Chapter 39: Minerva

Northern Village

Luffy awoke to see the window- only to find a horrific sight of the tree Adam twisted into a gnarled plant abomination blotting the sky as black figures were swarming to attack something or someone.

Luffy saw Usopp on another bed being devastated at the sight of the tree of Elbaf warped into something truly unholy. The black figures grew closer, their malicious intent clear in their aggressive approach. Without wasting a second, Luffy jumped out of his bed, the springs protesting under his weight. The floorboards creaked under his feet as he sprinted towards the window, his heart racing with the urgency to understand what was unfolding before his eyes.

It wasn't the usual fear that others felt yet Luffy was immune to, but it was something more instinctual and primal like he had to avoid contact with those things at all costs. Thankfully, they ignored Luffy as they focused on the thing in the distance.

He looked over at Usopp, who was paralyzed with fear, tears streaming down his cheeks. "What are those things?!" he shouted over the cacophony outside.

"They can choose to be visible and invisible to both normal folk and non-plant Haki users, meaning a special kind of power is needed...to put them down.," spoke Gaban as he leaned against a support beam.

They oversaw two villages that hadn't been overtaken by the wailing roots- a massive castle surrounding a village with toy block motifs as the civilians had an inherent snootiness about them. And the other, which had a much more regal, grandiose tone.

"They're the People of the Primordial Sea- better known as Haki. If you overuse your Haki without the proper caution- you turn into one of them. And they bite and spread- that's why I had-," explained Gaban before he noticed Rayleigh was standing on the other side.

The two stared at each other, there was clear tension between the first and second mate of the Roger Pirates.

"You're finally not at that amusement for those jackasses.," Gaban spoke. "Finally realize something?"

"C'mon. Coating ships are gonna be important when we all have to live underwater.," Rayleigh replied.

"They thrive in water! So it won't work...but...That's not what I was suggesting.," Gaban replied bluntly.

Rayleigh's eyes glowed as he said, "Knowing these things exist...I'm sorry for what I said that day..."

"You didn't have to see them scared- not of dying- but not being themselves as they turned into THOSE MONSTERS and going after their families as you'd hear them beg for their bodies to stop!," replied Gaban, reliving the trauma.

"Did you find a cure before you did it?" asked Rayleigh.

"I prolonged it as much as I could and tried everything to reverse...but the World Government's behind it and they view them as their pride and joy...and they forced my hand when they freed them and let them loose.," answered Gaban.

Reading the room, Usopp pushed Luffy outside as the conversation was likely going to tense up and damper his feelings towards them. Sounding of punches and screaming filled the room as the door closed behind him.

Sanji, Brook, Galahad, Franky, Jinbe, Chopper, and Zoro were outside.

"Do...do you think we're gonna turn out like that Mosshead?," asked Sanji, with an uncharacteristic concern with the usually calm Rayleigh yelling at Gaban.

Zoro looked to the side. The two men gave the same irritable vibes as they did, which made things even more worrisome.

Colon shivered on the side as Jinbe went to console him.

"Young man. There are always going to be people who get under your skin and the best way is to either find common ground...or leave them...," he said as Colon cried.

"Where're Nami, Robin, Carrot, and the others?," asked Chopper.

"Likely with the other Loki's more of a weirdo. The main one is likely a violent thug from what I hear.," spoke Galahad.

This immediately got Sanji back in the groove as he yelled-

"That fiend! I can't manage all...the erotic things he'd get up to!"

"Bojajaja. That other Loki has a head of flowers and wedding bells. He's too pure and he's likely reining in the actual lech- Road through his childishness!," spoke a Giant.

Luffy looked up to see an elderly giant, thus being much larger than a normal human. Even compared to other giants, he is enormous, being at least twice Brogy's height. He wears a Viking helmet with curved horns, and his facial beard is so large that it covers most of his body, with its shape reminiscent of a mountain. He wears a dark feather coat.

Jarul- Elder of Elbaf. Former Giant Warrior Captain

"You got a sword stuck in there!," Luffy noted as he saw the sword stuck through his noggin.

"Oh yeah. I ate a weird Devil Fruit with no swirls but stripes that revived me after everything- found out after I got stabbed in the head. I asked the Heavens if anything can be done and they said I could if I did really extreme things...guess I'm immortal now.," the elder Giant replied, but gave an annoyed face as he mentioned immortality.

"What? You're immortal?! Why are you giving me that look like it's the worst thing?," asked Sanji.

"Revive?...," asked Brook.

"Gabababaaba. It's weird we didn't see you that night. Guess, you were speaking with really special folks- them gods.," Broggy spoke.

"Oh, they said they weren't gods but high-tech folks blasted down by a society-path-ic man of lightning who turned on them and ranted about being a god.," spoke Jarul.

"Well, they helped Elbaf out from time to time. They apparently have issues with this "True Sun God" nonsense and compared it to an old Shandian belief that they mistook a man-eating snake for a god. They said for us to read books on it so we're not gullible...," Oimu replied.

Kashii, Dorry, Harjudin, Stansen, and Goldberg were all sullen.

"W-what's wrong?," asked Brogy. "T-this is just a fever! It's gonna-," spoke Brogy.

"Sorry, but the ruse ended...the tree generations lived on...was nothing but that thing the whole time...draining our Haki to power itself up to create a world of darkness...," spoke Saul as he was accompanied by Little Oars Jr crouching down to not hit the ceiling, holding Kuma in his other hand.

"W-what're ya doing?," asked Brogy.

"We were tricked that day to stay on Little Garden so they wouldn't have any opposition to complete the nurturing and Oimu and Kashii were tricked later on. We've been taken advantage of due to our stubbornness and willful ignorance!," the warrior cried as the other giants cried.

Luffy was about to call them out but Usopp shook his head.

"If that's true and if I lived here...I wouldn't know what to do next...," spoke the sniper.

Luffy took a deep breath, not wanting to wallow in despair like the situation with Ace, he decided to take a walk.

"Say...is Shanks here?," asked Luffy.

Yamato appeared with Tama and shook his head with the Vegapunk Satellites in tow.

"He, his group, CP0, and Blackbeard's subordinates all had means of getting out of there very quickly...You just missed them...," Stella spoke.

Luffy briefly frowned but then smiled.

"Guess it's almost but not quite there yet.," he spoke as he walked through the halls.

He saw a lot of rooms covered in ancient depictions of kings, which as he walked further down the hallway, resembled more and more like Ancient Giants like Oars before they started to look odder- horned yet well-proportioned with a third eye in the middle of their forehead. The last statue is of a massive three-eyed Giant with massive horns, a blue beard, and shirtless. His name was- Our race's founder- Ginnungagap D. Chaos.

Luffy felt an odd sensation like he was getting a preview of what he might eventually see.

He then stumbled upon an open doorway leading to a room covered in books, ancient runes, measuring glasses, pitchers, beakers, vials, broomsticks, cauldrons, and other arcane items.

Sitting in a chair was a beautiful, tall, well-endowed woman with purple dreadlock hair, wearing a witch's hat, a high-cloak black top with a long cloak extension that revealed her midriff, and black pants with curved witch shoes. She wore square glasses.

The woman looked up from her book and took off her glasses to wipe them with a piece of cloth. She had an expression that was a mix of annoyance and boredom. It was clear that she was not one for idle chitchat or the company of others. The room smelled faintly of herbs and potions.

Luffy knocked as the woman glanced behind her to see Luffy. There was a moment of silence as if fate was allowing them some inherent understanding of the gravity of their meeting. Her eyes narrowed at first, but then she nodded, gesturing for him to come in.

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy. I'm gonna be king of the Pirates.," spoke Luffy.

"I'm Sunny D. Minerva. I'm aspiring to the the Wiseman of the Magus.," spoke Minerva.

"It's like being King of the Pirates but for my race- we're Magus- people who use magic and live for millions of years. I'm chronologically 420 years old, but biologically I'm 20.," she replied.

Luffy then smiled as he took a step into the room, feeling the warmth of curiosity. "That's cool! What's a Wiseman of the Magus?"

She felt it odd that she was being this social with a complete stranger. Maybe it was because he reminded her of someone she once knew, she thought as she studied Luffy's innocent, yet determined expression.

"Well, good luck with that.," spoke Luffy as he began to walk away.

"There's a girl! A real beaut!," Sanji shouted, his eyes sparkling with excitement and his nose snorting.

Minerva's eyes turned deadpan as she thought- Definitely a grandson alright.

Zoro somehow appeared out of a hidden doorway opened by a bookcase in her room.

"I went straight for you, Luffy. What's this room?," asked Zoro.

"We were in a hallway, Mosshead?... How?," asked Sanji.

Minerva taking the meeting in stride, asked Zoro, "Your family name...it's Roronoa isn't it?"

"Yeah.," Zoro spoke as Minerva thought with a shocked expression-

That makes so much sense.

Chopper then arrived as he asked-

"I heard noises! What're you?... Oh, vials! I can use these...," spoke Chopper before he got a glare from Minerva. He then ducked and hid in his inverted manner.

"That hat and X...it's a sign you're on your way to be a great doctor.," she spoke.

Chopper then said, "Don't be sayin' that stuff, ya jerk!"

"What's going on? There seems to be a room down the hall...these statues...Giants living for 440 years at maximum...yet these statues seem older if they're any indication of a line of succession...," Jinbe said as he entered the room.

"It's just stuff that reminds them of home.," spoke Minerva.

"Oh, everyone's meeting in here?" asked Brook.

"Which necromancy spell brought you to life?" asked Minerva.

"No, I believe I ate the Revive-Revive Fruit, but I'm not so sure now...but it's nice to finally relax after all that chaos.," spoke Brook.

"I see...," Minerva said.

Usopp finally entered the room with her looking at him and thinking back to an old memory-

Minerva's Past

"I once shot down a meteor shower from 14 pocket dimensions at once!," shouted a long-pointed-nosed man as a younger Durinn, Zunesha, Emeth, and others sat in the old Giant and Nidavell Dwarf hall when things were much more peaceful despite everything going on in the world.

Minerva was a child surrounded by several of her multiple siblings, each with their own then saw a shadowed goliath of a man.

His tall silhouette wore a Straw Hat and beamed a smile as he patted her on the head. She smiled at her father.

Present

Minerva giggled in her chair while remembering her past, "Mahoshishishishi."

Luffy was confused, but it just seemed like they were naturally hitting it off.

Galahad and Franky also joined as well.

"So you guys were here...so what's the plan? We can't just sit around while everything's a damn tree. Hell, how'd we get out anyway?" asked Franky.

Minerva went silent with her glasses obscuring her vision.

"Well, the situation is more complicated now...we're not dealing with a weed but the truth is this tree has been rotten from the start. Which have very nasty implications about anything that's been made from this tree heading to the Black Market. They really planned this all out so that even if we do destroy this, we'd be unable to stop the spread.," spoke Galahad.

"That's half true...there's not much time...it's only possessed...the change can be reversed and every piece will go back to normal.," spoke Minerva.

"Really?," asked Luffy.

"Lalalalalala.," laughed a familiar voice as the crew looked out on the window ceil.

It was Laffitte of the Blackbeard Pirates.

"Sorry, but I need your Devil Fruit...Sunny D. Minerva- former 5th Fleet Commander of the Primordial Feet of the Rocks Pirates...," he said.

Next Chapter: Magic Battle

Author Notes: While I hint that maybe the Heaven Realm is home to a certain race of Sky People blasted down to the earth and more of the Nobody existence- the true highlight was Minerva- she's sort like the in-between of Nami and Robin- not as aloof and in the background as Robin but not as abrasive and cowardly as Nami.