Devil Fruit:
Bug Bug Fruit Model: Transponder Snail
Mushi Mushi no Mi Model: Den Den Mushi
Appearance:
The Devil Fruit looks like a very large lychee (the size is slightly smaller than a tennis ball) which is a dark red in colour and is covered with slightly oval swirls. The stem of the Fruit is split evenly and are curled at the ends like a snail's eye stalks.
Class:
This is a Zoan Devil Fruit.
Sub-Category:
This Devil Fruit belongs to the sub-category Herbivorous Zoan, which classifies animals that feed exclusively off of plant material. These Fruits usually make the user more passive and flighty due to the instincts that it comes with, and due to the lack of offensive adaptations, it is usually considered as a defensive class, as they are more built around survival than killing due to the abundance of plant life they usually live in. This also allows the user to consume plant matter to live, as they get the most out of all the energy around them, but it will not allow them to eat all plant matter, just the ones that aren't majorly poisonous.
Overview:
This Devil Fruit grants the eater the ability to transform into a Transponder Snail, one of the main forms of communications in the One Piece universe. The reason this Devil Fruit is called Bug Bug Fruit Model: Transponder Snail due to a Transponder Snail being considered a bug in Japan and the model of which it is, specifically, is a Transponder Snail.
Abilities:
Zoan Devil Fruits allow the user to transform into another species. This type of Fruit provides three basic forms that all users seem to have an instinctual knowledge of how to use. The first form is the Natural Form, which is the user's natural form prior to consuming the Fruit. The second form is a Hybrid Form, or in this case combining both the original and a Transponder Snail into an unusual form where the size is usually greatly exaggerated. The last form is Beast Form, where the user transforms completely into a Transponder Snail, which while the size is still greatly exaggerated it will still be smaller than the user's Natural Form if it is bigger than a Transponder Snail. However, through training, it is possible for Zoan users to unlock different transformations, which can range from transforming selective parts of the body, transforming into different forms that are not labelled above that have slight natural variations for the specific species, and slight size altering abilities. This will be very important to this Fruit as there are many slight variations of Transponder Snails that the user will be able to access with this Fruit. Another strange effect that is shown when transforming is that Zoan users in a half-natural half-animal hybrid tend to get bigger than they originally are, even to giant proportions.
The Zoan Fruits primarily improve and multiple physical abilities and allow the user to use the three forms to adapt to a situation during a fight, allowing them to find the form that gives the biggest advantage in a fight or environment. This, however, is different for the Transponder Snail, as it will not improve the physical abilities of the user due to a Transponder Snail being hilariously weak, and instead will allow for the natural adaptations the species have. For Transponder Snails, they have adapted to have the ability to communicate with each other telepathically through radio waves. For better understanding, the people of the One Piece universe take advantage of this ability by attaching buttons and receivers to them. This process is quite simple, as to make communicators the wild snails are caught, fed and then are attached to equipment that allows humans to use them. Den Den Mushi thus take the place of telephones and other similar machines in One Piece, which the user can now also do. Zoan powers are usually utilized for their Hybrid Form, as this form enhances the physical statistics of the user by combining positive attributes from both the user and the physical-level equivalent of the Zoan species, but for this Fruit it will only allow the user to become an average Transponder Snail Hybrid, and the slight variations only being able to access among a full Beast-Form transformation. Another rather minor advantage is that depending on the scenario, a Zoan user can go undetected by simply changing the physical form they have to one unfamiliar to those around them, which really only works if the people don't detect the user has eaten a Devil Fruit and if they are unfamiliar with that person/animal.
In their Hybrid and Beast Forms, Zoan users experience enhanced senses, as these forms use a combination of both the user's and the Fruit's abilities. Skilled Zoan users are also capable of using their powers to shape-shift out of harm's way, as they may be in a larger form then shift to a smaller one to quickly dodge. This is particularly useful, especially when the Zoan's body has been restrained, as they may be able to shrink out of the restraints or expand and grow enough to break them.
This Fruit type is also useful for applying to objects such as guns or swords, giving an otherwise inanimate object life and increasing its value to the owner of the item. The method of application is, however, as of yet, unknown, but is speculated to occur buy blending the Fruit into a liquid and letting the object soak in it for a certain period of time, the in which the object will start to move or transform once the Fruit's "Essence" has occupied it.
Strengths:
The strengths of the Bug Bug Fruit Model: Transponder Snail is that it allows the user to access the natural adaptations and abilities of a Transponder Snail. This means that the user can now shift their back to have a shell on it that can protect the user from damage. They will also gain the ability to stick and walk/glide on vertical surfaces like a snail, giving them a different way to move around or hide in hard to reach places.
The main strength of this ability, however, is to communicate with other Transponder Snails telepathically through radio waves. While this does not actively help the user in a straight fight, it does allow the user, with the right equipment, to listen in on basically any conversation that is held over a Transponder Snail. The user will also be able to communicate and do whatever any Transponder Snail can do if they have the right equipment or technology that a particular variant of a Transponder Snail needs to function. The user also has a much larger range in which they can communicate with other Transponder Snails due to the user's larger size, which is a big advantage to their Beast Form, while also allowing them to excel and make other Transponder Snail abilities more powerful.
This Zoan Fruit is also unique as if a Transponder Snail ate this Devil Fruit it would not be a waste to them, as they will now be able to transform into all the different variants of Transponder Snail, making them one of the most powerful Transponder Snail in the entire world.
Techniques:
The Techniques for this section will be unique, as they will be the different Beast Forms of the Transponder Snails the user can transform into. The adaptations and variations of each Form will be discussed and their specific abilities for each Form, and if the user has or needs the necessary equipment if needed for those specific abilities.
Regular Transponder Snail: The most common Transponder Snail commonly seen. They are too big to be conveniently carried around, but their signal range is much further than that of a baby. They can also serve as fax machines if the right accessory is attached. They are capable of making long distance calls, and many are large enough to make a worldwide signal. This is the type of Transponder Snail the user will be able to use in a Hybrid Form, as well as the abilities it has if the right accessories are provided. This is an E-Rank Utility Technique that the user can transform into.
Baby Transponder Snail: This transformation shrinks the user to a fairly small and portable Transponder Snail, which can be used to hide in small areas. This transformation limits the usual range of their communication to just the island they are on, but can now also be used as a speaker to broadcast either the voice of the user or the voice of someone else. This is a D-Rank Utility Technique the user transforms into.
Black Transponder Snail: This transformation makes the user a Black Transponder Snail, which can be used to intercept and listen in to other Transponder Snail conversations. This transformation will make the user shrink to their smallest form, which will be the size of a wristwatch, and the user will then be unable to move on their own and must be carried by others. The instincts of this particular variant will make the user dislike communicating with others while making them enjoy eavesdropping. This is an C-Rank Utility and Spying Technique that requires the user to find the certain telepathic radio wave conversation and connect to it without being found out, which doesn't really affect the user too much as Transponder Snails are pretty chill and don't mind others listening for most of the time, unless the user is blocked by a White Transponder Snail.
White Transponder Snail: The user transforms into a White Transponder Snail, which allows the user to attach themselves to another Transponder snail to prevent conversations from being overhead or eavesdropped into. This is done by the user sending out psychic waves that prevent the call from being intercepted, and are the opposite of the Black Transponder Snail. This is a C-rank Utility Technique that the user will need to practice and understand to do.
Visual Transponder Snail: This transformation will allow the user to able to receive, project and broadcast what the user sees onto a bigger video screen. They are also able to broadcast their frequencies between two relatively close locations. This transformation will need the right technology and equipment for the ability to work and the user will need to be able to concentrate directly on what needs to be played. This is a C-Rank Utility Technique that the user can show whatever they have recorded or are receiving.
Horned Transponder Snail: While the user is in this transformation they can jam all radio transmissions from Transponder Snails. This is done by the user sending out a thick cloud of psychic energy that prevents Transponder Snails to communicate to those in the area of the psychic cloud or out of the psychic cloud. This is a B-Rank Jamming Technique that is difficult to use for long periods of time due to the mental strain it puts on the user to keep up the psychic cloud.
Surveillance Transponder Snail Formation: The user transforms into a large Visual Transponder Snail, which is then hooked up to a system of other small Visual Transponder Snails that are placed in other locations, which the user can now see through to either monitor several locations or use as an information gathering aid to what the enemy is doing or to what is just generally going on in an area. There is also a special type of Visual Transponder Snail that can move and look around, which the user can take over like a possession if they have this rare type of Visual Transponder Snail. This is an A-Rank Information Gathering Technique that requires the user to have the right technology, several other Transponder Snails, and the mental fortitude to see through all of them at the same time, which becomes easier with practice.
Diamond Transponder Snail: This is the rarest variation of Transponder Snail, as it allows the user to "Hack" into every Transponder Snail on the planet, allowing them to eavesdrop or control other Transponder Snails to do their bidding, regardless of if there's a White or Horned Transponder Snail in the way, as the user can override them to let them transmit in the area. This Transformation also allows the user to have the greatest defence of all, as the Transponder Snail is completely coated in diamonds, which will be helpful, but the user still won't be able to use this in their Hybrid Form, only their Beast Form, which will be the size of a slightly larger Regular Transponder Snail. This is an S-Rank Awakened Spying and Mind Control Technique, as the scope of this Technique covers the entire planet and can work on every Transponder Snail.
Weakness:
Although Zoan class Fruits mainly revolve around the physical powers granted, they can be restricted to just the capabilities of the proportionate animal they are able to transform into, which could be bad if the animal is physically weak, which is the case with this Devil Fruit, as snails are not renown for their strength. In hybrid form, these strengths of both species may be combined, but again seems to be just a mixture of both forms, in which case the user can get slightly weaker or remain at the same strength. While it is true that they enhance the strengths of the consumer, they rely primarily on the consumer's already-established fighting skills and capabilities to get the most out of this Fruit as the Transponder Snail have no damaging or offensive attacks. Therefore, dut to what species the user is and what the Fruit has to offer, this Zoan Fruit may end up being nothing more than a physical change of appearance to that particular consumer, which for this Fruit it is, except it has more transformations and abilities than usual. However, this does not mean the Fruit itself was worthless, as all Devil Fruits are subject to fate on who consumes them.
The user will be unable to use some of the abilities that certain Transponder Snails can use due to a lack of correct equipment, as naturally, Transponder Snails do not have the equipment, and neither will the user, which will limit the user in what they can do until they can gather or make the equipment. While the user is transformed into either their Hybrid or Beast Form the user is weak to salt. This is due to it dehydrating the user, which is the same if the user falls into the ocean if they are still transformed, as the salt content will still dehydrate them like it would a snail.
The Bug Bug Fruit Model: Transponder Snail has the same weaknesses of every Devil Fruit in that they become unable to move when submerged in large bodies of water and the user becoming weak and tired when they are in contact with Seastone, which also stops them from using their abilities. While eating this Fruit will change or add instincts none of them is necessarily bad for the user or can be exploited by the enemy. This Fruit will not cause the user any conditions or disorders through its use unless eavesdropping and gossiping counts.
Prerequisite Knowledge:
For this Devil Fruit, any knowledge of Transponder Snails and their uses would be helpful. What would really make a difference is if the user knows how to make any of the technology that is built for a specific variant of Transponder Snail and then how to rig a Transponder Snail with the technology. This would help the user be able to make all of their Beast Form transformations work properly, as some need specific pieces of technology to function properly.
Species:
There is really no species that this Devil Fruit would not work with, and the only species that may make the user negate certain death if left in the ocean is if a Fishman ate it, as while they may now be unable to move or swim underwater which is what they adapted to, the Fishman user can now breath underwater, and therefore avoid drowning while they wait for someone to help them, unless they are in their Beast Form, as the user will then slowly dehydrate until death or being rescued.
Awakening:
For Zoan type Awakening's, the user gets much larger transformations than other Zoan, while also gaining even more physical strength and durability. This also includes faster recovery time, which functions involuntarily even when the user is unconscious. However, this will not be the case with this Fruit but instead will allow the user to gain access the rarest Transponder Snail form, the Diamond Transponder Snail. The Diamond Transponder Snail is the rarest variation of Transponder Snail, as it allows the user to "Hack" into every Transponder Snail on the planet, allowing them to eavesdrop or control the Transponder Snail to do their bidding, regardless of if there's a White or Horned Transponder Snail in the way. This Transformation also allows the user to have the greatest defence of all, as the Transponder Snail is completely coated in diamonds. To Awaken this Devil Fruit, the user must be under constant mental stress from overuse of their telepathic snail abilities, and near a readily available source of diamonds, as the user will unconsciously transform into a Transponder Snail and merge with the diamonds, coating the user with them and advancing all their natural abilities. This will feel freeing for the user as their minds will feel a unique clarity that can only be felt in this form.
Comments/Information:
Hello, I hope you like this Fruit, as I really enjoyed researching into the different classifications of Transponder Snails. Now I know what you are all thinking "where are the Gold and Silver Transponder Snails?!" I know that there not here, and I did that on purpose, because really the Gold Transponder Snail literally only sends a signal to the Silver Transponder Snail, no message or any form of communication, just a signal, and then the Silver Transponder Snail gives off an alarm, just an alarm. I'm not actually going to waste my time with such a waste of Transponder Snails, especially if they can only communicate one way with only each other. I hope you like the Awakening, it had me stumped for a while as I thought it needed to be special, and the Diamond Transponder Snail was the solution. By the way, the Diamond Transponder Snail is my own idea, and I do believe it exists in the one piece world naturally, it's just that they are either born every 100 years or they have to go through the Awakening process, which would be difficult to find that amount of diamonds and motivation to use their abilities in a Transponder Snail, and in one place for that. This Devil Fruit would be best used for information gathering and spying, with no combat capabilities whatsoever.
Credits:
This Devil Fruit was made by me, and the genius who proposed this idea was theorbess540, as I believe this is the FIRST Zoan Fruit of a creature that is only native to the One Piece world. Thanks to theorbess for this idea, and I hope that it fulfilled everything you wanted from this Devil Fruit. Your cool quote for your support is "Life is really simple, we just insist on making it complicated".
A/N: And here's the next chapter, the idea was suggested to me less than a day ago and I knew that I needed to do this, and so I did. Don't forget, I'm always open to new Devil Fruit ideas, just leave them in a PM or review and I'll do it if I like it, which really isn't hard as I like basically all Devil Fruits, the only way you could disinterest me is with really general ideas, like the Death Death Fruit, which what? Kills people? how dull and uninventive.