GOMU GOMU NO!~ Alright here it is the official reveal of Jaune F. Hawkins' devil fruit! Now, I would have released this chapter yesterday, but I struggled with the lyrics of the song I included and there was no way in heck I was going to leave it out!
Now there wasn't any real description of this fruit, so I felt the need to devise one. If the reveal of this canon devil fruit is ever released I'll change the description in my story, but until that happens that'll have to do.
The next chapter after this will most likely wrap up this short sub-arc, and the Hawkins family will finally be leaving the sands of Vacuo. Perhaps with another addition to their family as well?
Also, I really thought I got away with that straw pun in chapter 33. Dangit X3runner. XD
But all considering, I'm honestly overjoyed that I've hit this many followers and reviews. I think the only reason why my story hasn't hit higher than 400 reviews, is that I think most people don't go outta their way to search fanfic for Basil Hawkins in particular. Cus, to be frank, there are very few stories on this site that feature him as the main character. That's my assumption anyway.
Anyhow, that's all for this author note folks, like always, happy reading!
:3
"So, any ideas on how we get out of here?" Jaune sighed.
Emerald and Vernal had done their best to treat the blonde boy's wounds, but the damage was evident. Every time Jaune would try to stand he'd wobble back to the floor in a heartbeat. He tried to assure his sister and bully that he was fine, but they were obviously skeptical.
"You need to rest Jaune. You can't keep pushing yourself like this. I already told you that I want my brother alive when we go home, so just sit tight and let me handle this." Emerald huffed.
"Hey, I'm here too you know," Vernal growled.
"Don't push me Vernal, or I'll get Funkfreed to pull down your pants again." Emerald's eyes narrowed and the elephant positioned himself behind the brunette.
"I-I didn't even do anything!" Vernal squeaked. She retreated behind a pile of rubble but poked her head out to see what was going on.
"Stop fighting you guys. We're not going to get anywhere with that kind of attitude. Who knows, there might be Grimm lurking in these abandoned chambers." Jaune wheezed.
Emerald and Vernal's bodies stiffened. They were leagues ahead in fighting prowess for kids their age, but they were kids nonetheless and would die at the hands of a deathstalker like any normal human being.
"Hey Minty, can you shuffle my tarot cards for me? Best predict the odds of something jumping us before it's too late." Jaune motioned to the pouch slung around his waist with a smile. Emerald wasted no time in fulfilling her brother's orders.
Though Emerald had never shuffled cards before, and every time she tried to copy how her father or Jaune did it, they would spill to the floor in a jumbled mess. Jaune giggled at his sister's bumbling fingers, which earned him one of the cutest pouts he'd ever seen. Her cheeks puffed and eyes narrowed, Emerald's cheeks were slightly pink in embarrassment. If Jaune were to rate the level of the pout, he'd give it a solid nine out of ten.
"Do you want to try Hedgehog? You've been staring for quite a while now." Jaune turned his head toward the fidgeting bully.
"W-What makes you think I want to help you of all people?" Vernal scowled.
Jaune sighed. "We're in this together, you meanie. I don't like you, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna let you die down here. At least not on my watch for that matter. Ain't that right Funkfreed?"
Vernal stuck her tongue out and blew a rude raspberry. Oh well, Jaune gave it a fair shot. Then he realized, where did Funkfreed go? His gaze darted to his white-skinned friend by the flowing river. It looked like the elephant was trying to fish something out of the water.
"Is something the matter Funkfreed?" Jaune, Emerald, and Vernal veered their attention to the curious elephant. After plucking some sort of yellow fruit, it returned to the three with a tilted head while flapping its ears.
Funkfreed had seen similar fruits like this one before. Spandam had given it to that long-rectangular nosed fellow and the glass wearing blonde woman and it gave them incredible powers. There was a catch to consuming one of these fruits though. What was it again?
Placing the fruit in front of Jaune, the boy couldn't help but be intrigued by its peculiar design. It looked like butternut squash, Jaune knew this due to growing up while being surrounded by the bountiful farming fields of Vale. Despite his knowledge of produce, the boy couldn't decipher what plant this soggy fruit had grown from.
"Does this thing look edible to you Jaune?" Emerald picked up the fruit with a shaky hand. It was smooth to the touch and appeared to have a thick layer of skin.
"Let me do a quick tarot shuffle and we'll find out." Jaune forced himself to a cross-legged seated position and gathered his cards.
"Hm, it should be 97% edible." Though to be safe Jaune ran a few more tests.
"3% It's poisonous, 0% it was grown in Vacuo."
"What do you mean zero percent? If this thing wasn't grown here Jaune then how did it end up here? I doubt someone just dropped it and left it here for us to eat." Emerald huffed.
'Growl~'
Vernal blushed at the rumbling noise that ushered from her empty stomach. Jaune and Emerald giggled as the brunette did her best to snarl at the two.
"Hey, I've got some Pumpkin Pete's nibble munchies left over. Do you guys want some?" Jaune opened his pouch and spilled its contents. Two packs of chocolate-flavored munchies, and three strawberry ones. He didn't have raspberry or lemon, which was a shame seeing they were his favorites.
"I-I can have some?" Vernal asked in genuine shock.
"Why are you looking at me like that Hedgehog? Of course, you can have a pack. I did include everyone when I asked right?" Jaune asked with a muddled expression.
"...Okay." Vernal grabbed a pack hesitantly. Emerald shot her a glare which Vernal returned in full, but the brunette's scorn subsided considerably when her eyes met Jaune. Why was he be so nice to her? Wasn't he mocking her along with his sister only a few minutes ago?
"So um, are we going to share the weird fruit?" Emerald pointed out.
"So you don't know how you ended up here Kuma?" Hawkins and the supposed bear Faunus found themselves deeper within the ruins. The chambers they were situated in were surprisingly spacious. However, the atmosphere between the former supernova and warlord growing more awkward by the second.
"I'm not sure, myself," Kuma replied softly.
"Then you didn't use your devil power to get out of there?" Hawkins curled a brow.
Kuma looked at his hands which adorned a set of pink padded palms. His mind running blank, the warlord shrugged and continued to follow Hawkins down the winding passages. It was an oddity, to say the least. In his prime, Kuma was a feared pirate who was referred to be one of the world governments most loyal assets.
Tales of how he'd obliterate pirates were in the plenty, and even then his reputation did not do him justice. In truth, it had been a miracle that Hawkins was able to defeat the former warlord. Granted Hawkins did unlock a new technique, but doubt racked his mind about the outcome of their battle.
Kuma didn't use his devil fruit the entire time and relied solely on his physical strength and long-range lasers. Had he been holding back on purpose? Or did Custard's meddling with his internal mechanisms affect his common sense? Too many questions with no plausible answers, Hawkins decided it was best to leave these thoughts on the back burner and focus on his current mission. Find Brick, Richie, his children, and the other stragglers of the Branwen tribe who were pulled under.
"Say, Hawkins, didn't you have a devil fruit with you before the water flooded our chamber?" Kuma's initiation of a conversation was most surprising. Especially since, much like Hawkins, Kuma was a man of few words.
"I did, but we don't have time to look for it. Come on, there's a 64% chance of us meeting up with someone down this pathway." Hawkins lazily pointed to an opening that diverged into three paths. With the sound of water ushering from the two on the right, Hawkins could feel a warm breeze from the one on the left. Meaning that the pathway was likely headed upward.
"So, what devil fruit did you consume that granted your powers?" The innocence of Kuma's question was a good start for a small conversation.
"I ate the straw-straw fruit," Hawkins replied.
"I see, but seeing you already have a devil fruit, who were you going to bestow the one you had to?"
"I planned to have Jaune consume it. I'm not playing favorites or anything, but the one who gave it to me said it was for him." Hawkins sighed.
"I see." Kuma hummed.
"Huh, even on the inside it's got swirls. So, who wants the first bite?" Jaune peeled the fruit and furrowed his brows when the inside was blue. Granted the design was the same as its outside skin, it still left a lot to imagine for the young blonde.
"Can you do a tarot reading to see if it'll taste good?" Emerald asked.
"I don't want to eat something nasty," Vernal said as she gobbled her second bag of chocolate nibble munchies.
"You've already scarfed down two bags of rations Vernal. Leave some for the rest of us you glutton!" Emerald growled.
"Jaune said I could eat as much as I want!" Vernal huffed back.
"Guys..." Jaune drawled. "The fruit has a pretty high chance of being sour, but it is filling, so let's stop our bickering and settle with a compromise? Here, pass me your knife Hedgehog and everyone can have a piece."
Vernal barked at Jaune because he insisted to keep using her stupid nickname, but handed him her weapon anyway. The boy sliced the fruit into four equal pieces and handed them to his group. He tried to give one to Funkfreed, but the animal refused to take it.
"Huh, I guess Funkfreed doesn't like sour fruits." Jaune made a mental note to feed Funkfreed some sweet apples when they returned to Vale.
"Alright, so what are you two waiting for? Don't you want to try it?" Jaune frowned. He'd been working so hard to get Minty and Hedgehog to get along, but even he had a fuse of patience that would eventually burn out.
Emerald eyed the peculiar blue dish and looked to her brother. He hadn't had a single bite of food since they fell down here, and he had given her so much already. It didn't feel right to split the fruit evenly when Jaune was starving. Vernal was also hesitant. She didn't want to accidentaly poison herself or ruin the sweet flavors of the nibble munchies she'd consumed. So in an act of generosity and caution, Emerald and Vernal shoved their halves into Jaune's hungry mouth.
"Gurg?! Minty, Hedgehog, what was that for?!" Jaune snapped. It took a moment, but his taste buds eventually registered the juices and texture the fruit possessed. And hoo boy did it taste bad!
Jaune's eyes bulged and his face turned a bluish purple. Rolling off the floor while slapping his tongue, Jaune tried to barf out every morcel he'd just ate. Unfortunately, nothing came out, even after a flurry of stomach punches. Banging his head against the ground, Jaune shed many tears as he felt betrayed by his sister and friend in the making.
"What the hell is this taste?! It's worse than the manure and compost back in the agricultural district!" How Jaune knew this, well, let's just say a boy of three years can get a little too curious when left to wander.
Jaune scampered to the river on his stomach, crawling on all fours, he dunked his head into the water in hopes of washing out the horrible experience. However, the moment he did, Jaune felt his mind go blank and his muscles weaken.
"Jaune?" Emerald asked worriedly. Before she could do anything, Jaune's body seemed to go limp and he fell, into the flowing river!
"Pao!" Funkfreed sped past the shocked and bewildered children to rescues his friend. Fishing the soggy boy from the water, Funkfreed set Jaune down and whacked him on the stomach.
"Plurgh!" Jaune's mouth acted as a geyser for the water that surged out of his stomach. Panting for breath, he blinked and saw three worried figures looming over him. Most surprisingly Vernal was one of them.
"Huh, I didn't think you cared Vernal." Jaune beamed her his trademark goofy smile. For the first time since he met her, Vernal had a twinge of pink flow into her cheeks. Though subtle, Jaune wasn't one to miss the small details when it came to physical observation.
"I-I just felt b-bad because I thought you choked to death!" Vernal squeaked. Her voice, when lacking its harsh and rude tone was quite pleasant. At least in Jaune's perspective.
"At least I know you care about me as much as I do you." Jaune's compliments weren't making it easy for the proud bandit in training. Vernal stammered with her words and rubbed the back of her neck. Doing so while trying to hammer down the blush that was slowly making itself known to the other members present.
"Anyway, are you okay Jaune?" Emerald squeezed the hem of her brother's shirt in an attempt to dry him off.
"I'm okay Mint-" Jaune's sentence was cut off by an abrupt swelling in his chest. To his horror, Jaune's skin began to palpitate a bright gold as his breaths grew ragged as sweat spewed from his pores.
The swelling soon turned painful, as if a clamp was wrenching his heart tighter and tighter to the point where it was three times smaller.
"J-Jaune?!" Emerald and Vernal Shrieked.
The boy's body sprung from the ground and soared into the air. Still, in the air, Jaune's person resembled a blinking disco ball and even started to spin really fast!
"I'm gonna be siiiiiick!" Jaune wailed.
Both Vernal and Emerald, along with Funkfreed, rushed behind a bundle of rubble for cover. Anticipating the vomit rainfall to come.
Without warning, Jaune's body shot towards a nearby wall. His skull bounced off of the stone structure and found itself colliding against every durable object present.
"Help meeeee!" Jaune cried.
"D-Do something Funkfreed!" Emerald and Vernal shouted in unison.
"P-Pao!" Riling himself up, Funkfreed left the cover of his hiding spot and chased after his owner. However, Jaune's wild thrashing took an unexpected turn and he found himself on a one-way ticket toward Funkfreed's head.
The elephant in turn panicked and raised his trunk to bat Jaune away like a baseball.
"Whaaat aaare yooou doooing Fuuunkfreeed?!" Jaune yelped as his face was flattened on impact. His aura reserves running on overdrive, Jaune's chaotic journey slowly peetered out to a standstill. He landed fast first against the ground grinding his poor cheekbones in the process.
"Jaune!" Emerald and Vernal rushed to the unconscious boy's side in a frazzled panic.
"Jaune, speak to me!" Emerald turned her brother over and slapped his cheeks.
"M-Minty, please stop hitting me..." Jaune wheezed.
Heaving a sigh of relief, Emerald and Vernal allowed Jaune some space.
"So is that what eating that weird fruit does?" Vernal scoffed.
"To be honest I don't think I would have thought of doing a tarot reading for something as crazy as that," Jaune said as a clump of puke worked its way up his throat.
"Blurgh!" Jaune gagged.
Vernal and Emerald shrieked in disgust, Vernal even kicked the poor lad in the ribs for getting a tiny bit of vomit on her boots. As time passed, the atmosphere eased up and Jaune was breathing normally. Sure everything hurt, but at least he wasn't in the air anymore.
Emerald fed him a few nibble munchies to get the disgusting taste out of his mouth and this worked to an extent. Vernal and Funkfreed remained silent on the sidelines but had worried expressions etched on their faces. Then, to clean himself up, Jaune took a dry handkerchief from his pouch and rubbed his exposed stomach.
Little did Jaune F. Hawkins know, his life was about to change from that one harmless action. In an instant, a sudden heat boiled in Jaune's belly. Steam purged from his pores and flew into the air above in spiraling blue smoke clouds. Emerald and Funkfreed were scared, but they didn't want to abandon Jaune in his most fearful plight. They opted to stick by Jaune and hugged him protectively.
Vernal, on the other hand, fled behind a fallen pillar but poked her head out of concern for the blonde boy. Though she'd never admit this if you asked her.
As the tornado of smoke came together, it produced a towering form almost as big as Hawkins' demon face form. An intimidating face emerged with a long pink ponytail tied with a white turbin with a red and white feather. An elongated beard matched its hair, with a set of light blue spaulders on its buff upper torso. To complete its attire, a crimson sash that matched the eyes of Hawkins was tied around his waist. Oddly enough, the smoke that formed the entity was still attached to Jaune, via his belly button, it continued to feed his unintentional creation until it was satisfied.
The most shocking feature, however, was that the smoky being could actually speak and seemed to have a mind of its own! In one collected shout, the being announced his arrival with a grin on his face and flexed arms.
"Whooo boi was it hard making space in there!"
Jaune jumped to his feet with eyes wider than dinner plates and felt his jaw smack the floor in bewilderment. Emerald and Funkfreed quickly joined his confused stupor and even Vernal's mouth slacked.
"Do you have any idea how difficult it is for a genie to make space in a body that's already occupied?! Believe me when I tell you it was not pleasant! That white aura stuff inside of you treated me like I was a virus that needed to be exterminated! It was a fierce battle, but I beat the intimidating waves and established a compromise in your body oh proud owner of the Puff-Puff fruit!"
So what's your name kid?" The genie lifted his head and chest with pride.
Jaune coughed out a meek reply. "J-J-Jaune?"
The blue being slapped its cheeks in bashful shock.
"Hold on a second, where's the fight? I haven't been summoned outside of a battlefield for decades!" The fierce glint in the entity's eyes softened immediately when he turned to face his new summoner, he flashed him a similar goofy smile that stretched from ear to ear.
"U-Um..." Jaune blinked several times and pinched himself over and over again. Did this really happen because he ate a gross fruit?! Wait a minute, maybe the fruit was causing Jaune to hallucinate! That's right, all he had to do was wait things out and let his bodywork the fruit's qualities out of his system!
"Oof, I know this form is a tad bit impressive, but my previous owner wasn't this bewildered. Hold on, you're actually a lot smaller than Daifuku, tell me truthfully, do I look wide from the side to you?!" The genie clapped his hands around the back of his head and tilted himself to the side. A large bulge of fat dangled from his belly as a result.
"I, um... what?" Jaune stammered.
"By your dumbfounded expression, I can see that serious measures must be taken!"
The entity rubbed his chin then clapped his hands. "Alright oh proud owner, looks like I need to take the traditional approach to get the message of the mystic powers of the Puff-Puff fruit through that noggin', so sit tight and get ready... to... DANCE!
The genie plucked Jaune and Emerald by their collars and grouped them together in the middle of the room. Funkfreed soon joined them, and the room was quickly lit up by an assortment of sparkling lights that dangled from the ceiling. His gaze wandering around the room, the genie managed to spot a head of spiky brown hair.
Blitzing behind the trembling girl, the genie grinned. "No one is exempt from my performance my dear child, so go join your friends and enjoy the show!"
He grabbed Vernal by her waist and threw her across the room. Jaune caught her again, this time in a cute bridal style. Her eyes shut, Vernal wrapped her arms around the first thing they could latch onto which happened to be Jaune's neck.
"H-Hedgehog, you're choking me." Jaune panted.
Vernal's eyes shot open and met with Jaune's kind ocean pupils. His cheeks slightly pink, Vernal realized the embarrassing position she was in.
"P-Put me down you i-idiot!" She yelped. Thwacking the poor lad on the head as he dropped her.
"Now that we're all here, let the dance number begin!" The genie sped off in a hurry, drawing circles of blue hazy smoke around the group as the faint sounds of instruments grew louder and louder.
Pulling a microphone from its turbin, the genie sung in a booming tune. And yes, this genie is voiced by Robin Williams.
Well Yonko Kaido has a thousand beasts!
Big Momma has her Homies!
But Jauney boy your in luck 'cause rub your sleeves!
You got a devil fruit that never fails!
You got a demon in your corner now!
Some heavy ammunition in your bod!
You got some punch, pizzazz, yahoo and how all you gotta do is rub your skin!
And I'll say, oh Jauney sir what will your pleasure be?
Let me take your order, jot it down, you ain't never had a fiend like me!
No no no!~
Vernal and Emerald's minds were shutting down. This genie matched the Jaunes' dorkiness to a tee, and to their utter shock, Jaune and Funkfreed had joined the genie's funky display. Standing on two erected pillars beside the blue entity without a care in the world!
Jaune swished his hips from side to side with his arms in the air. Funkfreed stood on his hind legs and waved his trunk in every direction while using it as a trumpet to match the rhythm of the genie's song.
This world is Remn-a-nant!
And I'm your devil fruit!
C'mon whisper what it is you want, you ain't never had a fiend like me!
Yes, Jaune I pride myself on service!
You're the lamp, the king the shah!
Dream what you wish, I'm yours to bid!
How about a little more bisentoooos?!
Arm me up with column A'!
Suite me up with column B!
I'm in the mood to help you dude, you ain't never had a friend like me!~
The genie shifted himself from slashing a stone pillar with a bisento, to blasting away a pile of stone with cannons galore. Before Vernal and Emerald could take in everything that was transpiring, they were catapulted from their spots and joined Jaune and Funkfreed in their dance.
Emerald's timid demeanor quickly shattered under the joyous tunes and happy atmosphere. She decided going with the flow was better than trying to fight it and danced beside Funkfreed. Her hair swinging around her eyes as a genuine and giddy smile bloomed on her face.
As for Vernal, she plopped down beside Jaune with a scowl on her visage. Which soon transformed into a bewildering blush when Jaune clasped his hands around her own.
"Come on Vernal!" Jaune cheered and began to lead the brunette to follow his footsteps. It was awkward at first and Vernal tried to push the blonde off of her. Though in the midst of separating, Vernal's right foot stepped off the pillar and she plummeted to her demise. Or rather would have if Jaune didn't save her with a warm hug.
Jaune flashed his trademark goofy smile with his face only an inch from Vernal's. The sudden act of his genuinely kind, gentle, and goofy nature broke down the bully's cold and hardened emotions like a bomb. Swishing Vernal back onto the dance floor, or rather pillar top, the two broke out into a unified dance.
Now in sync, Vernal was showing a side Jaune could only imagine. Her cheeks flushed a bright pink, she allowed her lips to part and raise themselves. Thus showing Jaune a genuine and toothy smile as happiness flowed into her icy eyes.
"Aw yeah, that's it Hedgehog!" Jaune cheered with sparkles in his ocean pupils.
Can your aura do this?!
Can your aura do that?!
Can your aura pull thiiis outta their little haaat?!
Can your aura go poof?!
Well, looky here!
Can your aura go, abracadabra, let 'er rip!
And then make the evil Grimm disappeaaar?!
So don't just sit there slack-jawed, Jauney-eyed! I'm here to answer all your midday prayers!
You got me bona fide, certified!
You got this genie for your rubbing affairs!
You got a desperate urge to help others out!
So what-cha wish? I really wanna know!
You got a list that's three miles long, no doubt!
Well, all you gotta do is rub like so - and oh Mister Jauney sir, have a rub or two or three!
I'm on the job, you big nabob!
You ain't never had a fiend, never had a fiend!
You ain't never had a fiend, never had a fiend!
You ain't neveeeer!
Had aaaa!
Fieeeend liiiiike meeee!
Hahaha!
NEVA HAD A FIEND LIKE ME HAH!~
The chamber erupted in a series of fireworks that lit up the room like a festival under the night sky. With his musical number reaching its conclusion, the genie spun himself round and round until a tornado engulfed all of the instruments and fancy lights.
When the room was back to its barren state, the genie lowered Jaune and the others back to the ground. When their senses came to, all eyes were on the genie who had an applause sign blinking behind him as he leaned his cheek on one hand and tapped the ground with the other. His goofy grin holding firm even with the bewildered expressions being sent his way.
As Jaune, Emerald, Vernal, and Funkfreed gathered their bearings. The only word they managed to utter was a loud...
"NAAANNNIII?!"
"PAAAOOO?!" Was Funkfreed's equivalent.
