One Piece: Path to Power

Damien and Toki made their way to Ringo, slowly leaving the borders of the Flower Capital.

Thankfully, unlike most girls, Toki was not the type of woman to take seven different suitcases for a few days-long trip, thus they were able to leave right away.

The duo had been given a small scroll that documented the words of the Shogun, granting them full authority to pass through any region of Wano.

*Neigh*

The steeds proudly whinnied, charging to the far North, pulling the carriage carrying the two guests.

Along the way, Toki could not help but chime in. 

"Ringo has a heavy wintry climate and it is always snowy," she introduced the region. "It is said to be so cold that people buried there do not decompose, and their bodies are preserved, something known as 'Eternal Grave'."

The girl went off in an attempt to show off her knowledge of her home island.

"Over a decade ago, Ringo was a barren and uninhabited land, but under the rule of the current Daimyo, it became livable and prosperous. What an amazing person!"

She clapped her hands in delight at the current reality of Ringo.

.

Damien hummed, though he remembered the one thing that Ringo was known for.

"The unforgiving cold grants it an ideal place for the dead, I believe Hyogoro called it the 'Northern Cemetery'."

Toki nodded, though her eyes were drawn to the slowly whitening ground as the snow had begun to appear.

"Since the bodies can be preserved for hundreds of years, it is the resting place of fallen samurai, along with katanas they have carried since birth as grave markers."

Damien thought it was quite poetic. The very sword they perfect throughout their lives accompanies them beyond death. 

"Unfortunately, such a place is forever plagued with grave robbers," he commented.

Toki frowned at the thought, but she could not refute it. "That's terrible, stealing a Samurai's weapon after their death is beyond shameful! Thankfully I've heard that the current Daimyo is very strict on the graveyard's care."

Damien nodded in agreement while playing around with the Shogun's scroll. If not for this, his carriage would probably be cut apart the moment they neared the burial site.

*Fwooo*

White vapour was soon forming at their breaths; the cold slowly seeping into the rickety carriage.

Damien did not feel any discomfort, but that couldn't be said for the other person inside.

.

He gently placed his right hand on the walls of the carriage. The air seemed to shudder as Damien's arm took on a gray tone with white cracks popping out.

*Rrrrr*

The wooden planks creaked, previously they had hardened quite a lot due to the cold, yet now they began to slightly expand, losing their coldness.

Toki took in a breath, feeling the lost warmth return.

"Damien-san, did you do something? It's so cozy now."

The young pirate raised his hand as it returned to its original appearance, though it had a layer of frost formed over it.

*Crack*

The pirate flexed the muscles in his right arm as the icicles shattered apart.

"I just deprived the carriage of its coldness, it beats wearing a thick jacket inside, no?"

The words seemed to fascinate the girl as she heard of such an ability.

"Devil fruits never cease to surprise me!" she excitedly said. "I wonder just what other amazing things exist in our world."

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

[Twelve Hours Later]

The late evening had gone by.

A bright moon graced the cold and barren land of Ringo, bringing about an icy chill. Any normal person would turn into an ice sculpture in moments if exposed to such temperatures.

*Clack* *Clack*

Yet in the silent cold, a thumping noise resounded.

Two vigorous steeds ran through the fresh coat of snow that had blanketed the ground. Even under the chill, they seemed relaxed; bred to conquer any climate.

Soon they and the carriage they hauled arrived at a small settlement. A few guards stood in the way of the charging steeds, their blades ready.

*Krrr*

The horseshoes dug into the dead soil below the snow and came to a stop. The carriage wheels were frozen and lacking grip, taking nearly a minute for the entire vehicle to come to a halt.

Meanwhile, guards surrounded the carriage, ready to strike if necessary.

.

The frozen doors then opened.

A warm air that felt blazing hot in comparison to the chill of Ringo met the faces of the guards. Their bodies sang in delight, though they reined in their surprise and examined the two possible intruders.

"Hmm?"

Their gazes were met with a piece of paper with a black stamp in the shape of the Kozuki Crest, easily distinguishable even in the current snowy conditions.

The swords were returned to their sheaths with a click while they bowed their heads.

"Please come with us to see the Daimyo," they announced in unison.

Though one looked up with some confusion.

He saw the green-haired girl had thrown on a warm and cozy jacket alongside a hood and mittens, and yet the young man was only wearing a casual yukata.

"..." They chose not to ask as the guest seemed unbothered by the chill, instead, leading the way in for them both.

Damien and Toki also took the chance to breathe in the surroundings. The tundra-like geography was a huge change compared to the pleasant Flower Capital.

However, the small village had its charm.

…

They were soon brought to a decent-sized building that took on the appearance of a Japanese design, nothing out of the ordinary in Wano.

[Image (in Discord)]

Small fires lit up the nearby area. Walking in you'd see the same thing. Torches were lit with a small flame while a large fireplace was used to heat up the indoors.

A man with an imposing presence sat on a cushion, a few scrolls before him. It seemed that he was in the process of writing a report with his inked brush.

He had a pronounced nose and dark blue hair that was somewhat spiky in the front and gathered into a large, bushy bun at the back. Sporting a stern expression with sharp eyes. Two swords leaned on the table before him, unassuming yet within hand's reach.

"Welcome to Ringo, guests from afar," he said with a deep yet welcoming voice. "My name is Shimotsuki Ushimaru."

Toki gave a curt bow as she met the Daimyo.

"Thank you, my name is Amatsuki Toki."

Her companion simply replied with a single word, "Damien."

[Ushimaru Image (in Discord)]

.

The swordsman nodded without saying much more, he seemed to be a reserved man.

Damien, however, could not help but narrow his eyes in thought.

Ushimaru looked very similar to a certain directionally-challenged moss-headed pirate. 'Looks like Zoro has a strong relation to Ushimaru and possibly even Ryuma as they share the same surname,' he deduced.

"Ushimaru, I'm here to study the famed swords of the fallen Samurai," Damien frankly said.

The Daimyo nodded, "Very well. The dead are a reminder to all of us Samurai that our rest will come one day. We direly protect their mementos; their very weapons are a source of Wano's greatest history."

He then turned his head to the hallway nearby.

"Onimaru, take them to the Cemetery."

At the drop of his words, a small fox with a flame-like mane and tail ran out. He ran straight to Ushimaru's hand, asking for a pet.

The Daimyo acquiesced to his beloved pet, giving him a rub; its fiery tail went side to side. 

Toki seemed quite enthralled by the fox as she could not help but ask, "Wow! I've never seen such a magical creature before…"

Ushimaru smiled as if reliving some memories.

"He is a komagitsune, a very rare fox that I was fortunate enough to encounter in my younger years."

[Onimaru Image (in Discord)]

Ushimaru repeated his words, "Go, lead them to where they wish to go."

…

[The Northern Cemetery]

Thousands of graves.

Rows upon rows, column upon columns with neatly arranged plots for every burial.

A weapon, whether katanas, swords, scythes, glaives or machetes, any weapon conceivable, could be found at the head of every grave.

It was both peaceful and lonely at the same time.

*Vvooo~* The bitter chill left everything in relatively pristine shape and quality, to the point where the blades themselves have yet to go dull.

However, every passing wind would be sliced apart in a symphony of melodies. It was as if the blades were singing in memory of their wielders!

.

The fox ran through the max of graves, carefully not stepping over any of them, but rather around them. It was obvious the mammal had great intelligence.

Damien and Toki followed closely.

It took three minutes to reach a grand burial site and It was far beyond anything nearby. 

A giant obelisk stood tall, not a single ounce of frost on it. Large kanji were printed upon its body, reading out three sentences:

[Here rests the greatest Hero of Wano.]

[A man revered for slaying a dragon and protecting his home with his black blade.]

[The Sword God—Shimotsuki Ryuma.]

Under the plaque was a simple grave and embedded as a gravestone was a katana, Shusui.

Shusui was a black blade that had a distinct reddish-purple reverse wave hamon pattern. Its scabbard lay flat under the glorious blade.

The exposed sharp edge was constantly cutting the air around it with a soft hum.

[Shusui Images (in Discord)]

Toki was enraptured by the beauty of the blade.

Meanwhile, Damien was trying to listen to its voice, though was unable to hear anything; Shusui had gone silent over the years as if resting with its master for hundreds of years.

"A Black Blade has had its user's Haki seep into its very core over endless battles, raising its rank even further. Therefore it can be considered to rival a Supreme Grade Sword," Damien concluded.

He traced his index finger over the flat part of the blade, sending in his own Haki to see the very make-up of the sword.

'It's just like my Black Bones, I wonder what kind of a monster Ryuma was to achieve such a result,' he thought.

.

Damien was also quick to understand what Raizen meant.

Every sword was essentially created for a specific user, allowing them to fully release the weapon's potential.

Though it seemed that good enough swordsmen like the future Zoro could do the same after enough training, it probably was not possible with Damien as he was no swordsman.

'As far as concentrating my powers, it would be a waste if my weapon couldn't display its might; it has to be perfect,' the Sin Incarnate thought with conviction.

He clenched his hand, almost as if envisioning the very weapon in his palm. Regardless of the method, he needed it soon.

The good news was that he was in Wano… the land of artisans! The answer lay in this very country, he just needed to look around a little more.

…

Damien and Toki eventually made their way back to the Daimyo's residence after looking over many other graves and weapons.

"Good boy," Damien said as he petted the fox.

Onimaru gave out a dull whine in enjoyment.

"Onimaru is quite picky with letting others touch him," Ushimaru's deep voice resounded. "I thought I was the only one he would allow to touch him."

Damien stood up and smiled, "I'm good with most living things."

They then walked back into the main hall and took their seats.

.

"Ushimaru-san, are you by any chance related to Lord Ryuma?" Toki asked from the side.

The man returned a nod.

"Ryuma is my direct ancestor," he answered. "It's quite the name that my sister and I had to live up to."

Toki brought out a book and began to take notes as Ushimaru gave a small list of his fellow relatives.

It turned out that Usimaru's sister, Shimotsuki Furiko, had left Wano recently to see the outside world.

"Though leaving the borders of Wano is a grave crime," Ushimaru admitted. "She called this place her prison… I could not help but relent to Furiko's request and even helped her depart."

A look of shame and ambivalence arrived on the weathered swordsman's face and he looked to the floor. The image of a young woman with long blue hair came to mind, forcing Ushimaru to shut his eyes. "I wouldn't even know if she's still alive..."

.

Toki smiled at the man's worry, "I have seen both the beauty and the flaws of the outside seas. All my life I imagined Wano as a paradise."

The girl shook her head, "As beautiful as Wano is, it also has its flaws."

Subconsciously, Toki glanced at Damien and bloomed with a bright smile.

"Maybe Furiko-san also wanted to explore the outside world, you should not feel ashamed for breaking her chains."

Ushimaru heard the candid words and widened his eyes. "Usha-haha! You certainly match the grace of the Amatsuki Clan!"

…

The party of three then enjoyed a small yet fulfilling meal under the cozy walls of the building.

Ushimaru liked drinking so Damien brought out some of his favourite alcoholic beverages to convey the taste of the outside world.

After the hearty meal, it came time for the pirate's true purpose.

"I take it you got what you came here for?" the slightly drunk swordsman asked the pirate.

Damien nodded, though with a hint of uncertainty.

"Ushimaru, since you come from the Sword God's clan, do you have any clue on where and how I can craft a quality weapon?" 

The Daimyo nodded as if expecting the question.

"If you seek a proper craftsman then I suggest you ask my distant cousin. He is a Daimyo as well and has a large array of knowledge when it comes to weaponsmiths."

Damien was drawn into the words, awaiting the answer.

"He is the Daimyo of Hakumai. They call him 'The Hedgehog'—Shimotsuki Yasuie."

To Be Continued…

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

Author's Corner.

Here's an image of Zoro's family tree which matches the musing of Ushimaru depicted in this chapter.

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