Author's Note: Hello! Thanks for taking an interest in this story. I'd like to mention some very important things: first, this is all fiction. This is not the actual history of the Devil Fruits. It's simply a story that I came up with to explain the history of the Devil Fruits since the history hasn't really been explained much in the manga yet. I thought that a story about how the Devil Fruits came into existence sounded interesting, and that's how I came up with this fanfiction. I might rate it M in the future if I include a lot more swearing and stuff.
Second, there is an OC x Zoro pairing in this story. I'm not very good at writing romance, but I thought I'd try to improve my romance writing skills through this story. If you don't like romance or OC pairings, then this story may not be right for you. Finally, some stuff is left unexplained for a reason. It's to add mystery to the story! Don't worry, though, everything will be explained in due time. I'm still kind of new to writing fanfiction, so please bear with me. c: Enjoy reading the fanfiction and please consider submitting a review when you're done! Reviews are highly appreciated and keep me motivated to continue writing.
Prologue - Vengeful Sea
Why was this happening?
He'd always loved the sea, and it had loved him back…
Now, it had abandoned him and left him to die.
He was sinking, falling further and further down into the depths of the ocean. His entire body felt heavy. Above him, he could make out the sun and beyond, the unmistakable shape of a large ship, one he recognized all too well.
His ship.
A mixture of feelings gripped his heart then: anger, regret, and desperation being among them. No matter what, he had to get back to his ship. There was still so much left for him to do, so many adventures to embark on…
He struggled against the water with renewed energy, kicking out powerfully as he tried to swim upward in an attempt to get back to the surface. Yet even as he struggled, he could feel his energy slipping away and his body turning to lead. His movements became more and more sluggish until finally, exhausted, he stopped moving and let himself fall back down. Without any oxygen to support his body, he felt his consciousness slowly fade away.
It was all over.
He mustered the strength to feebly reach out for the sun above before closing his eyes. A vortex of dark and angry thoughts swept through his mind.
He was angry. Angry at himself, angry at the sea, and above all…
Angry at them.
As the last of his consciousness left him, his final thought burned itself in his mind and soul.
Let the sea send them all to their own watery graves…
Something hit his face. He knew immediately what it was.
A stray droplet of water.
His eyes flickered open. For a moment, he just laid there on his back, staring up at the ceiling. Then, slowly, he sat up. He was in the middle of a cavernous space. Where he was exactly, he didn't know, but he did know one thing.
He was alive.
Voices whispered in his head, telling him things he barely heard. All he could concentrate on was the fact that he was alive. He felt different… powerful. A dark smile spread across his face as he clutched the front of his shirt.
There was no heartbeat.