A/N: I apologize for my angry rant earlier. I said some things out of rage, but I do feel like a lot of you complained about the lack of decisions in the poll. I'll consider putting up another in the future, but if I do, don't complain about the choices, or lack of choices, that I present. Also, I'm tweaking the Candy-Candy Fruit a bit. Now, on with the story.
Nami slowly opened her eyes in a daze, feeling a little sore on her side before she looked around where she was.
"Where am I?" she asked herself before looking down at her makeshift bed of cash and treasure. She blinked a few times before her eyes turned to berry symbols and she shrieked in joy. "Now I remember! We won the race, ransacked Gasparde's ship, and walked away with...with...800,000,000 berries!" She laughed before she rolled around the loot for a moment, happy to have that much money in her possession.
"Glad you like the money." came a groggy voice.
"I do!" she said with a grin that could probably match Luffy's.
"You have any problem sleeping on it?"
"Not at all!" she said before she realized she was talking to someone else. She looked around to see Luffy sitting up next to the wall. His straw hat was covering his eyes and his head was hung low, hiding his face from her. "Luffy? What are you doing here?" she asked before she scowled. "If you're here to ask for money for food, then forget it. We have all the food that we raided off Gasparde's ship."
"It's not that." he said in that groggy voice. "The others kicked me out of the room so they could sleep." Nami was surprised by his explanation as Luffy sat there before she stood up and walked in front of him.
"Why'd they kick you out?" she asked. "Talking in your sleep?" Luffy's hat moved up and down, telling her that he was nodding. She bent down and was now eye level with him with her arms across her knees. "Did you have another nightmare?" Luffy didn't say anything as he brought his hands up and held onto his hat.
"Yeah." he said. "I was shouting in my sleep."
"About us and...what happened to you last time?" she asked.
"Yes." he said, his voice heavy with emotion. Nami frowned as she moved to sit next to him.
'To see everyone you know and love killed before your eyes.' she thought as her mind wandered to the citizens in her village. How they all ran off to fight Arlong for stabbing her in the back, knowing that they would die. The thought of them all being killed by the one person she despised the most in the world scared her. She looked over at Luffy, who hadn't moved an inch from where he sat, and felt her heart clench. 'Not just his home and the people he grew up with, but all the friends he had. Everyone that he knew...' She reached her hand out and gently placed it on his shoulder. That seemed to be too much for Luffy as he threw himself on her, knocking her over and onto the floor. "Luffy?!"
"It's not fair!" he said in a sob. "Why'd they have to die?! They weren't evil! None of us were!" Nami laid there under Luffy as he cried before her eyes softened and she gently wrapped her arms around him in a comforting hug. They both slowly sat up as Luffy cried into her shoulder, the memories of his friends dying and the nightmares still haunting him. She was about to say something, but he spoke first. "He spared no one...Not even kids...I didn't," He inhaled as he stuttered, as if the next words were painful. "I didn't even know...that a friend from my hometown had a k- a kid...UNTIL THAT BASTARD BROUGHT BOTH HER AND HER BABY'S BODIES IN FRONT OF MY PRISON CELL!" Nami's body stiffened and her eyes flew open.
"A...baby?" she asked in a quiet voice.
"They said that they weren't going to take a chance that it could've been mine." Nami's eyes started to tear up as well as she held him close as he sobbed. That the World Government and Marines would do this was nothing but madness. They both stayed that way as Nami let Luffy cry for those he lost once before. It was a good twenty minutes before Luffy calmed down to just sniffling.
"Feel better?" Nami asked.
"Yes." Luffy sniffled. "Thanks Nami."
"Luffy." Nami said as they both stood up and looked each other in the eye. "We won't disappear." she said with a smile. Luffy wiped his eyes before smiling back at her.
"Right. This time, we're all gonna make our dreams come true!" Luffy said before his stomach growled. "I'm hungry."
"When are you not hungry?" Nami asked with a laugh, glad to see Luffy being himself before her stomach growled, making her blush. "Guess I'm hungry too." she said, making them both laugh. "What time is it?"
"I don't know. It was still night when I came down here." Luffy replied before looking down at the treasure and money they had. "How do you sleep on treasure?"
"Very easily." she said with a smile before turning to look at it all with Berry symbols in her eyes. "Especially when it adds up to so much!"
"Isn't some of that Vivi and Valerie's from their bet?" Luffy asked.
"A little, but I don't think they'll mind if I hold onto it." she said, her eyes still berry symbols. "800,000,000 berries!" she said before she flung herself onto the pile of loot.
"Nami~swan!" came Sanji's call from up on deck, followed by his footsteps that grew louder before he entered the room with a hot meal. "You're Breakfast is ready~!" he said in love-mode.
"Breakfast?" Nami asked. "It's morning?"
"It is." Sanji said while using his foot to keep Luffy from grabbing the food. "This is Nami's, so keep your rubber fingers off it!" he growled before he realized where they were. "Wait a minute? Why are you two down here anyway?"
"You and the others kicked me out of the room." Luffy said.
"I fell asleep after I counted how much money we have." Nami said from where she sat in the treasure before she got up and took the food. "Thank you, Sanji."
"Anytime, Nami my love~!" Sanji sang as he followed Nami out of the room. Luffy followed after them all the way to the inside of the cabin, where the crew were scattered about and comfortably eating.
"You guys started eating and you didn't call me?!" Luffy asked.
"We thought you'd been here by now." Usopp said as he quickly shoveled his food into his mouth before Luffy had a chance to snatch it.
"And where were you?" Valerie asked Nami.
"Probably in a cash coma." Nojiko said with a grin.
"Can't blame her." Johnny whispered to Yosaku. "Even with all the bounties we turned in, we'd never have seen that much money in one place." Yosaku nodded with a mouth full of food as Luffy began to bring the normal chaos to the ship by snagging whatever food he could from around them all.
"Would you quit that?!" Gin snarled as he smashed Luffy's rubbery hand with his fist as the others did whatever they could to keep Luffy away from their food. Even Carue was quacking in anger when Luffy tried to snag his food and attacked Luffy, causing them both to run out the door. Nami watched it all from where she sat next to Vivi and smiled before she noticed that Vivi had hardly touched her food.
"Something wrong?" Nami asked Vivi.
"Huh?" Vivi said as she looked at Nami before she forced a smile. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it." she said. Nami stared before she pulled on Vivi's cheek. "Ow!"
"You're a terrible liar." Nami said before she released Vivi's cheek. "Now spill. What's wrong?"
"Better tell her Vivi." Usopp said.
"Tell me what?" Nami asked.
"Well..." Nojiko started.
"While raiding Gasparde's ship, Sanji came across something very interesting." Alvida said.
"A Devil Fruit." Grace said.
"Are you serious?" Nami asked as she looked at Sanji. "Where is it?"
"In Vivi." Chopper said. Nami whipped her head towards Vivi, who looked back at her with her arms held out in front of her and her palms opened face down. Nami watched with wide eyes as Vivi's hands turned into a strange blue goo.
"What is that?!" she yelled.
"Candy syrup." Vivi said just as Luffy and Carue ran back inside.
"Hey Vivi." Luffy said as he walked up to her. "Still getting used to having an ability?"
"Yeah." she said as she stared back at her hands as they turned back to normal. "It still feels so strange. I can feel my body, yet I feel...different." she said as she flexed her fingers into fists a few times before looking around the room. "Did any of you feel that way?" she asked.
"Yeah." Valerie said as she shifted to 1 kilo and floated over towards her.
"I definitely felt different." Chopper said from where he sat at the table while Sanji either served more food or picked up some empty plates.
"It was a bit of a shock," Robin said as she sprouted a few arms out of her original arm. "But after awhile, it didn't feel so strange."
"Yeah. Like it was always a part of you from the beginning." Luffy said as he stretched his cheeks out. Vivi looked at each of them before looking down at herself with a 'hmm' before she made a little drop of candy syrup drip and suspend in the air. "It's blue?"
"What's wrong with blue?" Yosaku asked.
"When Gasparde used it, it was green." Luffy said.
"Now that you mention it, the color is different." Zoro said.
"Maybe it changes colors depending on who uses it." Nojiko suggested.
"Or maybe how someone feels or something." Alvida suggested as Vivi made the drip change size a few times. Grace watched as it changed before she gently poked her finger into the giant blue drop and pulled back, leaving some candy syrup on her finger.
"It's sticky." she said as she squished it between her thumb and index fingers as Chopper held a hoof out and poked the blue goo as well.
"I wonder if it tastes good." Chopper mumbled before he licked his hoof. His eyes immediately began to sparkle as he had a huge smile on his face. "It's sweet!"
"Really?" Luffy asked, remembering that it tasted horrible when he got some in his mouth when fighting Gasparde last time. He stuck his finger in the droplet as well and licked it as well. The others were watching with raised eyebrows as Luffy smiled. "It is good!" Most of the crew followed their example and tasted it as well.
"Not a candy person, but not bad." Gin said.
"It's sweet!" Johnny said.
"Really sweet!" Yosaku agreed.
"Of course it is." Sanji said. "After all," he said before going into love-mode. "Vivi-chwan has the sweetest personality of all, so of course it'll taste sweet~!"
"Uh...thanks." Vivi said with a smile and a sweatdrop on her head before she noticed Luffy was a little closer than before. "Luffy?" she said as she looked up to see Luffy looking down at her with a big gin. She began to sweat a little as she forced a smile. "Uhh...Luffy?" she said.
"Luffy, Sanji has more meat." Nojiko said.
"MEAT!" Luffy yelled as he ran towards Sanji.
"Run, Vivi." Nojiko whispered to Vivi, who was already ahead of her and out the door.
"Where's the meat?" Luffy asked before he saw Vivi run out the door. "WAIT VIVI!" Luffy yelled as he ran out the door.
"We better keep Luffy away from Vivi." Valerie said. "Or else all that'll be left is her clothes."
"QUACK/WHAT?!" Sanji and Carue yelled before they both ran out to help Vivi.
"Luffy wouldn't eat Vivi!" Chopper yelled before asking quietly, "Right?"
"No way." Usopp said before he saw Vivi running past the door, followed by Luffy, followed by Sanji and Carue. "I'm pretty sure," and again they ran by, "he wouldn't," and again, "eat..." and again. "his..." and again.
"I think we better help!" Nami said before a majority of the crew ran out to help Vivi, leaving Gin, Zoro, and Robin in the cabin.
"Maybe we should've just sold the fruit." Gin said with a deadpan expression and voice while Robin chuckled.
"Is it always this lively on this ship?" Robin asked.
"Something like that." Zoro said as the three walked outside to see Vivi being lead away from Luffy by Nojiko, Nami, and Grace, while Luffy was being stopped by all the others.
"YOU WILL NOT CHOW DOWN ON VIVI!" Sanji roared.
"I just want some more of that candy stuff!" Luffy whined.
"You can't control yourself around food Luffy!" Usopp said as they all did their best to keep Luffy and Vivi apart. "Just leave her be!"
"Don't eat Vivi, Luffy!" Chopper wailed, completely horrified that Luffy might actually eat their friend.
"He won't." Valerie said as she increased her weight and sat on him. While they were subduing Luffy, Vivi and the others were now in the Women's sleeping room.
"Who's bright idea was it for Vivi to eat the fruit in the first place?" Nami asked in a stern tone.
"We were all talking about it and flipped a coin." Nojiko said. "It was either her or me that would get the fruit."
"Then Luffy'd be after you!" Nami yelled.
"Glad I decided I didn't want it." Grace said.
"I think...I'm just gonna stay in bed for awhile." Vivi said, feeling very nervous about being around Luffy.
"Guess it'll be a good idea that Luffy doesn't leave the table hungry." Nojiko said. An eerie quiet filled the room for a few moments before Vivi fell over on the bed.
"I'm doomed."
-Later that Night-
The crew were now asleep, with Vivi wide awake in worry in the crow's nest. She was on lookout, but it wasn't an enemy ship that was worrying her, but the thought of Luffy actually trying to devour her. She shivered at the thought, wishing that the candy syrup tasted rotten. She blinked before she made a tiny drop appear off her finger and placed it on her tongue.
"That IS delicious." she said. "No wonder Luffy chased me."
"I know right?" Vivi froze as she slowly turned her head and saw Luffy sitting on edge of the crow's nest with a grin. "Can I have some more?"
"WAAAH!" Vivi screamed as she scrambled backwards and fell on her ass. "Don't do that!" she yelled.
"Sorry." he said as he now stood in the crow's nest.
"Why are you awake?" Vivi asked as she stood up and was now angrily looking at Luffy.
"I was talking in my sleep about food, so Sanji kicked me out and told me to take over as Lookout." Luffy said in a grumpy voice. "Rotten jerk." Vivi just stared at him as he pouted before she started laughing. "What are you laughing at?"
"Even in your sleep, all you talk about is food." she said before she held out a finger. Luffy watched as a tiny drop of goo came out of her finger. "Here. Just...try to curb your hunger around me, okay?"
"Yeah, sorry about that." he said as he held out a finger to catch the sweet treat before sticking his finger in his mouth. "Sweet." he said with a grin.
"Yeah," she said before her smile faded as she stared at her hands. "But it's all I can do now."
"How come?" Luffy asked.
"I'm...I'm scared." she said. "This is all new to me. Having my body go from being flesh and blood to...to this stuff." she said as her hands changed to blue syrup. Luffy looked at her before smiling.
"I was freaked out at first as well." he said. Vivi looked at him as he pulled his cheeks out before letting them snap back. "Truth is, I didn't realized what I was eating when I first ate the Gum-Gum Fruit." he said before he began to explain how he first ate the fruit 10 years ago, when he was seven years old.
"So you're telling me that Shanks, an Emperor and one of THE toughest pirates out there, just left a Devil Fruit out in the open for anyone to eat...and that you ate it by accident because you were angry at him?" Vivi summed up. Luffy nodded with a smile before she said, "You two have to be the biggest idiots on the seas!"
-Somewhere in the New World-
"WACHOO!" Shanks sneezed, spitting rum all over his nearby crewmates. They all looked at him as he sniffed and rubbed his nose. "Who's an idiot?" Shanks asked himself.
-Back on the Going Merry-
"Don't badmouth Shanks!" Luffy said in a stern voice, his cheeful demeanor fading to a small frown. Vivi looked taken aback before she sighed.
"Right. Sorry." she said.
"Okay. I forgive you." Luffy said with a smile.
'He's way too forgiving.' Vivi thought with a sweatdrop on her head. "Just like that?"
"Yeah, if you meant it." he said as she stared at her hands again.
"Still, I don't know what to do with this power." she said before she looked at Luffy. "Was this ability really useful in a fight?"
"Yeah, except if you get covered in flour." Luffy said. "Then you can get hit because it's not sticky." He then looked down at the deck before smirking at her. "How about we have little fight?"
"What?" she said in shock. "You mean me fight against you?"
"More like me seeing what you can do." he said. "You couldn't defeat me even if you wanted to." Now it was Vivi's turn to pout before they both climbed down to the deck, ready for a little sparring match. "Okay, show me what you got!" Vivi started out by pulling out her weapons and spinning them on her pinky fingers before charging at Luffy.
"Peacock String Slasher!" Vivi called out as she launched her weapon at Luffy, who only smirked where he stood.
"Iron Body!" Luffy said before Vivi's weapon harmlessly struck him. Luffy smirked before he vanished from sight, leaving Vivi to looked around in an attempt to find him.
"Where are you?" she called out before Luffy appeared before her and swung his fist at full speed at her. Vivi froze as Luffy's hand stopped half an inch from her face, but the shockwave from the speed blew her off her feet and onto her ass. Vivi was breathing hard as Luffy walked up to her and held his hand out.
"The enemies we'll meet further down the Grand Line are only gonna get stronger." Luffy said as Vivi stared up at him. "If you wanna stand a chance in a fight, you're gonna need to step it up." Vivi stared up at him before she took his hand and stood up. Luffy smiled before he jumped back.
"Now, try and attack with your new powers!" he said.
"How am I supposed to attack with this?" Vivi asked as her hands turned to goo.
"It can harden." Luffy said. "I saw Gasparde turn it into a hardened spike." Vivi listened before she looked at the goo that was her hands. She closed her eyes and concentrated while Luffy watched one of her gooey hands turn into a giant blue spike of hardened candy syrup. "Nice job." Luffy said as Vivi stared down her arm. She grew a serious expression before she charged at Luffy again, her spiked arm positioned to skewer Luffy. Luffy only smirked before he disappeared a split second before she could touch him. "Very good." Luffy said before he appeared behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist, and his other arm loosely around her neck. "From her on out, you'll have to discover your fruit's powers on your own." he said before he smiled and kissed her cheek. She blushed before he released her and started climbing up the mast towards the crow's nest. He looked down at her one last time with a smile and said, "Goodnight Vivi." before disappearing up and into the crow's nest. Vivi's hands turned back to normal as one touched her cheek, a warm smile on her face as she quietly walked into the women's bedroom.
A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter.