{
Author's Note:-
Hey guys! 👋
This is Anonymous — The mysterious friend of Sky_15 you've probably never heard of. 😅
So, long story short — my guy Sky's been having a rough couple of weeks. First, he caught an eye infection (the "can't-look-at-screen-without-regretting-life" kind), and just as he started recovering, he got hit with a viral fever. 💀
He's recovering now slowly, but he's also buried under a mountain of unfinished office work that piled up while he was out. Basically, man's fighting bosses and bacteria at the same time, so he's been completely swamped.
He told me to hop in on his behalf and upload the chapters while he gets back on his feet — and to tell you all he's really sorry for suddenly going AWOL.
He'll be back soon with more updates once things calm down. He appreciates everyone's patience and support more than words can say.
Until then, enjoy the chapter, send some good vibes his way, and maybe tell him to stop trying to solo life on hard mode. 😂
— Anonymous (temporary substitute human)
}
[Note:
" * " : Indicates abilities that can be upgraded with practice, experience, or unique opportunities.]
> System inner voice ["speaking"] <
> Ash inner speech "speaking" <
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The next morning, Ash woke up late.
After freshening up, he went looking for the girls—only to find their room empty. With a sigh, he headed to Makino's bar, already guessing where they'd be.
Sure enough, they were all gathered around a table, happily digging into breakfast.
Makino smiled warmly as he stepped in. "Morning, Ash," she greeted, sliding a plate over to him.
"Thanks," Ash replied, offering a tired smile.
A few casual exchanges passed—background chatter between friends that didn't need narration. Once breakfast was done, the group made their way up Mt. Colubo, to their usual clearing—quiet, familiar, and now a ritual training ground.
Ash stretched his arms and looked around at the others. "I think it's about time we take our fruits."
Lucy's eyes lit up. She jumped up, hand raised. "Me first! Me first!"
Ash chuckled. "Alright, you're up."
Lucy pulled out the crystal vial she'd earned from her trial. With a soft click, she broke the tip and downed the shimmering liquid in one smooth gulp. The glass dissolved in her hand, leaving only a trace of swirling sparkles in the air.
Ace leaned forward along with others in anticipation. "So? What do you feel?"
Lucy looked down at her arms, patted her sides, and frowned. "...Nothing. Don't tell me that idiot gave me a fake."
The group collectively sweat-dropped looking at each other.
"Yup. She just called Joy Boy an idiot."
Ash shaking his head chuckled. "Try using your powers. Think about how your fruit works. Try to feel if something is different."
Lucy paused, squinting in thought. "Oh… wait—wait! I think I get it!" She then grinned. "I even kinda understand that last move he used and defeated me!"
Taking a deep breath, she shouted:
"GEAR THIRD!"
WHUMP!
Her fist instantly ballooned into a massive rubbery sphere, almost comically oversized.
Ash blinked in surprise, watching quietly. "She didn't even bite her thumb like canon Luffy had to in the original timeline… Looks like the elixir jumpstarted her control."
Lucy tested more: she pushed the inflated air down to her legs, then her head—her limbs shifting size like a walking cartoon character, yet perfectly under control.
She laughed, spinning in place and swinging her arms playfully. "This is SO fun!"
The others stood in a mix of awe seeing her. Ace smirked, pulling out her own fruit. "Okay, I can't wait any longer. I'm going next."
Lucy quickly retracted her inflated limbs and ran over, eyes sparkling. "Ooh! I wanna see too!"
As Ace took a bite of her Devil fruit, she blinked in surprise. "Wait… it's kind of sweet and sour?" she said, turning to Ash. "Didn't you say Devil Fruits taste awful?"
"What?!" Lucy shrieked. "That's not fair! Mine tasted like someone boiled rubber in sewer water!"
Ash looks at her thinking – how does she even know sewer water tastes like.
Then shaking his head, he just smiled, mentally patting himself on the back, for the theory he and Celeste discussed the night before. Without going into too much detail, he explained the gist of it again to the group.
They listened carefully, nodding as it started to make sense.
Ace, meanwhile, finished the rest of her fruit without hesitation, not leaving even a bite behind.
Her body began to glow faintly as a soft golden light shimmered across her skin.
She then walked forward slowly, like something was calling her, and stopped where the sunlight hit strongest. She raised her arms wide, exhaling deeply, almost like a long-held weight was lifted.
The light around her shimmered—and began to flow toward her like it was being pulled in.
Ash narrowed his eyes slightly. "Is she absorbing the sunlight…?"
Ace turned back to the group, seeing all of them staring. She then clenched her fists, a tense expression forming on her face as if she was in pain.
Then, without warning, golden wing burst from her back, shredding through her shirt—followed by a second one. She flinched briefly, then rolled her shoulders, adjusting to the sudden weight like she was trying to stretch a sore muscle.
Everyone froze in surprise.
"Sugoi!!" Lucy shouted with stars in her eyes.
Ace's felt vision too sharpened—she could see everything in high clarity for a second before adjusting. She walked to the cliffside and looked out at the horizon, spotting ships far out at sea. Turning to the others with a confident grin and a look of mischief in her eyes, she suddenly leaned back—
—and dropped off the cliff.
"ACE!!" they all shouted, rushing forward.
As they reached the edge—
FWOOOSH!!
A blur of golden light shot up past in front of them with a loud rush of wind. Ace soared skyward, wings flapping hard and fast. Her figure shimmered in the sunlight like a comet as she climbed higher and higher.
The wind didn't sting her eyes. Her body moved naturally in the air, no resistance, no panic.
She grinned wide, laughter echoing through the sky. "Wooooh! This feels AMAZING!!"
She twirled in the air, zoomed past the clouds, and then slowed, hovering midair for a moment before diving down like a comet. She leveled out just above the sea, gliding with her wings parallel to the ocean surface, causing it to ripple beneath her.
A small splash of seawater hit her side and made her shiver. She realized quickly it could be dangerous if she touched too much. With a sharp beat of her wings, she pulled upward and away from the sea.
Meanwhile, Ash and the others searched the skies.
"Where'd she go?" Nami muttered.
Then, from above—
"Guys, MOVE! I can't stop!!" Ace yelled from the air.
They all dove out of the way just as she came rocketing back to the cliff.
WHAM!
She skidded across the clearing, rolled, and crashed into a tree headfirst—legs sticking up awkwardly.
Everyone ran to her. "Ace! Are you okay?!"
Still upside down, Ace let out a muffled groan. "...I think I need to work on my landings."
Nami and Uta helped her sit up while Selina checked her quickly.
"Whoa… your wounds are healing already?" Selina asked, surprised.
Ace nodded surprised. "Yeah. You know while I found I can absorb the sunlight well it looks like I can store in myself and I just felt some of it decrease as my wounds healed but I feel still pan inside looks like I can heal smaller wounds for now..... May be I can heal others too??."
She stood up, but as she did, her wings too spread out automatically. To her — and everyone's — shock, the sudden motion was so fast that Uta and Selina had to duck instinctively, as their Haki flared in warning. A sharp whoosh followed, and the tree behind them was cleanly sliced in half.
SLASH!
"Well that was surprise. There's that. And also whiIe in air I found that I can emit beams of light like energy, but I haven't figured out how to focus it properly yet. And it was too wide now, I feel I might hurt everyone if I'm not careful."
After getting out of their surprise, Lucy and Nami moved to touch her wings.
"They feel really soft," Nami murmured.
"Are you okay having wings like this?" Nojiko asked. "I mean doesn't it bother you?"
Ace shook her head. "Honestly? It feels natural having them on me. Like I was always meant to have them."
Nojiko asked again, "Will they stay out forever like this?"
"Well," Ace replied. "I don't know, may be I can retract them back." She focused and folded them back in, vanishing with a soft shimmer. Selina handed her a coat to cover her back, but not before brushing her hand over Ace's back—there wasn't a single scar or mark.
"Not even a trace of wound is left…" Selina whispered.
Uta let out a low whistle. "Damn, Ace. I'm almost jealous~"
Ace grinned smugly as if saying she knows.
Ash stepped forward. "Well, you've got a solid grasp already. Don't stress about the beam part—it's amazing you're doing this much right after eating it. We'll start training soon you will get hang out of it soon."
He turned to the others. "So… who wants to go next?"
Selina, Nami, and Nojiko all three raised their hands at once.
The three looked at each other, Selina looked at them, smirks. "How about we eat ours together?"
Nami and Nojiko nodded, smirking. All three pulled out their Devil Fruits and took a synchronized bite.
Surprisingly… no one gagged.
"Huh…. It does taste kinda sour? But sweet too," Nojiko said, blinking.
"Definitely not rotten," Nami added while Selina agreed with both of them.
The three stood tall as the first signs of their powers began to stir.
Selina was the first to react.
A faint golden glow enveloped her body. Her muscles tensed slightly, and though nothing changed outwardly, she could feel something shifting deep inside—bones, nerves, muscles. But then it stopped, fading as quickly as it came.
Selina frowned slightly, flexing her hands as if trying to grasp the faint thread of power she'd just felt. She was getting a sense of it now—like her body was learning to adapt.
Next was Nami.
A soft glow surrounded her too for a moment. Nothing visible happened, but she felt… kinda lighter. As if the wind was holding her up. Her eyes opened calmly, a deep exhale left her lips, and the glow faded slow and natural.
Then came Nojiko.
Her body glowed in hues of silver and blue. Her muscles tightened—not bigger, but sharper. Her awareness sharpened too. When she opened her eyes, she could feel her instincts flaring. She looked at her hands, then to the others, as if sensing everything around her more clearly.
The others watched quietly as the three stood there, slowly adjusting to the first signs of their new powers.
Uta asked with anticipation, "So… what powers did you guys get?"
Selina stepped forward first. "Well… my awareness definitely got much sharper than before like my senses got better. I feel stronger too—and it's like something inside me is just waiting to come out. There's more to it, I can at least tell that."
She focused for a moment. Suddenly, one of her legs shifted—becoming leaner, longer, and slightly monkey-like feet.
"Huh… Seems I can also transform but it seems only partial. Ash, did say my fruit was related to the Monkey King, right? So maybe it's that… seems like I can freely switch between forms. I can't wait to find out more."
She clapped her palms together in excitement—and to everyone's surprise again, a small whirlwind formed between them as she opened her hands. It spun for a brief moment before fading away just as quickly, leaving her blinking in confusion.
"Well, that was a surprise… did I just make a whirlwind?" she asked, half to herself.
Ash chuckled, folding his arms. "Well, it looked like you just controlled wind. Like I said before, Wukong knew how to manipulate the elements—and we just saw one of them. With practice, may be you might figure it out more about it through training."
Selina nodded in understanding.
She then grinned suddenely. "Also weirdly, for some reason I keep feeling like causing mischief. It's like a playful itch I couldn't ignore."
She then reached for her staff, gripping it with a look of fierce determination. The others immediately froze, eyes wide, clearly expecting her to do something again.
Selina blinked at their tense faces, then rubbed the back of her head with a sheepish grin."I just want to see if these powers affected my weapon handling, that's all…"
For a moment, silence hung in the air—then everyone collectively slumped forward, toppling over with exasperated groans, a single sweat drop forming on each of their heads.
She then twirled the staff—faster and much easier than usual. Wind coiled around her as she moved, swirling in rhythm with each strike. Then, with a final swing, she slammed the staff into the ground.
CRACK!
The ground beneath her feet split slightly. She let out a steady breath, smiling to herself.
"Well, it feels… more natural now. Like the Nimbus Staff and I are even more in sync. I don't know what else is in store—maybe once I get the hang of the fruit powers with more training I will get to know more."
Ash then turned toward Nami. "Nami, what about you? What powers did you get?"
Nami tilted her head, thinking. "Hmm… I feel kind of light. Like, really light. Almost like I'm floating. And yeah—I feel stronger than usual, that's for sure. But there was this weird moment… like everything around me—the leaves, the wind—just… slowed down. Only for a second."
She pointed down at her ankles, frowning. "And I don't know why, but I keep feeling this itch on my ankles. Like something's trying to push out? It's hard to explain."
Ace perked up. "Hey! That's the same as me when my wings started pushing out of my back. Maybe you'll get wings too—on your ankles?!"
Ash chuckled. "Well, Hermes said to have wings on his ankles. Used them to fly—and can move faster than even light."
Nami's eyes lit up. "Wait—really? You think I'll get wings too?! I can fly?! …Though ankle wings do sound kinda weird. Let me try and get it out."
She closed her eyes, trying to focus, willing them to emerge. A few seconds passed. Nothing happened.
She opened one eye and pouted. "Why can't I get them out? I swear, I can feel it."
Ash waved a hand. "Don't force it. You can try again later—once we start training with the fruit's powers. Do you feel anything else?"
Nami nodded slowly. "Well I do feel like running. May be...." And she vanished suddenly.
In a blink, she appeared beside Lucy. Then again, behind Ace. A second later, she circled everyone in a blur before halting in front of Ash.
"See? I didn't even use Soru. But I'm faster than when using soru. And… also everything slows down when I move like that. It's like time's stretching."
She held up Lucy's straw hat.
Lucy blinked, gasping her head noticing her hat is missing. "Hey! My hat!"
Nami twirled it on her finger, smirking. "Sorry, Lucy. Had to show what I can do."
Lucy pouted. "Shishishi… fine. But I didn't even feel you take it…"
Nami shrugged. "I don't really know how to explain it. It's like… I just see the chance to act. Everything around me feels slower, like I can just… move between the gaps?!"
She handed the hat back. "Well, that's all for now. Still figuring the rest out."
Suddenly, Nami's eyes lit up. "Wait—I've got an idea. Since I'm already faster than when I use Soru… what if I combine it with my fruit powers?"
Ash's expression shifted instantly. He already had an idea what that might lead to—and knew it wouldn't end well.
"Nami, wait—" he started. But she was already gone.
Before he could even finish, Nami vanished—this time, moving far faster than before and for a second all of them couldn't even sense with their haki. Her sudden burst kicked up a gust of wind as she blurred out of sight.
All that remained was her distant, surprised yell:
"Ahhh!"
Ash sighed, muttering, "Yep. Called it."
Nami had shot across the clearing—unfortunately, straight toward the exact spot where Nojiko was standing, who was still quietly trying to understand her fruit's powers while also looking at others.
Nojiko looked up, her eyes widening. She barely had time to move as she too couldn't sense her in time with her haki.
And then—
FWOOOSH!
Wings erupted from her back in a flash of silver-blue light, folding in front of her like a shield.
BOOMPH!
Nami slammed into the glowing feathers with a heavy impact, the sound echoing across the clearing.
Everyone froze again seeing this scene.
Uta and Selina rushed to help Nami as she groaned, rubbing her head. Nojiko's wings slowly folded down, shimmering faintly as they settled behind her. She stood frozen eyes closed, arms still crossed in an "X" over her chest—like she'd instinctively braced for impact.
Even she looked surprised at what had just happened when she opened her eyes.
Nami winced. "Ugh… I thought I had it—but that was too much."
Ash crossed his arms. "Idiot. You got cocky just because you've got new powers. Power without control is just a disaster waiting to happen. You might have the strongest Devil Fruit—but someone with weaker powers and better control can still take you down. That goes for all of you too. Got it?"
Nami blushed, nodding chastised. The rest of the girls nodded along. She scratched the back of her neck. "Sorry, Ash…"
She turned quickly to Nojiko. "You, okay? I didn't mean to crash into you like that."
Nojiko smiled gently, lowering her arms. "I'm fine. Really. I didn't expect that to happen either…"
She glanced over her shoulder as her wings stirred again, shifting slightly with her thoughts.
Uta piped up. "Okay, seriously—is it mandatory to grow wings in this crew now?"
Everyone laughed.
"First Ace. Then Nami—well, she tried. Now Nojiko. Ash, are you gonna sprout some too? I want wings! I'm jealous!"
Ash, pulled her close from behind, and kissed her cheek. "No need to be jealous. It's just what their fruits represent. Cheer up."
Uta flushed and puffed her cheeks. "Still not fair…"
The others chuckled again—but they couldn't help the flicker of envy in their eyes. Even Lucy showed it, though she didn't seem to understand why as usual.
Ash missed it, still hugging Uta from behind as he looked back toward Nojiko.
"So… those wings—definitely part of your powers then. What else?"
Nojiko nodded. "I think they might be similar to Ace's, but yeah I have to check it out later. But as for the rest… right now, it's all physical. I feel stronger. Sharper. Like my senses are clearer. And I don't know how to explain it, but I feel like I could take on anything."
Selina added thoughtfully, "Or maybe that's just your mind adjusting to your fruit. Zoan Fruits said to usually boost physical stuff, right? Well i too kind of felt that. Maybe that's why."
Ash nodded. "You're not wrong. But remember—her fruit's a Valkyrie model. Hers might be different than what you felt. Because to my knowledge in myths, Valkyries are warriors. Guardians. They don't run from fights, even if it means death. They face the impossible head-on. That instinct might already be syncing with her like how you said you feel causing mischief just like wukong."
Nojiko listened quietly, thoughtful. The others nodded too, letting his words settle.
Ash asked, "Anything else? Feel anything new?"
Nojiko shook her head. "No. Not yet. Like I said, it's mostly physical right now I think. Maybe more will come once I start training properly."
Ash grinned and stepped forward. The girls turned, eyes on him now.
"…Looks like it's finally my turn."
All eyes turned to Ash, watching with anticipation to see what his powers would be.
He took out his Devil Fruit, gave it a glance, then took a bite.
"Hmmm… wow, it does taste sweet and sour," he muttered. "Not bad." He finished it off in a few quick bites.
A moment later, his body began to glow—radiating a red, yellow, and golden aura around him before fading just as quickly.
Ash flexed his hands and rolled his shoulders, stretching his legs like testing the changes.
One thing was sure—he felt stronger, much more than usual same as the rest described.
Lucy was the first to ask, "So? Ash, what did you get?"
Ash looked at his hands for a second and then said, "Well, mine seems more physical like Nojiko. Honestly, I expected that. Since, Ares is the god of war you know."
He turned to the group. "Like the rest of you, I too feel stronger. My senses feel sharper. I don't know how to describe it exactly, but… I feel like I can take a cannon hit head-on."
He shrugged. "No flashy effects like wings or beams—at least. But if I'm right, my powers might lean more into raw combat. I mean it makes sense for a war god."
Selina nodded. "That actually tracks. Maybe we can spar during training and see what kicks in. I want to test my limits too."
Ash gave a small grin. "Yeah, we'll do that."
Lucy lit up. "Ooh! I can't wait to spar! I wanna see how we all fight now with our new powers!"
The others chimed in with nods and excited chatter.
Ace walked up to Ash and tilted her head, eyeing him up and down. "You sure that's all? I don't see any other changes…"
Without thinking, she reached out and placed her hand on his chest, feeling through his shirt… and paused.
Her fingers stayed there a second longer than needed, and she suddenly blinked, realizing what she was doing.
Ash smirked. "Enjoying the new muscle? Feel free to explore."
Ace flinched like she got shocked, yanking her hand back. Her face went red instantly. "I—I was just checking! Don't get any weird ideas, dumbass!" she barked and walked back to the group in a flustered huff.
Everyone laughed teasingly.
Uta noticed, watching with a small closed-mouth smile. She knew all the girls had some kind of crush on Ash.
But saying anything now would just stir the pot. She trusted Ash. He never crossed a line, even when he teased. For that, she was thankful. Still… she knew she'd have to talk about it later, but the time wasn't now.
Ash, meanwhile, stretched again and grinned. "And apparently, this fruit made me even more handsome."
He struck a silly pose—arms wide, chest puffed out like a show-off, winking. "What can I say—I'm perfection."
Uta rolled her eyes and bonked his head. "Don't get cocky, idiot. And stop teasing Ace."
Ash mock-clutched his head like a kid. "Ow… yes darling."
Everyone broke into laughter again, the moment melting into light-hearted chaos.
Uta crossed her arms with a sigh. "Well, you guys all had your fruits… I'm the only one left. I can't eat mine until the soul elixir's ready. Ash, when will I get it?"
Ash nodded. "Right. As you all know, we already have everything we need—except the Sea King's blood."
He reached into his inventory and pulled out a sleek glass tube, framed between two metallic ends.
"I grabbed this from the apparatus before we left the lab on the island. See? It's even built to draw blood directly—like a syringe."
He clicked it once. A sharp, slick needle slid out with a satisfying click.
"With this, we can extract upto a full 5 liter of Sea King blood we need at once."
Nami perked up. "So, we need to defeat a Sea King, huh? Where do we even find one?"
Right on cue—
A distant scream echoed across the cliffs.
Everyone turned toward the sound and rushed to the edge.
There it was—
The Lord of the Coast of Dawn Island, once again terrorizing the local fisherman from Foosha below. Seeing this all of them fell into silence in realization.
Then one by one, all seven of their lips curled into wide, wicked grins like a grinch.
Ash smirked slapping his forehead. "Tch, How could I even forget… we already have a vict...I mean 'a source'."
Ash and Lucy rubbed their palms together, grinning ear to ear with mischievous giggles.
Selina folded her arms. "Well. Guess we don't need to worry about Sea King blood after all."
Ace chuckled. "I almost feel bad for it… but also kinda don't."
Far below, the Lord of the Coast froze. A shiver ran down its spine.
It looked up—
Seven figures stood tall on the cliff.
Grinning like wolves spotting a juicy deer.
To be continued...
Thanks for reading this chapter!
I'd love to hear your thoughts — not just on the plot, but the journey itself. Is the pacing feeling right to you so far? Too fast, too slow, or just, right? Are there any moments, themes, or dynamics you feel are missing or could be explored more — like deeper character bonds, world-building, emotional scenes, or even new twists? Anything.
Also, is there anything you'd love to see added that could make the story even more exciting or satisfying? Whether it's a kind of power, a dramatic reveal, or just a character moment — your feedback really helps shape this story into something better.
Let me know in the comments! I read every one. 💬
And as always, if you're enjoying the ride, feel free to drop a Power Stone — it means a lot. 😊