Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, the Straw Hats, or Gold Roger. I only own my characters (To see full crew, look at my profile). Also, I will start my own SBS when I start getting questions

Chapter 2: A Lesson About Devil Fruit

Windy Village in the East Blue, 10 years after Gold and Willow Roger's execution

"I'm not going!" yelled a young voice from inside a house in Windy Village. "I don't want to see mom and dad's memorial!"

A young boy with black hair and golden eyes ran out of the house, tears in his eyes and a large red jacket with golden cuffs and buttons rested on his shoulders. It was a 12 year old Kuro Neko, son of the Pirate King and Queen… even if he didn't know it.

The boy ran out into the streets of the village. A woman sat at the table in the house he just fled from, her hand holding her head in sorrow. She told the boy his parents were killed in a war when he was born, and she became his foster mother. But Kuro Neko, or Black Cat as his friends call him, wouldn't accept her and just ran away.

"Willow," she whispered, tears pouring down her face. "Why? Why did you have to die and leave me with him? Why, Willow? Why?"

The boy continued to run down the streets towards a meadow where his friends were. He didn't care for his parents' stupid memorial. All he wanted to do was be happy. Plus his friends had a surprise for him in their hideout.

He stopped by a large tree and moved a boulder out of the way, revealing an entrance. He ran down the dirt steps they had carved years before and raced down the underground hallway. When he reached a large chunk of wood used as a door to the main hideout, a voice asked for a password.

"Icky girls!" Kuro Neko said. The chunk of wood was moved and he walked inside. The wood was replaced almost as quickly as it was moved.

Kuro Neko was greeted by the sight of seven other boys sitting around an abnormally large stump that they used as a table. "Hey, Black Cat! What's up?" asked a boy with brown hair and glasses.

"Nothing much, Bookworm," Kuro Neko reported. They all had nicknames and barely knew anyone's real name.

The kids surrounding the stump table were Bookworm, a dark-skinned boy named Zero, a tall boy named Daddy Long-Legs, a short boy named Mini Me for an unknown reason, a pale boy named Twitchy, a large heavily-muscled boy named Caveman (he moved the wood door and asks for the password), and the youngest boy named Chibi.

"Okay," said Caveman. "How about we show Black Cat what we found and figure out what to do with it."

"Sure, Caveman," said Mini Me slyly, reaching over to grab a small chest used to hide valuables. "Look at this weird fruit I found in my dad's bag!"

He opened the chest to reveal a black fruit with purple swirls on it. Mini Me picked it up and said, "My dad called it a Cursed Fruit. It's supposed to give you super powers, but dad said something bad happens to those who eat it."

"What do we do with it?" asked Zero.

"I say we sell it! My uncle said Cursed Fruits go for a lot of money these days!" suggested Daddy Long-Legs.

"Well," Bookworm said. "I say we don't do anything with it. You should give it back to your father before he realizes it's missing. Plus what if something bad happens by just having it?"

"Yeah right!" laughed Mini Me. "I say one of us eats it."

"No!" cried Chibi. "What if something bad happens?!"

"Whatever!" growled Twitchy. "Someone, eat it!"

After a bit of bickering, Kuro Neko spoke up. "I'll eat it."

"Why?" asked Caveman.

"Because it sounds cool. But after I eat it, we get to go swimming in the creek, deal?" Kuro Neko said, smiling.

"Deal!" yelled Zero. "Now eat it!"

Kuro Neko picked up the fruit and looked it over before taking a bite. It tasted good at first but then it became horrid tasting. He nearly gagged but his friends cheered him on. When he finished it, he belched loudly. "That was disgusting!" he cried.

"Okay, now we go swimming." Said Caveman, already pulling a chunk of wood away from the wall opposite of the door Kuro Neko entered through. It was their shortcut to the creek.

The eight kids ran out the door and headed up another dirt tunnel. Once they hopped out of the hole in the tree, they ran down the hill to the creek, Shadow Creek. One by one they hopped into the cool, dark waters until only Kuro Neko remained on the bank.

"Come on, Black Cat! You suggested this, so you have to come in!" called Bookworm.

"O-Okay," he said. Something told him not to go into the water. But he did anyway.

Kuro Neko jumped into the creek with a loud splash. Almost instantly, his body froze. I… can't move!! He thought as he broke the surface of the creek and screamed for help. Sensing something was wrong, Zero swam over and helped him to shore.

Once there, Kuro Neko explained what happened when he jumped in the water. "Well," muttered Bookworm. "It's just a rumor, but I heard that Devil Fruit eaters lose the ability to swim. The sea turns against them."

"Why didn't you mention that earlier?!" cried Chibi. "Black Cat could've died just now!"

Caveman turned on Mini Me and grabbed him. "This is your fault! You had to let him eat it and he nearly died! You idiot!" Caveman punched the smaller boy, slamming him into a nearby tree.

Mini Me got up and said, "Sorry! I didn't know! I just thought it was cool and took it."

"Mini Me," said Bookworm. "What was that fruit called?"

"I heard dad mention it. I think it's called the Cat Cat Fruit: Panther Model. Why?"

Bookworm got up and started to walk down the trail leading back to town. "I'm going to do some research about it. Let's meet at the hideout tomorrow and I'll tell you everything I found out." He called before disappearing down the path.

"We better get home," said Daddy Long-Legs. "It's getting dark."

The boys said good bye to each other and headed for home. Kuro Neko purposefully took a detour to the graveyard and spotted his parents' graves. He only knew his mother's name but not his father's. Kuro Neko knew next to nothing about his father.

The raven-haired boy turned and walked away, headed for home. He thought about that fruit mostly, like what would happen to him and what it did. It mentioned a panther, one of his favorite animals, so it had to have something to do with the big black cats that stalked the Grand Line.

Once he got home, he decided against telling his foster mother about the fruit. She would only worry and maybe do something drastic. She was unpredictable that way.

"I'm going to bed." Kuro Neko said before climbing the stairs leading upstairs to his room.

"Aren't you going to eat?" his foster mother asked.

"No. I'm not hungry." He said. He still had the taste of that fruit in his mouth.

"Okay," she said. "Good night, Kuro Neko."

"Good night, mom."

After the boy disappeared upstairs, the woman turned and looked out the window. She looked at two bright stars shining right above her house, first appearing after the Pirate King and Queen's deaths. She thought of them as the two pirates' spirits watching over their son and her.

"Willow," she muttered. "I hope you and Roger will watch over your son after I pass on. I've done well but my time is near. Hopefully, your son will start his journey before then. And I hope that Cursed Fruit will guard him."

Yes, she knew of the Cat Cat Fruit: Panther Model. She had a feeling Mini Me would steal it one of these days. And knowing Kuro Neko, he would surely eat it and realize its effects before long.

"Tomorrow, I will give him a lesson," she mumbled. "A lesson about Cursed Fruit and their effects on humans… and weapons,"

The next day, 2:00 pm

"Kuro Neko, would you come here, please?" called the woman.

"Okay, mom!" the boy said. He raced down the stairs and jumped onto the old red velvet couch in the living room.

The woman sat in a green velvet chair across from Kuro Neko. "Son," she started. "Did you happen to eat Mr. Jacobson's Devil Fruit? The one he found on Sea Star Island?"

Kuro Neko paled. He knew he was in trouble. "Yes, mom." He mumbled.

"Well now," she sighed. "I guess you disserve to know about your Cursed Fruit and about the Cursed Fruit themselves."

"Alright!! Tell me, what did I eat exactly?" asked Kuro Neko.

"From what Mr. Jacobson told me, it was the Cat Cat Fruit: Panther model. It's a Zoan type and allows you to turn into a panther and a human-panther hybrid."

"Awesome! What's a Cursed Fruit, anyway?" he asked.

"They are said to be the fruit of the Sea Devil and that the secret to their power is hidden in the Grand Line. Because encounters with them are rare, especially outside the Grand Line, a number of rumors about them have risen, making it difficult to tell whether some things are fact or fiction. The average person knows nothing or very little about what they are.

"The Cursed Fruit, when consumed, gives the consumer a power or special trait. There are more than 100 types of Cursed Fruit, they come in different shapes, colors, and all Cursed Fruits have swirl marks on them of some kind. There can be only one of each type of fruit but some have different models or variations. Only one bite is needed for the power of a Cursed Fruit to be yours, and after that, the Cursed Fruit becomes a simple, useless, disgusting fruit. Although you do not even need to bite or chew it, so if you swallow it whole, the effects are still the same. Modern science has also found a way for inanimate objects to gain the power of a Cursed Fruit; this means Cursed Fruit objects can now exist." The woman said calmly.

"How come I couldn't swim after I ate it? Bookworm said that was what happened to Cursed Fruit eaters. Is that true, mom?" Kuro Neko asked, kicking his feet to amuse himself.

"With this new power comes a weakness, as the Cursed Fruit user is rejected by the sea and becomes helpless while submerged in water. Cursed Fruit users are susceptible to all types of water, not just seawater. 'Moving' water, like rain or waves, does not weaken Cursed Fruit users, while standing water does. If a user of is not completely submerged, they can still use their powers from the parts of their body that are above the water. However, if the user's body has been permanently altered by the fruit, then the user's ability can be manipulated by outside sources. Being weak against the sea proves deadly to many Cursed Fruit users who are pirates sailing the Grand Line.

"One rumor is that Cursed Fruits house actual devils that will fight when placed in proximity of one another. The resulting battle would destroy the users' bodies. Nevertheless, Grand Line scientists have noted that the phenomenon of one's body destroying itself only occurs when one consumes two Devil Fruits.

"Devil Fruit powers can be canceled by Seastone. The effects of Devil Fruit and seastone have been researched heavily by Navy scientists. They've also devised the method that lets an object, such as a gun or a sword, merge with a Cursed Fruit."

The woman got up and fetched some tea, getting Kuro Neko a cup too. After returning, Kuro Neko started ranting about how cool it would be to have a sword that could freeze anything it touched or a gun that can turn into a bird. Finally he asked another question. "What's a zoan?"

The woman laughed and answered. "Zoan types are Cursed Fruit that turn you into an animal. It is the Animal Transformation Cursed Fruit. Many Cursed Fruit belong to that family." She said, chuckling at her adopted son's naïveté. He was so much like his father, not knowing nor caring about Cursed Fruit until he encountered one.

"Are there only Zoan Fruits?" Kuro Neko asked. "Bookworm said there are other types too. Like some that can control stuff and some that can make your whole body a weapon. That would be awesome!"

"There are some like those, Kuro Neko," she said. "There are three known types of Cursed Fruit. There are Paramecia, Zoan and Logia types. Each have a different effect and different abilities."

"What about Zoans? What can we do?" The boy was practically jumping up and down in his seat.

"They allow the user to transform into an animal. This fruit provides three forms: the user's natural form, a full animal form, where the animal's size is often greatly exaggerated, and a hybrid form, combining both original and animal form, usually in a bizarre way. Despite rumors, these fruits cannot give human eaters the ability to talk to animals.

"They mainly improve physical abilities and allow the user to use his or her 3 forms to adapt to a situation during a fight to find the form that gives the biggest advantage. In their hybrid form Zoan users experience enhanced senses as this form uses a combination of both forms abilities. This fruit type is most useful when applied to objects such as guns or swords, giving an otherwise inanimate object life and increasing its value to the owner of the item."

"Awesome!" said Kuro Neko. "It would be so cool to have sword that can turn into a fox or something."

"Indeed, but Zoan users also have weaknesses," the woman said calmly. "They are limited to the capabilities of the animal they are able to transform into. The Zoan type Cursed Fruit is not wasted if eaten by the creature it represents. Instead they become the perfect example of said species. Should a human eat the Human Human fruit, the human would become enlightened, and be considered a 'perfect' human."

"Perfect human? But those don't exist, right?"

The old woman laughed. "I hope so! Or I'd have to consider poor Cain to be the most imperfect human ever!"

"Yeah!" Kuro Neko laughed too. "Anything else I should know about my new powers?"

"Yes," the woman said, calming down a bit. "Carnivorous Zoans are considered more bloodthirsty than other Zoans. That means sooner or later, you'll kill someone and possibly enjoy it. And a majority of Cursed Fruit come in different models, like the Cat Cat Fruit, Dog Dog Fruit and Cow Cow Fruit for examples. And there are only five known flying powers in the world, meaning only five Cursed Fruit allow flight."

"Awww! That's not fair, I wanna fly!" he whined. "So I'm a branch off of the Cat Cat Fruit?"

"Yes, you are." The woman said. "But this bit of information is very important. If you are knocked out while transformed into your half-beast or full-beast form, you will remain in that form while unconscious until you wake up to reverse the transformation."

"Got it!" said Kuro Neko. "Is that all?"

"Yes, though I could tell you about the other Cursed Fruit if you like."

"Sure, why not?" said Kuro Neko. "Might as well learn all I can while I'm sitting here."

"Alright then, son." The woman said. "This will take a while."

For the next three hours, Kuro Neko and his foster mother talked about the Cursed Fruit of the Paramecia and the Logia families. After all was said and done, dinner was made at 8:00 pm that night. After dinner, Kuro Neko left to go to the cemetery to see his parents' graves once again.

Once he went through the gates, he noticed a freshly dug grave nearby. A small boy with messy black hair was sitting by the grave, crying. Kuro Neko walked over and soon realized who it was. It was Mini Me, the boy who had him eat the Cursed Fruit yesterday. He was crying by the grave.

"Mini Me, what's wrong?" asked Kuro Neko. "Why are you crying?"

The shorter boy sniffled and looked up at him. "Oh, hey Black Cat," he mumbled. "How are you? Are you mad at me for yesterday?"

"No," Kuro Neko said, sitting by him. "I'm okay. I'm actually happy you gave it to me, even if I can't swim anymore."

"You're… happy? Why?" inquired Mini Me.

Kuro Neko thought for a moment, and then smiled and said, "Because now I have a goal. I'm gonna be a pirate, and with this Cursed Fruit, I'll be invincible! I find others just like me and have them join my crew. We'll sail the seas and beat everyone in our way."

"Cool, Black Cat!" said Mini Me. "I was wondering, could I be on your crew?"

"Maybe," said Kuro Neko. "How come?"

"Because," Mini Me started. "I ate a Cursed Fruit. My father had another one in his desk. I found it and felt guilty for what I did to you, so I ate it. So, could I join your crew?"

"Sure! Which one did you eat?"

"My father left a note on it. He was gonna give it to a friend in the Grand Line. The note said it was the Cat Cat Fruit: Jaguar Model." Mini Me said.

"Cool, so we're both cats!" said Kuro Neko. "But we have to tell each other our real names first. I'm Kuro Neko, by the way."

"Okay, if you say so," Mini Me said. "My name is Jarred, nice to meet you. That's funny! Your name means Black Cat. Guess that's why you chose that name, huh?"

"Yeah, guess it is! I never thought of that before!" The two boys laughed. "So why are you here?" asked Kuro Neko.

"Oh yeah," mumbled Jarred. "My mother died last night of a heart attack."

"Oh," mumbled Kuro Neko. "Sorry, I… I didn't know, Jarred. Please accept my condolences."

"Thanks, Kuro Neko. What were you doing here, anyway?"

"I came to see my parents' graves. They died when I was two, so I don't remember them much, only voices and blurry pictures."

"Okay," said Jarred. "I better get home. Want to meet up here again?"

"Sure! Is tomorrow good?" asked Kuro Neko. "We can start training to be pirates and master our Cursed Fruit powers."

"Okay, Captain Kuro Neko! Or should I say Captain Black Cat?" asked Jarred.

Kuro Neko thought for a moment. Then he said, "How about Captain Kuro Neko the Black Cat?"

Jarred grinned. "Long name, but it is catchy. I like it! What's our crew gonna be called, or our ship?"

"We'll think about it tomorrow! See you, Jarred!" Kuro Neko called.

The two boys separated. After seeing his parents' graves, Kuro Neko headed home and told his foster mother about his plans and what happened to Mini Me, a.k.a. Jarred. After that, the boy went to bed for the night with dreams of adventures in the sea.

The woman walked to the window and saw the stars that represented the Pirate King and Queen. She bowed her head and prayed. "Thank you for finding him a friend. When my time is up, at least he won't be alone. Not anymore,"

The two stars twinkled, as if the Pirate King and Queen were celebrating their son's choice in life. The woman smiled, a tear running down her face. Her charge was growing up so fast, as was his reputation in the village. "Good luck, Kuro Neko Roger." She said softly.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So… how was that? Check out my profile for info on Jarred, he's the second one listed there, though it has spoilers for later chapters. Hope you enjoyed this. The info on the Cursed Fruit came from Wikipedia. In the next chapter, the two boys are older now and training to be pirates. But tragedy strikes and Kuro Neko finds out about his past, what'll happen then? Find out on the next One Piece: Journey of a Black Cat!!