"Poruporup..."
From the time Damon left the Sobel Kingdom to the time he killed the Donquixote Family's executives, less than three hours had passed, most of which was spent traveling. Vice Admiral Tsuru, thinking Damon had encountered a difficult situation, asked as soon as he connected to the Den Den Mushi:
"Has something happened?"
"I encountered the Donquixote Family's Diamond Legion."
"The Diamond Legion is strong and experienced in combat. Don't make a move for now, wait for us to come and support you!"
"No, what I meant was that I have completely wiped out the Diamond Legion, and I even sank their pirate ships. Since the soldiers on the transport ships and escort warships are all dead, I need manpower to come and help me sail back and return the Celestial Gold to its rightful owner."
"..."
The Den Den Mushi fell into a deathly silence.
Even the usually astute Vice Admiral Tsuru fell into a rare silence upon hearing the news.
Vice Admiral Tsuru had anticipated that Damon was quite capable, but he was merely a relatively outstanding junior. Yet, Damon had managed to wipe out the Donquixote Family's Diamond Legion single-handedly. If Damon wasn't lying, it meant that he already possessed the strength to be on par with her.
Beside Vice Admiral Tsuru, Momousagi Gion opened her cherry-like mouth in disbelief, almost unable to close it, with an expression of utter disbelief.
A week later.
The New World.
The sea area near the Dressrosa Kingdom.
Doflamingo lay back on a beach chair, holding a wine glass in his right hand, gently swirling the red wine inside.
Just then, Trebol rushed over, his face filled with fear, holding a white Den Den Mushi in his hands, and said urgently:
"Young Master, something terrible has happened!"
"Vergo has called urgently: the Diamond Legion has been completely wiped out!"
Upon hearing this, Doflamingo was struck dumb. He clenched his fist and crushed the wine glass, letting the shards of glass scatter all over the ground. Red wine spilled all over his palm, like blood dripping from his heart, flowing with a bright red color.
Behind the sunglasses, his eyes flashed with a fierce light, like a sleeping beast awakening from its slumber. The blond youth exuded an oppressive aura, and even Trebol, who had been by the young master's side for many years, dared not raise his head, for fear of provoking the young master's thunderous wrath.
In the blink of an eye, the oppressive aura vanished.
Doflamingo suppressed his anger, took the white Den Den Mushi from Trebol's hand, and said in a hoarse voice:
"Who killed my family?"
"Naval Rising Star, Damon."
Doflamingo's eyes flickered for a moment, then he quickly recalled who this person was, and let out a strange, wounded laugh like a wild beast.
"Damon? I not only want him dead, I want all the students in this naval academy to be buried with him!"
Doflamingo turned to look at Trebol and said:
"Go and invite Fujitora over. Tell him I have a big deal to make."
White clouds drifted lazily by, and seabirds occasionally took flight.
Five warships cut through the white waves and sailed on the Grand Line.
These five warships were smaller than normal warships, serving as training ships for naval academy cadets. They were 19.5 meters long, 7.95 meters wide, with a draft of 3.35 meters and a displacement of 189 tons, and were equipped with 10 cannons.
In terms of combat power alone, these five training ships were probably not as strong as some large pirate crews.
However, what was lost on one front was gained on another; the training ship was delicate and agile, and its speed was significantly faster than that of ordinary warships.
It was now the dead of winter, and the year was about to come to an end.
Over the past year, this sea appeared calm on the surface, but in reality, undercurrents were surging.
The current graduating class of the naval academy was about to graduate.
Chief Instructor Zephyr's appearance remained unchanged, except for a few more silver strands at his temples. Even a hero like him could not withstand the ravages of time. Only when he saw the students on the warship would his gaze soften, as if he were looking at the children he had raised with his own hands.
"I wonder how many people will pass the graduation exam this year?"
The graduation exams at naval academies were always extremely difficult, and completing them was no easy feat. However, once a student completed the exams, it meant that Marine Headquarters had gained a capable officer who would likely become a pillar of the Navy in the future.
It was precisely because the naval academy sent high-quality personnel to Marine Headquarters every year that Marine Headquarters had been able to thrive and had always been one of the most powerful forces on the sea, maintaining order and peace in this ocean.
However, when Chief Instructor Zephyr's gaze swept over the empty seats on the deck, he would always unconsciously think of those top students from this year's class.
More than a month ago, he had already heard that Damon had single-handedly killed several Donquixote Family officers. After this battle, Damon became famous overnight, causing a huge sensation in Marine Headquarters.
Even now, Chief Instructor Zephyr could still recall the astonished expressions on the faces of the Marine Headquarters officers when they first heard the news.
Lieutenant General Weasel slapped his thigh repeatedly during the meeting, exclaiming:
"This young man has the makings of a great admiral!"
Upon hearing this, Garp was so excited that he immediately opened several bags of senbei and started munching on them, slurring his words:
"As expected of a disciple who has received my true teachings!"
Of course, based on Chief Instructor Zephyr's understanding of Garp's character, he couldn't help but have some reservations:
"Look how happy you are! You still say Damon isn't your illegitimate son?"
Under the direction of Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Damon's military rank soared like a rocket, jumping several ranks from warrant officer to become the youngest captain in the history of Marine Headquarters.
The Navy has established a rigorous organizational system, with ranks and titles ranging from lowest to highest as follows:
Seaman Recruit, Seaman Apprentice, Seaman, Petty Officer, Chief Petty Officer, Master Chief Petty Officer, Warrant Officer, Ensign, Lieutenant Junior Grade, Lieutenant, Lieutenant Commander, Commander, Captain, Rear Admiral, Vice Admiral, Admiral, Fleet Admiral.
Large organizations like the Navy, which had been established for many years, had a very strict and standardized promotion process for personnel appointments. It wasn't that you could get promoted just because you had the ability and skills; you also needed to have accumulated merits on the battlefield and have certain qualifications and background.
Even though Admiral Kuzan was a Logia-type Ice-Ice Fruit user and was a top-tier figure in the Navy in terms of both combat strength and seniority, he was only promoted to Admiral after the Ohara incident and gained the recognition of the World Government and the Five Elders.
If it were any other time, Damon, at only seven years old, would have faced numerous obstacles from the generals if he wanted to become a captain!
Keep in mind that a warrant officer was qualified to lead 50 soldiers, while a captain was qualified to lead 150 soldiers!
If promoted further to major, lieutenant commander, or colonel, and assigned to the weakest region, the East Blue, one could become the leader of a local naval branch and have the authority to govern one or more towns.
The 153rd Naval Division near Shellstown in the East Blue was under the command of Captain Morgan.
These naval branches were scattered across various islands, and the naval soldiers were mostly recruited from local towns, ranging from 150 to 300 people. If they could be developed, they could become a formidable army.
This moment was not that moment.
Things were different now. This sea had been in chaos for many years, with pirates swarming around like locusts. No matter how strong the navy was, it couldn't handle the sheer number of pirates, and its combat power was starting to become insufficient.
Meanwhile, the Five Elders and the Celestial Dragons were also pleased to see the Donquixote Family suffer a setback. Damon's killing of several Donquixote Family executives made them see the possibility of capturing Doflamingo.
Because, in the past month, there had been reports from all over the world of the abduction of Celestial Gold, and the culprit was none other than the Donquixote Family.
Doflamingo used this as leverage to try to force the World Government and the Five Elders to compromise on the condition that Doflamingo be appointed as the new Warlord of the Sea.
With the tacit approval of the World Government and the Five Elders, and the support of Marine Headquarters represented by Garp, Damon's rapid promotion in rank was a natural outcome.
Chief Instructor Zephyr's lips curled up slightly.
As the head instructor, he was proud to have taught such outstanding students.
However, thinking of the other top students—Smoker, Hina, Drake, Jonathan, and Daddy Masterson—who had been missing for the past six months since arriving at Impel Down, Chief Instructor Zephyr couldn't help but worry about their safety, muttering to himself:
"Why do you have to learn from Damon? Do you think any of you can learn from him?"
Just as Chief Instructor Zephyr was getting angry about this, he suddenly heard a series of exclamations from the trainees on the deck.
Chief Instructor Zephyr was in a bad mood and instinctively wanted to reprimand the students who were shouting.
But when he followed the students' gaze toward the sea, he saw a tall figure riding the waves.
This person may have possessed the bloodline of giants, standing over five meters tall. Their upper and lower limbs were asymmetrical, with large upper limbs and slender lower limbs. There were obvious stitching marks at the joints of the limbs, suggesting that the body had been pieced together using advanced technology.
Of course, the most obvious feature of this person should have been his appearance, which was an attempt to imitate Whitebeard Edward Newgate. He had deliberately grown a crescent-shaped white mustache on his upper lip, but it appeared to be longer and thinner. The sideburns on both sides of his head were tied into ponytails. This strange outfit diluted his fierce aura and made him look somewhat incongruous, comical and funny.
However, when this person wielded the nearly ten-meter-long Murakumogiri, the students were no longer fooled by his appearance, but were instead shocked by his strength.
A crescent-shaped slash sliced through the sea, cutting a training ship in front of it in half.
The ship let out a groan as its keel broke, and both ends of the hull collapsed toward the middle. A whirlpool rose from beneath the ship, gradually engulfing the training vessel. Naval cadets on deck quickly jumped onto nearby training ships to avoid being swallowed by the sea.
This vast ocean held countless hidden masters.
Edward Weevil was still an unknown pirate at the time, and it wasn't until ten years later, after Whitebeard Edward Newgate died in battle, that he truly became active on the seas and became a famous pirate.
Chief Instructor Zephyr searched his memory but couldn't match the person in front of him with anyone on the wanted list, indicating that this person was not currently wanted and that Marine Headquarters lacked information about him.
As the training ship sank to the bottom of the sea, Chief Instructor Zephyr's face darkened, and he questioned:
"Who are you to attack the Navy? Do you know what you're doing?"
Edward Weevil sniffled, a vicious expression spreading across his ugly face.
"I'm going to kill you all!"
"Kill, kill, kill!"
Edward Weevil leaped over the waves and landed on the deck of the warship, swinging his nearly ten-meter-long Murakumogiri, instantly creating a bloody storm.
The battle for destiny was about to begin.
At headquarters, just disembarked from the warship.
After nearly half a year adrift at sea, Damon finally returned to Marine Headquarters. The moment his feet touched the land, he finally felt a long-lost sense of peace.
It wasn't the feeling of a wanderer returning to their hometown, but rather the fact that the human condition of living on land was deeply imprinted in the soul and bloodline, and only by returning to land could one find the feeling of being alive again.
According to normal procedure, Damon, as the person who had single-handedly wiped out the Donquixote Family's Diamond Legion, should accompany Vice Admiral Tsuru to meet with Fleet Admiral Sengoku to report on his work.
Although Fleet Admiral Sengoku already knew the whole story through the Den Den Mushi, he still had to go through the motions and present Damon with the Medal of Honor and the award ceremony in front of other naval officers.
According to Vice Admiral Tsuru, the awarding ceremony should be full of ritual in order to cultivate a sense of belonging and honor among naval officers and generals toward Marine Headquarters, inspire their recognition of justice, and help them get rid of their past mindset of living a muddled life.
The two arrived at the door of Fleet Admiral Sengoku's office and heard a roar coming from inside:
"What did you say? Someone attacked the training ship led by Zephyr, and this year's naval cadets suffered heavy casualties?"
Upon hearing this, Damon was thunderstruck!
Damon was familiar with the plot. According to the original story, it should have been two years later that the training ship led by Chief Instructor Zephyr would be attacked, and he would lose his arm in that battle. Almost all the naval academy students in that class would be wiped out.
Damon never imagined that the butterfly effect he had created upon arriving in this world would actually bring this event forward!
_________________
Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
---
Chapter 57: Fate? It Doesn't Deserve To Be My Opponent!
Chapter 58: Mangekyo Sharingan
Chapter 59: The Seven Warlords
---
Support the journey and unlock advanced chapters!
If you're enjoying Damon's story, his journey of wielding memes from other worlds inside the One Piece universe, collecting ultimate skills like the Sharingan, Bankai, Blood Demon Arts, and Ten Shadow Spells, and watching him shake the very foundations of the World Government… there's always a way to stay ahead.
I work every day on this novel, developing its world and chapters, and every bit of support helps me keep delivering more content with higher quality and faster releases.
By supporting me on Patreon, you'll get exclusive access to advanced chapters before they're released to the public. You can move ahead in the story and read up to 15 chapters in advance!
📚 Support Tiers:
$5 → Read 5 advanced chapters
$10 → Read 10 advanced chapters
$15 → Read 15 advanced chapters
Every bit of support, even a small one, makes a real difference and helps me continue writing this journey that we're experiencing together.
Join now and start reading the stacked chapters before everyone else:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/The_King_MT
Thank you to everyone who supports the story and believes in this world. You are the reason it continues. ❤️