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Luffy doesn't fully remember what he did on that day he lost control, or what damage he inflicted on his crew.
Robin asked him questions about his will of D, but he didn't truly understand this power himself but did explain that he has some sense of control over it and knows not to use it for fear of hurting his friends by accident. But that was all he knew.
This begs the question, Why couldn't he control it back then? Why couldn't he remember?
Luffy asked Robin these questions because she was the smartest and if someone knew, she would.
She explained it was because of a mind control devil's fruit. But when Luffy tried to ask her what happened and what he did while he was out of control she would always skip the question.
He even tried asking the rest of his friends, but their stories didn't make sense.
In the end, his friends made him believe that he didn't hurt any of them.
But sometimes Luffy would see Sanji limp, or realize that one of Franky's metal arms looks shinier than the other as if it was new. He would also notice that Zoro is sleeping longer than usual and on hot days he would always keep his green coat on.
There were also the first few days when Luffy complained about being hungry to Sanji, which got him some frightened looks from some of his friends and a watchful eye from his first mate. There is also the fact that Sanji is starting to give him something to eat once and a while which worries Luffy about the strange behaviour of his friends.
He knows that his friends are a little wary of him as well, but as more days passed, everything came back to normal for the crew, as if the event never happened.
But Luffy felt that something was off, something about him didn't feel right.
He didn't understand this will of D, the first time he used it as a kid he felt exhilarated, nobody could tell him when he can eat or what he can't eat, and that power that came with the rush made him persistent and the more he ate the more powerful he became.
But he also remembers that once that power took control he got more hungry and was never satisfied.
Thinking back on it, he knows he slaughtered a lot of people and what he did couldn't be undone, and sometimes he would wonder if those missing posters that appeared in his village were because of him.
Worst of all, he hated how he couldn't remember the faces of those he killed, he could only remember the taste, even to this day.
If it weren't for Garp looking around for his missing grandson and punching him so hard that he knocked Luffy out while he was in a frenzy and just brought the boy back with him. Unknowing of what he has done.
Garp also didn't suspect a thing, all evidence that the boy had killed had been eaten away. Luffy even remembers eating his clothes at one point and licking the blood that soaked his skin before Garp found him.
But that feeling and power Luffy had when he woke up after Garp's punch were only lingering, and as he spent more time with his foster bandits and brothers that feeling disappeared completely, and Luffy understood that what he'd done was bad.
Sure he might have tried eating Dadan that one time, but her skull was too thick at the time and nothing harmful happened.
But now, as Luffy was sitting on the Sunny's head and counted the days that went by, he kept wondering why that feeling of wanting and needing more food was slowly becoming persistent instead of fading away like last time.
Luffy started having a dream of seeing through red eyes that only saw walking meat without any faces, fighting to stay alive as they all protected themself to survive.
Those walking food were stupid.
One of them even stopped fighting, giving itself up for Luffy to bite.
If strong had a taste this one would be it, and the energy this meat gave from that small nibble felt like nothing he felt before. The meat that he was biting smelled like steel and sweat, and the heart that was beating from this one was mesmerizing for Luffy.
He wonders how long it would still beat once he swallows it.
"Super! Island ahead!"
Luffy woke up in silent surprise, his mind still in between what happened and where he was.
"Come on guys!! There's an island."
Franky?
Luffy sat up slowly, still dazed, but seeing Franky's silhouette by the door made the straw hat forget that uneasy feeling he felt when he woke up and jumped out of his bed to meet the rest outside.
"Land!? Where!?" The captain launched himself to the crows' nest to get a better view.
Far in the distance, he could see how huge the place was.
At that moment, from the kitchen, a cook could be heard. "Nami! Robin! I was able to use those fruits to make something special for you!" Sanji's love voice changed to a more serious note for the rest of the crew as he added. "Alright everyone, come on I made breakfast! The island can wait!"
The island was still far away and Luffy hurried to the table, agreeing with Sanji.
But while eating and stealing from others Luffy couldn't stop thinking about a nagging feeling.
He stops in mid-chew to think, confused and lost.
"Luffy?" Sanji asked. "Is something wrong with the food?"
The straw hat swallowed the bite before answering. "I don't know, something is missing."
"What is?" Nami asked.
But Luffy just shrugs, something felt wrong. He was hungry for something else, something that slipped his fingers not long ago. Something he wants to track down.
But what?
"It must be the ambiance, I'll play some music," Brook added as he got a small guitar from under the table.
As music was being played and some protest of 'No instrument on the table,' Luffy still couldn't place his finger on the missing piece. So he went back on his breakfast hoping it would come back to him eventually.
It wasn't until later when they were finally within reach of the land did Luffy finally found out what he was looking for when the breeze hit him just right and he could recognize the smell of steel and sweet he was longing for.
Luffy's teeth were shaking as if he just came out of a cold shower, although he didn't know if he was shivering from fright, happiness or just biting the air repetitively. Luffy also noticed that his vision started to blur as he looked over to the source of the smell and started to see those red silhouettes with no face just like in his dreams.
This means that the one that Luffy was looking for was one of these meat.
But why was Luffy dreaming again? Wasn't he with his friends a few moments before?
Something was wrong with him, he knows this at least.
On the other side of the ship, Zoro started to feel uneasy and his skin was prickling.
Zoro would have normally thought that it was the island's doing and would normally grin on the occasion of fighting something that made his skin crawl.
But not this time, he knows that feeling of danger and bloodlust as he cautiously turned around to the source. His captain.
The sight before him wasn't as intimidating as last time.
Luffy didn't smile and bare his fangs like the first time, but he could see his teeth shaking and his red eyes seemed unfocused, looking around the group for something. His skin did start to slowly grow that twirl of armament Haki as well as those obsidian nails.
The rest of the crew also had the same idea and turned around to face their friend that was slowly losing a battle against himself.
"Luffy?" Zoro asked in the hope of getting singled out from the rest and keeping his captain distracted until they figure this out again.
But to everyone's surprise, Luffy responded. "Zoro? Where are you?"
Luffy's voice sounded strange, just like last time it sounded as if he had a second voice coming out of him, one that sounded disturbing and rough.
But the straw hat boy wasn't attacking, he seems to consciously look around for his friends.
Before Zoro could respond Robin intervened. "Luffy? What do you see?"
Whether she was trying to get information about the will of D or helping her captain was unclear, but Zoro trusted her to be smart in these situations and let her continue.
As for Luffy's response, he gave that hungry smile that hunts their dreams and said. "I see a lot of meat."
Zoro got his sword ready because he was unsure if their captain will still be in control in a few minutes.
"Luffy?" Robin continued cautiously. "Do you know where we are?"
Luffy shook his head while pouting. "No, where are you guys anyway?"
Robin seems to understand something that the rest of the crew doesn't as she steps forward cautiously and adds in a gentle tone. "We are the meat you are looking at Luffy, do you understand? Your will of D is blurring your senses."
That thought took time for Luffy to process, but the crew could see the realization as the raven hair boy's face dropped in horror.
He was about to hurt his friends, he was close to killing them.
Luffy stepped back once, trying to say something to those standing in front of him but only a splitter of incoherent words came out.
Even Luffy didn't know whether he was apologizing. asking for help, or asking them to get out.
But what the captain did know is that even trying his hardest to look away or to close his eyes, his mind will always stay transfixed on the crew. On that smell.
Tears could be seen as Luffy kept walking back until his back hit the railing of the ship.
The captain was afraid for his friends and what that dream he had seen meant last time.
He hurt them, he bit one of them. He almost ate them, he could have killed them.
He still wants to hunt them.
"I," Luffy started as he swallowed saliva. "I can't make it go away."
"It's okay Luffy, just don't do anything, we'll figure this out." It was Nami who was speaking this time with a trembling voice.
Luffy believed her, he truly did, but at that moment Luffy also found the source of the smell and knew that time was up.
"Guys?" The captain asked as he held on to the rail with a death grip. "Do you still have the Prism cuff?"
Usopp was the one to answer. "Y-yes, it's in the w-workshop."
"Get them." Without a second thought, Luffy pushed himself backward and let himself fall into the water.
It was Zoro wh got everyone to move from their shock "Well? What are you waiting for Usopp?! Get the cuffs! I'll get Luffy!"
Without a second to lose Zoro jumped in after their captain and brought him back to the surface of the water, keeping Luffy's head above while waiting for Usopp to come back before bringing his captain back on the ship.
"You still with me Luffy?" Zoro asked while waiting, because truth be told Zoro felt uncomfortable with the way the raven hair boy was staring at him and was trying to ease his consciousness a little bit by letting Luffy know who he was.
"Uh Uh," Luffy answered, still staring at the first crew mate. "It's you? Wasn't it Zoro?"
"Obviously," Zoro answered while rolling his eyes. "Unless there is someone else on this ship that has my voice."
"No, I mean you're the one I've been looking for, the one that smells like steel and has a strong heartbeat."
Isn't that a concerning thing to hear, as a precaution, Zoro gave himself a bigger distance between Luffy's mouth.
"I have it!" Usopp came to a stop on the ship's railing beside everyone else before throwing the cuffs at Zoro to take.
Zoro made quick work with the cuffs and brought Luffy back onto the ship, his eyes still transfixed on Zoro.
Chopper came in with medical supplies and a testing kit as he observed Luffy, unafraid and more determined than ever to fix a problem he should have looked into long ago.
"Luffy?" Robin asked. "Why are you staring at Zoro?"
Luffy spoke as if he was distracted. "I... I remember the taste. I can't stop. I can't look away."
Robin used her devil fruit to cover Luffy's eyes with her hands. "Is this better?"
Luffy was silent for a moment, but with a short nod, he answered. "Yeah."
In the meantime, Chopper got some DNA, even if Luffy objected to the idea of needles he still let his friend poke him with the annoying things.
Once Chopper got all the needed blood samples he ran back to his office to work out either a potential antidote or find out what triggers it in the first place.
The wait would take a while, and Luffy was still in his strange transformation, humming out of boredom and to distract himself, brook joined along.
Robin took the opportunity to ask more questions. "Captain, I didn't want to ask since it was a sensitive subject at the time, as well as unknown to you, but could you tell us how you feel in these situations? When you take in the will of D?"
"Hm? How do I feel? Really hungry."
"Emotion-wise, do you feel angry, or excited?" Robin repeated with a small smile, patient as she waited for Luffy.
"Hmmm?" This got the captain to pause for a proper answer for his crew friend. "Hangry."
"Morron," Nami said with a faint smile. She wouldn't admit it but she was glad to know that her goofy friend was still as foolish as ever, even in this nightmare form.
"So? When is Chopper coming back?" Usopp asked, still a little shaken up.
"Who can say, this is probably the first time a doctor got to subdue such a power," Robin responded.
"Was there no doctor willing to test on such a dangerous curse?" It was Sanji this time that asked.
"I'm sure they would if they had the chance, but those that unlocked their will of D died before anyone could understand what it was."
"Why?" All of them asked.
"Because most of them can't stop once they started, and succumb to their will, there was a case long ago, the will of sloth, the report said that the citizen died because they were too lazy to do anything, family members tried to wake them up but the more the will of Sloth slept, the more powerful it became and was unsusceptible to damage when they tried to forcefully wake them up, but died of thirst after five days, unwilling to wake up and take care of themselves."
"So what? Luffy could die of overeating?"
Everyone looks at Luffy for answers. Getting a foot nudge from Zoro as they repeated the same question since Luffy wasn't listening in the first place.
"When I get hangry I never get full. I would eat for weeks nonstop and still want more food."
"You know, your statement would make sense with a theory that I have," Robin added. "Let's think of the will of Sloth again, for example, if they had the right care and resources to be able to sleep without interference, I'm sure their body would have adapted to the growing power and be able to sleep forever, becoming immortal in the process. But it's only a theory of course from what I have gathered since no one survived after an awakening, but Luffy being able to heal instantly in his Gluttony rage only hardens my evidence."
"What happens when you find no food in your rampage?" Sanji asked.
Luffy pouts as he thinks. "I mean, anything can become food if I think about it." With a big smile and a short laugh, he added, "But I remember that one time when I was a kid I couldn't find any meat while I was really hungry and started eating trees and rocks. I almost choked multiple times because I couldn't bite through boulders and tried swallowing them whole."
Robins's eyes lit up as if in realization. "Captain, you had your devil fruit powers at the time correct?" Luffy nodded, "Then without it, I believe you also would have died, eating things that you couldn't digest with a normal body could have ended you at the time."
"Wait?" Sanji came forth. "He survived because of his rubber ability?"
This got a nod from Robin.
"His luck is becoming stupidly convenient." Sanji said.
"Tell me about it." Zoro agreed.
Suddenly the door to Chopper's medic room opened. "Guys! I have something."
The small reindeer came running next to Luffy with a blue-looking rumble ball. "Here, eat this."
Luffy almost bit Chopper's hand off, the mention of eating setting him off at that moment, but got his bearings back and apologized to Chopper moments after.
The effect of the pill was instantaneous when it came to Luffy's hunger, but the Haki patterns and claws took more time to dissipate.
Robin let go of Luffy and everybody waited in anticipation for... Something.
"How do you feel Luffy bro?" Franky asked.
"Feels weird. I'm not as hungry but I can still feel this energy." Luffy commented.
"That's good. Right?"
"Yep." Luffy smiled happily. "I don't feel the need to squeeze the life out of Zoro anymore."
Everyone was speechless, except for Zoro. "That's an improvement I guess." He said.
"So, um, Luffy?" Chopper started. "While I was looking at your blood and testing the effect of the pill on it, you should know that it does not completely remove this appetite you are experiencing, but it does help maintain it. But you will have to take the pill every day."
"Why? Can't I just take it when I start to change?"
"That's the thing. While looking over at your DNA, I saw that whatever you are experiencing isn't going away, not like last time anyway."
This got a head tilt from the captain and questions from the whole crew.
"What do you mean it's not going away?"
"Should we be worried?"
"Wait? What does that mean?"
"What are you trying to say?"
"Is the problem not fixed?"
Chopper waved his hooves around after being overwhelmed with these questions.
"Listened!" The doctor screamed. "Last time I couldn't find anything in Luffy's DNA because this Will of D dissipated and became normal after a certain time. But now... It's not going away, and I don't know if it will." Chopper explained with tears. "But until then, these blue capsules will help this energy of yours to stay dormant."
Luffy looked over at Chopper without expression as he said. "If I understand. Then the small blue balls are good?"
Nami sighed "At least he somewhat understood."
But Luffy knew more than what his crew was trying to explain. And sure the pill helps with his hunger and he believes that he will have control.
But there is also that small feeling of power lingering, even though he's not hungry, Luffy can still feel this need to fuel this energy.
Thinking back on it, it wasn't always about the food, but the power he obtained by eating and the overwhelming thought to have more and see how far he can go.
But his friends said he will be okay, so there was no need to try to find a way to explain this sensation that was still lingering.