Hito Hito no Mi
Moonlight filtered through the black pall of dusk over Drum. The wind whipped and howled against the king's slef
"So, what did those government suits give you this year, Wapol-sama?" fawned Chess.
"What else? Another Devil Fruit. I've gotten enough of these now to feed a small army. Or me!" he guffawed.
Chess and Kuromarimo started pounding the sides of the sled with their fists, crying with laughter. Dalton did not join them in laughter.
"Stop rocking this thing, do you want to get lost in these woods?" he snapped.
Wapol growled, "You know, I think I wasted last year's tribute giving a Devil Fruit to you, Dalton-kaba!"
"Come on, let's all chill out," said Kuro. "Dalton's cool; he just needs to learn our way of doing things. Besides, he's the only person who knows his way around."
"Because I'm the only one who's bothered to become familiar with his own country!" Dalton muttered.
"Ah, whatever, I don't care," said Wapol. "Here, Chess, you eat it." He tossed it to Chess.
"What if Kuro and I each take a bite? That way we'll both gain its power!"
"I don't think it works that way," said Dalton. "Hup!" He urged the two reindeer pulling their sled to ignore the nearby gathering of reindeer and press onwards.
"What if we fuse, then eat it, then unfuse?" asked Kuro.
"Hmm..." Wapol stroked his iron chin and contemplated, but it did not take too tough a riddle to frustrate him. "This is making me think too much. Just eat the damned fruit."
Chess was about to take a bite when Wapol reached back and yanked it out of his grasp.
"I've decided you're both too freakish already; give back the fruit," he barked.
"Y-yes, my liege," Chess sighed, severely disappointed.
Wapol chucked it away, whooping childishly at his own cruel whim. This time neither of his right-hand men joined him in laughter.
Blue Nose was straggling far behind the pack as always when he spotted the fruit. A disk-like pumpkin with spiral groves, quite unlike anything his eyes had ever laid his eyes on. He blinked and chattered his teeth and approached with halting, unsure steps, fascinated. He sniffed, but it had no smell. Food? He turned it over with his blue nose and found a strange leaf-food! Food...? A trick? Bait?
He licked it and almost retched. But he was hungry and thin and his stomach ached for it. He threw caution to the wind and devoured all of it, crying at the exertion of swallowing each unpalatable mouthful all the while.
"Oi, Chopper."
"Mmm." Chopper was sitting Luffy's shoulder, gazing with him from the deck at the stars above. "What is it, Luffy?"
"I was wondering, you ate the Hito Hito fruit, right?"
"Uh-huh."
"So how come you can't turn into a fully human form?"
Chopper closed his eyes and, smiling, explained at length the results of his research on the subject. "...And so you see, I believe it's because my body compensated with the potential for many additional transformations." And also... humans hurt me, he almost said.
"Ah, so it's a mystery! Say, what's your favorite thing about being human?"
"Seeing color!" blurted Chopper without hesitation, cherry blossoms fluttering in his head. "Oh, and practicing medicine," he added, as an afterthought. "Opposable thumbs are great too. What's your favorite thing about being human?" he ventured.
Luffy grinned and pulled his hat over his eyes. "Dreaming."
"What do you dream of?" asked Chopper, curious. "Of being the Pirate King?"
"Of being me."
Chopper liked that answer... whatever it meant.
"Dinnertime, you two," called Sanji from inside the kitchen. "We're having some nice Sea King stew."
"And ice cream!"
"Of course. I wouldn't forget your precious ice cream, Chopper. Gotta fatten up the emergency ration, after all!"
"Stop being mean to Chopper," said Nami, playfully smacking him upside the head.
"Your wish is my command, Nami-chwan! Dinner! Is! Served."
"This sea king looks absolutely mouth-watering!" said Brook, who started scarfing down his meal before everyone else had even sat down, like a true gentleman. "Except I don't have any water to mouth! Yohohohoho! Oh wait, I got that backwards. YOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!"
"Oi, Brook. How did you find your Devil Fruit?" asked Luffy in between inhaling huge slabs of meat.
"Yohohoho, but that is a long tale indeed, captain!"
"What sparked this sudden interest in you, Luffy?" asked Robin, smiling softly as she ladled some soup into Nami's bowl.
"Well, I was working on a new Gear, and I need some more information on the nature of Devil Fruits."
"A new Gear? Whatever you come up with is gonna be pretty scary," said Franky, peeping his captain quizically over his radical shades.
"No kidding! Try not to kill yourself, Luffy!" Usopp admonished. "Though I can't wait to see it!" He added with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"You're actually asking questions with the intent of gleaning insights from the experiences of others? I think our little captain has grown," joked Zoro.
"Well, if it's to help, then I shall gladly recount to all of you the stirring tale of my Yomi Yomi Fruit! Yohohoho!" said Brook. "Can you pass me some of the meat on your plate, please?"
"Have at it, Brook-san. And after he's done, I'll tell you about how I found my Devil Fruit," said Robin.
"What is this, Story Night?" laughed Sanji. "All right, I'll listen."
"Might as well," agreed Zoro.
"I wish I had a fun Devil Fruit story," said Usopp. "I could make one up if you like! The fantastic adventure of the Soge Soge Fruit!"
"We've only just got four Fruit users, so don't feel too bad, Usopp-kun," said Nami.
"Get on with it already, you're filling me with suspense!" grinned Franky.
Brook let out a hearty belch and began.