Surprisingly, as soon as I put up Past the Gazing Glass, I found himself seeing a few possibilities of what Luffy could do, if he ate the Munch-Munch Fruit. Doesn't mean Wapol would have to be kicked off the show, though. He just won't get the same, uh, threat and opportunity levels as he did in canon. So, depending on how it goes, there probably won't be a Black Drum Kingdom in any of these visions, even if the knowledge of Wapol's piracy is completely "under the rug" as it were.
Anyway, if you've read Past the Gazing Glass, then you'll probably understand that these one-shots/challenge prompts will operate and hopefully will be undertaken by the same rules I listed.
Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece, Eiichiro Oda does.
[YBWYD]
You Become What You Digested
[YBWYD]
Giving the Actual Cooks a Run for their Money
[YBWYD]
The following days since each of the three pirate ships that comprised the budding Straw Hat Grand Fleet dropped anchor near the Baratie sea restaurant proved to be profitable in terms of making money, if somewhat difficult in recruiting the chef their admiral, Monkey D. Luffy, wanted for his flagship and hopefully pass his culinary knowledge to the first two divisions. Despite the Buggy Pirates, excluding the well-known Buggy himself, paying for the whole fleet's food bills with their convincing "circus act" entertaining customers, the Baratie's sous chef Sanji, refused to budge on boarding the Going Merry for good, even if it meant spending more time with the attractive Alvida and Nami. After some talk among the three crews, it was decided that at the end of the fourth day, if Sanji hadn't made up his mind, the fleet would leave for the Commi Islands and hope to find a recruitable cooking staff elsewhere. Nonetheless, the pirates onboard each ship took care in training themselves for future fights they would find themselves into whether the foes they would face be Human, Fishman, or whatever came first.
In addition, Luffy and his two subordinate captains were brainstorming to the best of their ability on what to do when the returning Don Krieg arrived at the Baratie. When Gin left for his crew after having his meal and witnessing Luffy's Devil Fruit power, it didn't take an experienced Grand Line veteran such as Buggy to know that he would most likely come back to "ask a favor" of Luffy on Krieg's behalf. And given Krieg's background as a master of skullduggery which earned him the epithet of Foul Play Krieg, it would more than likely turn into a betrayal very fast. However, Luffy was undaunted at the chance of a dangerous fight, considering his talent for them and the possible bonus of adding new recruits to his fleet by either proving his mettle in front of the Baratie's cooks or winning the East Blue's previous Pirate Armada's loyalty was alluring as well.
On the third day, while Luffy, Buggy, and Usopp tinkered in seclusion below deck on the Going Merry, Alvida, the leading members of the Straw Hat and Buggy Pirates, as well as Zoro's bounty hunter friends, Johnny and Yosaku, occupied themselves with either training, or grooming the lion Richie in Mohji's case. Thanks to Luffy's Munch-Munch Fruit with a few instructions from the ship's maker/namesake, the Going Merry was remade to double its original size to accommodate a slightly larger crew while still having the same outward appearance. Although it initially concerned Luffy's crewmates that they were, by all accounts, making their home on a vessel that was chewed up and spitted out, both Luffy, Buggy, and Alvida insisted that anything gross won't be found or felt on the ship which eventually convinced them, considering the two formers have been Devil Fruit users for most of their lives and the latter lost her previous obesity when the Munch-Munch Fruit's power was used to rearrange her bone structure. Although Luffy agreed with Alvida that since she found the Smooth-Smooth Fruit in the past, she should have been the one to take a bite out of it, he wanted to study it a bit for then undisclosed reasons until he got a result from his experiment.
"Whatever that idiot's thinking, it better not be a bomb that explodes in all our faces." Commented Nami as she dueled Alvida with her staff to her so called love rival's Iron Club.
"You know, little girl, you should have more faith in my man's way of thinking." Alvida taunted as a swing of her Iron Club got deflected by Nami's staff. She then smirked. "Are you voicing doubts about my Luffy because you're still conflicted about the whole pirate thing, or because you're still jealous he's obviously chosen me over you?"
Nami quickly went on the offensive with a growl. "For the last time, I don't like him that way! Secondly, just because he took your heart without even trying, doesn't mean you actually own him, even if you two were together! And finally, does he even look like a world-class scientist to you?!"
Alvida didn't hesitate in unleashing her own counterattack. "Maybe not, but at least he's a lot more likable than the small-chested, little miser who constantly berates pirates, despite being one herself!"
"Young man hunter!"
"Cat burglar!"
"Harpy!"
"Hypocrite!"
"Beauty cheater!"
"Sad flirt!"
"Hag!"
"Child!"
"Slaver!"
"Liar!"
"Pig!"
"Money-bather!"
"Hey!" Interjected the swordsmen on the ship, annoyed that their own training match against each other was being interrupted by the usual cat fight.
"Look, you two witches, we're tired of you ladies always going on and on about which one of you Luffy likes best!" Yelled Zoro. "It's got to stop!"
"You stay out of this, you moss-haired thug!" Yelled the two females with a look that, to the nearby men, screamed "Eternal Suffering".
"That's it!" Exclaimed Alvida as she slammed her Iron Club on the deck. "Sympathetic past aside, you're going down!"
"You first, boy chaser!" Nami retorted with her staff in hand.
Before they struck one another, however, their weapons instead impacted the man that came between them. In only a passing moment, Nami's staff hit the chest of Sanji, while Alvida's club hit his back. It didn't take long for him to come crashing on the deck.
"Seriously, dumb blond?" Rhetorically asked Alvida with a disappointed shake of her head.
"Yeah, Sanji!" Yelled Nami. "Can't you see I was going to teach this cow a lesson?!"
Upon hearing their voices, Sanji quickly leapt to his feet and began to defend his actions. "I couldn't just hold back in seeing beautiful goddesses such as yourselves getting hurt!"
"We're criminals, Sanji, our lives are supposed to be an occupational hazard." Justified Nami before she muttered. "Even if some of us would like to play it safe."
Sanji didn't appear to be convinced.
"If you don't stay out of a woman's efforts to grow stronger, I will use my club on your bathroom mechanism, and force you to consume what remains of it!" Threatened Alvida.
After a brief moment of silence to contemplate the pirate beauty's choice of words, Nami gaped while all the men panicked and hid behind the equally spooked Richie.
"My lovely Captain of Love, you wouldn't!" Squeaked the terrified Sanji.
"Try me!" Alvida screamed.
Before anyone else could follow up with a word, the door to below deck opened with Usopp, Buggy, and Luffy coming outside with displeased looks.
"Will somebody please explain to us why there's so much shouting and out of whack insults here?!" Demanded Buggy.
"Yeah, people, we can't work with all the yelling!" Usopp added.
Luffy, however, belly laughed upon seeing Sanji. "Looks like you guys actually got our new chef on board after all."
In a flash, Sanji's terror was replaced with anger. "For the last time, you little crapper, I'm not joining your crew, no matter how many beautiful women you'll introduce me to!"
Luffy, in spite of Sanji's insult, was undeterred. "Oh, it's okay, comrade. It's not like I'll take you back to whatever family you ran away from. That would have to be a problem of your own to deal with."
Sanji was quickly stunned to the point his cigarette fell out of his mouth while the others onboard looked confused. Trying to regain his strength of character, Sanji retorted. "And what do you know about my family?"
"Well, judging by your mannerisms and comparing them to this great guy I grew up with for some time, I can tell you were born in a high classy environment and that you grew tired of the lack of love in it before running away." Replied Luffy, smirking at everyone's surprised expressions. "However, you don't strike me the same as the Goa Kingdom's nobles. Hell, I probably shouldn't be surprised if you tell us you aren't even from the East Blue." This brought another chill down Sanji's spine as Luffy's smirk grew wider. "How far right am I, cook?"
Sanji sighed before he then replied. "Look, my past is a touchy subject that I haven't shared with anyone, not even Zeff, in at least eleven years. Please, don't bother me about that." Sighing again, he then stared into Luffy's eyes. "I actually do want to see the world and all the beautiful things in it, but I owe Zeff into helping him due to no small part in that I owe him my life. If you do know enough about me, you got to at least understand that much."
Luffy's smirk turned into a genuine smile. "Of course, I do. I was in the same boat as you regarding my hero who sacrificed his body part for me." That got the attention of most of the people who didn't know much of Luffy's past. "But from what I've seen of the old geezer, you staying stuck to him forever is the last thing he wants. He recognizes your potential just like I do."
Thinking over his words, Sanji nodded. "He did tell me that it was our shared dream to find the All Blue that made him rescue me from death's door, but it just doesn't feel fair that I have to succeed where he couldn't."
"The whole legacy thing can be a tricky road when you think about it." Interjected a knowing Buggy. "Believe me, I know. But I think it would make Red Foot incredibly happy if you made that dream a reality for him as well as for yourself."
Sighing briefly, Sanji's sad frown changed upon his small chuckle. "That actually does make sense. Okay, you crappy, little Pirate Admiral, so long as you don't meddle in my past until I say so, or take all the beautiful goddesses of this world for yourself, I'll become your cook."
"Yay!" Celebrated Luffy with a shout just as many others did something similar until Zoro scoffed dismissively.
"And after three days? We could've saved a lot of time if we just recruited the whole restaurant, instead of just one perverted cook."
"I dare you to say that again, mosshead!" Yelled Sanji in Zoro's face before Luffy interrupted.
"Hold it! Zoro, did you say we should've just recruited the whole restaurant?"
"Uh, yeah?" Zoro replied uncertainly.
"Why didn't we think of that before?" Luffy asked to everyone present, encouraging sweatdrops here and there.
[YBWYD]
"All right, Owner Zeff, how would you like to hear my proposition?" Asked Luffy to the Baratie head chef on the fourth day.
After Sanji had finally accepted the invite to join the crew and Zoro brought up recruiting the rest of Sanji's colleagues as well, Luffy was quickly inspired to find a way to get the Baratie and its crew of cooks on his side. Although Luffy, Usopp, and Buggy wouldn't budge what they were doing exactly, they did promise that as soon as the situation with the Krieg Pirates was resolved, they would demonstrate what they had in mind. The following day, with Krieg's arrival and eventual defeat, the surviving ninety-nine members of his old crew were encouraged to join the Straw Hat Grand Fleet under Gin's captaincy after witnessing him use his martial arts to defeat Krieg followed by rebuilding their wrecked ship, the Dreadnaught Sabre, into a newly emboldened vessel with the powers granted to him by the Munch-Munch Fruit. With a third division added to his fleet, he was then primed to add a fourth one.
"I'm listening, brat." Replied the head chef with a proud smile at having survived a tough-looking fight with his loyal employees alongside the pirate fleet that had inspired the closest thing he had for a son to finally go live the dream they shared.
"How would you like to go back to piracy?" Luffy said with a clever grin.
That brought the cooks of the Baratie to a standstill before Zeff released an amused laugh. "Oh, please. I'm too old for that shit. I can understand that you think my experience in the Grand Line and my cooking expertise could helpful, but my time has come and gone. Besides, my chefs and I were thinking of renovating the old fish and expanding it. Making our own fleet of cooks as it were."
Luffy nodded understandingly. "I see that, but you and the rest of these guys can find more of what you're looking for by following me. Wealth, fame, the All Blue, just name it. But if you won't believe words, old man, at least believe my actions."
Zeff only grunted. "Well, you're not a half-bad fighter, and you're Devil Fruit looks useful, but you'll have to do more than that to convince me to raise up my old Jolly Roger again."
Luffy's smirk only grew wider. "Then I'll show you what I've been meaning to perform. Buggy, Usopp, bring me the Smooth-Smooth Fruit, an ordinary fruit, a testing needle, and the vat of SAD !"
"What?" Many of the people around said in confused unison as the two mentioned ran to the Going Merry to pick up the items ordered.
After a short time passed, Buggy and Usopp returned at an even pace to hand over the items to their Admiral, regardless of their obvious worry.
"I hope you know what you're doing, Luffy." Usopp said in concern as he placed the Smooth-Smooth Fruit, a needle, and an orange in Luffy's hands.
"Just don't make a mistake that would result in all our deaths, alright, boy?" Grunted Buggy as he placed the metallic, hose-attached vat with the capitalized word "SAD" on it.
"Deaths?!" Exclaimed a few pirates and restauranteurs.
"Luffy, have you gone completely crazy-stupid?!" Yelled Nami. "That symbol on the vat clearly means what's inside is dangerous!"
"Don't worry, Nami." Luffy replied with a relaxed smile. "The chemists and I were able to do the math. Now, it's time to put those words of ours into action."
"Where did you even get this "SAD" stuff anyway?" Zoro asked uncertainly.
Luffy briefly thought of telling them about his ties to prominent people like Ace and Garp, who were able to learn about the stuff, get hints about what a disgraced Marine scientist had been doing with it in the New World for the past year, and then brought a sample to him to see if the card-styled broker was indeed the only criminal to bring about some "smiles". In the end, however, he decided to continue keeping that under wraps until there was a better time to divulge such compromising information. His lying skills weren't all that superb, but he could ignore the full truth for the moment. "Let's just say that I know a few people that are helpful, so long as I don't forget them." He answered with a chuckle.
It didn't take for a lot of the people present to facepalm at that statement.
"Now, let it begin!" Luffy exclaimed in an enthusiastic tone.
Taking the hose to his mouth, Luffy began to suck from the vat a wax-like substance much to the disgust of all those present before he then stopped to swallow the orange whole and yelled. "Munch-Munch Factory!" From his mouth spat the orange which was changed to appear as a mix of colors. He then took the needle to the Smooth-Smooth Fruit to drain out a foul-looking liquid from it.
"Huh." Uttered a bewildered Zoro. "I wouldn't have guessed Devil Fruits came with juice like regular fruits."
"I guess you can be surprised by what life will throw at you." Nami shrugged.
The crowd of seafarers then saw Luffy use the needle to inject the liquid into the altered orange. For a moment, nothing happened. Then the fruit began to bulge as the colors on its surface switched position over and over until the bulging stopped, the fruit chose the color green with blue ring patterns, and the Smooth-Smooth Fruit next to it seemed to have gotten smaller. As numerous others looked confused on what happened, Zeff was wide-eyed in shock, Luffy laughed triumphantly, and Buggy as well as Usopp looked befuddled in disbelief before joining Luffy in his laughter.
"Brat!" Zeff said with a stutter that caught all those who knew him off-guard. "Did you just… make a new Devil Fruit?"
"What?!" Exclaimed all the people on all five ships.
"That I did." Confirmed Luffy with the smirk of a winner. "You see, in the past, the World Government's top scientist tried to make an Artificial Devil Fruit. But for some reason, that didn't bore fruit. Pun intended." After giggling a bit as his audience either laugher with him or shook their heads in amusement, Luffy went on with his explanation. "Nonetheless, that guy's fellow scientist worked on developing that SAD crap you saw, which, with the right method, has been used for at least a year in making Artificial Zoan Devil Fruits that he then supplies to the Beasts Pirates through Underworld contacts."
"You're serious, Brother Luffy?!" Johnny and Yosaku asked in their worldview-shattered daze.
"How could you possibly know that, Admiral?" Mohji asked in a somewhat annoyed way that their young pirate admiral knows more than what he lets on.
"I'll tell you guys someday." Promised Luffy. "But for now, I don't want to draw more attention to any more people I care about. Anyway, by using my Munch-Munch Fruit powers to combine that former orange with the SAD sample, I was able to adjust it so that once it got a "taste" of a Devil Fruit, the SAD inside would then absorb that Devil Fruit's side effect, which in the Smooth-Smooth Fruit's case is the weight loss, and finally, make a Devil Fruit power out of it. In other words, I just made the first Artificial Paramecia Devil Fruit: the Weight-Weight Fruit!" Sheepishly laughing he said. "It's not the best name I could think of, but I think it will work for now."
"That's amazing, Luffy!" Cheered Alvida in joy as she embraced her lover. "You're remarkable!" She then kissed him much to Sanji's jealous agony while the blushing Nami did her best to look away.
Taking a break from the kiss, Luffy then looked towards the still gaping Zeff. "So, old man, want to join my fleet now?"
After a brief moment of contemplation, Zeff turned to his fellow cooks. "You heard him, you dopey morons! Let's sail out with the Grand Fleet!"
Excited cheers then erupted all around.
[YBWYD]
Awareness Bringer: And that's that for now. Not entirely pleased with how I executed it, but nobody's perfect. Before anybody gets the wrong idea, let me say that I placed the pirate crews mentioned and the Baratie as subordinates of Luffy because I interpreted that it might could go that way. It doesn't have to be a requirement, but I would be happy if anyone interested in this follows up on it.
Luffy: Looks cool to me, my friend!
Awareness Bringer: Glad to hear it, Luffy.
Alvida: I especially liked that you paired me with Luffy again in this one.
Awareness Bringer: What can I say? I like anime/manga chick magnets. They're so inspirational.
Sanji: What sort of advantages does an idiot like Luffy have over me anyway?! He looks plain, simple-minded, and casual. I, on the other hand, am handsome, smart, and a gentleman.
Awareness Bringer: Quit your whining, you smoking whiner. I'm sure there's at least one girl that can end up with you depending on the circumstances.
Doflamingo: Ignoring the hormone-driven dud, I am intrigued of the way you depicted the Artificial Devil Fruits. Might be a bit ambitious and optimistic on your part, but not necessarily a bad idea.
Awareness Bringer: Yeah, I just couldn't resist the possibility of that, especially for Sugar and Lola. Their alternate looks in the manga SBS looked too good to ignore.
Lola: So, you were thinking I'd get the Weight-Weight Fruit you made?
Awareness Bringer: Yeah, and it doesn't have to only affect you, I think. Given the events of the Whole Cake Island Arc, I figured a change in appearance would be helpful if you ever decided to go back.
Sugar: And judging by your earlier statement, the Donquixote Family will be seeing this different Luffy in a future one-shot. Am I correct?
Awareness Bringer: Yep, I definitely have an idea for that. I know it's a lot to hope for, but Blackbeard blew away a lot of people in-universe at Marineford. And I'm sure that Caesar Clown did something similar for the fans in the timeskip.
Caesar: I guess I did, didn't I? Hope you have more thoughts.
Awareness Bringer: Sure do. Just thought of a way Luffy could have the Op-Op Fruit without killing off Law. I call it The Modifier. You know, because he'd be a Free Modification Human.
Law: Hopefully, I'll get back on the bastards without it.
Awareness Bringer: Law, I respect and sympathize with you a lot, but you really need to find something real to live for. I can name a few girls that you can be paired up with, if you want to know.
Baby 5: I'm fine with Sai, but thanks.
Sugar: I'm technically too young.
Monet: I unfortunately died.
Awareness Bringer: Can't blame a guy for thinking.