"Its name is 'Ryushi,' the Thirteenth Supreme Blade!"
Damien held the clawed blade in the air, a bright glint reflected off its sharp edges.
Whitebeard laughed, almost as if he was welcoming the new addition to the records. The nearby pirates naturally heard the bold claim as well.
"That news about the thirteenth blade was actually true!"
"No wonder it didn't take any damage after eating an island-rattling quake!"
"Gledadada! Spread the word, our Rocks Pirates got another top dog on our side!"
Shing!
The boisterous man's head rolled onto the ground.
"Damn asshole, he screamed in my ear!"
Bang!
A bullet went off and a body dropped to the ground.
"His blood got on my shirt, you know how expensive it was!"
Boom!
A giant boot smashed a knocked-out pirate's head into mush, leaving his killer with a maniacal smile.
"Hehe! I always wanted to do that!"
…
The two VIPs made their way to Skull Rock, giving Damien time to run through Newgate's statistics.
>=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-==-=----[]---<>---[]---=-==-=----[]---<>---[]---=-==-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=<
And as predicted, a head rolled after twelve seconds.
Previously, Damien had tried Destiny Perception on the likes of Kuzan, Toki and Aurora, but it all came "inconclusive".
According to Sibyl, it was because Damien's presence was too close to them, messing up any predictions due to his anomalous nature.
…
A few moments later in his advent, the young pirate suddenly spoke up, "Are you making sure it's the real me? I assure you, it's me, Indra."
*Woosh*
He smiled as a shadow flickered before him.
Standing at exactly eleven feet with dark skin, long black hair and tribal marks decorating his skin. A wolf-like appearance with sharp eyes.
The man donned a simple black vest and shirt and put his bodily markings on display, further deepening his fierce nature. The Deputy Commander of Fourth Division of the Rocks Pirates—Zenora Indra.
"Pardon me, Commander," he nodded in greeting in his calm and rather soft voice. "I was nearby when I felt the tremors."
Indra looked up to see Damien's more mature face since when he last saw him.
"You've been MIA for over half a year; quite a few daredevils have been coming here to take on your name seeking to garner attention and fame."
Damien found it amusing, "Rahaha! I'm sure they were late to realize that my name will only bring them an early death."
Indra nodded before his stoic face turned into a thin smirk, "It's good to have you back, Commander."
"It's good to be back, Indra," Damien returned the grin. "Show me the fresh meat you collected over the past little while."
Indra began to walk, leading his superior to the Fourth Division's territory.
…
[Fourth Division Headquarters]
A small building with access to a small dock, that's what headquarters meant at Hachinosu. The wood had begun to rot with visible violations of all construction codes around the seas.
Having such a location was already considered incredible, though.
Indra stood tall, his eyes piercing through the region.
"Line up."
Damien watched from the side as Indra commanded four pirates. Within moments, all of them were lined up, much like that of an army barracks.
Indra walked a little to the side, allowing Damien to take the front.
Meanwhile, the four pirates stabilized their breathing, feeling a mix of emotions.
They watched as the notorious Sin Incarnate stood before them, in the flesh. His crimson eyes scanned them.
It felt like a knife being put at their throat.
Indra introduced them, left to right.
First, the burly pirate who dwarfed everyone, even Damien.
"A brute from an underground fighting ring, Majin. Specializes in laying down destruction, low intelligence quotient but tough skin."
The pirate in question could only scratch his white hair. Though he was masked, it did not hide his dull nature.
Standing a solid 18' 3" (5.56 m), Majin wore only dull gray trousers. He had a burly physique which showcased his red skin. An equally red mask hid his face, simply showing large white teeth and gaping white eye holes.
[Majin Image (in Discord)]
.
"Next up is Ignio Kaen. A man chasing money for some personal purpose, he can be a little hot-headed with an inkling for arson."
There was not much for the author to describe. Damien saw a man 10' 5" in height (3.18 m). He wore a red shirt, red pants, red belt while sporting long red hair.
He also had a red tattoo running down his right arm.
Kaen's face scrunched up at Indra's description, but he could only swallow his irritation.
[Ignio Kaen (in Discord)]
.
"Thirdly, a drug enthusiast looking for money to start his own pharmacy, Droga Pablo. He is decent with pistols but his main experience lies in concocting many types of serums to aid in battle."
Damien was amused by the relatively short man.
A little under 5' 6" in height (1.67 m) and not exactly fit. He sported a gray suit with blank pants. However, his notable characteristic was the thick 'stache.
[Droga Pablo Image (in Discord)]
.
"Lastly, a recent addition, Voyd Nomu. Born of a cult of the South Blue and a top Supernova of this Generation with a reward of 200 million berries, second only to the newly-rising Agon."
Damien raised an eyebrow, "It's not bad."
He glanced at the 7' 4"-man (2.24 m). He had long, nicely-combed white hair. His face had blue lines tattooed over it, even reaching down to his chest.
The man wore a white caped coat, showing his torso and dark skin. All the while holding a staff with a skull mounted on it, similar to a witch doctor.
[Voyd Nomu Image (in Discord)]
.
"Since the four of you passed Indra's eye, I won't speak on your worth."
Damien's words brought them relief.
"Just know your place—you're my fodder to help whittle down the enemy at hand; your life is not worth much. Even the oxygen you breathe is considered a luxury at Hachinosu."
Those words were not as relieving as they had hoped and even brought them some tension.
"You're welcome to leave whenever, I certainly don't intend on keeping dead weight. Just know that any treasure you find, you keep; you get what you work for."
This calmed them down.
Damien nodded at their behaviour as he moved to the next step.
"I'm a nice and warm-hearted person by nature, I'll give you a tool to prove your worth."
He waved his hand as tens of odd-shaped fruits littered the floor. The four looked at one another and then at the fruits, gulping at the sight.
"You have five minutes; pick your poison."
…
[Five Minutes Later]
The four of them had chosen from the arsenal of Devil Fruits. Although none of them were particularly overpowering, the abilities were decent.
Of all the choices, it was Nomu who surprised Damien the most.
"That ability comes with a glaring weakness," he commented.
Nomu gave a cocky smirk, "Don't worry, bossman. I always had a strong connection to this power, this is my calling!"
The four soon munched down their fruit with much difficulty.
Majin almost threw up which would have made things harder as he would need to eat his vomit to get the ability had that happened.
…
Soon enough, the four stood tall, apart from Pablo, relishing in their newfound power. The basic usages swarmed their minds, allowing them simple mastery.
Damien addressed the party of four, giving them his final thought, "Very well, Fodder of the Fourth Division, you have two weeks to acquaint yourself with your powers, after that, we've got a marine base to raid."
The thought of ravaging marines brought great pleasure to their faces. It was truly something to look forward to.
To Be Continued…
Author's Corner:
The OC Director of the Marine Criminal Intelligence Service of this era is Hakuchō. His image will be released in a few chapters.
Kurouma means "Black Horse"; Hakuchō means "White Swan".
I made a channel that lists Damien's current forces on Discord alongside other more expansive details: https://discord.gg/aJHHHPvb6q