, we'll share his fate!" Moscato explained to Galette. "Murder is lurking at every single dust of Ice Island."

With a final surge of urgency, Moscato cried out, "Death is here!"

---

A little girl - little by age but not by stature - holds a dagger aboard the most powerful vessel on the oceans. Though the dagger is anything but little, it seems small in her tiny hands. Little by little, drops of thick, red substance drip from the dagger's edges, splashing onto the wooden floor with a soft, sickening splash.

Before her stands a being who sees only a child lost in a world of terror. Despite the crime she has just committed, this being loves her with all its stolen heart.

But can she truly be called a little girl after all she has done? The lifeless body of a once-sentient creature lies at her feet, having met its end by the dagger she holds. The blood is now literally in her hands.

Her expression? It's a shuddering smile, a cruel grin as she replays each life she has taken in her mind.

Her name? It fits her perfectly. It's a name tied to the most terrible place, changing by just one letter in spelling. Her name is Hela. And like the Norse goddess of Death (Hela), she lives up to that name.

At just ten years old, she's a giant girl with no remorse. She could have been just a princess, but her nature dictated otherwise. Despite the damage to her reputation, one being has vowed to stay by her side through the ends of the world.

That being is her older brother - Loki, the Prince of Elbaf and leader of the strongest military in the world. He stands before Hela with a sorrowful expression.

"Hela, why?" Loki demands.

"Because death is freedom," Without hesitating, Hela replies with a cruel, remorseless tone.

The situation was different, but Moscato was right in his panic. Death is indeed here.

---

C/N:

- Loki exists in one piece. He may not be the strongest in the One Piece continuity once we learn more about him, but for this story, I rank him at No. 1 (at the start)

- Hela, on the other hand is an original character inspired by Thor: Ragnarok (Thor's & Loki's sister).

- Not going for action with the giants. Ice Island ends in the next chapter, there after it will be a love story. Spoiler alert: Ends in serious heartbreaks

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