Chapter 43:Trees of Dreams
Garden of Eden
The giant squid with completely pink eyes landed on the shores of the island. Lady Ocean, Lilith, Eve, Pandora, Lucy, and Adam looked as certain representatives arrived from a beam of light from the bottom of the squid-
A well-built angelic humanoid of incredible with a light blue-colored body that was naked, so his wings covered his groin area, lower arms, and entire legs- with two sets of wings emerging from his back- all having ethereal yellow wings. He has a pink gem symbol with wings in the center of his chest. On his shins was a pink eye on each shin. He has an elaborately shaped head (two-wing horns with a pink dome), and a blue scarf. His pink pupilless eyes looked with a sense of severity. He had a symbol of the Ω on his back.
Crossfield- 2nd Mate of the Ω Pirates.
He was accompanied by a black silhouette with two long horns standing straight up vertically with a golden clock face for facial feature; a light blue bedsheet ghost; a diminutive round-bodied pink creature with elongated ears; and a purple stout humanoid with no neck or face- just a humanoid body with arms, lower torso with legs, and chest.
Behind him was a light blue round humanoid with green limbs, a living tree humanoid resembling an old man, a lady seemingly made of water, and a bulking humanoid made of magma.
The onlookers of the vision had reactions ranging from fear to confusion to indifference to excitement and other conflicting emotions.
Lady Ocean kneeled before him, with Pandora and Lucy forcing Lilith and Adam down as Eve naturally bowed.
"You have prototypes right?" asked the angelic humanoid in a calm, emotionless tone. His voice resonated through the air with the authority of an ancient decree.
Lady Ocean nodded as chipmunks brought forth loaves of bread with a red heart-shaped symbol in the center.
The black silhouette, the bedsheet ghost, the long-eared short creature, and the faceless torso each took one and with the exception of the long-eared creature, absorbed them into their body.
"I think these are...," Stella remarked, his eyes widened with the implications of the upcoming events.
The black silhouette kicked sand onto itself but it seemed to have warped away before it could contact it.
Wes- Original Cosmic Pirate King of the Western Collective of Multiverses.
The bedsheet ghost sprouted wings covered in blue iris eyes and a golden halo over its head.
Ner- Original Cosmic Pirate King of the Northern Collective of Multiverses.
The long-eared creature turned into light particles to zoom across locations.
Aus- Original Cosmic Pirate King of the Eastern Collective of Multiverses.
And the torso humanoid proceeded to generate eyes and a mouth.
Sunpaz- Original Cosmic Pirate King of the Southern Collective of Multiverses.
"The fifth bread will be shipped off to the Center Cosmic Pirate King who neglected to show themselves. But, we'll have these shipped across the omniverse. The drawback is that it requires light to use so it doesn't work in darkness and strong enough Haki, Mana, and Aura techniques can negate them, but if you work hard enough, one can minimize the effects of these attacks.," explained Lady Ocean.
The magma, water, tree, and short figure proceeded to get their batches of breads to consume as they turned into lava, water, sprouted more trees, and made things round respectively.
"So what about the production of the true model going forward? The Breads and Mushrooms are very limited in how they can be used against THEM," explained the angelic being.
Jango watching this, felt a tinge of realization as he figured this was what he ate to obtain his hypnosis powers.
Lady Ocean looked at the children patted Lilith and said-
"Just follow their lead."
She nodded as all three proceeded to sprout a vertical third eye in the middle of their forehead.
"What? They're Three Eyes?," asked Charlotte Mont-d'Or upon seeing this.
Mugen, Pudding, and some others including a familiar helmeted figure reacted with varying degrees of shock at this revelation.
They then sprouted wings- with the girls having rainbow-colored wings while Adam had fully blue features.
Luffy tilted his head as if remembering something long since forgotten as did Zoro of all people.
They flew with Eve going back to help Lilith gain momentum, balance, and stamina to remain in the air.
They all went in separate directions as they planted them in the still-darkened lands.
Lilith gulped, expecting a failure when it sprouted-
Robin, Saul, Sakazuki, Kuzan, and several others looked in astonishment at the revelation-
It was the tree that would later be known as the Tree of Knowledge of Ohara.
Eve planted her tree and it sprouted into something Shirahoshi, Neptune, Jinbe, Hatchan, and other Sea-Folk recognized-
The Striped Sunlight Tree Eve of the Red Line.
The World Nobles, but especially the Elders and Umi didn't like this being exposed.
Lucy planted hers and it grew into a tree that Pan Bell and others smirked at while Leo and the Tontatta as well as Hercules felt nostalgia for.
Pandora went back to plant her tree in the middle of the island to grow into a massive tree, which was currently obscured.
And finally, Adam with reluctance, planted his seed, which grew into a tree that both the Giants and Nidavell recognized.
All these proceed to sprout colored and strange plants covered in one of these patterns- stripes, diamonds, or most iconically swirls.
Devil Fruits with swirls, Vegetables with stripes, and the diamond-patterned Tomatoes.
The old man Vegapunk Stella remarked, "So that's what where they came from? I'm still not sure of the process but to think they'd originated from places obvious in plain sight!"
Caesar Clown felt a sense of intense jealousy towards the five for somehow managing to do what he failed to achieve, Stella also felt envy but was much more graceful in accepting his inferior methods.
Lilith flew back with her siblings and she was greeted with a hug by Lady Ocean. Usopp smiled at this sight of heartwarming joy.
"Why aren't they there now?," asked Bonney.
The scene as if subconsciously answering her question, left behind the origin story behind so it could focus on the effects it brought throughout the eons.
Primitive Trilobites, Dimetrodons, dinosaurs, mammoths, cavemen, etc. over the course of eons experienced symptoms of being gradually turned into blackened creatures, but the "doctors" at the time fed them the fruits, vegetables, or tomatoes.
"Yuck, it tastes awful.," said one patient when eating a Fruit.
"Meh, it's kinda bland.," spoke another who ate a Vegetable.
"Yummy, it's the most delectable thing I've ever eaten!," cheered a third who ate a Tomato.
"It's medicine- of course, some medicine tastes bad or bland- it means it works. However, tomatoes are the exception for some reason. It only gives you powers because you guys wouldn't be coaxed into taking it. I don't know outside of legends, but those Nobody monsters don't appear as much if more people eat them.," explained one doctor. Apparently, Lady Ocean's explanations faded into myth by this age.
Judging by their attire, they would be in the Stone Age. Oddly, they lived amongst Fishmen, Minks, Tontatta, Long-Leg, Longarm, Giants, and other races without any signs of discrimination in the populace.
"I see, so the other races aren't a result of Lineage Factor alteration...at least by Human hands.," explained Pythagoras.
"I wanted to see more of those kids," complained Luffy, referring to Lilith and the other children of the distant past.
Time then marched forward as people continued to consume them...right until 1500 years ago when ships arrived down from the moon. The people saw them as deities for this, ignoring the actual physical gods that lived amongst them.
Konis the Skypeian recognized this from the ancient tales of their people leaving their original homeland for the world below.
Zoro however, felt immediate contempt for one of the more prominent individuals leaving from the ship.
"Oh, don't eat them. They contain nasty viruses that will poison you. Just rely on Haki, don't believe it'll turn you into monsters, it'll make you super strong servants for us. You should be grateful for this kind of truth.," said a plump figure amongst a trio clearly Skypeian, Shandian, and Birkan-based individuals. They were also accompanied by a Lunarian-type individual who seemed to have an intensely guilt-ridden expression and a human-like being in a suit. Still, they had facial features that were...off in a way that one couldn't detail as to why.
"Ok.," said the citizens blindly as they threw the special plants away, much to the disappointment of a golden-furred red-feathered-winged monkey adult who had a resemblance to Luffy.
"Oi, you dumbasses! They're clearly saying that to control you! And don't give up on your will and dreams just because some random pig says to." he shouted, much to the plump man's annoyance.
"That one won't make a fine slave. He's too irritating.," the round man remarked.
"Stop it, Nika. It's their choice. Everyone's free to do what they want as long as it doesn't hurt others.," explained a wolf-headed humanoid with purple-feather wings.
Both had the same type of colored wings as Adam, which Vivi observed.
Rebecca and Shirahoshi also retroactively realized the uncannily similar girls from their islands' respective ruins also had the same type of wings as Eve and Lilith.
"Nika?... It couldn't be...," wondered York.
"Wait...so he was right?," asked Wyper as he glanced at a familiar pale-skinned, shirtless man with a ring with a section of drums on his back.
"Those bastards...remind me of certain folk.," Smoker remarked.
"Also, you're our slaves. Overthrow your false gods! And don't question it, eh? Or I'll shoot you with my divine ray gun! Oh, godly me! I can't stand this atmosphere," the plump man said as he pressed a button on his suit to generate a spherical dome around his head and his odd hairstyle became clear. These were clear precursors to the World Nobles.
"What the fuck are you doing?!," Nika demanded as he saw some heavily implied ancestral Shandians and Skypeians inject the Tree of Knowledge with something that made the special plants vanish. After being stunned, the monkey boy recomposed himself.
"Shishishishishi. It would be nice to give the tree more of an identity, but as long as children and those who retain their childlike innocence imagine possibilities, they'll never give in to your and Your Boss' ambitions.," Nika replied with a dark cheekiness that got under the fat man and the odd fellow in the suit's skins.
"We have no superiors.," the dome-wearing fatso responded haughtily.
"Then why are you occasionally glancing at that freaky guy in those white flat furs like you have a fear of Go-," Nika inquired before the obese man shot him impulsively while glancing at the odd-looking man in the suit. However, the beam bounced off of Nika's body.
"Y-you don't know anything, Insect Monkey!," the dome-wearing man shouted before he decided to pettily shoot at a child hamster Mink out of spite. The wolf-headed individual generated darkness uncannily similar to Teach's power before the dome-wearing dolt noticed Nika stretched out his arms as his golden fur turned white, his expression wackier, a white loop appearing behind him, and generating symbols of a spear and sword on his respective hands.
"Yeah, I don't care if your Moon home became empty because you were hedonistic assholes. Don't take it out on my friends!" Nika shouted as he punched the individual, the force sending him flying as if hit by a spear.
"Hahahaha. Your power didn't work!" the dome-headed man gloated before he felt a ricochet effect on his body. Nika showed on his palms- odd protrusions that resembled Dial Shells.
"Gear 7: Karma-Man. It causes Reject Dial-like effects. Ichika's been observing you on the moon as your overseer and let you ruin yourselves since that's what you wanted. Now, you're gonna have to live with that consequence. Since you won't be turning a leaf, you'll be made to...as one of these "Bugs".," Nika explained.
"Y-you'd be killin' me?! Oi, do something Arbor!," begged the plump man before he exploded in a flash of light, and in his place, an infant crying, lay squalling on the ground, surrounded by the remnants of his shattered "god" dome. The wolf-headed humanoid sighed in relief while the Shandian and Skypeian individuals stared in horror at their former companion's fate and dashed away. The Birkan and the Lunarian flew away, but their expressions had more of a sense of relief that someone had the courage to stand up to those dome-wearing people.
"Gear...7?," asked Luffy.
"He's got the same powers as Luffy!," Chopper shouted.
"But more refined!," shouted Jinbe.
"There's going to be more of them. And we don't have the manpower since we're also dealing with-," explained Ichika the wolf-head.
"Don't worry. We'll find a way. If not, someone will inherit our mission once one is born with our kind of will.," explained Nika.
"How are the Jotunn doing?," asked Ichika.
Nika groaned as if realizing something.
"I heard their Voices...those goldfish bastards managed to convince them to do something damnable and stupid even by their standards...," Nika said before warping away.
Nika saw the Giants willingly allowing themselves to be enslaved as they cut down Nidavell on the future island of Elbaf. Their faces twisted in nasty grins.
"This has always been our nation. You pilgrims need to die.," said one Giant with the dome-wearing people looking over them.
The Nidavell individual being attacked threw their ax at them, but the dome-wearing fellow generated an odd dome to block the attack.
"He's got spirit...it'll be nice to break it...," the fellow said as he turned into a scarlet Death-Worm with an uncannily humanoid mouth and a black loop behind them. He then noticed Nika above him just before he was punched and forcibly reincarnated into a Nidavell infant who was crying as the Giants blinked as if waking from a dream.
"Conqueror's Hypnosis huh? Damn them. It's worse if they did it under their free will. They're gonna pay.," Nika said before leaving.
The Nidavell survivors looked at the Giants with angry tears at their comrades as they proceeded to cut down the confused Giants. This in turn caused the Giants to react in kind. In the distance, more of the unusual people in white suits laughed their asses off in the distance, seeing the chaos.
Time passed to a century just before the infamous century that was blanked out. The Giants bowed to individuals who had an uncanny resemblance to the World Elders except they had slight facial feature differences.
"We haven't managed to find those Shrimps that claim we need them freaky Devil Fruits, Vegetables, Tomatoes, and all kinds of weird foods to not turn into monsters. Say, we can become Holy Knights if we join ya-," said one Giant before he was knocked out by the Conquerors Haki belonging to a blue-skinned Giant that was well-proportioned while accompanied by some Ancient Giants.
"Do not listen to the Devil, Nika's lies. Only Mother Sea's wisdom can save you.," spoke an Elder who resembled Ezekiel/Saturn.
"Here's what I think of your so-called truth!," said the blue-skinned Ice giant as he generated an icicle based on the Chill-Chill power and flung it at these elderly men. The icicles shattered on contact, but they didn't even flinch, instead, they began to glow with an eerie light.
The Ice Giant turned around to a Nidavell heavily implied to be a much younger Durinn and gave a weary yet content smile.
"Someday, they'll see through the lies. Nika might die in 100 years...but wait for his grandchild...our savior...and the one to inspire his successor... Happy...Excite...or Ruffy and Luffy in nearly a millennium. It'll be one of these individuals who will have more potential to use Gomu to their freest to liberate us...from the Dregs...I'm happy I didn't give into ignorance...and became a friend to your people...In Valhalla, we'll reunite...CHililililii.," the Ice Giant spoke before he lunged at the figures.
The Giants were appalled at the revelation of their ancestors' monstrous deeds.
Time then went into violent static before it settled with a scene of Crowley Alister overseeing a long-nosed man with a triangular-shaped nose. He was planting something into the Adam Tree.
"Madden...Joy...I hope this plan works...," the long-nosed man spoke before turning to face his superior.
"Y-yeah, it was totally worth turning on them was worth it. I'm not trying to set you up in the future. Aesosososososo.," the long-nosed man spoke in a sycophantic tone. He overall gave off vibes that resembled Usopp even if his features were currently obscured.
"Remember. You have so much at stake more than your feebly former life as a mere sea thug. Like some loved ones.," Alister remarked, making his threat clear.
The long-nosed man's eyes widened, and he nodded frantically, his fear palpable. Alister turned his back to this fellow.
"He was a fool wasn't he? He believed in a ridiculous dream like that. He clearly had something wrong in his braindead noggin.," Alister proceeded to insult someone who almost made this long-nosed man break character to attack him in cold blood.
"Y-yeah...," spoke the long-nosed man as he withdrew his intent before Alister could turn around.
"Your family is mine to command. You have no freedom.," spoke Alister with his back turned.
Time passed further by centuries as a young, shadowed Giant with one eye accompanied by a young, relatively normal-sized girl with dreadlock hair waved their hands goodbye to a man could recognize in books, the Tontatta by their statues, and the stories passed down through generations by Wyper's people. And Cricket by tales of his ancestors.
Mont Blanc Noland- Explorer/Admiral of the Marines.
Alister then appeared on the bow of his ship.
"Oi, I can't see ahead. Move to somewhere less distracting.," explained the man, which made Alister scowl immediately.
Alister vehemently disliked Noland due to his personality, but he knew that he had to keep the charade up. Noland was known to be an honest and good-hearted individual, always eager to help those in need. His bravery was legendary, and his cheerful demeanor won the hearts of many. He was the opposite of the so-called cowards that had defined his lineage for 400 years.
"So you believe you can solve this Tree Fever crisis?" asked the Elder as he walked around the ship as if he owned it.
"Yeah, hopefully, there's an island that we can test a cure on. The Blues are really suffering right now.," Noland noted with a serious look in his eye.
"If that place is an island outside of the World Government, they'll have to be annexed into the system...or the next Hunting Game...," Alister observed, which made Noland attempt to lunge at him without thinking of the consequences. However, Noland's crew grabbed him just in time.
"Attacking an Elder is taboo! Captain!," one of them yelled as Noland gritted his teeth.
"Especially, if he doesn't want his family...to receive our attention. Do what's expected of you...or else you won't be the only one to suffer...but you'll blunder into doing what we want since you're an idiot unlike the smarter craven cowards...like your ancestor...," spoke the Elder before he vanished, leaving an imprint of a magic circle behind.
"This is gonna be hard to clean up...," said Noland, covering his emotions.
The events of Jaya played out with this added context in mind, with Noland then backing out of the plan to annex Jaya as he left. He arrived at his homeland of Lvneel, he told King Aruyutayan V about his expedition. The king then ordered Noland to take him to the city of gold but insisted on bringing his own soldiers instead of Noland's crew. Despite this setback, which led to many soldiers dying due to lack of sailing experience, Noland was determined to get the king safely to Jaya. However, once they arrived on the island, the city and its people had disappeared. Furious, the king thought Noland was playing a trick on him and hit him in the back. He then sentenced Noland to death without even hearing him out. Furthermore, the king even framed Noland by having one of his subjects act as a member of Noland's crew, falsely testifying against Noland. As one of the king's men claimed Noland would be killed via beheading.
Before he was to be executed, he was visited by Alister cloaked in black.
"I hope it was worth it, befriending the Demon of Shandora.," the man spoke, which alarmed Noland as he never told anyone about Kalgara.
"I hope it was worth it, befriending the Demon of Shandora.," the man spoke, which alarmed Noland as he never told anyone about Kalgara, the red-haired Shandian he came to view as a close friend.
"It doesn't matter. He's at the bottom of the ocean...," the explorer noted with sadness.
"You're thinking too logically. He went up...," Alister answered.
Noland gave a weary smile as he said, "I-I've heard of Islands in the Sky...he's safe..."
Alister then gave a sinister smile as he said, "And met with some very unsavory natives...that are on our payroll. They'll take care of him, knowing you didn't keep your promise!"
Noland shook with anger before Alister continued, "Oh, don't you'll get out unscathed. Your name will be associated with liars and that legacy will be inherited with your kin. And they will continue to serve us!"
Noland proceeded to give despairing cries at the realization of his friend and family's fate.
The following day, Noland gave a saddened face as he was to be executed.
Wyper gave silent manly tears as did Cricket.
"It's so weird...why is there a focus on these guys?," asked Usopp.
Time then went by centuries as it went to a familiar village to Usopp-
A typical sleepy community, surrounded by grasslands, dirt trails, hills, and forests. The villagers live in simplistic houses, with the future location of a luxurious mansion sticking out among them. There are two slopes leading from the island's shoreline to the village, one located to the north and the other to the south. Those passages are the only way to reach this place from the beach, as otherwise there are only tall cliffsides. Both passages are approximately three minutes away from each other by running.
His home island, Syrup Village.
Unlike before, it was only Luffy, Minerva, and the immediate Straw Hat crew and their allies on Elbaf in this vision because there was a hint of personal intent to show the long-nosed sniper.
It was night when this happened Alister, though oddly semi-transparent for some reason, arrived in a magic circle nearing Usopp's house of all places. Suddenly, the ground beneath broke as a familiar figure emerged to Usopp-
A woman with a long nose, which Usopp inherited, and wavy hair that was dark green. She wore a pale, light green collared shirt with a green skirt.
Usopp's supposedly dead mother, Banchina.
"Faking your death...as expected of a clan of liars...," Alister spoke.
Usopp's vision became frenzied as what he thought he knew was turned on its head.
"It was the only way to lure you out of your fortress up in the heavens. Fools like high places like that.," she said weakly, while she wasn't as dead as initially thought when Usopp saw her buried, she still genuinely had an illness.
Alister's furrowed brow and scowl made it clear he didn't like Banchina's remark and jab at his World Noble status.
"You know why I'm here, you corpse about to keel over.," Alister said as he turned into his Satori form.
Banchina glanced at a sleeping, child Usopp in the window of her home and then back at her enemy as she said, "As a Mother, I can't turn a blind eye to someone trying to murder my child."
"At least, you're more of a parent than the man who ditched you to die and leave him a nervous wretch.," Alister mocked as if he read her mind.
"There...are...reasons...," spoke Banchina as if to convince herself.
She then resolved herself.
"Usopp has a purpose to live for and a dream to fulfill! He's not a tool to use like you've done to our family for generations!," she said as she pulled out a Black Kabuto.
A short fight ensued and Alister ended with an X-shaped scar on his right chest. There were signs it was using a level above Advanced Conquerors Haki to do so as she collapsed on the ground due to her illness finally reaching a critical point.
"Serves you right for scarring my ancestor-," she said before Alister shot her in the back with a hidden gun in his normal form before repeatedly doing so. A young Usopp awoke to see the carnage of his mother gunned down and a black ape looming over her.
He shivered and cried himself to unconsciousness at the sight.
"Mao-Mao-Mao-Mao. There's no need to worry after all...," Alister said before he vanished.
Luffy's expression was stoic yet bubbling with rage as were Zoro, Sanji, and Jinbe. The others were distraught or better at concealing their feelings. The space then glowed.
Unknown Space
Usopp blinked his eyes as he was once again alone as he saw Alister resume his human form as the only other person in the room.
"The information will be erased when we commence the purge. But, seriously that build-up for something so inconsequential-," Alister said flippantly before Usopp punched him so hard that the Elder's skull caved in as he skipped like a stone across the empty space. Usopp was bursting with angry tears.
"So it's true...Noland is my ancestor...My family...my mother...It's all connected," Usopp whispered to himself, his fists clenched tightly as he processed the revelation.
He trembled not with cowardice, but with utter wrath at the sheer tragedy that had befallen the Adam tree, the Giants with the Nidavell neighbors, the long-nosed stranger, Noland, and his mother- mostly caused by the World Nobles with Alister being the latest of the tormentors.
"I'm not sending you flying. I'm making you a blood smear till you can't ever pull yourself! I have 8000 followers!," Usopp declared. He then did something unexpected in Alister's eyes, pull a certain seed, which made the Elder shiver.
In a nanosecond, Usopp fired it and yelled-
"Green Star: Eden Rebirth!"
The space then glowed emerald green as on the outside the exterior of the mutated Elbaf exploded into its original form that differed from the Adam tree that the Giants of 800 years came to know.
Next Chapter: Yggdrasil
Author Notes: I decided to sprinkle in important revelations while not entirely revealing them in full- but just how they relate to the context of the story. Slowly, it sprinkles down to how this is truly a personal conflict for Usopp as he realizes that the ape is indeed his archnemesis- of his family for centuries.
Don't worry, I intend to reveal more about Nika, Lilith and the others in a future arc.