One Piece: Path to Power

[Renaissance Island, West Blue]

"Koo~" An owl cried out as it flapped and rested on a small oak-like tree.

It was curiously gazing at a human who was 'dancing' around.

It saw a black-haired boy with red streaks running down the left side punching and kicking at a worn-down tree.

The island that was once all green then burnt down, had recovered a decent amount of greenery.

The rejuvenation was unnaturally quick, especially the nature around the center of the island which had become especially vibrant.

"4996."

"4997."

"4998."

"4999."

"5000."

The boy gave out a short sigh, "And, done."

*Creak*

He then watched as the whittled-down tree gave out and fell with a loud crash. 

Behind the young man was a trail of numerous downed trees, the perpetrator was obvious.

Damien, who had just finished his daily tree-beating training, rubbed the back of his head in slight embarrassment.

"It's a good thing Mom's power still seems to bloom nature here, otherwise I really would be sued for deforestation."

The aspiring pirate had grown in many ways.

Before even touching on strength growth, there was a height increase!

It had been a little under seven years since his clash with the Blazing Pirates.

Damien was now fourteen years of age and naturally had been through a spike in terms of height.

With the high protein intake from feasting on large fish and smaller Sea Kings, alongside the extremely 'cooperative' plant life, Damien had quite the healthy boost in all ways.

He now stood at a strong 8' 2" (2.49 m)! 

Damien could be considered a towering specimen had this been his previous world, the NBA would surely be hounding him away.

However, in the One Piece world, this height could be considered a 'giant' to some, but a 'midget' to just as many.

In other words, tall and short were highly subjective in this world.

Another thing that accompanied his growth was a weird tick in his laughter. Every time he laughed, the first syllable seemed to direct itself to a certain "R" sound.

.

Damien's body had also developed quite well, his muscles were defined, not bulging, as most of the protein went towards his growth, but it could be considered an 'enviable' physique to many.

Going outside of physical growth, there was the higher level of stamina and endurance that Damien had earned.

The Blazing Pirates were of no difficulty had Damien encountered them now.

"Sibyl, pull up my stats," He ordered as he donned his Count's Regal Attire.

[Roger roger.]

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

[Einar D. Damien]

[Age: 14 years, 6 days]

[Height: 8' 2"] (2.49 m)

[Status: Slightly tired; Healthy]

[Devil Fruit: Pulverize-Pulverize Fruit (Initial Mastery)]

[Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars]

[Seastone Resistance: 23.9% ↑]

[Skills: Enhanced Recovery (+), Enhanced Vitality (+), Evolable Anatomy, Natural Conscience, Will of D., Primitive Shave]

[Strength: Pseudo-Yonko Commander ↑]

(A/N: It was stated that the average fodder in a Yonko crew was Arlong level. Thus Damien is at a level a little above that.)

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

Damien had vastly focused on physical attributes throughout the years and his anatomy was ready for an upgrade, hence the plus indication.

Due to this focus on the bodily increase, Damien even tapped into a special movement ability which he promptly named as "Primitive Shave".

It was similar, though a simpler version of the Rokushiki used by the World Government and Navy – Soru (Shave).

Its main use was the instant teleportation-like movement which allowed its user to appear a few meters away from their original location.

The way to use it was by kicking the ground tens of times nigh-instantly to achieve its effect.

.

"Though my Devil Fruit mastery remains at the initial level, I can surely use it far less restrictively," He said.

It was a completely different story unlike before where he was tired from just showcasing a handful of attacks.

This all boiled down to the level of a 'Pseudo-Yonko Commander'. Damien wasn't entirely sure as to what that entailed, but he would probably be around Luffy's strength level when he raided Marineford during the Summit War.

.

"After all the training, it seems my evolvable anatomy has kicked in," Damien murmured as he saw the plus sign next to two skills.

Not only was the upgrade availability written out but Damien could also 'feel' it. It felt like a dam within his own body was waiting to burst open.

He didn't need to ask for directions from Sibyl, he simply closed his eyes, took a deep breath and concentrated on his breathing.

A few moments passed as he felt his bones and skin bubble in heat.

"Hmm," Damien groaned as his entire skeletal system began to vibrate, his joints and muscles ripped and dissolved as strong flesh regrew in place.

His skin cooled down as great power gathered around his limbs.

[{Enhanced Recovery} has evolved into {Rapid Recovery}].

[{Enhanced Vitality} has evolved into {Beastly Vitality}].

Damien exhaled a heavy breath as the evolution concluded, his entire body felt invigorated with newfound strength.

[{Rapid Recovery} – 3 times the speed of {Enhanced Recovery}]

[{Beastly Vitality} – 3 times the durability of {Enhanced Vitality}]

Satisfied with the boost in his physical capabilities, he then made his way to the center of the island, to a sight that was very dear to him.

…

[Ten Minutes Later]

Damien now stood before the grove of trees that resembled a woman.

The natural life around it had blossomed with beautiful flowers, dancing grass, and even incredible wildlife.

After the fire that wiped out its greenery, Renaissance Island had become the home to new birds and winged creatures due to its vibrant nature and mostly lack of human intervention.

Even Damien 'smelled' like nature to them, allowing for a peaceful coexistence.

.

Damien took a few steps forward and gently touched the arboreal portrait.

A familial warmth.

"One day I will bring you back," he muttered.

He felt the grass under his feet dance as the flower sang under the gentle breeze.

"Hmm?"

Damien's thought process was interrupted as a blue bird flew to a small nest resting on the tree right above him.

The bird seemed to feed a worm to its nestling, but this is not where Damien's attention ended up.

For he saw a collection of juicy green strawberries.

However, there was an imposter amongst them!

Damien took a subconscious breath as he had an inkling as to what the 'odd' fruit could be.

*Whizz*

The air whistled as the 14-year-old boy's body flickered from the ground and onto the thick branches of the tree; the special strawberry right before him.

Damien slowly plucked the fruit, it was only the size of his palm.

[Fruit Image (in Discord)]

Following that, a blue screen appeared in Damien's mind.

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

[Human-Human Fruit – Mythical Model: Dryad]

[Zoan Fruit]

[Fruit Rating: 6.5 Stars]

[Allows the user to transform into a hybrid and full Dryad at will.]

[Expanded: Grants immunity to all maladies while greatly increasing lifespan, body functions and overall bodily capabilities. Also allows the user to control and converse with nature.]

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

Sibyl had generated a fruit classification model, rating a devil fruit out of 7 stars.

In which a 7-star fruit could be considered an 'ultimate-class' devil fruit ability.

Even Damien's Pulverization Fruit was only scaled at 6.5 stars.

.

Damien absently played around with the strawberry as he went over the devil fruit.

Indeed, it was consistent with his mother's powers.

From what he could see, Nadia could transform into a Dryad and control nature. Whereas Damien got a great boost to his bodily capabilities and to converse with nature.

If anything, Damien could be considered as a once-in-a-century anomaly.

He stared at the fruit and eventually decided something:

"It's time to venture out," he decided. "Gambino Family alongside some recon."

Damien then promptly stored the fruit in his storage space alongside the Universal Pose, Map of Surroundings, and Fruit Ability Transfer Tokens.

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

[Near the Docks]

"Though my sailing abilities are almost null, it really couldn't be that bad, right?" Damien thought.

He was in the West Blue—abrupt weather changes were quite rare and the general climate was predictable.

With the maps he found nearly seven years ago, he could simply sail southeast to reach the nearest inhabited island: Greta Island.

.

Damien uttered some simple tunes as he walked around the Blazing Pirates' ship, hopping over the shattered floor and shredded bow.

A rather odd thing in the front deck was the two humanoid bodies wrapped in large, green leaves.

"Though they were wastes, I could use the extra cash," Damien muttered at the well-preserved bodies of Pabulum and Ignis.

The 5-meter-long leaves were from the 'thriving elephant trees'. They had strong preservative properties, credit to Damien's {Natural Conscience} for finding them.

The sails unfurled with a heavy swatting sound as Damien pulled up the anchor.

*Fwoooo*

It was quick to catch the wind, enabling the vessel to move.

Naturally, Damien had no sailing or navigating experience, but he had seen some pirate movies to understand some surface knowledge.

"And… set sail!"

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[Greta Island, West Blue]

[Three Days Later]

Greta Island was around 10,400 square kilometers in area, located near the center of West Blue.

It boasted a population of around 1.3 million inhabitants, and was a member of the World Government, having its own Marine Base: the 111th Branch Base of the Navy.

A Marine Captain reigning over said base.

The island had four main docks in each cardinal direction. 

The Northern Dock was for more merchant ships, with the Marine Base being set near it.

The Western Dock and Eastern Dock were both for commercial travel.

While the Southern Dock was for the general public.

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[Southern Docks]

"Alright, back it up, now!"

"Watch your step!"

"Welcome home!"

The dock had quite a few people walking about, around 200 of them. Mostly citizens returning home from a trip.

There were a few marines posted near the side, overseeing the entire establishment. A few cannons were mounted at three strategically placed towers.

.

"Ha! My eyes are surely playing tricks on me, must be the long hours 'cause that almost looks like a pirate ship," a man joked in an unsure tone.

His eyes locked on a faraway vessel.

Another man nearby had the same inclination, "Hmm, let's wait till the sails are fully visible."

A few worried citizens diverted their attention as well as the ship neared.

…

"I-It's a pirate ship, no doubt about it!"

"That Jolly Roger… it's the Blazing Pirates!"

"What the hell is that crazy pirate doing here? Doesn't he know Greta Island has a marine base!?"

Naturally, the citizens were shaken by the pirate flag.

*Click *Click*

A few marines loaded their muskets, aiming at the coming ship, ready to fire.

"This is Marine Lieutenant Watt A. Bottel, I have confirmed a pirate ship at the Western Docks, requesting backup," a higher-ranked marine reported into his transponder snail.

"Ready to fire, Lieutenant!"

Their exchange forced a heavy atmosphere onto the docks.

Some civilians gasped, covering their mouths while others slowly retreated.

The previously calm air had warped into a tense gust.

However, just as the mounted cannon was about to open fire, they saw a white blanket being draped onto the bow of the ship.

"A white blanket…?" the marine commanded as his subordinate pulled out his 4x Binoculars. "Check who's on board!" 

"L-Lieutenant, you're not gonna believe this!"

"What is it? Did that Ignis surrender?"

The marine shook his head in reply, quite taken aback by the turn of events.

"No! I-It's an empty ship, there's just a single young lad on the ship… And two bodies wrapped up in leaves!" 

The Lieutenant who was ready to put his life on the line paused in his footsteps.

"Huh?"

…

*Creak*

*Splash*

The withered pirate ship eventually docked as the sails were furled up and an anchor was dropped, slamming onto the floorboards of the dock rather haphazardly.

*Gulp*

The citizens gulped in unison as they saw a young, though relatively tall, boy walk off the board with little worry, two bodies being dragged by either hand.

Naturally, it was Damien, donning his beloved regal attire.

Damien nodded at the group of people and nodded in greeting, "Yo, you guys got my money for these two?"

*Slam*

He dropped the pair of bodies right in front of the Lieutenant who was still gathering his thoughts.

"U-Uhm, young man, are you by any chance a bounty hunter?" he questioned.

Damien blinked for a second and shrugged, "Something like that. I'm here to turn these two pieces of trash in."

The marines turned to look at each other, unsure of how to direct the young teen.

"Ahem, well, just follow me, I'll take you to our base and proceed with your request there."

Damien just nodded, dragging the corpses once more.

.

"He's dragging those two with such ease, Ignis is a big guy too; what kind of strength is that?"

"Reminds me of my youth!"

"Shut up, last I remember you couldn't even do a push-up at that age!"

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

[111th Branch Base]

[15 Minutes Later]

"Let me get this right, you took down the entire Blazing Pirates crew and want to turn in 'Blazing Axe' Ignis, and 'Green Fox' Pabulum?" the marine asked Damien.

They were inside the marine base.

It was a rather large lobby with a series of counters lining up people for proceedings. Bright tube lights placed along the ceiling to brighten up the room.

At this time, everyone's attention was on the strong 8-footer teenager who was effortlessly holding up two grown men by their cold, dead heads.

"That's right and can you hurry up?" Damien replied.

The marine slowly nodded, "O-Of course! I will ask my superior to process you as I cannot give out so much cash."

Damien shrugged as he threw the two pirates onto the red-draped carpets.

"Here's some tea," A worker in his 30s offered to Damien.

The young teen sat on the comfortable sofa, enjoying some tea, looking out the glass windows and toward the green forests.

"Hey, who's coming to process me, by the way?" Damien asked the worker.

He promptly replied, "Uhm, it should be the Captain Marine here."

Damien's eyes then sharpened as he gazed at the man before him.

A few seconds later, he asked in a slow yet powerful voice, "This Marine Captain … Was he here seven years ago too?"

The worker gulped heavily as his back felt cold under Damien's sharp eyes, though answering his question nonetheless.

"N-No, the previous Marine Captain died under the siege of the Gambino Mafia Family a few years ago, sir!"

Damien's eyebrow suddenly twitched.

The man who was paid off by the Blazing Pirates to effortlessly sail through their jurisdiction and toward Damien's home island died in the hands of the Mafia.

"Rahahaha!" Damien unconsciously laughed, his hands covering his face. "How ironic!" 

A certain anger and reluctance bloomed in his heart from being unable to punish the man with his own hands.

The maddened laughter left the worker greatly panicked as he scurried off posthaste.

To Be Continued…

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Author's Corner.

Images: https://discord.gg/aJHHHPvb6q