Chapter 42: Lily, Adam, Eve, Pandora, and Lucy
Unknown Space
Usopp looked behind him as he saw countless people looking in confusion, bewilderment, suspicion, world-shattering terror, etc.- uneasiness of the surreal visions of sapient Sea Kings having helped create life.
"Oi. I was busy shaving this morning..," said one man as he was dressed in a white tank top in his briefs, he was plump with a pear-shaped body.
"We were going to school.," said some children, their eyes wide with astonishment as they clutched each other for comfort.
"Straw Hats!," yelled Rear Admiral Sicily, a man with a thin black mustache, brown colored hair and beard, and a scar below his left eye. He wears a classical Marine officer uniform, with the hat provided with a red plume.
He rushed towards a shocked Usopp, only to phase through him as Usopp also noticed when he touched him that he couldn't touch the Rear Admiral either.
Usopp then thought-
We're dead! Guess this is a vision of the afterlife!
"Shishishishi! Wow! It looks like the entire world's here!," Luffy said as he walked by Usopp.
"What are you talking about, Luffy? This isn't the afterlife, it's a memory!" Usopp exclaimed, trying to snap him out of his daze.
"Wait, it's real? That crazy Loki's actually right about all this?!," asked Galdino.
He then spotted Utgard-Loki with the bandages and horned helmet.
"Damn, you worked out in the moment I-," the 3-haired man remarked before seeing the more dopey-looking Loki.
"Last saw your remarkable twin.," the former Baroque Agent corrected to save his neck.
The two Giants then saw Lola with Gotti of the Fish-Tank Pirates. They collectively sulked at the revelation she found someone else.
Shanks, Rayleigh, and the Red Hair Pirates outside of Rockstar and Limejuice dropped to their knees in despair. Rockstar had a baffled look while Limejuice was oddly quiet.
"So Mother Sea was the Sea Devil...and she...," spoke the former 1st Mate.
Both he and Gaban had several bruises on their faces from their argument, but all of it dissipated from this revelation of Mother Sea and Lady Ocean. It was implied they were told a very different story at "Laughtale" that the Roger Pirates visited.
"So our world's really old?," Sanji spoke up, his curiosity piqued despite the overwhelming scene around them.
"Seems like it...and Devil Fruits being the answer...that's some cosmic joke.," remarked the swordsman.
Nami then glared at her own hand as it passed through Luffy's head, the realization of their current state finally sinking in. "So we're just...watching a memory? How do we get out of this?"
"Just watch till the message ends. They've done everything from coverups to genocide to erasing islands to removing people from existence to stop this...it's now out of their hands. How they react is what is scary to me.," remarked Minerva as she saw Umi as a lion-headed serpent trembling with anger.
Alister shuddered with terror at his presumed fate once everything was done for failing his task.
Minerva looked at Luffy from afar, which Nami noticed, and called out to her, "So you met him and the others already? How are they?"
"Don't know.," Minerva replied to brush the question off before she hid her face with her hat.
"This is a godsend- quasar! All of this information was finally accessed- quasar! How does it work- quasar?," asked Stella.
"I see.. the Adam Tree...It's an ancient prototype to what Punk Records is...," Shaka noted.
The scenery then changed to that of underwater as all arguments and questions ceased.
It had changed from the early seas that had no life to one brimming with life as the process of the prebiotic synthesis of organic molecules, molecular self-replication, self-assembly, autocatalysis, and the emergence of cell membranes led to the earliest existence of single-celled organisms.
"Incredible...," Robin murmured, her eyes wide with fascination as she watched the microscopic beginnings of life unfold before them. They formed into rock-like clusters called stromatolites as they continued to divide close together to form a colonial organism that consumed nearby Haki to survive.
"Shishishi. They're rocks that move.," noted Luffy with childlike wonder, as the stromatolites began to interact with their environment, driven by the mysterious power that was Haki.
Suddenly, walking on the ocean floor, emerged a black silhouette that was split into segments to denote joint separations- a far cry of the angel she used to be. A creature with an angular, slug-like head with large, prominent lips and broad teeth. Her body was broad and sharply angled around the shoulders and torso. Purple markings covered most of her body. She had five fingers and a thumb in each hand, and their feet were cleft at the ends to resemble cloven hooves. She also possessed a set of headlight-like crystalline eyes of red. Her "hair" was now writhing tendrils and her butterfly wings of gold were now deep purple with yellow sclera eyes with black pupils.
This was previously Mother Sea but known exclusively as the Sea Devil, banished from her leadership over overseeing of the development of life in the world everyone called home.
"Come to think of it, those symbols look like the World Government sym-," noted a Marine soldier before a glare from Midas' direction quickly silenced any further discussion. It was true- the purple symbols on the head and chest did look like the insignia of the World Government.
This figure pulled out a syringe and they inserted into one of the stromatolites. At first, it moved much more lethargically than the other clusters before it obsessively consumed more Haki before its movements became more frantic and it began to convulse violently. It then supported Haki "tentacles" to remove its outer shell to reveal a lump of flesh much more advanced than the time period it supposedly took place in.
The lump of flesh was pitch black and it unfurled into an elongated shape of a centipede creature silhouette with maddening red eyes as it began to look at the other formations with a primal predatory stare. It then lunged and ruthlessly devoured entire populaces of these rock life forms as the Sea Devil looked at the sight with inhuman glee.
Even mad scientists of immoral characters such as Judge, Caesar Clown, and Queen who experimented on children, but especially Queen who tried to turn others into "Ice Oni" on Wano, felt inherently repulsed at the sight of the transformation and the creature's unbridled carnage.
Luffy looked expressionless at the sight, but his clenched fist on both arms- artificial and remaining organic.
"That's right, Lillith. You heathen demon spawn," the Sea Devil told the small creature. "I mean you should be shamed of being so...rebellious. I don't know why you listen to me every time I bring it up," said the creature, its voice echoing through the water.
"But that creature, you're accelerating-," the creature remarked before the Sea Devil's glared.
"That's because Feckless is such an obedient little guy who knows exactly what happens to those who question the one true ruler of the seas.," the Sea Devil remarked as "Lillith" saw her "siblings" greying fossil corpses in the distance.
"It's really your fault for inspiring such resistance, not my smothering affection. I'm just kidding, darling.," the Sea Devil added.
Minerva's eyes grew wide at the revelation of the creature's name, as whispers of "Lillith" began to spread among the onlookers. Some of them shivered, recognizing the name from ancient texts, others had no idea of its significance.
"Hey that's your name!," Luffy noted to the Vegapunk Lilith while the latter seemed intensely infuriated at the gaslighting the Sea Devil was doing.
"That's what the Sea Devil does. She failed to become God so she gave up and decided to take on the role of a villainous pretender to the real caretaker of the planet because she's too scared of the sun and heat. Nobodies can't stand either of those things. So she lords over the ones she created while keeping them under her thumb to maintain an illusion of divinity.," explained Minerva.
The Sea Devil noted that "Lilith" was looking longing at the sky and an idea came to her mind.
"Say, you want to help Mother?," asked the Sea Devil, which perked the small organism.
"There are five trees up there...and seeds I have hear to plant. There are ignorant monsters up there who need enlightenment to return to the abyss to their real Mother while ridding them of that awful sun that prevents Mother from being free. Unless you want to continue to disappoint me...Oh, I don't mind if you want to continue to shame your mother.," the creature said as she held out a handful of seeds that looked eerily similar to the ones that created the current false Elbaf tree, given Biblo's intense reaction at the sight of them.
Will...will the others be finally free to live on the...land as well? It's our dream to explore this world...," asked Lilith.
"Uh...sure...I promise...," the Sea Devil spoke while looking to the side and crossing their fingers behind their back. Nami saw an internal image of Arlong overlaying the Sea Devil's face to understand exactly what was going on.
Nami tried to charge up Zeus, but Minerva said-
"This is just a memory. There's no point in stopping it."
"Seeing...brings up bad memories...why bring this up?" asked the navigator.
"Because ignoring the past means repeating the mistake, but facing it and learning from it including the trauma...helps you to understand yourself.," replied Minerva as she then glanced a Luffy who seemed stunned enough by the statement to pay attention to her.
Lilith then began to swim up as Feckless the centipede creature crawled towards the Sea Devil and inquired with surprising intelligence-
"Destroying the trees means all the land sinks. So she can't fulfill that notion of hers."
"Babes are innocent. She's so wrapped around my finger that she'd buy anything. There's something satisfying about showing a glimpse of a dream before yanking away to make them live out a nightmare.," replied the fallen angel, Sea Devil.
The two then both hollered at their sickening personal joke as Feckless laughed, "Fefefefefe!" and the Sea Devil laughed, "Sea-sea-sea-sea!" She then abruptly started to violently kick Feckless in the stomach repeatedly as her expression turned into a snarl.
"I hate laughter! I hate parties! I hate! I hate! I hate! Smiling that is filled with happiness for the betterment of others!," she explained between each kick as Feckless convulsed in pain.
Lilith then began to drastically evolve as her Haki gave her the will to change- going from a biota to a trilobite, which at first saw flickers of light before finally reaching a part of the water where it was shallow.
Nervous at first, she inched slowly onto the surface as her body morphed into an armored fish before becoming a lobe-finned fish then gaining amphibian facial features before emerging onto her desired dream as an early amphibian.
She was amazed at what she saw- sights that exceeded her wildest dreams. Vast rivers of clear blue would rise to the sky as things later known of fish- of all time periods, shapes, and sizes- of realistic biology and mythology would swim and fly out of the water. On the green land covered in all kinds of flora from the earliest plants to present-day ones including oddities, were animals of all eras- real, prehistoric, and mythological all living in harmony.
Garden of Eden- East Section of Laugh Tale Island.
The Straw Hats and their companions watched in awe as Lilith took her first steps onto the lush, untouched land. The scene around them was so vivid, it was almost as if they could feel the cool, moist soil beneath their own feet. The air was thick with the scent of blooming flowers and the sound of distant creatures calling out to one another. The vibrant colors of the plants and animals were so intense, it was like watching the world being painted before their very eyes.
The most significant thing was that everything was alive and laughing from the flowers to the trees to the rivers to the ground. A literal Laugh Tale.
On the "welcome mat" read the words- Laugh Tale.
All the Pirates were both intrigued and baffled at the revelation.
"Oi...that's Laugh Tale?," asked Kidd, the red-haired pirate stunned at the absurdity of the sight.
Minerva noticed that Luffy was stuck in the ground and giggled.
"Maoshishishi. It doesn't work like an ostrich. You'll see whether you hide or not. You're at least not getting to know how to get there where is now. Not telling.," she replied.
Luffy unstuck his head as he laughed, "That's good! I didn't want the journey to be that easy...still, it's funny that island's got a sense of humor!"
Rayleigh, Shanks, and most of the Red Hair Pirates were stunned at the sight as it implied their vision of Laugh Tale, especially Rayleigh who went there to be very different.
Chopper noticed a whale with scar marks on the front of its head and turned to Brook who to his surprise, shook his head.
"Our meeting shouldn't be so happenstance and mundane. I...I want to prepare for it...he likely doesn't know it's me anyway...," said the skeleton.
Laboon cried as it recognized Brook's afro despite his skeletal appearance.
Lilith continued to awkwardly walk on land till she saw a little girl with long white hair completely nude like the first woman of an origin myth.
"Hello. You must've crawled on land early. This is still the end of the Precambrian era. We haven't even reached the Cambrian Period let alone the Devonian Period.," noted the girl.
Lilith was confused by the advanced technical terms the girl used, but she nodded eagerly, her wide eyes taking in the new sights and sounds. She had never seen another creature that walked on two legs like her before.
"I'll take you to Mother.," spoke the girl as they traversed the forest seeing all sorts of plants, insects, and other wildlife. The populace of the world seemed to move alongside Lillith's perspective as they reached a clearing.
"Adam. Stop pestering Lucy and Pandora. Once the fourth wife appears...," said a genial, sweet voice as Lilith looked at a ten-armed, blue-skinned woman with three heads with golden antlers on the top of her waist-length blue hair, red iris eyes, and no visible mouth in any of her faces. She wore a purple short jacket open with a fur trim collar, a red bra, and an ornate waistband with two blue-colored long clothes on the side of her waist. She had an elongated blue serpentine tail and was clearly colossal in size.
She was scolding a boy with purple hair with an uncanny resemblance to Luffy, a bespectacled blue-haired girl, and an antlered green-haired girl.
She then turned to see Lillith and hugged her.
"You may not be my creation, but I'll accept you as my child...," Lady Ocean, the serpentine woman cried with tears going down her eyes as she gave an undignified face of blubbering despite not having a visible mouth.
Lillith was awe-stricken. The Sea Devil while giving her back-handed praise that seemed more like stealth insults, she never showed any motherly affection.
"Mother?," Lillith asked with a tentative hope.
"If you want...yes...," Lady Ocean spoke gently.
This caused Lilith to genuinely cry tears of joy as she hugged back Lady Ocean tightly. Meanwhile, the Straw Hats and the others observed the emotional first meeting, their hearts warming at the sight. They couldn't help but feel a sense of kinship with the new creature, despite the vast differences between them.
Robin then saw the Sea Devil's eyes plop out of the depths when the skies darkened and gave a glare of absolute jealousy before sinking back in.
Lady Ocean then muttered in the tongue Robin, Vega 40, the Satellites, Galahad, and Minerva recognized as with the utterance of these words Lilith rapidly evolved into a reptile, pelycosaur, cynodont, small mammal, primitive primate, monkey, ape, human ancestor, and finally a raven-haired girl.
Lilith was stunned as she awkwardly walked on two legs, her new human form taking in the sights of Laugh Tale with childlike wonder. The creatures around her watched curiously, their laughter echoing through the forest as they sensed the pureness of her heart and the joy of her mother's acceptance. Adam, Lucy, and Pandora looked on, their expressions a mix of bewilderment and fascination at the sudden addition to their unusual family.
She then hugged Lilith who blushed out of embarrassment and tried to brush it off. The Straw Hats and the others watched the heartwarming scene unfold, feeling a mix of emotions- from joy at Lilith's newfound family to a deep sense of unease at the power and secrets that lay hidden on this ancient island.
"Now that's out of the way. Here, these are five seeds to help stabilize our territory.," Lady Ocean explained as she gave each of them a seed.
"We eat them?," asked Lilith.
"No, they're to be planted...then you can eat the products of your labor.," the snake lady explained.
"Territory? That means others have them," asked Lilith.
"That's so bright of you. It's not how the other four believe. I'm sorry but it's true. This isn't the sole world. We're an island caged off by the other developers as they work across this Line and superiors with greater access develop how their Lines operate. Sectors of this planet. We number 20 in total.," Lady Ocean explained that Eve and Adam were dumbfounded by this revelation.
"It has to do with things you'll learn about how your body works and how that factor dictates your role in society. I hope you all don't give in to those notions. You're all unique in your own way," Lady Ocean said, her three heads nodding in unison.
The Kuja who suffered due to men and several women who also had abuse in their lives inherently understood that meaning
"Actually, I didn't want to say anything because these two were stubborn.," spoke Pandora as Lucy nodded referring to Eve and Adam.
"But aren't you the leader? You should tell them to respect your gender.," asked Lilith with genuine curiosity, her eyes wide with wonder.
"That's very sharp to read between the lines. It more has to do with freedom. And everyone has a right to express it for good or ill- have to be ready to deal with the consequences of following their path.," explained Lady Ocean with a gentle smile that seemed to reach her eyes.
The sun began to set as the skies turned pink then black as it set. When the moon arose, stars and indications of vibrant galaxies appeared across the sky.
"There are countless worlds out there with life. And unfortunately, we don't have the resources to see beyond a set number as the universe expands. So they'll have to develop flawed ideas of their own of how everything works and wonder what's beyond the horizon. I hope everyone becomes connected eventually.," Lady Ocean explains.
Lilith experienced an odd sensation- yawning for the first time- as she closed her eyes- the new thing she got via her new form. It wasn't dying, but it was something more pleasant- sleeping with imagery floating in her subconscious- dreaming.
As the five slept, Lady Ocean carried them to their nursery and then she saw a figure materialize behind her-
An average-sized man with a striped blue tropical fish head with human ears, and a humanoid body wearing a black collar/short-sleeved grey shirt with blue jeans and sandals.
"How's the Devil Food project coming along, Ocean? We've got to keep the lineup fresh for the patients," said the fish-headed man, his voice a curious blend of a Jamaican accent with a hint of the sea's babbling. His eyes twinkled with excitement, yet his body language was that of a sloth who had just woken up from a nap.
"It's Daemon Foods, sir. They're meant to be the manifested avatars of all concepts, the shadows of the true reality of the realm of forms to aid mortals in becoming truly enlightened beings-," Lady Ocean's right more serious head explained.
"Nah, Devil Food rolls off the tongue better, don't you think?" the fish-headed man chuckled, his human mouth moving in sync with the words. He leaned against the nearest tree, his sloth-like demeanor belying the sharp intellect behind his eyes. "But, seriously, how's the new batch coming along? The god higher-ups are really worried that Nobodies will overrun everything we'll experience a cycle of destruction that's permanent this time around.," the fishhead man inquired.
"The imagination of adults is limited. It requires the innocence and infinite potential of children.," the center head explained as she glanced after the five toddlers sleeping behind her.
"Oh, that's gonna put a mark on their heads by the Nobodies. Uh, I don't recognize the brunette. She the latest creation thing?" asked the fish-head man referring to Lilith.
"No, she was created by...her...," she answered as she glanced at the ocean.
"Mother Sea who went bonkers with Haki overload? She was always a tight-ass and a power-grabber. I'd keep an eye on that kid that she created. She might turn on you," the fish-headed man said with a knowing smile, his human mouth moving in a way that was eerily lifelike. His laid-back posture was at odds with the urgency in his voice as if the fate of the world was a mere trifle to be discussed at leisure.
"Nah, she's a good kid. And if I die by her hand, it's my decision I brought her in and I don't regret it. And no need to try and avoid death when it comes to you, so just accept it since you lived a life you're proud of.," replied the center head of Lady Ocean.
The fishhead smirked as he said, "You're really a D. member. Wish more life forms had the spine of those blissed with that initial. So much of this conflict could be avoided with a dash of courage and a sprinkle of curiosity."
"They're our future and I'm proud of them- not because of what they can do.," Lady Ocean said.
"A caring mother who accepts both her own and strays. Makes for a fun story for when I get back...," spoke the fish-man as he dematerialized.
As the day arose, Lilith woke to see her new siblings in the leaves.
"Can't wait to help entire existence with our imagination!," exclaimed Eve, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
"H-How does that even work?," asked Lilith.
"Well-," said Lucy, but for some reason, it frizzled out the entire section.
"You have to go THERE to understand.," Minerva explained before it skipped.
"That way?," asked Lilith.
"Yeah. It's that easy.," spoke Pandora.
Adam seemed not as enthusiastic as the others. He was more contemplative.
"Do you think this is gonna bite us in the ass?," asked the boy.
"Hmm...everything that can created is eventually weaponized. It's not that inventions are inherently evil, it's how others use them that matters. If we withhold everything because of the dangers, we'd be stagnating and not truly living. You need to take risks.," explained Lucy.
Adam looked over at Lilith, his expression thoughtful. "You're different from the rest of us. You come from the sea. Maybe you'll bring something new to the table."
"So you're just accepting me as a sister?," the black-haired girl asked with a hint of disbelief, still trying to process her sudden transformation and the revelations she had just heard.
"Sometimes the people who give birth to you, don't care about you the way you need and you have to find people who truly want to raise you right.," explained Pandora. "Mom Ocean is that way."
Eve then placed her forehead against Lilith looking her dead in the eyes- "We're family. We'll always be together. No matter what. And together, we'll show the worlds outside of this little cage what true happiness is," she exclaimed with a beaming smile, her eyes filled with warmth and determination.
Luffy instantly remembered how he, Sabo, and Ace did the same drinking to toast their brotherhood and smiled back at the innocent gesture.
They then got up to walk towards Lady Ocean and the quintet all saw a massive squid that seemed mechanical yet organic swim down from the heavens. Lady Ocean seemed to know...
That this was the main ship of the Pirate God, Nemo.
Next Chapter: Trees of Dreams
Author Notes: This chapter introduces Lilith, a girl who was instructed to aid her abusive mother figure but ended up finding a family who loves her. On a larger note, this will tie heavily into what the Adam, Eve, Tree of Knowledge, and the other two trees actually are.
While Adam, Eve, and Lilith are obvious- Pandora is the mythical first Human woman of Greek Myth and Lucy is named after a famous Australopithecus specimen as an ancestral female to humanity- connecting them in a thematic sense.
Also, the fish-head guy is a tribute to Oda's avatar.