The Marine

It had been three days since Bill defeated the Super Gorilla and watched the devil fruit form.

Sasha had been held in a cage in the Super Gorillas nest. Apparently after hearing Bill and the others, the big beast left its spot thinking to deal with the kids and get it over with.

With the Super Gorillas defeat the match had been won.

Before the others had regrouped, Bill had hesitantly gathered the devil fruit. Just the touch of the fruit sent a shiver down his spine, but he knew he couldn’t just leave it.

The thing looked exactly like a dragon fruit on earth, except it turned forest green with a leaf mosaic printed around it.

When the other four came, they were first surprised to see that Bill had defeated the Super Gorilla, then anxious to see if Bill would eat the fruit.

He didn’t think about it at the time, but now he was happy that none of them shown jealously. After all, eating some fruit had caused Fia to become a ‘Cannon Human’ or as Ranse liked to call her, a ‘Big Shot’.

A devil fruit could change a person’s entire life, especially for those three who were all fighters.

Anyways, he knew for sure he wouldn’t eat the thing. He barely wanted to touch it, but not to sound so paranoid he claimed he would bring it back and hopefully it could be identified.

When his father saw the fruit, he had gone wide-eyed and took it from Bills hand. He said he thought he knew what it was about would get it officially checked.

After he had taken the fruit, Aramaki had questioned the five kids on who exactly first found the fruit. He even went so far as to have them write their accounts of the trail.

Later that night, his father had explained that the fruit belongs to the finder, and while he knew the kids wouldn’t cause a stir, many disputes and betrayals had their origin in the discovery of a devil’s fruit.

“This is the process they will also follow in the future.” Aramaki had said.

Now after three days, with no word on the type of fruit, Bill trained with his martial arts instructor as normal.

Hitting the ground hard, Bill got back up to his feet. Watching him do this Sagatto said:

“You’re practically announcing all of your moves! Martial Arts is about being unassuming! Anyone can throw a punch or a kick, but it’s when and how you do it that matters!”

“But I hear people shout the names of their attacks all the time… even I can’t help it!”

Looking at Bill evenly Sagatto answered: “People give name to their attacks and that gives them more power. You on the other hand are putting too much reliance on your physical ability and aren’t even trying to hide your next move.

Obvious feints may work on wild animals, but against man? Ptu!”

As his teacher spit on the ground Bill readied himself. He knew the man was right, but how could he put a lot of power in a hit without shifting his weight?

Bill knew he had a formulaic personality, that made him hard pressed learning the Art of 9 Limbs.

Yet, he also knew that this martial art was a foundation he couldn’t quit on. After all, this martial art was effective regardless the size or fighting style of the opponent.

So, with a deep breath, Bill rushed back in.

Getting clinched, hit, and kicked. This was a normal sparring session that had lasted three years at this point.

Bill had grown enough to make Sagatto have to actually try, but that was only half because his skill had grown, the other half was because at fourteen Bill was well on his way to reaching his dad’s height of nine and a half feet tall – and even without mastering Life Return he would have been inhumanly strong.

With the day continuing, Bill was pushed around by the bald teacher. The man was an expert and knew exactly how to push just up to his students breaking point without going over it.

At the end of the secession Bill felt sore and slow.

“Remember, it’s all about anticipation! Don’t just rely on the speed of your body, it’s the speed of mind which makes a master!”

Bowing to his teacher he turned to leave.

Deciding to not go to the beach, Bill needed to get home and eat.

Among the many strange things of this world, one of the strangest had to be the pure volume food they ate.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration, Bill thought with a laugh, that he sometimes felt bad for the ton of meat he went through.

But what could he say? He was hungry and needed the calories!

Besides, Vallipo was a wash with wild fruits, nuts, vegetables, and tubers. The sea was filled with all manner of creatures, and besides Bill thought, he didn’t eat as much as a giant!

As he talked to himself walking home, it didn’t take long for him to reach the apartment. As he opened the door he called out: “I’m home!”

Walking through the living room, he found his mother, father, and nanny sitting at the kitchen table. Perhaps they had been talking but now they weren’t. In front of Aramaki was an enclosed box.

“What’s up?” Bill asked, seeing them all look in his direction.

“Go get changed, we’re going out.”

Leaving no room for protest, Bill followed his dad’s instructions and did what he was told.

Walking out of his room, Ms. Angie caught him and said: “Bill it’s your choice. Remember that.”

Looking down at her with confusion, he didn’t have time to ask before he felt his dad walk into the living room. Calling out to him with a ‘Let’s go’ Bill just nodded to his nanny and trotted off.

Reaching his father, Bill asked what was wrong.

“Nothing’s wrong, we have the fruit identified, but this isn’t the place to speak about it.”

Again, speaking with finality, Bill just nodded and followed along. His dad still dwarfed him but at roughly six and a half feet tall the size difference didn’t look too bad.

In fact, from a distance it would just look like a normal-sized boy with his normal-sized dad.

Walking through the hallways of the hospital, Bill recognized that no one was around, and with long strides it didn’t take long until the two were in the large courtyard.

Vallipo Archipelago was dominated by forests, but Base-ST had nothing of the sort. This courtyard had a few well-groomed trees and flowers but that was it.

As they neared the center of the large courtyard, Aramaki handed Bill over the box and spoke.

“Son, this fruit is one of the most unique in the world. It’s called the Forest Forest Fruit. It’s a Nature System with immense potential.”

Seeing Bill not respond or try and open the box Aramaki continued.

“You found the fruit, and so it belongs to you, but due to its unique nature you can’t have it freely. You have to use it or sell it to the Marines.”

Hearing this, Bill said: “So if this wasn’t a special fruit, I could do what I wanted with it?”

For Bill, this was shocking because the only other fruits he had seen were Fia’s Cannon fruit and Foxy’s Slow fruit. He had only seen strong fruits and couldn’t know the range of abilities.

Nodding his head, Aramaki replied: “By regulation set by the World Government, all found Devil Fruits must be turned over to local authorities. The finder of said Devil Fruit is to be compensated at ten-million Beli.

However, there is a widely known black market for the Devil Fruit. It’s so widespread it’s impossible to stop.”

With a hum, Bill asked the obvious question: “If it’s widely known, why can’t the navy clamp down on it?”

Looking understand, Aramaki answered: “Because even Marines use the black market. After all, the base payout rate from the World Government is ten million, but the average payout on the black market is one hundred million.

For Nature and Mythical System fruits, there is no set value” Then pointing his finger to the box Aramaki continued: “And a fruit like that could cause a war.”

 Looking down to the box, Bill said: “I don’t want to eat this thing, dad, I saw something go inside of it.”

“It’s well known that the abilities of a devil fruit come from the devils inside of them. It’s a deal, and part curse. You get the power but lose the ability to swim.”

Shaking his head to this, Bill said back: “No, I think you lose more than the ability to swim… I can’t say why but I definitely think we shouldn’t touch it.”

With that, Aramaki huffed and leaned his back on the tree.

“You have to eat it. It’s too strong to give away… and more than that…”

As he said this, Aramaki started to smile: “This fruit is life essence, it has even more than the phoenix fruit, it’s the forest fruit! With this, we may be able to fully cure mom!!”

The prospect of this made Bill genuinely excited, but he still said: “But I think there’s more to it than just losing the ability to swim…”

When he said this, his dad leaned off the tree and put his hand on Bill’s shoulder.

“When I heard your mom was attacked, I was on an island in the New World, it took everything I had to not rush to the South Blue."

Grimacing slightly at the memory, Aramaki continued: "I was told my replacement would take three days, instead it took a week.

At first, I had been getting updates on the situation here. I was able to petition the Science Division to come here before I even left port, but then after I did, a cyclone hit just before we crossed into the calm belt, when I woke up I was on a desert island in the middle of nowhere.”

With a sigh the big man took his hand off Bill and continued: “For the first time in my life I was scared. Not scared that I may die but scared I may not see my family.

During that time, I didn’t care about anything. I didn’t even think about the men I may had lost in the cyclone. A journey that should have taken three months took me six, but I swam across the Calm Belt, commandeered the first ship I found, and executed every pirate in my path.

But it was all worth it, because I would do anything for you and your mom.”

He stopped speaking for a minute, then said finally: “If you don’t want it, give it to me. Because no matter the curse, no price is too high if that’s what it took to cure your mom.”

With all this said, Bill didn’t think twice. He felt the fruit was wrong but also knew that a man would give anything for his family.

Handing the box over, Aramaki then popped the top off.

In one bite he went through the peel and bit into the fruit’s meat. He only made a scrunched-up face but didn’t protest the taste.

After several seconds, Bill watched as his dad dropped the fruit, green vines flowing from his fingers.

“Hahahaha”

Laughing sort of madly, sort of joyfully, Aramaki scooped Bill up with the vines and said: “Son you did a good thing for your mom! Unfortunately, I think you’ve made things harder for you and your friends!!”

When he said this, Bill started thinking how the next two years would be, then gave a nervous laugh thinking…

‘Maybe I should have let the Gorilla eat it.’