[122] Echoes of the Scorched Sea

[2660 words]

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

[A Small Tavern in Sabaody Archipelago]

A small group of dark figures sat at the edge of the bar, their presence dulled by the gloomy air around them.

"Any news of the target?" one of the shrouded persons asked.

"Nothing," a female voice answered, heaving an annoyed sigh. "As we reported months ago, she must have long died!"

A short silence later, the lankiest one of the shadows spoke, "Kade has always been correct with his foresight… our hollow answer isn't enough!"

"'Lord' Kade needs to accept his human nature!" a bulky shadow cursed, clenching his fists. "Chasing after a dead woman while the world goes to hell, just why is he Deputy Chief anyway?"

"Enough," an authoritative man spoke, silencing his companions. "Chief Xerxes sees Kade in a very bright light. Our mission holds till we bring solid proof of death for the Veil of the Night, Amethyst Aurora."

"..."

The lead figure lowered his head in thought, his eyes shut. 'Although rescued by the Sin Incarnate at G-4, she had taken a lot of damage and since then disappeared. If she didn't succumb to her injuries, then just where did she go?'

There were endless outcomes for a missing pirate: death, betrayal, disease, slavery, retirement, to name a few.

"If Deputy Chief Kade is correct, then it means the Veil of the Night has somehow lived off the grid for over two years… that is no easy feat, and it leaves Einar D. Damien with a sharp dagger at his disposal."

The other personnel remained quiet, pondering the possibilities. 

A bellowing cry from outside the tavern burst the bubble of thought. The lead shadow glanced with narrowed eyes at the rumbling beyond the creaky doors—it sounded like a stampede.

"Perhaps our mission will be put on hold… the news of the war has come!" The man shook his head and waved his hand.

*Pwoo!* An ominous breeze and the shadowy people disappeared into a purple portal.

…

The streets were far more packed than ever as tens of thousands of citizens, workers, merchants, pirates, and those of whatever other profession reached for the sky to grab the hail of bundled newspapers.

A young and fiery merchant opened his copy, looking at the headline. After all, a war was doom for some but a money-making opportunity for others!

And the bolded words did not disappoint: "THE SCORCHED SEA WAR!"

The nearby fisherman sighed in disbelief, scanning a few images while scratching his balding dome. "How can these people be considered human…"

Images of Roger vs. Whitebeard, Shiki vs. Redfield and Damien vs. Sol were just the first part, conveying a small amount of chaos that had taken place on the first day of the war.

"The previous Pirate Festival saw a huge spike in violence and death all over the world… I still remember it to this day!" an older widow wept, wiping the tears running down her face. 

The newspaper fell from her grasp, showcasing the unholy sight of the armoured Damien in his Hadean Release.

.

"Is he a bad guy?" a childish voice asked.

"Yeah, yeah, they even say he's the incarnation of sin!" another added.

A young girl ran to the sole adult, grasping their leg and not letting go. "I'm scared!"

The middle-aged man sighed at the terrified group of children around him. What was meant to be a trip from their tiny navigation school to see the booming Sabaody had turned into a mess.

"L-Look at this… he left a hole in the ocean!!!" 

The spanning scar of the Scorched Sea took up an entire page, leaving the thousands nearby to absently stare at the abyss, Damien's Abyss.

It was beyond anything they had seen; Mother Ocean had always been untouched, always the doom of the monstrous Devil Fruit users of the seas. But now the Sin Incarnate had torn it open and the marine fleet with it!

The headmaster crouched down, huddling the quivering children. "Listen up, everyone. This is exactly what the Navy is here for… they will protect you!"

The man spoke with as much firmness as he could muster, but the sight of five beacons of justice being swallowed in flames had left most people broken.

.

A large family seated around a cafe table were all lost in the news. The elderly woman, perhaps the grandmother to the five younglings, waved her cane. "Remember to behave yourselves, children, or the Sin Incarnate will come for you in the night!" she howled in a scratchy voice.

The woman's waving cane drew the attention of many other families nearby, her words even more so.

The demonic figure seeking to end the brave Navy's path of justice was indeed something to fear!

"At least the Navy was able to save many of the innocents of Superbia!" a family man exclaimed.

His companion nodded, "Thankfully, Sengoku-sama was there."

A woman on the side added, "It's good that over 50,000 pirates fell at such a terrible event. One less pirate is a hundred innocent lives saved!"

Due to the government's deal with World Economy News Paper, they saved some of their reputation as the world's guardians. Hundreds of thousands were saved, and tens of thousands of pirates were either dead or imprisoned.

But that didn't stop the names of the Roger Pirates and Rocks Pirates from echoing in everyone's minds! Especially with the attached posters.

-----< WANTED >-----

< CAPTAIN⋅JOHN >

< 'Pirate Bandit' >

< 𝔅 569,000,000 - >

< DEAD or ALIVE >

-----< WANTED >-----

< SHAKUYAKU >

< 'Black Death' >

< 𝔅 933,330,000 - >

< DEAD or ALIVE >

-----< WANTED >-----

< SILVER⋅AXE >

< 'Blinding Light' >

< 𝔅 1,134,000,000 - >

< DEAD or ALIVE >

-----< WANTED >-----

< KAIDO >

< 'Hundred-Beast' >

< 𝔅 1,261,110,000 - >

< DEAD or ALIVE >

-----< WANTED >-----

< SCOPPER⋅GABAN >

< 'Twin-Axe' >

< 𝔅 1,370,550,000 - >

< DEAD or ALIVE >

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

"Heh, how ridiculous!" a rash voice boomed.

A few people on the sidelines turned to the grizzly man and subconsciously gulped. After all, the burly man was a well-known bounty hunter.

"Even the Hundred-Beast and the Twin-Axe can barely be considered minor foes in this war!? Griz-lalala! These pirates really are walking treasure heaps!"

*Shing!* A light hum followed by an ominous breeze.

Hundreds of nearby people felt chills running down their backs as they glanced at the cloaked figure.

"So you've reached such a level," the dark figure murmured, his sharp eyes locked onto the bounty before him.

It was a reward for the right-hand man of the Fourth Division's Commander. The same pirate who had dealt a grievous blow to Admiral Basara and now brought hell to Admiral Kurowashi.

-----< WANTED >-----

< ZENORA⋅INDRA >

< 'Hellspawn' >

< 𝔅 1,666,000,000 - >

< DEAD or ALIVE >

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

The hissing wind was born from the mystery man's weapon as he glared daggers at the bounty. "Such notoriety, yet you still run away from your true nature."

'That sword!' a young blue-haired man named Tashigan yelled to himself. A small book detailing the Meito was pulled out as he matched the blade in the unknown man's hands.

'That's it, the Damned Blade!' 

It was a long, sleek, intricately designed katana with a dark, ornate hilt and a subtly curved, razor-sharp blade. The distinctive grip exuded elegance and lethal precision.

Unfortunately, even the mysterious swordsman was quickly forgotten as the following collection of bounties evoked both awe and ridicule.

A 30-foot-tall tentacle man chuckled, stretching his eight legs across five tables. "That Morgans kid is really cheeky!" The blue-skinned man slapped the table in amusement.

-----< WANTED >-----

< SILVERS⋅RAYLEIGH >

< 'Dark King' >

< 𝔅 2,308,600,000 - >

< DEAD or ALIVE >

-----< WANTED >-----

< GOL·D·ROGER >

< 'King of the Seas' >

< 𝔅 4,064,800,000 - >

< DEAD or ALIVE >

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

"'King of the Seas'!? Hahn-Hahn-Hahn!" the squid-man nasally laughed. "This is like adding oil to the fire!"

"Good lord! F-Four billion!" a man cried out as his body fell with a thud from sheer shock.

Not even the Three Overlords of the Sea had managed to enter the four billion range, causing quite the uproar.

"B-But isn't it right? After all, Roger reached the final island, Lodestar, a little while ago… He truly did become the King of the Seas!"

A scarred old man with white dreads shook his head. "The Overlords are dead, leaving two top dogs… calling Roger the King is slinging mud at the Rocks Pirates!" he roared with gnashed teeth. "The WENP will spawn even more chaos with this blasted nickname!"

"K-Keep reading! The next part is entirely on the Rocks Pirates' top elites!"

Pages were flipped aggressively as another collection of bounties was shown with separate descriptions. With the numbers written in their usual bold and eye-drawing font, it was enough to cause an island-wide silence.

First, she was known for her charming appearance and world-class figure. Yet with that attraction came great dread. A woman with a bottomless belly that could destroy a village of Elbaf as a child—a true-born monster with the power to play with one's soul and responsible for the death of millions.

-----< WANTED >-----

< CHARLOTTE⋅LINLIN >

< 'Evil Spirit' >

< 𝔅 2,488,000,000 - >

< DEAD or ALIVE >

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

The next man was known for his overwhelming strength, capable of destroying the world! His name has remained ingrained in the minds of the masses since he alone took down the Overlord, Esso Borealis.

-----< WANTED >-----

< EDWARD⋅NEWGATE >

< 'Whitebeard' >

< 𝔅 2,846,000,000 - >

< DEAD or ALIVE >

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

The next name was the newest addition to the Titans.

"Thaddeus Enigma, North Blue Massacre, G-4, Vice Admiral Zephyr, and the newly-archived Supreme Blade Ryushi," a traveller recalled, massaging his forehead.

A young woman shut her eyes at a few images of the pirate in question. One such image unveiled Damien with torn clothes, boasting his untouched torso after taking a plethora of abuse and walking away without any glaring injuries.

"I've seen that beast Garp flatten mountains with his fist… so just how can this guy live after taking that on!?" a veteran pirate roared in disbelief.

Four images, side by side. The first one showed the gaping hole in Damien's chest, and the next image showed the glistening-black bones with dripping flesh. The third was of the half-regrown chest, followed by the skin that sported nothing but some purple bruises.

And then, to top it off, an updated reward:

-----< WANTED >-----

< EINAR·D·DAMIEN >

< 'The Undying' >

< 𝔅 2,987,600,000 - >

< DEAD or ALIVE >

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

Beyond that was a man with just as much terrifying fruit power. With his Float-Float Fruit, he could send entire islands into the sky. He was known for his incredible arrogance and strength.

He was said to equal the likes of Whitebeard and Roger but far exceed them in the slaughter and massacre of the seas.

-----< WANTED >-----

< SHIKI >

< 'Golden Lion' >

< 𝔅 3,004,990,000 - >

< DEAD or ALIVE >

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

A small squadron of marines was also present, all in hopes of keeping the crowd under control.

"The Sin Incarnate got a bump of half a billion for his actions this time around," the Rear Admiral admitted, his words carrying great frustration. "If not for the Golden Lion's tendency to cause great civilian deaths, I'm sure he would have been surpassed in reward!"

"Omoji-san… there's one more page left."

The decorated marine turned to the recruit and released a hearty sigh. Naturally, he knew what the final page of the paper hid.

In fact, the tens of thousands of people over the archipelago knew it, too, but their hearts made them second-guess their desire to flip the page.

After all, it documented the sole man who held the leashes of these titans.

Alas, curiosity killed the cat, and a brave young lad flipped his copy of the news, looking at the savage pirate and the personification of all things evil. 

He was everything a pirate entailed and far more; a disaster solely meant to eradicate, boasting a death toll in the millions! The pirate's name and appearance alone caused 200 reported heart attacks all over the world every year! 

-----< WANTED >-----

< ROCKS·D·XEBEC >

< 'The Abyssal Sin' >

< 𝔅 4,670,500,000 - >

< ONLY DEAD >

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

[At a Church in Grove 67]

An older man wearing the attire of a priest knelt before a giant statue. Tens of nuns did the same behind him, along with over 300 people of varying ages.

A few bounty posters were laid on the ground before the mass of faithful believers. "Oh Divine One, have mercy on our souls and send these devils to the deepest pits of the afterworld!"

""Please, Lord!""

…

Similar scenes occurred worldwide, whether in the Four Outer Seas, Paradise, or the New World. People were afraid, and they went where they felt safe. Some prayed to God, some accepted reality, and some were so afraid that their primal instinct to procreate and continue their family line was awakened by the fear of death.

…

"Look, they updated the Threat Index!"

The Threat Index was a list of criminals categorized initially into six levels. However, due to recent events, changes were warranted.

Level 6: Threats not worth mentioning by higher powers.

Level 5: Emerging threats, usually Super Rookies of their respective eras.

Level 4: Threats known for their brutality and destruction, usually belonging to the New World.

Level 3: Threats that could cause the collapse of smaller kingdoms.

Level 2: Threats that could be said to bring enough destruction that would warrant the eyes of Navy Admirals. Usually, pirates with at least a billion berry bounty.

Level 1: The absolute terrors of current times with the power or the capital to cause untold amounts of chaos. Usually, these threats were the main topic of discussion in the Reverie.

"'Pirate Queen' Herja, 'Crazed Wind' Borealis, Thaddeus 'Medulla' Enigma, the 'Holy Terror' Sol. All these monsters were on that list until their fall!" a man shouted as he looked over the new list.

But there was a glaring change to the World Threat Index—a new level!

Level 0: The unparalleled threat, surpassing all others, capable of toppling the very foundation of the World Government and commanding multiple Level 1 threats.

This new tier had but one name: Rocks D. Xebec. A pirate who commanded four Level One threats while having an army of relentless and fearless pirates. This, along with his ambition to sit on the world's throne, gave birth to a new level of danger.

Of course, the middle initial D was not exactly invisible. Even an idiot could see the reappearances of this name, as four, including the deceased Sol, had already made their way to the first level. 

It was another thought for the Reverie scheduled in three years.

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

[A Few Hours Later]

"Haaah, I can't believe so much happened at that Festival," a man sighed as he sat down. His heart finally calmed down from the news report.

"Who could have expected the Marines to lose so many troops in a single attack? What a tragedy!"

"Even the dazzling Kurowashi-sama was left so broken, and they sank the ancient Ox Lloyd's Warship, too!"

"Charlotte Linlin, Silvers Rayleigh, Patrick Redfield, Edward Newgate, Einar D. Damien, Shiki, and Gol D. Roger," a young woman with long, black hair recounted. "Seven of the current eight Level One Threats were involved in the war!"

A final summary of the casualty count was as follows:

Pirate Casualties: 50,000-52,000.

Navy Casualties: 25,000-26,000.

Civilian Casualties: 120,000-150,000.

A former pirate leaned into his seat, staring at the sky. "The Overlords are dead, and Roger and Rocks remain..."

As the saying goes: "There can only be one king!" With the Overlords gone, the final crews, Rocks Pirates and Roger Pirates seemed destined for another world-shaking war.

…

The echoes of the Scorched Sea had made their way across all borders and into all waters, claiming a point in history, both mentally and physically:

"Look at that; the historians of Ohara just sent an update, too," a man remarked, looking at a secondary note sent out by the WENP regarding Damien's Abyss.

His friend nodded with fascination, "I want to see it myself! It's a landmark left behind by the Scorched Sea War!"

The man nodded. "The ex-pirate Clover has dubbed it one of the Seven Wonders of the New World!"

To Be Continued…

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

Author's Corner.

I had to rewrite this chapter quite a lot. I also planted some seeds for future stuff. However, it was your average bounty-update chapter to wrap things up.

This is the era before everything went to hell, so naturally, the numbers aren't as blown up as future ones. Four billion was unseen until Rocks and now Roger. 

Any thoughts on what else can be added to the Seven Wonders of the New World?

Images, notable character recaps and other extra details are all available on Discord: https://discord.gg/aJHHHPvb6q