Coronascend

Using his Alabasta ability, which left Carrot's jaw in the air, Dolffie was able to fly at lightning speed all the way to the village of Ora, making their journey only three days, not counting the many awkward and ridiculously long poo breaks Dolffie took, which he claimed were a side effect of using Alabasta without 'special conditioning'.

They were now standing at the entrance to one of the largest villages on Bogo Island: Ora Village. In all of Bogo Island, the West was the least populated, while the East was the complete opposite, rich in trade and marketing, its villages prospering, united and evolving, while the West preferred to stay in the past, not letting go of traditions and values, all for the sake of 'evolving with the times'.

The East, like the South, prospered in the same way, while the West prospered in its own way. Meanwhile, the north, known as 'Burren Iceland', is simply too cold for the Bogo Islanders to live in, and the land animals there are as harsh, unpredictable and aggressive as the weather, so it is uninhabited and uninhabitable.

Dolffie and Carrot were impressed by how technologically advanced the East was compared to the West, even having solar and hydro-powered vehicles, whereas the West barely had wooden carts that didn't break in half all the time. 

Their docks were large and full, filled with many mechanical and industrial ships from other islands. The streets were filled with many fine houses, pubs, bars, bakeries and diners. The people themselves were dressed to the nines, which would make Dolffie in particular stand out, but he didn't seem to mind as they entered the village, ready to set their plan in motion.

The entrance consisted of soaring arches of stone, painted pure white and carved into sculptures of a beautiful woman and man, enveloped by the waves as they reached out to each other, Bogo, the father of the island, and Rebe, the mother of change, the symbols of how far Baby Island had come.

As they walked into the village, Carrot concentrating on the map, Dolffie received looks of disquiet and disgust at the way he was dressed, and some even laughed openly at him in their 'prestigious attire'. He was unperturbed and continued walking before coming to a halt as Carrot blocked his path with his hand, his eyes still glued to the map before he slowly began to raise it, turning to Dolffie and informing him.

"I found it."

Dolffie was pleased to hear the news before shifting his gaze to stare at something behind Carrot, and there it was, the mountain of the Iron Fortress of Bogo, standing tall, green and lush, hiding the fortress behind it and in its shadow.

He grinned before looking back to Carrot, who nodded in agreement, and they went their separate ways.

Dolffie headed towards the fortress while Carrot headed in the opposite direction. Their plan was risky and potentially fruitless, but all things worth having are.

He walked through the village, his eyes fixed on one thing before the fragments of Alabast's scale barrier shimmered faintly on his du-rag and he ordered.

"Come and wait below the eastern dock... and get ready for two more passengers."

At the bottom of the sea, in the shadow of the floating island, Alabast slowly and carefully began to rise to the surface as his master commanded. He moved slower and slower as he got closer to the surface and the bottom of the other ships came into view. Their anchors were attached to waterproof metal hooks that extended under the surface from the side of the island. It would be tricky to find a place to wait for Dolffie, so he (Alabast will have he/him pronouns) would have to think of something else. So he stayed where he was and waited for the final order to act, his gear ready.

Back on the island, in the city-like village, Dolffie found a secluded spot near the edge of the forest, knelt down and dug his fists into the ground. A shadow flame, shimmering crimson, began to surround his body as his heart pounded. He had neither the time nor the patience to walk a few hours to the mountain, so he would do it quickly, his way: Force and violence. 

The dark, vine-like tattoo on his chest slowly began to grow and spread, like wild vines on a stone wall, reaching his face as his eyes turned crimson. The tattoo spread, creating vine-like streaks all over his body. The shadow flames burned on his head, making him look like a flame demon as he lifted his hands from the ground and took a step forward. 

He left his footprints on the patch of grass where he had once stood, stained black and shaped like the footprints of the devil himself, with long, sharp claws.

This was his power, his embrace of all that was wrong with the world: Alabasta, the Deadman's Last Gift.

He stood as a being of dark flames, clenching his fists before taking a hard step forward, burying his foot in the ground and shaking the plants and rocks nearby. With great strength and speed, he gathered a small ball of flame under his feet and in a split second let it explode, sending him flying high into the air.

He began to fall as quickly as he had risen, before he gathered himself and let more flames envelop his feet, and like a rocket, the flames blasted him and he headed for the mountain. 

Controlling Alabasta's dark flames wasn't easy, but it wasn't hard either, all you needed was enough hate, malice and greed; consume and accept all that is evil, reject and loathe all that is good.

The memory of a man wearing a black cloth, standing on an old dock with his back turned, flashed through his mind before he clenched his fists.

That's what it takes to survive in this world, to rise above it all so that no one has the power and no one can ever have the power to hurt you.

His determination grew stronger, and in turn the dark flames grew stronger, making him faster.

To those below, he looked like a dark object shot so fast it was barely visible, the only tresses left were the footprints of what looked like a devil. Later dubbed 'The Devil's Footprints' by the locals.