Chapter Text
*(Y/n)'s P.O.V.*
I let out a soft groan as I began to wake up, the bright heat of the sunlight nearly blinding me even with my eyes still closed.
"Ugh... Someone, close the curtains... The sunlight--it burns..." I grumbled sleepily, turning over in my bed.
My bed... which is a lot harder and lumpier than I remember... and smells a lot like dirt...
As that thought hits me, so do the memories of what happened in the laboratory.
I bolt upright with a gasp, my eyes snapping open wide as I grab at my body to check if I still had all of my body parts.
"I-I was electrocuted!" I stammered as I checked my body for damage, "I should be dead, right?! Why am I not dead?! How am I okay?!"
Checking myself again, I noticed something that was probably just as shocking as surviving an electrocution with no damage; My breasts were gone.
"I'M NOT OKAY! WHAT HAPPENED TO MY BOOBS?!" I found myself screaming in alarm.
Then I noticed that along with my lack of a bosom, I also had a clear lack of a feminine figure and had a much shorter and petite body instead.
"WHAT HAPPENED TO MY BODY?!"
I stood up and looked around wildly at my surroundings and to my horror I was no where recognizable. In fact, it looked a lot like I was in the middle of nowhere! All I could see around me were huge trees towering far above me, thick with green leaves and vines. Dense underbrush stretched out for as far as the eye could see. Judging from the heat and humidity as well as my surroundings, if I had to guess I would say that I was in a tropical jungle.
However, there was really only one thing I could say about all of this.
"WHERE IN THE WORLD AM I?!"
I crouched down, resting my head on my knees as I tugged at my hair.
"Okay, (Y/n)... Okay, easy old girl, calm down. Just take a deep breath. Freaking out and screaming your head off isn't helping this situation, it's only making it worse." I whispered urgently to myself, making a very valiant effort to keep my cool.
"I'm sure there's a very logical explanation for this. I just have to stay calm, find my bearings, and--WHY DOES EVERYTHING LOOK ANIMATED?!"
Yep, I was failing at staying calm. Miserably. But can I really be blamed for that? I just woke up after thinking I had died via electrocution only to wake up with a child-like body in the middle of a tropical jungle. And, oh yeah--everything around me, including myself, looked either painted or drawn with hard black lines and vivid colors.
'Either I'm currently having a very crazy dream, I'm actually dead and this is the afterlife, or I'm actually in an anime right now.'
I shook my head and slapped my cheeks.
"Stop thinking about these things for now, (Y/n), and stop panicking. The most logical thing to do right now is try to find someone who can tell you where you are. You're smart and resourceful! You can do this!"
I began to march fearlessly into the jungle after giving myself that little pep-talk, pulling my messenger bag (which I thankfully still had, though it was now smaller to accommodate my new size) closer to my body.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I pushed the vegetation out of my way as I tried to navigate through the jungle.
Keyword: tried.
I'll admit it, I'm not the best with directions when it came to nature so I was most likely getting myself even more lost.
But, hey, at least I know that I'm not as bad as Zoro! Then again, I'm not sure anyone could have a worse sense of direction than Zoro.
I ducked under an archway of large ferns and found myself at the rocky edge of a crystal-blue stream.
"Ooo, water! Thank goodness. Walking in all this heat and humidity was starting to make me thirsty." I sighed with relief as I approached the stream and crouched at the water's edge.
I didn't hesitate to cup my hands in the cool water and bring the small handfuls up to my mouth, pouring in each small amount and drinking it greedily.
By the time my throat wasn't feeling as dry and scratchy my face, neck, and the top of my clothes were soaked. Though, I didn't mind it. If anything, it helped me further in my efforts to cool down.
As the water surface became calm again after my hands' disturbance, I was able to look at my reflection.
The image of the girl staring back at me made me gape in shock, the girl in the reflection mirroring my expression.
It wasn't the fact that I was now indeed animated that shocked me, it was the realization that I hadn't just gotten smaller... I was now younger.
"No wonder my boobs disappeared! I look like I did way back when I was, like, seven! If that!" I exclaimed, turning my face this way and that to get a better look at my appearance.
As I did so, I also took note of the style that my appearance was drawn in. I looked exactly like a child character in One Piece!
"C-... Could it be?" I wondered as a wide grin slowly began to grow on my face, "Am I in One Piece?!"
The very thought of the possibility made me want to jump around and scream with fangirl joy!
However... I hesitated and held myself back from doing so...
As much as I would love to be in the One Piece world, I don't know what would happen to my parents or my friends in the meantime. Would I be able to go back home? And I don't even know for sure if I really am in the world of One Piece.
'I'm conflicted... Half of me wants to fangirl and the other half of me still wants to panic...' I internally sighed before turning to the stream before me.
While I was at a fresh source of water, I might as well check to see what kind of supplies I might have on me.
I pulled off my bag and sat it on the rocky riverbank next to me before crouching down to open it up. To my surprise, when I opened it up the first thing I saw in my bag was a tiny treasure chest.
"... I don't remember having this in my bag." I mused, gently taking hold of the wooden chest and pulling it out to set it on the ground.
The small box had a latch, but no lock to keep it closed. There was nothing stopping me from opening it and no reason for me not to.
'I wonder what's inside...'
With my curiosity piqued, I flipped the latch up and lifted the lid of the chest to take a peek. When I opened the chest and saw what was inside, my jaw dropped to the floor. It was a fruit, but not just any fruit; a Devil Fruit. There was no mistaking the unusual shape and the swirling patterns.
"A-... A Devil Fruit?!"
I reached out and carefully picked up the fruit, turning it over in my small hands. The fruit was about the size of an apple and was made of many swirling orbs that resembled small flames. Each swirl was outlined with black and the fruit itself was a stunning royal blue color that had shimmering cyan gradients here and there. All in all, unlike many other Devil Fruits, this one was beautiful to look at.
'If this is a real life Devil Fruit... then I might actually be in the One Piece world right now...' I thought to myself as I stared at the gorgeous (possessed) fruit I was holding.
"This is... so awesome~!" I beamed as the realization finally sunk in.
I was in the world of One Piece! I could potentially meet my favorite characters! I could have a real adventure! And I was currently holding an actual, honest-to-goodness Devil Fruit!
My excitement was short-lived, however, as a few not-so-exciting thoughts came to mind.
'But... I don't know where I am in the One Piece world... or even when. I could be on any island in any of the four Blues, or even on an island on the Grand Line or in the Calm Belt. I could be in any era, too. I could be all the way back in the Void Century, for all I know. Though, that would be kinda cool since I could finally find out what happened during that hundred years that the Government wants to hide so bad...'
"Also... I don't know which fruit this is..." I mumbled, pouting at the superpower-granting food as I moved to sit on the ground.
"Should I even bother eating this one...?" I hummed in contemplation, tilting my head from side to side.
'Unless you know exactly what fruit it is from experience or you have that book of Devil Fruits Teach had, Devil Fruit powers are kind of a lottery. Your body can't handle taking in more than one, unless your name is Marshall D. Teach, and once you eat a fruit you have it for life. You're either lucky or you're not. And it could literally be anything. Oda has made some pretty... out there... Devil Fruit powers, after all. What happens if I get a really weird or lame power like the Jacket-Jacket Fruit, or something? That would suck.'
I stared at the fruit and hummed, "If I had to guess what you were... I would say you might be a fire-based Devil Fruit. You do look a little bit like a blue version of Ace's Flame-Flame Fruit..."
I took the next few minutes to weigh my options. If I ate this fruit, I risk getting a really lame or situational power. If I just waited to find another Devil Fruit, if I could find another one, I run that same risk along with the potential drawback of this fruit granting a super cool power and I'll just be kicking myself for not eating it in the first place.
"Ah, whatever! You only live once, right? And who cares if I can never swim again? It's not like I was on the swim team or anything." I lifted the blue fire-like fruit up to my lips, "Here goes nothing! Please let Lady Luck be smiling down on me!"
With that, I opened my mouth wide and took the biggest bite out of the fruit that I could, feeling my teeth pierce through the tough skin and the slimy insides before I started chewing the mouthful I got with gusto.
I had seen people eat Devil Fruits and I had heard more than once that they tasted absolutely disgusting. When I went to take a bite, I tried mentally preparing for the awful taste... but nothing--absolutely nothing could have prepared me for the completely gag-worthy taste that was now invading my senses.
If I had to describe the taste, it would be something close to an unholy combination of raw sewage and durian fruit drowned in Absinthe that was 89.9% pure alcohol. And even then, I would've bet money that that described taste would be better than what was assaulting my taste buds right now.
I could swear that my hair started to stand on end as I froze mid-chew, the rancid taste filling my mouth. I dropped the fruit to the ground and immediately clapped my hands over my mouth, doing everything in my power to stop myself from spitting out the mouthful I had.
'Oh, no! No, no, no! If I don't hurry up and swallow it soon, I'll spit it out! And what happens then? Do I still get the Devil Fruit power, or would that just waste it?! I'm not sure and that scares me!' My thoughts raced as my eyes began to tear up from the taste of the fruit.
Willing my jaw to continue moving, I quickly chewed the fruit a little bit more before I forced myself to swallow. Upon feeling the fruit completely disappear down my throat, I practically dove halfway into the stream next to me and desperately started gulping down mouthfuls of cool water.
I pulled myself from the water and panted heavily, trying to get air back into my lungs as I let my tongue hang out.
"Ugh! That was the worst! I can't even feel my tongue anymore!" I whined, my face still contorting from pure disgust.
I slowly stood up in the shallow water and looked down at my hands, looking at them before examining the rest of my body.
"Hm... I don't feel any different... Maybe it'll take more time for the fruit to activate?"
I started to wade out of the stream when movement in the bushes just beyond the rocky shore caught my attention.
From the vegetation emerged a towering muscular figure with tanned skin, a tropical red shirt, denim shorts, a dark beard/mustache combo, short dark hair with silver sideburns, and a scar circling around the outside of his left eye.
This... This man was...
"Hey, there you are, (Y/n)! I've been lookin' everywhere for you!"
Th-there was no doubt, this man was...!
"VICE ADMIRAL GARP?!" I shouted, feeling more than a bit star-struck at the moment.
Garp blinked and tilted his head, brow furrowing from my reaction.
"What's with that tone? I may be old, but I ain't deaf."
'It's actually him! "The Hero of the Marines", "The Fist", Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp! In the flesh! This is so awesome~! And he even knows my name!' I beamed, beginning to bounce in place from how excited I was.
That last part instantly puzzled me, however, 'Wait. He knows me? How?'
"Why're you lookin' so happy all of a sudden...?" Garp narrowed his stern gaze at me and his tone became darker, "Were you trying to make fun of me with that shouting? You really think I'm deaf, brat?"
That made my heart stop as I felt the blood rushing away from my face.
'Okay... No longer feeling excited about meeting Garp... Feeling very scared for my safety now...'
"No, no, no! That's not it at all! I just... I mean, I was only excited because... because..." I waved my hands around frantically as I tried to wrack my brain for a good excuse.
"... Because... I was relieved! I was getting nervous because I was lost, so I'm really glad that you found me! Thanks~!"
"Hm? Oh, I see. Alright then." Garp huffed.
I let out a silent sigh of relief, 'That was a close one... For a second, I thought I was gonna get the infamous "Fist of Love".'
"Hey, what's the Devil Fruit doing outside the chest? It's supposed to stay in there until I can get it back to Marine HQ."
"Huh?" I looked over to see Garp picking up the Devil Fruit I dropped.
The fruit I took a bite of...
The one that he apparently needs to take back to Marine HQ...
... Oh, bother...
Time seemed to slow down as Garp lifted up the fruit and turned it over to see the large chunk that was now missing from it. A very uncomfortable awkward silence followed.
One second passed.
Then two.
Then three.
Then--
"(Y/n)."
I jumped at hearing him say my name, "Y-yes, sir?"
"You didn't take a bite of this Devil Fruit, by any chance... did you?"
The more he spoke, the darker his tone seemed to become. Fear began to spread through my body as my senses started to scream at me to run for my life.
"U-um... No...?"
There was another long pause before--
*BONK*
"OUCH!" I yelped, falling to my knees and holding my head in my hands.
I jinxed myself. I ended up feeling the "Fist of Love" anyway and I now fully understood why the ASL trio was so terrified of Garp and the punches he can deliver.
"Why'd you hit me so hard? That hurt!" I whined, gently nursing the large bump that had formed on my head thanks to Garp's large fist.
"Because you deliberately disobeyed me! I let you hold on to that fruit for me, but I specifically told you to keep it in the chest! Not only did you take the thing out, you actually ate it!"
"I'm sorry, sir! I was just curious!" I whimpered.
"Curiosity kills, young lady! The sooner you learn that, the better off you'll be!" Garp lectured sternly.
I slowly stood up and stepped out of the stream, biting my lip to keep myself from tearing up as my head still throbbed.
Just then, a thought came to mind and I looked up at the vice admiral.
"Um, Garp, sir? If you can... can you tell me which Devil Fruit I ate?"
"You mean to tell me that you decided to eat it before you knew what it did?"
"Well, I mean..." I trailed off, deciding against pointing out that most Devil Fruit users were unaware of which fruit they ate before they ate it.
Garp blinked at me before he sighed, shaking his head slowly.
"Youngsters these days... Always so reckless..."
"Careless runt. The Devil Fruit you ate was the Bakeneko Model Cat-Cat Fruit." Garp informed.
"B-... Bakeneko Model Cat-Cat Fruit?" I echoed.
"Yeah. It's a mythical zoan. It turns you into a flaming two-tailed cat." He explained and pointed to my head, "Just take a look."
"Huh?" I slowly reached up to the top of my head past the place where Garp had hit my.
When my fingertips brushed up against something very warm, I flinched and recoiled. I turned to face the stream and looked at my reflection again.
There, directly on top of my head, sat two cat ears that were glowing with the colors of royal blue and cyan. They twitched, flicked, and turned like normal cat ears do while also flickering like two open flames. I reached up to touch the ears again. They were warm,very warm, but for some reason they didn't burn me. Perhaps because they were a part of my body now?
"Well... Would you look at that. I'm a cat girl." I mused, slowly processing the sight of the extra ghostly blue appendages on my head.
"So... SO CUTE~!" I squealed, grinning as I began to bounce around uncontrollably.
The flash of blue light behind me caught my eye and turned my head so I could look over my shoulder. There, near my tailbone just past my lower back, were two long cat tails flickering with stunning blue fire.
"Oh. My. Gosh! I have TAILS~! They're so cute~! I'M so cute! I'm a real-life catgirl~!" I practically exploded with excitement as I twirled around, almost dancing as I watched my tails wave about from my movements.
*BONK*
I dropped to the ground and held my head in my hands.
"Ow... Again? Why?"I whimpered, "I was having such a delightful time..."
"Because you're being careless, you brat! Those things aren't toys so stop treating them like it! Especially since they're fire! You could easily end up burning down this whole forest if you're not careful!" Garp replied, making me freeze as I realized he was exactly right.
"Y-you're right. I'm sorry, I lost control of myself." I mumbled, pouting as I lowered my gaze to the ground.
Garp sighed, "It's alright. No harm was done and you realized your mistake. Just put those things away before something bad happens."
I nodded, "Right!"
...
...
...
"How do I put them away?" I asked, causing Garp to start grumbling.
"I can't really be mad about that. You just got those powers, after all. But that's the first thing you'll need to learn how to control." Garp approached me and abruptly lifted me by the back of my clothes.
"For now, this will be the best way to put those flames out." He stated before he tossed me backwards into the cool stream.
Luckily enough, the water was shallow so I was able to stand up. As I got up, I noticed the steam rising from the water surface around me and upon feeling my lower back and head I found that my extra appendages were gone.
"Not that I don't appreciate the help, but... You could've killed me just now! I can't swim anymore!" I protested, wading my way back onto the rocky shore.
"But it did the trick, didn't it? Hahahaha!" Garp guffawed, obviously amused at the fact that I now currently resembled a drowned rat as I tried shaking the water from my body.
"It's not funny..." I pouted, starting to get annoyed.
Then, I noticed that steam was starting to rise from my back and head, making me start to panic.
"O-oh, no! I-I think they're staring to come out again! Quick, wh-what do I do?!" I cried out, frantically patting at my back and head in an effort to put out the flames before they sprouted from my body.
The Vice Admiral stopped laughing, noting the situation as he approached me again with a serious expression on his scruffy face.
Garp kneeled to the ground in front of me and placed his large calloused hands on my shoulders with surprising gentleness, making sure to make direct eye-contact with me.
"(L/n) D. (Y/n), listen to me right now. That power you just got; It's your power now. No one else's. You control it, not the other way around. Just don't lose sight of who you are and you'll be able to master that fruit in no time at all. After all, I can see the makings of a great marine in you too!"
His words immediately calmed me, the steam slowly dissipating into nothing.
'Wow... That's actually really nice and inspirational... Also, did he just call me (L/n) D. (Y/n)?!'
"I know it may be hard for you now, but everything will be just fine, (Y/n)." Garp reassured me, "I promised your mother that I would take good care of you, and that's what I intend to do."
I looked up at him and blinked in surprise, "My mother?"
Garp grinned and stood, "Yup! That's why from now on, you're going to be my granddaughter."
"Huh?!"
'How can he just claim something like that so casually?! A-and my mom's here in the One Piece world, too?! And I have the Will of D.?!'
"You heard me, Pipsqueak. You're my granddaughter now, so just call me Grandpa!" Garp nodded before letting out a booming laugh.
'This... This is getting insane...'
"Um, Garp, sir? Isn't this all a bit too sudde--"
*BONK*
"OUCH!" I cried out, holding my head after Garp struck it yet again.
"W-why'd you hit me again...?" I whimpered.
He gave me a stern look, "'Cause there's no need for you to be so formal. I told you to call me Grandpa, didn't I?"
"Y-yes, sir." I stuttered.
"Sir?" He repeated, lifting a brow as well as a fist.
"Grandpa! I meant Grandpa!" I quickly corrected myself, preemptively covering my head with my hands.
"Hmph. That'll do. Now, pick up your bag and follow me." The Vice Admiral instructed as he turned and began to walk away from the stream.
"Yes, Grandpa Garp!" I chirped, hastily scooping up my bag and scrambling after the elderly man.
"If you don't mind me asking, where are we and why are we here?" I asked curiously, tilting my head as I followed Garp into the jungle.
"Oh, didn't I tell you already? We're in the East Blue on Dawn Island. As for why we're here, we're gonna pick up my grandson." Garp answered.
'I'm in Goa Kingdom and we're here for Luffy?! So... I won't just be meeting Luffy, but I could meet Ace and Sabo too~!'
I had to hold in my urge to squeal and forced myself to remain neutral to the information.
"Your grandson? Are we picking him up from another relative's house or...?" I trailed off as Garp shook his head.
"Nah, I left him out here last week for a survival exercise. He's pretty careless even for a kid, but I'm sure he's just fine."
I sweatdropped, 'That's some grade "A" parenting right there... Typical Garp. I should've known.'
"Like I said, he's a pretty careless kid. Not exactly the sharpest tack on the bulletin board either, if you catch my drift. But he's a good kid and I'm sure that he'll be a great marine one day!" Garp grinned.
He continued, "I wish I could be there for him all the time, but my position in the Navy keeps me busy. Though I don't plan on giving him any slack for his marine training, he's still a kid and as a kid he deserves to have a little bit of fun once in a while. Marine bases and ships are no places for kids to have fun, which is why I leave him in Windmill Village while I'm away."
I smiled softly at that, my heart melting a little.
'He really does care about Luffy, he just has a funny way of showing it through the toughest love in the world.'
"But that boy's still a long ways away from being a capable marine. At this rate it'll be a long time before he finally mans up. That's where you come in, little lady." Garp adds.
"... Wha?" I squeaked, my smile beginning to fade.
"I need you to look after my grandson. Since you're his big sister now, it's your responsibility to take care of him until he can man up and be the great marine I know he can be! Got it?" Garp instructed me as we trailed through the tropical jungle, giving me a sharp look.
I nodded hastily, "Y-yes, I understand Gar--I mean, Grandpa."
"Good. Now, we just have to find--"
"AH! HELP ME! SOMEONE!" A voice shouted from further into the jungle.
"Someone's in trouble!" I looked in the direction of the voice and gently tugged on Garp's shorts, "We should go help!"
"Hmph! No need to hurry. I know who that was." Garp seemed to be annoyed as he led me in the direction of the voice.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"HELP ME! I'M SCARED!"
The voice got louder as Garp and I stepped out of the underbrush and into a clearing.
On the other side of the wide open area was the large hulking figure of a boar stomping at the ground before it charged forward and crashed headfirst into a tree trunk, the tree shaking violently from the force.
"AH! STOP THAT, DUMB PIG! YOU'RE GONNA MAKE ME FALL!" I heard the screaming voice coming from the higher branches of the tree the boar was attacking.
Now that I was closer, the voice sounded very familiar to me. Though, I didn't dwell on it as the sight of the boar held most of my attention.
It was absolutely huge--and it wasn't just because I was now a child! It was probably even bigger than Garp, if I had to guess! Honestly speaking, I was grateful that I wasn't unlucky enough to run into a monstrous thing like that before Garp found me. I probably would've died in that case.
"I don't think I've ever seen a boar that huge before..." I muttered fearfully, taking a step back to try to hide myself behind the Vice Admiral.
"Hmph. It's about average." Garp replies casually, making me gape at him.
'That's what he calls average?!'
"Stand back. I'll take care of it." Garp stated as he started walking towards the boar, which I could now confirm was larger than him.
The boar took notice of Garp and immediately charged at him with a ferocious squeal. As soon as the boar was within arm's reach, Garp lifted a fist and slammed it down on the charging beast's head with enough force to create a small shockwave. The boar was sent crashing into the ground hard enough to create a small crater in the earth and ceased moving.
I watched this in awe of Garp's strength, my fangirl side starting to arise once more.
"That was so cool~!" I breathed, starry-eyed.
Garp just casually brushed his hands off and looked up at the tree the boar was slamming into as I saw the figure of a little boy around my current physical age peeking out at Garp between the branches.
Even without the straw hat on his head or the scar on his face, there was no denying who this small black-haired boy was.
"You can come down from there now, boy!" Garp said to the boy in the tree.
"Thanks, Grandpa! I thought I was gonna be stuck up there forever!" The boy grinned as he climbed down the tree trunk.
As soon as he reached the ground, he was hit directly on the top of his head by Garp's large fist.
"OW!" The boy shouted and immediately held his head in pain, making me wince as I completely sympathized with him while also feeling relieved that it wasn't me this time.
"Why'd you hit me?! That hurt!"
"Of course it hurt, you runt! Your grandpa's Fist of Love will always hurt and nothing will ever be more painful! Besides, if you wanted that boar to stop chasing you, you should've stood your ground and beat it like I did!" Garp shouted at his grandson, who pouted while tearing up.
"How do you expect to be a great marine one day if you can't even beat up one measly pig?!" He continued.
'Maybe because that "measly pig" was huge and he's still just a little kid...?' I thought as I sweatdroped at the scene unfolding in front of me, 'Seriously... How in the world did Dragon survive to adulthood...?'
"I don't know if I wanna be a marine, though..." The boy replied quite carelessly, making me pale as I snapped my gaze back to Garp.
The Vice Admiral's expression immediately darkened into a face that screamed "death" as he slowly raised his fist again, causing me to start panicking for the oblivious boy's sake.
"U-UM! GRANDPA GARP!" I shouted, immediately getting both his and the boy's attention.
"Yes?" Garp replied, still frozen mid-punch.
'Oh, no... I didn't think this far ahead! What am I supposed to say now?!'
"U-um... Do you know this boy?" I decided to ask, hoping that would be enough to make Garp forget about delivering another "Fist of Love".
"Hm? Oh, yeah, that's right. I nearly forgot." Garp hummed before lowering his fist and gesturing to the small boy beside him, "This here is my grandson."
The boy stared at me blankly before tilting his head, "Who are you?"
Caught off guard at the sudden attention and feeling star-struck yet again, I began to stutter like a moron.
"I-I'm, um--well, m-my na-name is, uh--"
"This is your sister, (L/n) D. (Y/n)." Garp interrupted, placing his large hands on his hips.
The boy blinked several times, taking a few moments to soak up that information before he looked up at Garp with wide eyes.
"I have a sister?!"
"You do now!" Garp nods with a grin.
"Cool~!" The boy shouted, excitedly bouncing up and down.
"Well? Go on, boy! Introduce yourself to your new big sister!" Garp instructed, gesturing to me.
"Shishishi~!" The small black-haired boy giggled and ran up to me with a cheery grin.
"Hi! I'm Luffy! Nice to meet you, big sister!"