Desire is created through a cycle of sensory input, which sparks the creation of mental imagery, thoughts and emotional attachment. It is heavily driven by Dopamine, which motivates us to seek pleasure and fulfill our needs.
Desires can also be a product of emotional reactions.
Emotions are also byproducts of sensation.
Emotions are created by the brain as a response to construct meaning to external stimuli and sensations, in order to interpret them as specific feelings.
All of these reactions - emotions, feelings, desires...
They arise from a sensation.
From the ability to sense something. The ability to perceive something.
If one can control senses — the very foundation of psychology — they control the very foundations of emotion, feeling and desire.
If one can deceive and manipulate the fundamental starting point of all psychological activity, then all of it exists within the palm of their hands!
...
Possessing knowledge of important future events was a very convenient skill to have, especially when it came to planning.
The year was 1495.
Gol D. Roger still hadn't recruited Kozuki Oden, let alone find the One Piece.
There were still five years left before the start of the Great Pirate Era. Before the Pirate King was publicly executed in his hometown and made thousands to storm the sea.
There was still time.
After all, this was a waiting game.
And fortunately, Augustus was very patient.
The boy in question was giggling, reading a book with sharp eyes. With his legs folded, he flipped the page and read its contents with blazing concentration.
Around the boy, was an entire stack of books, all of which were completely read. Augustus loved reading books and obtaining information — learning new things!
The seven year old boy read those books with the expression of, not a boy, but a man that's lived for much longer. An expression that's usually not seen on the face of a child that young.
Saint Alrescha Augustus was a beautiful yet handsome boy.
He was still small due to his young age, but his regal presence didn't falter. He had lustrous silver locks, maintained just as well as his skin.
But of course, there was a singular feature about Augustus that stood out from the rest.
His eyes.
Ha had a unique pair of eyes, neither of his parents had them. Nor did anyone in their lineage.
They were bright, radiant gold. Striking and unmistakable. But more importantly, they had spirals. Thick black concentric circles surrounding his pupils, its contrast quickly grabbing the attention of anyone he looked at.
They assumed he was blessed — his parents believed that he was truly a god.
They were all gods, after all.
The Celestial Dragons were the highest figures of authority in the world, having come together to form the World Government 800 years ago.
They were untouchable. Invincible. All powerful.
And both his parents were proud of their genius little son.
St. Alrescha Alaric and St. AlreschaAnnaliese stood outside the room, looking through the open door to witness their young but intelligent boy learning things beyond his age.
"Awe, look at little Augustus! He's still reading." His mother commented, making her husband chuckle.
"He's been in here for the past month, reading every book he could get his hands on. I have no clue what goes on inside that boys mind."
"But one thing's for sure..."
""He's a bloody genius!!!"" They both exclaimed at once, holding each other happily.
•••
"That little boy is a curious little creature." The voice of St. Topman Warcury -WarriorGod of Justice and one of the almighty Five Elders, spoke.
"Don't you agree ?" He asked his fellow elders, all of whom nodded their heads.
"The rumours about the young saint are well known within Mariejois. That boy is a genius. And from what I've heard, I must agree with said rumours." St. Marcus Mars - Warrior God of Environment, voiced his thoughts.
"He's only seven years old, and he's proven to be among the more competent few. That boy could become a God's Knight once trained." Said St. Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro - Warrior God of Finance, letting out a sigh as he spoke of the young noble's expertise.
"Not a surprise though. After all, the Alrescha lineage has long since pledged themselves to the empty throne... And to Lord Imu." St. Jaygarcia Saturn - Warrior God of Science & Defence, stated, his mind spinning to remember the identities of the countless knights that served their god.
"St. Alaric is already an excellent God's Knight, much like his father before him." St. Shepherd Ju Peter - Warrior God of Agriculture, said, making his colleagues remember their late friend - Augustus' grandfather.
"Ah, yes! St. Arcturus...! I remember him well. He was a promising one, and extremely loyal to our cause. It's a shame he passed in God Valley." Warcury said solemnly, truly and genuinely saddened by the passing of their good friend.
He looked at Saturn, eyes narrowed as he gripped his staff harder.
"You were there in God Valley, weren't you ? Remind me again, how you managed to loose him in that chaos ?"
Saturn grunted, glaring at Warcury.
"All these years and you still bother me about it...! I already told you... You're dear friend was killed in action by one of those pirates!" Saturn raised his voice, making Topman glare at his colleague. His gaze showed his frustration and anger, but he did nothing.
There was not supposed to be any fighting between elders; such was utterly disgraceful!
"I think, we should focus on the future now." Ju Peter said, grabbing the attention of both. "That boy is special, everyone knows that much. Even Lord Imu is interested in him."
"He is the only child of St. Alaric. As the heir to a powerful bloodline, he is known well among even the Celestial Dragons. That boy was special from birth — different, in a way that I cannot fathom yet." Hearing Ju Peter speak so highly of him, made Saturn cock his eyebrow and state his disapproval.
"Come now, St. Ju Peter. Don't you think you're praising him too much ? He is still but a child."
"And yet, he's shown us time and time again that he cannot be ignored." Ju Peter retorted.
Warcury sighed, remembering the day Augustus was born, in 1488.
"I remember seeing him when he was just a few days old. His eyes were striking, it caught me off guard. I've never seen eyes like those before. He did not have the gaze of a baby." Warcury said, making Mars chuckle slightly.
"Like St. Saturn said, you're too worked up over him for nothing, St. Warcury."
Nusjuro clicked his tongue and expressed his own disapproval with Saturn and Mars. "I heard rumours that he understood our language right out of the womb. I didn't believe them, of course..."
"But it was hard not too." Ju Peter stated. He also added that, "St. Augustus displayed almost inhuman levels of awareness and intelligence a child his age shouldn't have. He even started reading books and learned how to read and write by himself."
"I was there when he first started speaking as well. He quickly and fluently started speaking out language. His ability to learn things is frightening." Topman also added.
"And what of the boy now ?"
"He's with his parents, of course. They've already started training the boy in methods to fight. He's a got a natural talent for haki, like his predecessors before him."
"I'm just curious as to how he'll be when he grows up." Saturn said, making Warcury smirk at him.
"Me and St. Ju Peter are the only ones that have met the boy face to face. Perhaps, if you three spend some time with him, you'll learn to appreciate his company as well."
"Yes, I agree with St. Warcury here. Having two God's Knights as parents, St. Augustus is bound to become strong. Both of them believe that he will "shake the world itself". What an endearing family!" Ju Peter smiled, sending shivers down the spines of his peers.
This level of appreciation and admiration from two elders was never seen before, and it made the other three - Saturn, Mars and Nusjuro - very uncomfortable.
They didn't talk about their own children and grandchildren in such a manner, and yet they keep praising a seven year old boy born to the lineage of a friend.
It was unsettling, how much they liked him.
Not that they knew the reason for it.
•••
"Augustus~! That's enough reading for today. Why don't you come with us ? It's time to have breakfast before restarting your training." St. Annaliese, Augustus' mother, said while raising her voice in a cutesy way to grab her son's attention.
"But I want to read more-!" Augustus whined in response, making Annaliese click her tongue and shake her head.
"I know how much you love your books, but you haven't eaten anything yet! Come with me, now." She extends one hand forward, calling for her son.
"And where's dad ? I saw him just a little while earlier." He asked curiously, making his mother giggle.
"Oh, don't worry about him. He is trending to the servants." She replied, still smiling.
'Liar. He's probably torturing some poor unfortunate slave, isn't he ?' Augustus said in his own mind, but he never voices it out for his mother to here.
"Well, come on son! Let's go!"
Sighing, Augustus shut the book and walked over to his mother. Taking her hand, he was led outside the room and the servants were asked to clean it all up, leaving the room completely empty aside from the servants within it.
Annaliese hummed a calming tune while leading her son to the dining room to eat and chat.
The servants around the room hadn't moved, the guards stood still outside the room. Annaliese didn't notice them, as walking through them as if they didn't even exist.
As the doors closed behind her, Augustus turned towards a maid and asked, "Grab me a book about Shandora."
"Right away, your highness!" The maid bowed and quickly ran to grab the book he had requested from her.
Another maid stood next to him, her expression was stoic and she said nothing. She just stared at the boy, who was lounging while eating a hot, delicious meal.
Five minutes earlier, she was ordered to fetch food for him. She argued that his parents wouldn't allow such a thing — they didn't like it when he ate alone — but he didn't accept no for an answer.
So, with no other choice, she rushed out to gather food. Surprisingly, she was neither stopped nor disturbed. Even St. Alaric didn't care to notice her.
When she had returned, she offered to feed him, but he refused.
She remembers how angry Annaliese got when the a maid didn't feed her son when he was younger. She did not want to end up like that, but alas, she couldn't refuse the prince. He was a Celestial Dragon, despite his age.
When she saw Annaliese enter the room, she closed her eyes and prayed that her death be quick.
Surprisingly though, not only did Annaliese not yell at her, but she even praised Augustus for eating on his own. The also praised the maids for properly listening to her son, which stumped them all.
Annaliese left Augustus to himself, not making him return to the dining hall to eat with his family; a surprise that none of the servants expected.
She looked back at Augustus, her mind suddenly replaying something he had said earlier.
— "As long as you listen to me, you'll be rewarded and respected. Ignore my parents, if you must. You are my maid, after all."
So far, everytime she's followed his words, nothing bad has come from it.
He really was a special boy...!
The other maid rushed over with a book about the ancient City of Gold - Shandora.
"Thank you." He politely thanked her, making the maid flustered.
"Your h-highness! You needn't lower yourself to thank a mere servant like me!" She bowed, acknowledging the distance between them and lower herself before him.
She felt naked under his intense gaze. Those piercing, hypnotic eyes of his.
Augustus then took another bite of his steak and opened the book about Shandora, his mind slowly drifting to his mother.
He observed his mother with his Observation Haki, watching through the walls as his mother happily frolicked and talked to herself like an idiot. None of the servants noticed anything weird — they just saw Annaliese and her son heading to the dining room.
Augustus(?) say down in the table and started talking to his parents while eating food, while Augustus watched from the library.
But he wasn't with his parents. He was with some maids, reading and eating.
Annaliese didn't see the maids not feeding him. She didn't see any maids at all.
Annaliese never praised the maids either. It was merely a fabrication that their brains conjured.
Annaliese bumped into the guards stationed outside the library, but neither her nor the guards felt anything. To them, the guards bowed and Annaliese left without any physical contact.
'I have about two hours before mother barges in again, wanting to train me. I won't deceive her then though. Being trained by God's Knights is a blessing, after all. It allows me to gain power very quickly.' He thought, looking forward to the training he would receive a few hours from now.
He wouldn't use any kind of trickery for that. That would only be detrimental for him. He wanted to get stronger, not to stunt his own growth.
He smirked, thinking about how much his mysterious power had improved over the years. One that he was reborn with.
It was his self-proclaimed "cheat code" after all.
The ability to deceive all human senses, emotions and desires.
A weak power, offensively speaking.
But a power that Augustus wanted just for himself. A power that he possessed and abused to the best of his ability.
A completely scary and terrifying ability.
Perfect, in fact, for the long-term plans he's made since he came to this world.