Ultimate Fruit

Chapter 86: Copy? Truth? I’m Sorry Oda!

After somehow convincing Nami that Lucas didn’t mean to do anything to the little girl, he settled her down on Luna’s hands and waited for the little girl to wake up.

Since she was a devil user, being encased by the water ball caught her unprepared and fainted.

After a while, Luna came running at Lucas.

“Daddy! She’s awake!”

“Mmh...What...where am I?”

As if on cue, the little girl mumbled as she held her head and looked around groggily while trying to gain her bearings.

She blinked for a few moments and saw she was being held by a kid who’s looking at her with glittering eyes.

Surprised, she jumped away while holding onto her fork and shouted.

“W-who are you guys!?”

Lucas was about to speak but the little girl seemed to be panicking and didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, she activated her power and returned to her original size!

“Mini mini no Full Rebound!”

“Woah!”

“Wha-wha-wha-!?”

“A giant!!!”

Seeing the huge figure appear in front of them, the rest of the crew were surprised for a moment before getting ready for battle...Well, except for Sanji whose eyes already turned to hearts the moment he saw the giant beauty.

The little girl, who now turned into a giant, raised her huge fork and attempted to stab at the crew.

Luffy quickly reacted and jumped while stretching both his arms backward.

“Gomu gomu no...Bazooka!”

A loud impact noise rang out. Surprised by the power, the giant staggered her feet backward and fell into the ocean.

Lucas sighed and controlled the water to pull the giant back. Only now, she was back to the size of a palm.

Luffy looked at the little girl and asked.

“What was that? How come she’s little again?”

“She’s probably a devil fruit user who can change her size at will.”

Nami deduced while looking at the little girl in wonder as well.

Luna’s eyes were still shining.

“I want to grow big too!”

Hearing that, Lucas’ face went pale and instinctively thought that she really will grow big with that strange power of hers.

Thankfully, it didn’t happen and Luna was still the adorable baby girl.

Lucas sighed in relief and shook his head.

“She’s probably a giant who ate the Mini Devil Fruit.”

“How can you say that?”

“...Cause she shouted Mini mini no- earlier?”

“...”

Zoro tried to open his mouth to refute but can’t find the words to say.

Isn’t that the case? Their own captain keeps shouting Gomu gomu no- in his attacks because he ate the Rubber Devil Fruit...

Was identifying devil fruits really this easy?

Lucas just shrugged and looked back at the little girl who was about to wake up again.

Seeing everyone look at her, the little girl was badly frightened as she held her fork and raised it against the crew.

“Wh-what do you want!?”

“Shishishi! Say, is it true that you’re a giant who can shrink?”

Luffy didn’t care about her wariness and simply laughed.

The little girl looked confused at the question but still nodded.

“Un...I’m a Giant who ate the Mini Devil Fruit. Other than my Giant size, I can only switch to this size and a 5-millimeter size!”

Perhaps seeing Luffy smile, she thought that they really didn’t have any ill intentions towards her, she began to cheerfully explain her abilities and even demonstrated it.

Both Luffy and Luna’s eyes glittered when they saw it.

“Whoaaa! So cool!”

“Big little sister! Can you teach me how to do that!?”

Lucas sweated. What the hell is Big little sister supposed to mean? Also, how can you even teach someone how to use their devil fruit powers!?

Everyone laughed at their antics.

Sanji brought drinks for everyone while the little girl, who introduced herself as Lily Enstomach, tried to teach Luna how to shrink using sound effects to explain.

Luna looked eager and nodded repeatedly with a serious look so it was hard not to laugh about it.

Then…

“Ah! I did it!”

*PFTTTTT-!!!*

Everyone did a spit take and Lucas even coughed up the drink that he was sipping.

He rubbed his eyes repeatedly but no matter how much he did that, the fact was...his daughter was now 5 millimeters tall!

They say that you have to see something to believe it...but sometimes, it was still hard to believe something no matter how much he sees it...

After a couple of times, Lucas was forced to believe the truth he was seeing in his eyes.

His daughter...seems to have the ability to copy other people’s devil fruits!

At the same time, he started to think more about his own ability.

So far, he has the ability to control water, heal, fly with wings...but was this all he was capable of?

Lucas remembered that time he acquired the ability to manipulate water and to turn his body into water like a logia devil fruit user.

That time, he was dried up thanks to Crocodile’s powers.

At first, he thought that his ability was to counter other people’s devil fruit which created his water ability.

But going back even further, when he was exercising and a warm feeling was removing his tiredness...it didn’t coincide with that logic. It was like his body was forcing him to adapt to the situation instead.

Then there was the time he grew wings.

If it was really his body forcing him to adapt, then there was no need to really grow wings. Any ability would do. He could control the wind instead and just lift himself up. Or maybe gain Enel’s lightning instead and travel to the clouds.

No...That time...he was thinking about wings...

There was also that time with Aokiji.

He could’ve gotten a fire ability like Ace or Akainu when he was encased in ice. But instead, he used his water power to create another branch of power which makes use of heating the water instead.

Such a roundabout method was because he was restricted to thinking that his main ability was to control water…

But what if that wasn’t the case?

Let’s not mention the fact that he even traveled through time by accident as well...how is his powers simply water control? Or healing? Or flight?

Even the counter or adapting ability that he thought of can’t explain time travel.

Now seeing Luna able to copy other people’s devil fruit made him think that he has been thinking about his ability the wrong way the whole time.

He felt like the answer was just at the tip of his tongue but couldn’t quite grasp it.

He had a feeling that his ability was really quite strong...just that he has been using it in the wrong way the whole time…

“Lucas? Lucas!”

“Ah?”

Hearing Nami’s voice, Lucas snapped out of his trance and looked at her.

“Weren’t you listening? I said, what is wrong with Luna? How come she can do this?”

“...It’s probably my fault.”

“Huh?”

“I’m not entirely sure myself though…”

“...”

Nami glazed at Lily for a while then glared at him.

“You’re explaining later.”

Lucas sighed and raised his hands to surrender.

In any case, she was now his wife. It didn’t feel right to still keep secrets from her.

Plus...Lucas thinks it no longer matters much now even if he tells the others that there is a book in his world that draws out their whole journey towards One Piece.

He had already changed too much anyway and the story was no longer the same.

Lucas also didn’t want to keep this secret forever. He still has no idea why he was sent to this world or if there are others like him that he just didn’t know about. Better they learn the truth from him instead of others.

Others may think it's stupid to tell the truth in this situation, but he has lived in this world for years already and even have a family.

To others, Luffy and the others may be just some characters in a fictional story that they are currently reading. But to Lucas...they were real people.

None of them felt different from normal people. Their words and feelings didn’t feel like a simple script to him anymore. They were real.

Unknowingly, Lucas himself has already even considered himself as a person of this world. The only reminder he has that he is not from this world was his phone.

The thought of him wanting to return was also not that much to him anymore. At best, he simply wanted to let his parents know that he is doing well and has a family now. If he can’t return, then that is also fine.

Time passed.

After dinner, Lily was fast asleep beside a mountain of plates. The dishes were so good that she fell asleep and started dreaming about food.

The rest of the crew gathered on the deck and waited for Lucas to explain.

Lucas looked at everyone and sighed.

“Well...I suppose I should start explaining where I am from to our new members.”

Lucas carried Luna in his arms and patted her head while smiling at her.

“I am not from this world...by that, I didn’t simply mean the Grand Line or any other islands outside the Grand Line. I meant...I am from a different reality.”

Hancock, Kaya, and Kuina looked confused while the others simply nodded.

Brook nodded as well, then remembered that he also didn’t know about it and was shocked!

Lucas wasn’t in the mood to care about Brook’s jokes at a time like this so he continued to explain.

“In that world, I...seem to have eaten a strange fruit before being sent to this place. At first, I thought it was some kind of Devil Fruit...but that shouldn’t be the case. For one, I am unaffected with the seawater and sea stones as well. Another reason...was because there shouldn’t be Devil Fruits in my world in the first place!”

Right. How was it even possible for him to eat a Devil Fruit in his world in the first place? This question has always bugged Lucas but he has no one to ask and no one can also give him an answer.

What was that fruit doing in their refrigerator?

No matter how strange the fruit was, Lucas was confident that his parents wouldn't put anything poisonous in the refrigerator which was why he didn’t hesitate much when he ate it.

At worst, he could’ve eaten a bad fruit that would make him go to the toilet a few times.

No matter how much of an anime geek he was, he wouldn’t really think that the fruit was a Devil Fruit and would grant him powers. That was just ridiculous.

He would maybe joke about it, but it wouldn’t be serious.

So where did that fruit come from?

That day, Lucas can vaguely remember that his parents went on a trip somewhere and haven’t returned. So who put that fruit there?

Was it God? Is there even a God?

Is this God’s joke on putting him in the world of One Piece?

Maybe God is an otaku and wanted to transmigrate someone in One Piece just to see what happens…

All these thoughts were simply ridiculous and didn’t have any proof.

“I don’t know what the fruit is...but that is probably why I have these abilities. Unlike Devil Fruits, it seems that this ability had also passed down to my child…”

“...So you’re saying...you also have the ability to copy others’ powers?”

Zoro asked with a frown.

Lucas shook his head.

“Maybe. Or maybe not. Honestly, I still don’t understand my powers that much.”

Everyone fell silent at that. After a while, Luffy sighed with a bored tone.

“What? Is that it? I thought you were gonna say something important.”

“Isn’t this important?”

“What’s important? In the end, isn’t the situation still the same?”

“...”

Lucas laughed bitterly at his frank tone and shook his head.

“There’s another thing I wanted to tell you all.”

Lucas hesitated for a moment before finally telling the truth.

“In my world...there is this book we call a manga. It’s like a comic strip drawn and written in several volumes.”

“Hm?”

“Before I was sent to this world...I was reading a manga called One Piece.”

Luffy and the others’ eyes went wide.

Luna didn’t really understand what was happening and tilted her head cutely.

Lucas smiled and patted her on the head again.

“In that manga. There is a certain young man wearing a straw hat. He dreamt of becoming the Pirate King and finding One Piece. Along the way, he finds his crew. A pirate hunter with three swords. A thief girl who wanted to make a map of the world. A liar sharpshooter who dreamt of becoming a warrior of the sea. A cook who ran away from his family in search of freedom. A reindeer doctor who turned to a human. An archeologist who was also the last survivor of a certain island. A pervert shipwright cyborg who wanted to create a ship that can circle the world. And a dead musician who longs to see an old friend…”

Lucas looked at them while thinking about the original story.

Perhaps they could already guess what Lucas was meaning to say but they can’t find the words to speak.

“Right...in my world. Your adventures were all...drawn in paper. You were the main characters. Naturally, without me interfering, you would still become the Pirate King and find On-”

Right after Lucas finished that sentence, Luffy shot forward and grabbed him by the collar with an angry look.

Lucas fell silent for a moment before continuing.

“If you’re worried that I already know the ending, then don’t be. Before the story ended, I was already sent here. I really don’t know where Raftel is or how to get there.”

“That’s not why I’m angry!”

Luffy shouted.

He started to realize everything that Lucas did in the past and it all started to make sense.

Luffy glared at Lucas and shouted.

“Don’t be ridiculous! What story? I don’t care about any of that! I know I’m going to be the Pirate King! Nothing has changed that!”

“...”

“...Why are you speaking as if you don’t matter at all!?”

“I…”

Lucas was taken aback and didn’t know how to respond to that.

“Is that why you kept putting yourself in danger!? With Crocodile, Enel, Aokiji...every single time! You keep putting your life on the line! Is it because you think that even without you, the story would go on!? That you don’t matter!?”

Luffy shouted angrily while glaring at Lucas.

Hearing what he said, the others also started to notice this fact and looked at Lucas.

Nami and Robin were especially saddened.

Lucas didn’t know what to say.

Maybe a part of him indeed thought that way. He wasn’t anyone important in the story.

Luffy would still become a Pirate King. After all, he’s the main character.

Nami and the others would also be safe as they had gotten stronger.

Lucas looked back to Luna in his arms who was looking at him with a worried gaze. He smiled at her warmly to reassure her.

“...Maybe I did think that way in the past...but after having Luna, I can’t afford to let myself die anymore.”

He looked back at Luffy and grinned.

“Luffy, I’ll let you know now. My first priority is Luna. Then Nami and Robin. Then myself. I don’t have time to keep protecting you anymore.”

“Hmph! Who needs your protection!? I’m the captain!”

Luffy snorted and removed his hand from Lucas’ collar.

Lucas just laughed and shook his head.

Then, Nami and Robin came and gave him a slap on both cheeks.

“...I probably deserved that.”

“Damn right you do! I don’t care about some story in your world! We have our own story! When you get back, make sure to kick the author between his legs!”

“Better yet, lock him up in a dark damp cell and force him to stop writing.”

“...”

Lucas sweated when he heard that.

Oda...I’m sorry!