Chapter One – And So It Goes

"This… This can't be…"I mumble woodenly to myself, looking down at what had washed up along with the waves. 'How? What the fucks going on...'

I stood routed to the ground. My blonde hair, pinned back by the wind, to reveal startled dark eyes underneath. The already small pupils now pinpricks, though they do stand out against the white canvas I had become. My breathing erratic, coming out in gasps as I try to get enough oxygen to my brain so I can make sense of what I was looking at. The clenched hands by my sides another symptom of the madness that is my life, doing nothing at all to the shivers running up and down my body. I squeeze my eyes shut and focus on my breathing instead, forcing it to go slow as I draw in deeply, then exhaling slowly. I try to ignore my reality breaking (again) as I count each breath out as I grapple my emotions trying to get them into some semblance of control, just for a modicum of calm so I can think straight.

I relax slowly as I neared 10, my hands unfurling with each breath that brings me closer to it.

When I get to 10, my arms subconsciously rise and fall in line with my breathing, my feet widening to allow my body to fall into place for my forms, comfortably easing into the motions like a well-oiled machine.

As I count out 20 my right-hand snaps over my left shoulder to grab my wooden staff, bringing it around so it slaps loudly into the awaiting left hand. I grab my stick tightly with both hands and hold it by me as I turn side on, so I can begin the rest of my freak out or normally my staff exercises. I bound forward stabbing the pole out in the same step with a strong ha. I let it almost fly out of my grip before I clamp down on the end of it with my right hand. Then I pull it back slightly as if I was going for a swipe, only to feint halfway as I raise it only to bring it down diagonally, slamming into an imaginary opponent as I carry on past it, to the next one I conjure up. I let the staff head nearly touch the ground before I explode upwards into a baseball swing to clatter into its right side and out of my way and so I go on fighting imaginary foes by the shoreline of a tiny cloud island. Swiping, slashing and stabbing it around me. I carry on putting my heart and soul into it pushing the only thing working, my arms and legs, transforming my staff into a disc as I wield it like the weapon it could be, the air screams as the white part time walking stick rushes through the wind trying to catch itself, almost forming a shield as I swing it in front of me. It was like it was guarding me from what was happening, pushing it to the back of my mind. Only focusing on the staff now, and of the cries it produces.

My body takes over. It's well versed in this play, knows all its lines. I let it go to do what it does best, helping me calm in this familiarity. My brain does not need to think, plan or predict anything. It just settles back now as instinct takes over now. The hard-learned lessons of the past producing this rain dance, not to call upon any rain but one of blood.

Now as the mind relaxes so do the symptoms of my panic attack. The tattooed shoulders following it first as the tense neck muscles, also inked, relax, letting my shoulders and arms carry on doing so. My body is a lot more fluid now; the circle formed by my staff a lot smoother as well. My blonde hair moving as I do, my previously snow body now a lot healthier not that you could tell by the shade, but it was a lot flusher, a lot fuller looking as it just sort of sighs, leaving me a lot more relaxed. The high-pitched whine gradually growing softer as I wind down the forms. The disc braking up to reveal the staff underneath, slightly flexing under my hands as it comes to a rest. The sounds of the shoreline along with the wind easing me out of the shock that had gripped me.

Now that the adrenaline isn't messing me up as much as it had, I can think agaai…. shit! For fucks sake, I knew this would happen. I use my full focus, clenching my eyes hard, stretching my Haki to as far as it would go, squeezing it to the edges of my senses…

'… Haa' I breathe; there's nothing around. 'Thank you, whoever's looking out for me'

… Although it probably just didn't want to torment anyone with what I did. Only time I will ever be grateful to Fate. I know that bitch just finds me entertaining. I don't think I could ever live it down if someone saw me doing something so retarded. Most people breathe to calm themselves down, me…well I start to dance like a deranged swan trying to fly through a bloody tornado… Fuck. My. Life.

I look down once more to the inspiration for my impromptu breakdancing. It bops up and down against the foaming end of the White White Sea. I tentatively reach down to grab it, acutely aware of what it means. I inch closer to it, the seconds stretching as I do. So much so it feels like an hour before I can feel it's small blue spikes prick my palm. I relax for a second before clenching my fingers, grabbing onto it, marvelling that my hands doesn't just disappear into it like the mist (2 Weeks on the White White Sea, trust me will leave anyone a changed man/woman/person/thing).

It's a searing electric blue, its already annoying me with it's blue swirls spiralling into tiny spikes like little upside down tornados squashed a bit. It outshines everything in its vicinity, not only in colour, but also in sheer weight of the knowledge of what it was without a shadow of a doubt. The swirls ending in outcropping spikes doing well to distract me in this life. I have gained nothing if not discipline in this life. I wrench my thoughts away from it, but even then can feel its drag on me. Inevitable. Just like gravity, its not given any thought until you are 10,000 meters in the sky with nothing under you.

… I told you the White White Sea messed me up.

I ignore my trauma with laughable ease instead tossing the pineapple up and down, drawing on my knowledge of One Piece. This is the Goro Goro no Mi. The lightning devil fruit. This thing I'm treating like a doggy chew toy, is this worlds equivalent to a nuke. This was the deterrent to nations, kingdoms. Any power worth mentioning would have to reconsider any action if they know the other holds such a monster. The world outside of the grand line rarely saw any devil fruits at all, not just the Logias, but even they had stories passed down. Treated as myths after hearing the stories that had trickled in from anywhere they could hear about it. Pirates, Marines, anyone was welcome to tell them the legends of they who had survived the Grand Line.

They were not many of those. And any that could, would never want to leave it. Those waters were a dream for any that had touched the Seas, even for those that hadn't. Where any that be worthy could experience the bounties the World held jealously. The stories of such would rapture everyone who heard of it. Some may have believed such things just because they could, or may have known better from experience but most would not have been able to suspend their disbelief. Wouldn't, or even couldn't, believe that there was such out there awaiting them, things beyond anything of their wildest imagination. The devil fruit was not rare to any scale in this place... but this was not just anywhere.

The fruit that the Devil sold, the stories would go. However there was only thing it wanted in exchange for it, your Soul. He would whisper of power and things that could be. His seduction proving too tempting for some, giving into the allure of its promises; for others it may have been the only way to breathe a moment longer, to see another dawn. It could have been for any other reason that could have been dreamt of but he would give it to anyone… or anything. It was honesty that was surprising really and for good reason. He may have been the Devil but he only took what he asked for in payment, your soul.

This whipped the ever-prideful Calypso into a fury. She had become incensed, feeling she was losing out.

You see the Seas and its bounties had always been hers. Anything that had felt her depths would always belong her in its entirety. That she would be denied these souls that had consumed the fruits left her feeling robbed, and so in to spite them she would drag them into her depths, plunging them into her darkness whenever they would touch her waters. She would just take the only thing that she could.

The sea may be life itself to some but to others it was who had taken fathers, wives, cousins and friends without any thought. It was ever fickle, just hope that you are strong enough to withstand it if ever you find yourself inside of one of its moods.

Those were only stories but even they captured the truth of it. If ever you eat one just know that you will forever be rejected the seas.

But even with such a weakness, the Goro Goro no mi had power that would easily outweigh it. It was one of the absolute powers in the world and what was the saying again?

Ah, Absolute power corrupts absolutely. It would instantly catapult me into the top 10% of this world very easily. This was the power of a fucking fruit. One of your five-a-day, though I don't know what kind of doctor it will be keeping away... oh wait, Caesar Clown.

…Meh, yeah all right, makes some sense.

Anyways here I am with that legend. Something 90% of this world and my last would never see it as I do now… and it was fucking me up.

My existence had already brought my beliefs into question; this just messes up my plans (I admit, in hindsight, going with the flow maybe wasn't the best plan I could have gone with).

'Hmmm' I ponder. 'Almighty power or a few billion berries?'

Should I? Shouldn't I? Fuck this isn't easy… Wait I'm sure that Enel could teleport. Yeah, he definitely had some weird electrical bullshit version of it. Eating it right now. Never having to physically move for anything out of me actually wanting to? Count me in.

The only thing bothering me is the big man himself, the self-styled god Enel. What the hell happened to him then? Is he self-styled god? What about Skypiea and its war over vearth? Most of what had happened up here in the manga had been a result of many coincidences falling upon each other to pave the way for the future pirate king.

Whatever I'll just go with the flow… whatever does happen happens. I bite doowwrrgghh… why! Why can I just not think anything through? Why would I put something that looks this sharp into my mouth with no prep? Is this to give me an idea of how it would feel to be electrocuted?!Fuck this, I'm not doing it again, I power down and thankfully it gives way quite easily after and I crunch through the rest for a bite.

It is bloody disgusting but with my brain being put to use (for once), I sort of already expected it to be... the numbness, however, wasn't. It's spreading through my mouth like I've bitten a battery leaving a faint coppery aftertaste. I can feel something faint over my skin, like a really small itch everywhere at once. Is this supposed to happen?

I… I… don't know… know what's happening anymore. Pain is one thing but this was just plain weird. I feel weird, as if I have too much energy. My vision is blurring… no not blurring, vibrating. I sit down/my legs give way (… I don't know which), I try to hold myself together, trying not to gasp but breathe. My eyes shut, the staff reminding me of its presence when it bounces of me, having let go of it when I was forcefully sat down by the fruit… holding my breath, I can feel the current passing through me (not literally, seeing as I need all the oxygen I can get), relaxing slightly when the vibrating fades away.

Fucking… fucking hell that was second worst thing I can remeeeme…