Chapter 33

Grandline, Paradise, Drum island

The three rigid figures remained standing there in the entrance for a while longer, everyone seemingly absorbed in their own thoughts. Soon though they returned to the present. Kuleha, with an unreadable expression on her face turned around first and walked back up into her laboratory, closing the door behind her, seemingly not wanting to talk with anybody and wanting to keep to her thoughts in silence.

Chopper was the next one, and with a determined expression on his face, stepped back into the castle, taking one look at the footprints and following the larger ones, up the stairs and to the corridor that was home to the now ex-kings privat chambers, including his study.

Following Chopper, though with a few seconds buffer, was Sanji, having dropped his cigarette and for the first moment in a long time didn't feel like smoking.

The last one was surprisingly Luffy. What he was thinking about? Nobody would know. Maybe he was just sorting his feelings concerning his rather new aquaintance, or maybe it was something wholy different all together. He too went up the stairs, following after the reindeer.

Azul meanwhile had found the kings study and was searching through a whole pile of doc.u.ments. Finances, Laws, Regulations until finally he came upon something he thought looked like something similar to what he had hoped he would be finding in a nobles study. Locations and contact information. As he read through the list he saw one contact that made him pause in thought. Could it work? Maybe...

With the sudden thought he had had with the appearance of said contact Azul choose to try. Later though when he had found a transpondersnail.

And so he continued through the doc.u.ments and found suprisingly few things he would consider even remotely important to his cause. Though what he found important was a map. A map to an island that housed a certain group of people he still had a bill to settle with. Cipher Pol.

With a satisfied smile Azul shuffled and rolled the few doc.u.ments together and was about to stand up when Chopper entered the study and having the feeling Chopper wanted to talk, Azul sat back down with a patient face, accented by a kind smile.

"Why did you do that?" Chopper asked just as Sanji and soon after Luffy entered the study behind the doctor, seemingly wanting to know as well.

"You mean why I ripped his soul from his body and burned it?" Azul asked back, his kind smile never leaving his face, which sent a small shiver up Sanjis spine.

'Does he not have any other emotions he could display instead? His calmness is starting to freak me out a little...' The cook thought to himself, trying not to show what he was thinking about.

"That, my little friend, is not an easy question to answer, since it is difficult to comprehend the unique view I gain of this world when I enter the stage of a 'reaper'. In fact it is fairly impossible to understand for you. But if you want I can try to explain it to you." Azul replied while moving his arm onto the chairs siderest and resting his head on his fist. All the while his kind smile never left his face.

Chopper though, after thinking about Azuls words, only nodded in reply.

"Let me start with a small explanation than, little doctor. Every being, as far as I have come to see so far, possesses a soul from the moment they enter this world. At first it is the cleanest, most pure thing in this world. When it enters the body of an infant it tries to connect with the body over the course of the following years and introduces the concept of emotions to said childs body in order to communicate the souls thoughts and wants with the body of the child. Through these emotions the childs body is trained, unconciously I might add, in the use of instincts, since instincts are nothing more than what the soul perceives and projects on the body. But soon another factor comes into play in the growth of the child. Society. Due to being so pure and innocent the child takes in the worlds surroundings and without knowing any better emulates and imitates what it sees, hears and feels. And so, the once pure instincts of said child get transformed. They morph into a perversion of what they once were and with it a dark taint starts to blacken the childs soul and clouding the souls instincts and limiting the bond the soul forged with the body. Though sometimes it doesn't just stop there. No, sometimes the taint becomes so overwhelmingly big that it starts to twist the soul itself and reforms the character the child may have had in the future. Pure evil, by the definition of this world.

In moments like this, my devilfruit, as I haven't mastered it yet to a high enough level unfortunately, reacts on pure instinct alone, and causes my mind to enter a state where it does not differentiate between foe and friend. Only the soul and its colour matters. Soon afterwards my hand begins to enter the metaphysical realm in the form of the black vapor you saw coming off of my hand, enabling me to grab and reap a soul, if I so choose I may need to add. I always have the choice in the end and I don't regret what I have done, nor should you mourne the soul of the former king wapol since he returned into a purer form than what he had become." Azul finished, his kind smile still on his face, patiently sitting in the chair in front of the three that were clearly digesting the words they had just perceived.

"I see. Thank you for telling me..." Chopper said, turning around and leaving towards the door when Azul spoke up once more.

"You have a very kind and pure soul Chopper. Should you ever leave this island and venture out into the world, then you will need to sharpen your mind and firm your resolve for if you don't you will succ.u.mb to the same taint that overtook Wapol..." Azul said, looking at Choppers back, having for the first time a sad smile on his face, after which Luffy also turned around and followed the leaving Chopper out the door. Sanji remained a little longer, opening his mouth as if wanting to ask Azul something as well, but seemed to change his mind in the end, after which he also turned around and left.

Azul meanwhile reclined in his chair, having a blank look on his face murmuring mostly to himself:

"You will need it in the days to come, little doctor. You will need it..."

Before closing his mind in meditation, beginning to plan the first phase of action to finally fullfill karmas calling.