They sealed their plans under moonlight—the forest would taste their resolve at dawn.
The pre-dawn chill was a biting companion as Valerius, Lyra, and Kael moved through the silent woods. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and ancient trees, a stark contrast to the metallic tang of anticipation that hung in the air around them. Valerius had chosen their ambush point meticulously: a narrow, winding path that snaked through a dense thicket, flanked on one side by a steep, rocky incline and on the other by a shallow, overgrown ravine. It was a natural choke point, perfect for an ambush.
Valerius moved first, his hands shimmering with the faint purple light of his Empty Empty Fruit. He knelt, pressing his palms into the earth, and subtly generated small, localized pockets of void. These were not destructive blasts, but precisely placed void snares. He camouflaged them with loose leaves and twigs, making them utterly invisible to the naked eye. These were not meant to kill, but to disorient, to trip, to create a moment of chaos. He placed them at irregular intervals, ensuring that anyone moving through the path would inevitably stumble. He also focused his Armament Haki, coating his hands in the invisible armor, feeling the subtle hardening of his skin. He practiced extending it, refining the swiftness of its application.
Lyra, in her human form, moved with the quiet grace of a true huntress, her senses preternaturally sharp. She focused her Observation Haki, extending her awareness, feeling the subtle shifts in the air, the faint vibrations of distant movement. She practiced muting her own presence, becoming a ghost in the forest, then expanding it, making herself known. She rehearsed her movements, her body a coiled spring, ready to transform into her powerful badger hybrid form at a moment's notice. She was the spearhead, the first strike.
Kael, a silent mountain of a man, stood at the base of the rocky incline, his hands pressed against the cold stone. He closed his eyes, his connection to the earth expanding, feeling the very structure of the ground. He began to subtly manipulate the rock, creating hidden fissures, unstable ledges, and small, almost imperceptible depressions that would funnel the approaching scouts exactly where Valerius wanted them. He wasn't just moving stone; he was sculpting the battlefield, turning the natural terrain into a deadly trap. He also practiced his Armament Haki, coating his massive fists, feeling the solid, unyielding strength it gave him. He envisioned himself deflecting blows, his body a fortress of hardened will.
The first hint of the baron's C-tier patrol came with the distant crunch of boots on dry leaves, a sound that Lyra's enhanced hearing picked up long before it was audible to a normal human. Valerius felt their presence through his Observation Haki – three distinct signatures, moving with the casual arrogance of men who expected no resistance. They were C-tier ability users, likely with minor combat-oriented innate abilities, confident in their tier and their numbers against a "ghost village."
"They're here," Lyra whispered, her voice barely a breath. She shifted into her hybrid form, a low growl rumbling in her chest.
Valerius nodded, his eyes fixed on the winding path. "Wait for my signal."
The scouts came into view, two men in the lead, one bringing up the rear. They were chatting idly, their voices carrying clearly in the quiet forest.
"Still can't believe we're out here for this," one grumbled, a burly man with a scarred face. "Just a bunch of F-tiers. What's the worst they can do?"
His foot landed squarely on one of Valerius's void snares.
With a sudden, sickening lurch, the ground beneath him seemed to vanish. He stumbled, his confident stride breaking into a frantic scramble. Before he could regain his balance, Lyra struck. She burst from the undergrowth, a blur of dark fur and amber eyes. She was a silent, terrifying force, her clawed hand lashing out with blinding speed. Her target was precise: the burly scout's leg. The attack wasn't meant to kill, but to disable. Her claws raked across his thigh, tearing through cloth and flesh, sending him sprawling with a choked cry of pain.
At the same instant, Kael moved. He slammed his hands onto the ground, and with a roaring surge of his Stone Stone Fruit power, the earth beneath the second scout's feet erupted. Not a violent explosion, but a sudden, precise shift. A thick, stone pillar, rough and unyielding, shot up from the ground, slamming into the scout's chest with bone-jarring force. The man gasped, his breath knocked clean out of him, and he crumpled to the ground, unconscious. Kael's control was remarkable, enough to disable without lethal intent.
The third scout, bringing up the rear, froze, his eyes wide with shock and fear. He had expected nothing but an easy patrol, and now his comrades were down, taken out by unseen forces. He fumbled for a weapon, his innate C-tier ability, a minor burst of enhanced speed, flickering around him in a desperate attempt to escape.
But Valerius was already there. He moved with a speed that belied his non-powered frame, a blur of motion that seemed to shimmer with purple light. His Observation Haki had shown him the scout's desperate attempt to flee, the exact trajectory of his enhanced speed. Valerius didn't need to be fast; he needed to be precise. He met the scout mid-stride, his hand, coated in a thin, invisible layer of Armament Haki, clamping down on the man's neck. The scout struggled, his eyes bulging, but Valerius's grip was unyielding. The man's enhanced speed flickered and died, his will crushed by the sheer dominance of Valerius's Conqueror's Haki.
Valerius held him for a moment, his eyes cold and resolute. He looked at the scout, a C-tier ability user, now utterly helpless in his grasp. The tree in his mind pulsed, a familiar hunger stirring. This was not just about defense; it was about growth. About feeding the source of his power.
With a grim resolve, Valerius enveloped the scout in a localized pocket of his void element. The scout's eyes widened in a final, silent scream as the void consumed him. Not a trace was left, no blood, no bone, just a shimmering pocket of nothingness that quickly vanished. The tree in Valerius's mind roared to life, a surge of C-tier power coursing through its roots, invigorating it. And then, from its branches, a new fruit materialized, shimmering with a faint, almost ethereal glow. It was a Common Paramecia fruit, its surface smooth and unblemished, a testament to the power it contained.
Lyra and Kael stood over the unconscious scouts, their faces grim but resolute. They had performed their roles perfectly. The ambush had been swift, silent, and decisive. They had shown the baron's scouts that the First Haven was no longer a ghost village.
Valerius picked up the newly spawned Devil Fruit. He looked at Lyra and Kael, his gaze thoughtful. "Another gift from the woods," he said, his voice neutral. He held out the Common Paramecia fruit, its potential unknown but undeniable. "This is a new power. A new tool for our haven."
Lyra and Kael exchanged a glance. The unspoken question hung in the air: who would receive this new power? Lyra was a Zoan, Kael a Paramecia. There were other villagers, F-tier users, refugees, all desperate for strength. The new power was a valuable asset, but also a potential source of division.
"We need to discuss this," Lyra said, her voice serious. "This isn't just about strength, Valerius. It's about trust. About who we are building this haven for."
Kael nodded, his massive hands resting on his hips. "She's right. This fruit… it could change everything for someone. We need to choose wisely."
The three of them stood in the pre-dawn light, the newly acquired Devil Fruit a silent presence between them. The forest was quiet once more, but the air was thick with unspoken questions and the weight of a monumental decision. The future of the First Haven, and the path of Valerius's growing power, would be shaped by this choice.