Chapter 13: Powers

Nami

The dim lantern light flickered softly, casting shifting shadows along the wooden walls of the cabin. The ship rocked gently on the waves, a rhythmic motion Nami barely noticed as she stood frozen in place, staring at the two Devil Fruits laid before her.

They were… mesmerizing.

The first one was unlike any fruit she had ever seen, even among the strange and supernatural Devil Fruits that existed in the world. It was a soft, pale blue, as if sculpted from the very sky itself, its swirling patterns curling like mist trapped in an eternal breeze. The surface looked impossibly light, textured like dense cotton, as though a single touch would send it drifting into the air like a cloud. A thin, jagged stem jutted upward, shaped like a lightning bolt—fitting, given the strange, almost electric hum she could practically feel coming from it.

The second fruit, though entirely different in form, was no less stunning. It had the elegant curve of a pear, yet its surface was textured in layered, feather-like ridges, each one shimmering as they caught the dim light. The iridescent colors shifted subtly—white, silver, gold—giving it the illusion of something divine, as though it had been plucked from the heavens themselves. The long, delicate stem curled at the tip, resembling a quill pen poised to write something into existence.

Nami's breath caught in her throat.

They were beautiful—otherworldly even.

She wasn't the only one who thought so. The entire crew had gathered around the table, silent for once, their gazes locked onto the fruits with varying degrees of awe and suspicion. Even Zoro, who usually dismissed anything that wasn't a sword or a threat, had lingered a beat longer than usual, eyes narrowed as he studied them.

Usopp, on the other hand, leaned in a little too eagerly, his fingers twitching at his sides.

Nami's sharp voice cut through the stillness. "Usopp, don't even think about it."

He flinched back immediately, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "I wasn't gonna touch it! I was just—" He gestured vaguely. "—appreciating from a safe distance!"

"Uh-huh." Nami didn't look convinced.

Robin, who had been watching quietly, finally stepped forward. Her calm, knowing gaze swept over them before landing on Nami. "I see they've made an impression."

Nami turned to her. "Where did you get these?"

Robin's expression remained unreadable, but there was something deliberate in the way she reached out, lightly brushing the edge of the wooden box they sat in. "The first one," she said smoothly, "I stole from Crocodile."

The weight of that admission hit the room like a thunderclap.

Sanji nearly dropped his cigarette, while Usopp let out a strangled noise that was somewhere between a gasp and a cough. Zoro's brow lifted slightly—his version of outright shock—while even Luffy tilted his head in interest.

"And the second?"

Robin's lips curled into a small, knowing smirk. "That one never made it to him. I intercepted it before it could."

Sanji let out a low whistle. "You mean to tell me… you stole both these Devil Fruits right from under that sand bastard's nose?"

Robin nodded, entirely unruffled. "Crocodile had plans for these. In the original timeline, he sold them for a sum so vast it was said to rival the worth of an entire kingdom."

The implications hit Nami like a punch to the gut. "And that's how he got the money to fund his war."

Robin inclined her head slightly. "Exactly."

A heavy silence followed, the weight of her words sinking in.

Zoro exhaled slowly through his nose, arms still crossed as he studied the fruits once more. "So we've already weakened him."

Robin's expression was unreadable, but there was a glint in her eye. "Significantly."

Luffy, ever the optimist, grinned and punched a fist into his palm. "That's great! Now he'll be even easier to beat!"

Nami groaned, resisting the urge to smack him upside the head. "Luffy, that's not the point! These fruits aren't just valuable in terms of money. If Crocodile had gotten his hands on them, he could've tipped the balance of power completely in his favor."

Robin nodded in agreement, her voice even. "And now, they're in your hands."

The ship remained eerily silent, the weight of Robin's words settling over them like a thick fog. Nami's gaze flicked between the two Devil Fruits, their strange allure filling the air with an almost tangible pull. Power—boundless, terrifying power—rested in those small, unassuming orbs, and for the first time in a long while, Nami felt genuinely unsettled.

She knew Devil Fruits were rare. She knew they could make someone virtually unstoppable. But to hear how these particular ones had been used to crush rebellions and seize power made her stomach twist.

"These are no ordinary Devil Fruits," Robin continued, her voice smooth yet weighted with something unreadable. She placed a delicate hand on the wooden box, fingers tracing the carved edges as if feeling the gravity of what lay inside. "The first is the Kumo Kumo no Mi—the Cloud-Cloud Fruit. It was once sold to a king in the West Blue, a man whose rule was threatened by a growing rebellion."

The crew listened with rapt attention, all except Luffy, who was absentmindedly poking the feathered fruit like it might chirp at him.

"What happened?" Nami asked, though she had a sinking feeling she already knew the answer.

Robin met her gaze, expression impassive but firm. "Once he had the fruit, the rebellion didn't stand a chance. He drowned entire villages in endless storms, turning the sky itself into his strongest weapon. Those who opposed him were swallowed by mist, struck down by lightning before they even saw the attack coming."

Usopp paled. "That's… horrifying."

"Efficient," Zoro muttered, arms crossed. His expression was unreadable, but the way his fingers tapped against his sleeve suggested he wasn't unaffected by the tale.

Robin gestured toward the second fruit, its pear-like form shimmering faintly under the lantern's glow. "And this," she said, "is the Hane Hane no Mi—the Feather-Feather Fruit. Crocodile sold it to a prince in the South Blue, a man who sought to overthrow his own brother for the throne."

Sanji exhaled a plume of smoke, his gaze darkening. "Let me guess. He won."

Robin's lips curved in something that wasn't quite a smile. "He didn't just win. He became a force of nature. With wings vast enough to block out the sun and the speed of a storm gale, he tore through the palace like a divine executioner. His brother didn't even have time to escape before the coup was over."

A chill settled over the room.

Sanji let out a low whistle. "Sounds like Crocodile's been playing god in the Blue Seas."

Robin inclined her head. "Crocodile is many things, but reckless isn't one of them. He carefully avoided selling these within the Grand Line, where powers rivaling his own could rise. Instead, he peddled them far from his reach, ensuring they would only ever benefit his interests, never threaten them."

Nami clenched her fists. That bastard. Always calculating, always scheming.

Robin's voice softened, but the underlying gravity remained. "I intercepted these fruits before they could reach their destinations. But keeping them has been… difficult."

That got everyone's attention.

Sanji's cigarette nearly fell from his lips. "You mean Crocodile's been looking for these?"

Robin nodded. "He doesn't know where they are, exactly. But he knows they're missing. And that alone has made him more dangerous. He's paranoid, suspicious of everyone around him."

Usopp gulped audibly. "So… you're saying we're holding onto two really valuable and really cursed objects that a paranoid warlord is desperate to find?"

"Essentially."

"Oh, fantastic. No pressure or anything," Usopp muttered, rubbing his temples.

Robin studied them carefully before continuing. "What happens next is your decision. These fruits are yours now. You can keep them, use them, or get rid of them—but whatever choice you make, know that it carries weight."

Nami didn't miss the way Robin's gaze flickered toward her and Vivi, almost imperceptibly. As if she already knew what decision they'd be making.

Luffy, as expected, was the first to break the tension, grinning as he reached for the fruit with the lightning-shaped stem. "I bet it tastes weird."

Nami smacked his hand away without hesitation. "Luffy, no!"

He pouted but relented. "Well, we'll figure it out later, right? No rush!"

Robin chuckled lightly, the tension easing just a fraction. "Perhaps. But for now, I've stayed long enough. I need to go."

That took the crew by surprise.

"Already?" Luffy tilted his head in disappointment.

Robin nodded. "Crocodile will notice if I linger too long."

Sanji sighed dramatically, his entire demeanor shifting as he took her hand in his. "Oh, Robin-chwan, parting is such sweet sorrow!"

Robin allowed it for exactly three seconds before extracting her fingers from his grasp with effortless grace.

The crew followed her to the railing, watching as she prepared to leave. The moonlight bathed her figure in silver, the ocean shimmering beneath her as she stepped onto the broad shell of a massive transport turtle, its beady eyes gleaming in the dark.

"Be careful," Nami said suddenly.

Robin turned to her, one brow raised.

"I mean it," Nami pressed, arms crossed but voice softer than usual. "Crocodile is dangerous, even without these fruits."

The sentiment was mirrored by the others—Sanji's worried gaze, Usopp's reluctant nod, Zoro's silent understanding. Even Luffy, in his own way, acknowledged it with a quiet "See you in Alabasta."

Robin's usual smirk softened just slightly. "I will."

And with that, the turtle dipped into the waves, carrying her away into the night.

The crew stood there for a long moment, watching until she was nothing more than a dark silhouette on the horizon.

The weight of her departure hung over them like the calm before a storm.

They all knew—this was just the beginning.

—

The Going Merry rocked gently with the motion of the waves, the only sound filling the cabin being the occasional creak of the wooden floorboards and the distant crash of the sea against the hull. The two Devil Fruits sat ominously at the center of the table, untouched, yet commanding all of their attention.

The first, the Kumo Kumo no Mi, had an almost dreamlike presence—its pale blue skin swirled in soft, mist-like patterns, its texture resembling dense storm clouds rather than something solid. It almost looked like it could dissolve into vapor at the slightest touch.

The second, the Hane Hane no Mi, radiated a quiet elegance. The fruit was shaped like a perfect pear, its entire surface layered in feather-like textures that shimmered under the dim lantern light. Silver, gold, and white hues flickered in waves as the ship swayed, almost as if the fruit itself were alive with energy.

A long silence stretched between them.

"Well," Usopp finally said, shifting uncomfortably. "We're not just gonna sit here staring at them forever, right?"

"We need to decide what to do," Nami agreed, crossing her arms. "Carrying them around is a stupid idea."

"Agreed," Sanji exhaled, flicking the ashes from his cigarette. "A single Devil Fruit is rare enough, but two? It'd be like painting a target on our backs. Every bounty hunter and pirate in the Grand Line would be coming for us."

"And?" Luffy grinned. "We'd just beat 'em up."

"That's not the point!" Nami snapped. "Luffy, we can't just hoard these things and wait for the worst to happen. If someone steals them and eats them, we could be making a future enemy stronger."

"Alright, alright," Luffy said, tilting his head. "So… what do we do?"

"Sell them?" Usopp suggested.

"No," Zoro said flatly. "Too risky."

Sanji nodded. "Selling them in the Grand Line means we have no control over who gets them. For all we know, some warlord-wannabe could end up with one and cause more trouble than Crocodile."

Usopp paled. "Yeah… okay, that's terrifying."

"So that only leaves one option," Nami said, staring at the fruits.

Luffy's grin widened. "Eat them."

"Exactly."

Another silence, this one even heavier than before.

"…Hold on," Usopp said, blinking. "Are we seriously just gonna decide to eat legendary, life-altering fruits just like that?"

"Well, I can't," Luffy pointed out, shrugging. "Already have the Gomu Gomu no Mi."

"Neither can I," Zoro said, arms crossed. "My swords are all I need."

Sanji scoffed, waving a hand dismissively. "I'd rather die than eat one of those disgusting things. As a chef, I refuse to put something in my mouth that permanently ruins my ability to taste the sea's gifts."

That left three.

Nami. Usopp. And Vivi.

Usopp shifted again, clearly tempted. He rubbed his chin, eyeing the fruits like he was trying to convince himself this was a good idea.

"I mean…" He hesitated. "Having Devil Fruit powers would be kind of cool…"

Nami raised an eyebrow. "You want one?"

Usopp chewed his lip, then sighed dramatically. "Nah. Neither of these help me as a sniper. I mean, clouds? Feathers? Cool and all, but not exactly useful for long-range combat."

Nami smirked. Of course he'd make a tactical decision about it.

That left two.

She turned her gaze toward Vivi, who was clearly drawn to the Hane Hane no Mi. Her fingers twitched ever so slightly, and her blue eyes reflected the shimmering gold and silver hues of the fruit.

Nami understood immediately.

"You want it," she said plainly.

Vivi blinked, caught off guard. "What?"

Nami nodded toward the Hane Hane no Mi. "You want it. You've been staring at it since we took it out."

Vivi hesitated. "…Well, I mean… who wouldn't want the power to fly?"

Nami couldn't argue with that.

For Vivi, someone born into responsibility and duty, the sky must have felt like the ultimate freedom. To soar above the weight of her obligations. To move without restriction. To never be trapped again.

It made perfect sense that she was drawn to it.

And for Nami? There was never a question.

Her eyes drifted to the Kumo Kumo no Mi, its misty surface swirling like a storm waiting to happen.

The power to control clouds. To shape the sky itself.

It wasn't just about flying—it was about mastering the weather.

Her greatest enemy as a navigator was unpredictability—storms, winds, shifting currents. If she could control that? If she could bend the elements to her will?

Her dream of mapping the world… would become unstoppable.

Nami exhaled sharply, then met Vivi's gaze.

"It's yours," she said, nodding toward the Hane Hane no Mi.

Vivi's eyes widened. "What?"

"The feather fruit," Nami repeated. "You want it. So take it."

Vivi hesitated. "But what about you?"

Nami smirked. "This one," she said, placing a hand on the Kumo Kumo no Mi, "was mine the second I laid eyes on it."

Vivi stared at her for a long moment, then smiled.

"…Thank you, Nami."

"Don't mention it," Nami said, already reaching forward. Her fingers brushed against the soft, cloud-like texture of the fruit, and a strange thrill of anticipation ran through her.

This was it.

There was no going back now.

She grinned.

"Well," she said, picking up the fruit, "let's see what this nightmare actually tastes like."

Vivi let out a nervous laugh, lifting the Hane Hane no Mi as well. "I have a bad feeling about this."

The rest of the crew watched, the weight of the moment hanging heavy in the air.

Sanji smirked, taking a long drag of his cigarette. "Hope you two have strong stomachs."

Zoro shook his head. "You're gonna regret this."

And Usopp? Usopp grimaced.

"Oh, this is gonna be fun."

The Going Merry swayed gently beneath them, the sound of the ocean a distant murmur. The two Devil Fruits, now claimed, sat ominously in the hands of their new owners.

Vivi turned the Hane Hane no Mi over in her palms, its shimmering, feather-like texture catching the lantern light. Nami, meanwhile, held the Kumo Kumo no Mi, the misty patterns on its pale blue skin shifting like an oncoming storm.

A moment of hesitation hung in the air.

Then, with a shared glance, the two women steeled themselves and took a bite.

It was instant regret.

"Ugh—" Nami barely managed to swallow, her entire face contorting in disgust. "It's like… like rotten fish mixed with seawater and spoiled milk!"

Vivi, meanwhile, looked ready to die. She coughed violently, reaching for her canteen and chugging water like a drowning woman. "Oh—oh my god—why does it taste like something crawled into a sewer and died?!"

Luffy, who had been waiting for this exact moment, burst into laughter. His entire body shook as he kicked his feet against the deck. "Shishishishi! I told you! Devil Fruits taste awful! The worst!"

"Shut up, Luffy!" Nami snarled, her irritation flaring. Without thinking, she swung a fist at him.

And then… her arm stretched.

Not in the way Luffy's did.

Instead of rubber, her entire forearm dissolved into wispy, pale-blue vapor, its edges flickering like morning mist beneath the sunrise. For a split second, it was as if her arm had vanished into thin air, leaving behind only a swirling tendril of cloud where her hand should be.

The crew froze.

The laughter died instantly, replaced by a stunned silence.

Nami blinked at her own limb, the weight of what had just happened slowly registering.

"What the hell?"

Then, before she could process it…

Zoro punched her arm.

Or, at least, he tried to.

His fist went straight through, harmlessly passing through the cloud before reemerging on the other side.

Nami staggered back, eyes wide in horror. "AHHHHHHHH! WHAT WAS THAT?!"

Sanji, who had been watching in shock, immediately snapped out of it. His entire face twisted in fury as he lunged forward. "MOSS-HEADED BASTARD! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, PUNCHING NAMI-SWAN?!"

Zoro barely had time to roll his eyes before Sanji went for the kill.

Usopp, in a moment of sheer survival instinct, threw himself between them, arms outstretched. "GUYS, WAIT—DON'T START PUNCHING EACH OTHER OVER THIS!"

"HE HIT A LADY!" Sanji snarled, dragging Usopp along as he lunged again.

"I WAS TESTING SOMETHING, YOU SHOE-OBSESSED MORON!" Zoro snapped, effortlessly dodging.

"YOU'RE DEAD, MARIMO!"

"TRY IT, CURLY BROWS!"

Vivi, meanwhile, was still coughing up the remnants of her Devil Fruit and watching in absolute disbelief. "How… is this even happening?"

"Ugh, ENOUGH!" Nami snapped, still trying to process her arm situation. "Zoro, WHY did you just PUNCH me?!"

Zoro grunted, finally dodging Sanji's last kick and ignoring him entirely. "I was checking something."

"Checking WHAT?!"

"You're a Logia."

That shut everyone up.

The words settled over them like a wave crashing onto the shore.

Nami's mouth went dry. "…A Logia?"

Zoro folded his arms, watching her closely. "Yeah. Logia users become their element. It's why my punch went right through you."

Usopp, who had finally pried himself out of Sanji's grasp, let out a low whistle. "Whoa… Logia users are crazy rare."

"And stupidly powerful," Sanji muttered, still irritated but now slightly impressed. "Most normal attacks won't even touch you anymore."

Nami stared at her own hand, flexing her fingers as the wisps of cloud curled and reformed around them. The implications of this were sinking in fast.

The sky itself was now hers to command.

Her mind raced with possibilities—controlling storms, creating clouds, moving with the wind, manipulating weather on a scale she'd only ever dreamed of.

This was her world.

She belonged to the sky.

But before she could get too comfortable, Zoro stepped forward again—and this time, his entire hand was glowing black.

Nami barely had time to react before his Haki-coated hand shot forward and GRABBED her arm.

And this time—

He didn't pass through.

Nami yelped, jerking back instinctively. "What the—?!"

Zoro held her firm, his grip solid as steel.

"What… what did you just do?!"

Zoro's expression remained unreadable, but there was a slight hint of approval in his gaze.

"Haki," he answered simply. "Not everyone will be helpless against you. Just remember that."

For the first time since eating the fruit, Nami felt a chill run down her spine.

For the past few minutes, Luffy had been uncharacteristically silent—a rare, almost eerie thing. He sat cross-legged on the deck, his chin propped on one hand, his straw hat casting a shadow over his eyes as he watched the others.

Then, without warning, he shot to his feet.

"Hey, Vivi!" he declared, bouncing over to her with his usual boundless energy.

Vivi, still flexing her fingers and marveling at the aftereffects of eating the Hane Hane no Mi, barely had time to react before Luffy grabbed her arm.

The moment his fingers wrapped around her wrist, his grin faltered slightly. He gave her arm a little tug, tilting his head in obvious confusion.

"Huh," he muttered. "It's not weird."

Vivi blinked. "Excuse me?"

Luffy lifted her arm slightly, turning it this way and that as if he expected it to start stretching or glowing. "It's just… normal," he concluded, before dropping it and stepping back with an exaggerated pout of disappointment.

Vivi frowned, rubbing her wrist. "What exactly were you expecting?"

"I dunno!" Luffy shrugged, grinning again. "Something cool! Like—poof! Feathers everywhere!" He flailed his arms for emphasis.

Before Vivi could respond, Nami stomped over, her patience visibly wearing thin. "Luffy, you can't just grab people like that!" she snapped, smacking him over the head.

Luffy yelped, rubbing the fresh bump. "Ow! I was just checking!"

"Checking what?" Usopp asked, already halfway behind the mast, in case Luffy's antics resulted in something catastrophic.

Luffy crossed his arms, pouting again. "Well, when I touched Nami earlier, she turned into a cloud, right? So I wanted to see if Vivi would do something crazy too!"

Sanji, who had been watching with mild amusement, took a step forward. His hands slid into his pockets as his sharp gaze lingered on Vivi's arm. "That's because Nami's fruit is a Logia," he deduced, his voice smooth and certain. "But Vivi's… doesn't seem to be."

"Logia?" Vivi echoed, unfamiliar with the term.

"Means Nami became her element," Zoro cut in, his arms folded. "She is clouds now. But if your body stayed normal, that means your fruit is probably something else."

"Something like mine!" Luffy chimed in enthusiastically.

Sanji nodded, exhaling a thin stream of smoke. "Right. If your body didn't change like Luffy's does, then your Devil Fruit is probably Paramecia."

Vivi processed this, turning the term over in her mind. Paramecia. Unlike Logia, which turned people into elements, it meant she had a special ability rather than a total transformation.

"If that's the case," she mused aloud, recalling the abilities of Baroque Works agents, "then it might be something like Mr. 3's fruit…"

Usopp shuddered. "Ugh, I hope not. That guy's wax tricks were annoying."

"But Mr. 3 could create things," Vivi pointed out. "His wax wasn't part of his body—it was something he could produce and control."

Sanji tilted his head slightly. "That makes sense. If you can create feathers instead of just growing them…"

"You should try it!" Luffy interrupted, positively vibrating with excitement.

Vivi hesitated, her heart hammering against her ribs. Even though she had technically already eaten the fruit, part of her still felt reluctant—as if activating its power would make it truly real.

Still, she had come this far. There was no turning back now.

Taking a deep breath, she raised her hands, focusing on the sensation that had been lingering beneath her skin since she first bit into the fruit. Feathers.

She pictured them—light, soft, delicate. She imagined the sensation of Karoo's feathers beneath her fingers, the way they ruffled in the desert wind.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then—

A shimmer.

A glow pulsed from her palms, faint but undeniable. And then, it happened.

Feathers sprouted from her hands, unfurling like the petals of a flower bathed in moonlight. They shimmered under the lantern's glow, shifting in hues of white, silver, and gold, like starlight woven into strands of silk.

The crew's reactions were immediate.

"WHOA!" Usopp yelped, practically falling backward.

"Beautiful," Sanji breathed, his cigarette nearly slipping from his lips.

Zoro grunted, unimpressed. "Not exactly intimidating."

"Zoro!" Nami kicked his shin.

Vivi, however, wasn't paying attention to them. Her focus remained solely on her hands, watching as the feathers fanned outward, responding to her thoughts. It was… strange. The sensation wasn't quite like flexing a muscle, but it also wasn't unnatural. It felt as though the ability had been there all along, just waiting for her to call it forward.

"I… I did it," she whispered, a hint of disbelief in her voice.

"You did!" Luffy cheered, clapping his hands together. "That's so cool, Vivi! Now you've got your own powers too!"

Still mesmerized, Vivi flexed her fingers again, and the feathers retracted, disappearing into nothing. Her heart skipped a beat at the realization.

"I can control them," she murmured. "It's not just automatic—they respond to what I want."

Nami grinned, holding up her own hand, which briefly dissolved into cloud-like mist before reforming. "Looks like we're in the same boat."

Vivi met her gaze, a slow, determined smile spreading across her lips. "Then let's make the most of it."

Luffy threw his fists into the air. "Training time!"

Vivi laughed, something light and free, as if a part of her had just unlocked something she never knew she needed.

—

Nami and Vivi were still testing the limits of their newfound powers, their earlier hesitations giving way to genuine excitement. Nami had begun absentmindedly tracing spirals in the air, leaving behind wispy cloud-like trails that swirled before fading into nothing. Vivi, on the other hand, was experimenting with her feathers, extending and retracting them with increasing control.

Usopp stood nearby, his arms crossed, watching the two of them with an odd mix of admiration and jealousy. "I can't believe it," he muttered under his breath. "You both got superpowers, and I still just have my wits…"

He brightened. "But! That just means I'll have to outsmart our enemies even more!"

Before he could launch into one of his exaggerated tales, a voice cut through the air, sharp and unwavering.

"Don't get carried away."

The casual but firm warning came from Zoro, his arms crossed over his chest, his expression unreadable.

Nami rolled her eyes. "Oh, here we go…"

Zoro didn't rise to the bait. "I told you before—your Devil Fruit powers won't make you invincible." His gaze flickered toward Nami's semi-transparent fingers before settling on Vivi's faintly shimmering feathers. "Anyone with decent Haki will wipe the floor with you."

Nami bristled. "Gee, thanks for the encouragement, Zoro."

Vivi, however, was more thoughtful. "Haki… I've heard that word before," she murmured, mostly to herself.

Sanji sighed and stepped forward, his cigarette glowing faintly in the dim light. "As much as it pains me to agree with that moss-headed brute," he said, shooting a glare at Zoro, "he's not wrong."

"Excuse me?" Zoro snapped, turning his head.

"I said you're not wrong, idiot," Sanji replied smoothly, exhaling a cloud of smoke.

Zoro narrowed his eyes but said nothing, apparently deciding it wasn't worth the fight.

Sanji turned back to the three of them—Nami, Vivi, and Usopp. His expression was serious now, lacking his usual carefree charm. "I should've brought this up earlier, but we've been too busy dealing with everything else." He flicked his cigarette into the sea before continuing.

"You three need to start learning Haki."

Nami's brows furrowed. "Wait, what?"

"Haki?" Usopp echoed, a hint of nervousness creeping into his voice. "That's that invisible punching stuff you guys used back in the New World, right?"

Sanji let out a long-suffering sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "It's not just 'invisible punching stuff,' Usopp." He dropped his hand, his blue eyes sharp. "Haki is about willpower. It's what separates the strong from the dead in the Grand Line."

The words hung heavy in the air.

Usopp gulped.

Luffy, who had been oddly quiet until now, finally chimed in, his usual grin still in place. "Yep! Haki is super useful! It makes you stronger, helps you hit Logia users, and even lets you see what's coming in a fight! Shishishi!"

Nami crossed her arms. "You make it sound way too easy."

"It's not," Zoro said bluntly. His tone lacked mockery this time, and Nami found herself actually listening instead of arguing. "There are enemies out there who can negate Devil Fruit powers completely. If you can't use Haki, you're just a sitting duck."

Vivi stiffened slightly, her feathers shimmering faintly before retracting into her skin. "You mean… my power could be useless?"

Zoro nodded. "Against the wrong enemy? Yeah."

Sanji exhaled, crossing his arms. "Luffy, Zoro, and I had Haki back in the New World, but even then, there were close calls. Too many, honestly." His voice darkened slightly. "If we're going to face Crocodile, and whatever else is coming, we can't afford to have anyone in this crew who can't at least defend themselves."

Usopp visibly tensed, looking between the swordsman and the cook. "So… so you're saying I have to fight like you guys now?"

"Not exactly," Sanji said, shaking his head. "Haki's different for everyone. You don't have to fight like us, but you do have to find your own way to use it."

The weight of that realization settled over them.

Nami knew Sanji was right.

They were in dangerous waters now. Things were already changing from the first timeline. If Crocodile was willing to alter his own plans, that meant they had to be ready for anything.

Nami squared her shoulders. "Alright," she said, her voice steady. "If this makes us better prepared, I'll do it."

Vivi nodded. "Me too. If it means protecting Alabasta… then I have no choice."

Usopp hesitated. His mind raced with memories of battles past—times when he had barely scraped by, when his cleverness had been the only thing that saved him.

But now?

He wasn't sure cleverness alone would be enough.

"…Fine!" he finally blurted out. "I'll do it too! But—but don't expect me to become a Haki master overnight!"

Sanji smirked, clapping him on the back. "That's the spirit."

Nami rolled her eyes. "So, where do we start?"

Sanji tapped his temple. "The first step is clearing your mind."

Nami frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Haki isn't just about strength," Sanji explained. "It's about focus. Willpower. You have to control your thoughts, emotions—your very presence."

Zoro smirked, leaning against the mast. "Good luck with that."

Nami and Usopp both shot him matching glares.

Sanji ignored them, running a hand through his hair. "It won't be easy. But if you're serious about this, you'll get there."

Vivi exhaled, glancing down at her hands. The faint glow of her feathers flickered like embers in the night before vanishing again.

She was serious.

This was only the beginning.

Author's note: We have two new Devil Fruit users! I decided to create two original fruits since I didn't think any of the existing ones in the manga fit them very well. Hope you guys like these!

As always, reviews are greatly appreciated. See you all next week!