Flames of the Sun God
A One Piece Fanfic by GreyNimbus
Summary:
During the 2-year training session with Silvers Rayleigh, Monkey D. Luffy and his mentor make a discovery that will push Luffy's training to a whole new level. The Dark King braces himself as he begins to turn the Straw Hat Captain into the world's most ridiculous powerhouse.
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OP/Luffy, Mature/Luffy, EarlyDFAwaken/Luffy, NoPairing
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Disclaimer:
One Piece is owned by Eiichiro Oda. I do NOT own anything One Piece related. Obviously(!)
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Chapter 1 — Memories of Loss
"How long are you gonna lay there like a moron?"
Our story begins with a memory of two brothers staring out into the ocean from a cliff. The boy who spoke first was Portgas D. Ace, the eldest. Ace is a 10-year-old boy with curly black hair and freckles on his face. He wore a green sleeveless t-shirt with the two kanji phrases for "innocence" and "violence" on the front and a black elbow guard on his left arm. Below that were his black knee-length shorts, and dark brown slippers on his feet.
His face was riddled with bandages on his nose, left cheek, and forehead, courtesy of injuries he sustained during a recent fight for his life, as well as his brother's.
Speaking of which, let's move on to the youngest, Monkey D. Luffy. Luffy is a 7-year-old boy with shaggy black hair. His special feature was the crescent-shaped scar with three stitches under his left eye. He wore a purple sleeveless shirt, blue cargo shorts with white cuffs, and a pair of sandals. But what sticks out more was Luffy's treasured straw hat with a red band, which he was clutching tightly over his head while he lies on the grass, sulking.
"By the way, the treasure we were keeping in the forest is gone," Ace said, crossing his arms.
Luffy didn't respond. His only reaction was silent sobs.
Recently, Ace, Luffy, and their late brother, Sabo, were working together to prepare for the day that they would go out to sea and live the life of free men — Pirates. To do so, the trio honed their survival skills by hunting large wild beasts, fighting street thugs, stealing from nobles, and saving up money to fund their voyage. However, they barked up the wrong tree when they decided to steal money from a crew of vicious pirates. The Bluejam Pirates. Fearing that their treasure stash may have been compromised, Ace and Sabo relocated every last doubloon with haste. Unfortunately, Luffy was stupid enough to get captured by the pirates, who later began torturing Luffy for information. But he never spoke. Ace and Sabo considered the possibility, and stormed in to rescue their little brother.
After the incident, the boys managed to escape with their lives, but Luffy was nearly traumatized from the painful experience he just had. But he was able to keep a brave face.
Unfortunately, that incident was just the prologue to another tragedy.
To the North of their forest playground was the Gray Terminal, a scrap yard full of criminals and dirty dealings to go with them. Beyond that was a city with a high, solid stone wall, handily keeping the nearby criminals at arm's length. Beyond the wall lies many residential building which houses those with noble blood.
This was the shining jewel of the Goa Kingdom; the capital of Dawn Island. Said to be the most beautiful place in the East Blue. Not a hint of trash could be found on its streets.
During an excursion to the Goa Kingdom, the three brothers attempted to trade in some crocodile skin while posing as an adult by stacking on top of each other while wearing a full-body cloak. Unbeknownst to Ace and Luffy, they discovered that Sabo is a runaway noble. Sabo explained to his brothers that he ran away to avoid an arranged marriage to a royal family. His parents cared more about status than their son. Ace and Luffy took it surprisingly well, saying it doesn't matter where Sabo came from. They each shared the same dream.
Things got worse, though, when Sabo was then captured by the Bluejam Pirates, who were hired by his father to bring him back home. When they did, he was introduced to his newly adopted noble brother, Stelly. Sabo was shocked that his parents already considered replacing him. He was later informed provocatively by Stelly that Gray Terminal was due to be set ablaze the following day. The aristocracy planned to burn away the trash outside the city, along with its inhabitants, to make a good impression for the upcoming visit of the Celestial Dragons; the descendants of the founders of the World Government.
A group of important people, including a World Noble, were sent to inspect the East Blue for a suitable candidate to join their ranks.
Sabo could no longer stand living in such a dark country that felt like a prison. On the night of the fire, Sabo escapes from his home to try and warn the denizens of Gray Terminal of the impending disaster but arrived too late. The Bluejam Pirates, once again hired by the nobles, were charged with the task of starting the fire, only to find out later that they were conned. They were promised a noble status and titles as a reward for their deeds, only to find themselves trapped in the fire with the entrance to the city locked tight. Failing to prevent the many needless death in Gray Terminal, Sabo, in despair, was then approached by a hooded man in the deserted streets who asks what's wrong.
That man was Monkey D. Dragon, leader of the Revolutionary Army, as well as Luffy's father.
Sabo confines the truth of the fire to Dragon and that the nobles and king are responsible. He goes on to say that the kingdom smells worse than the Gray Terminal, as well as its people, and as long as he stays in the kingdom, he will never be free. Dragon was greatly shocked at what Sabo said, and that the Goa Kingdom, the place of his birth, has now forced their children to say such things.
Meanwhile, at Gray Terminal, the remaining squatters that haven't burned down were getting closer to a fiery death, until an unnatural gust of wind created a safe path through the fire, leading to a ship at the coast. The ship belonged to the Revolutionary Army, with some of its members on board, including Dragon. The leader then welcomes those who desire to fight for their freedom onto his ship before sailing away.
Ace and Luffy soon found themselves thrown into the mix. In their attempt to bring back Sabo, they also got trapped in the fire. But in the mass hysteria and confusion, the trapped Bluejam Pirates. Outmatched, the boys were nearly killed until they were saved by their adopted family; Curly Dadan and the Mountain Bandits. During the struggle, Dadan and Ace stay behind to fight Bluejam and his crew, while the rest of the Mountain Bandits and Luffy make a quick escape. The following day, Ace and Dadan return to the bandit's hideout to the relief of Luffy and the other bandits. One of the bandits, Dogra, later returns from town to inform them of some tragic news.
In the meantime, Sabo was later recaptured by the police and brought back to his prison/home. Fully accepting that he will never find freedom here, he leaves the island the day the Celestial Dragon is set to arrive. Sabo commandeers a small ship, flying a jolly roger, and attempts to set sail. But his ship was quickly destroyed by a World Noble, supposedly killing Sabo along with it.
Later, Ace discovers a letter left behind by Sabo. The letter tells Ace to take care of Luffy.
This brings us to the current moment. Luffy went to the cape by himself to mourn Sabo's death. Ace soon discovers him and continues his speech.
"Someone must've gotten to it. Survivors from Bluejam's crew must've taken it, or maybe the military. Either way, there's nothing we can do at this point. Meh, I don't care about the treasure. Not anymore. I mean, those were pirate savings I was sharing with Sabo. And you too, later on, I guess. But in the end, he didn't need money to set sail. So why should I get bent out of shape about it? After all, what's the point in having treasure if you can't even protect it?"
Luffy finally responds with a sniffle, "Hey, Ace? I..."
Ace looks down at him.
"I wanna get stronger... stronger, and stronger, and stronger, and stronger, and stronger, and stronger... Stronger, and stronger... Stronger, and stronger, and stronger, and stronger! I wanna be the strongest in the world! And then... I'll protect everyone! I won't lose anyone I care about!"
Ace turns his gaze back to the ocean.
"You gotta make me a promise," Luffy continued, "I'm begging you... Please don't die, Ace!"
"Cut it out!" Ace exclaimed and bonked Luffy on his head, although the latter barely felt it, "You oughta be worried about dying before I do! What, did you forget? You're a lot weaker than me! Listen, and you listen up good! I'm never going to die!"
Luffy sits back up, still clinging to his straw hat, and nods his weeping head. His tears and snot ran down his face.
"You know, Sabo told me to take care of you. So I promise, I'm not gonna die, okay? Never! At least, not as long as I've got a wussy little brother who needs me to protect him.
"Y-Yeah! Okay!" Luffy whimpered.
"Smarts aren't exactly my strong point. So... I still don't really understand why Sabo was killed. But, whoever did it, they must be opposed to freedom. Because they shot him down before he even got a taste of it. But we shared that same cup of saké with him and we're still alive!
Luffy was beginning to calm down, thanks to his big brother's comforting words. Before they lost Sabo, the trio stole a bottle of saké from Dadan and shared it between them. Ace believed that all it takes to become brothers is to share some saké. Whether they were together or apart, on different crews or different ships, they each shared the same dream of living freely.
And most of all, they would always be brothers.
"Luffy, listen to me, okay?" Ace continued, "There's only one way to live without any regrets."
Luffy, still sniffling, nodded, "Mm-hm...?"
"Someday, we're gonna set sail, just like Sabo. We're gonna live the way we wanna live. More free than anyone else!"
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(10 Years Later)
(Marine HQ, Marineford, Grand Line)
Sounds of gunfire, cannon fire, swords clinging against sword, and cries of battle erupted throughout the frozen battlefield of Marineford. Many men, both marine and pirate alike, were dropping like flies on both sides without either side giving an inch.
This historical battle was known as the War of the Best.
Ace, also referred to as "Fire-Fist Ace", and 2nd Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, was captured by the same pirate he pursued to punish for betraying his crew by committing the most unforgivable sin a pirate could; killing one of his fellow crewmembers, claiming the spoils, and then jump ship. That traitor was known as Marshall D. Teach, aka "Blackbeard". A power-hungry pirate who got his hands on the world's most powerful known Logia-Type Devil Fruit, the Dark-Dark Fruit. He concocted an elaborate plan to gain even more power by capturing Ace, who was once his superior among the Whitebeard Pirates before his betrayal, and handing him over to the Navy and gaining a position as one of the Seven Warlords of the Seas.
With that title, he also gained the privilege of accessing Impel Down, the world's most secure underwater prison. He snuck in with the intent of going down to the lowest level of the prison and recruiting the most heinous and irredeemable villains in the world.
The perfect addition to his pirate crew.
"Straw Hat" Luffy learned of Ace's situation and set out to go rescue his brother from execution. But he wasn't alone.
Edward Newgate, aka "Whitebeard", Captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, the Strongest Man in the World, one of the Four Emperors, and adopted father of Ace, retaliated to the threat of Ace's death, by answering the call to war. He gathered all his forces and allies to lead a full-scale assault on the stronghold of the Marines. Both sides brought their best to the table in a power struggle of such a high magnitude that the outcome would decide the beginning and the end of an era.
Luffy joined the fight, creating chaos wherever he went, all to save his brother's life. He teamed up with Whitebeard, as well as some new allies and past enemies he made. At first, Luffy failed to break Ace out of Impel Down before they transferred him to Marineford for his public execution. But with his miraculous good luck, he prevailed through every obstacle that got in his way, eventually leading him to a warzone. But the chaos was far from over. Luffy had to fight through his own grandfather, Vice-Admiral Monkey D. Garp, aka "Garp the Fist", and Hero of the Marines. Garp had more than enough strength to stop his rebellious grandson but didn't have to heart to kill his own kin.
"Ace, we're getting you outta here!"
"Luffy, no!"
But his luck wasn't enough to save Ace.
After succeeding to free Ace from his restraints, the two brothers rushed to flee from the battle with what's left of his crew, only to fall for a taunt by Marine Admiral Sakazuki, aka "Akainu". The ruthless user of the Magma-Magma Fruit called Whitebeard a coward for running from a fight. Ace's pride couldn't allow that remark to go uncorrected. Turning around, despite Luffy's pleas, Ace charged at the Admiral in rage, attacking with a fist of fire granted to him by eating the Flame-Flame Fruit. Despite his best efforts, fire was no match for magma.
Luffy wanted to stop Ace from throwing his life away after he just saved him, but was too weak and exhausted from fighting for so long. In an attempt to strike at Luffy while he was vulnerable, Akainu's molten fist was blocked by Ace, who now had a burning hole right through his torso.
On the ground was a small piece of paper, a Vivre Card... One minute it was whole, the next, it was quickly burning away. A Vivre Card is a special paper that represents the life force of its owner. This one belonged to Ace. He gave it to Luffy sometime ago, telling him that that paper would reunite them one day.
But now... it's the countdown to Ace's inevitable demise.
Luffy couldn't believe what he witnessed. He couldn't look at anything but Ace, who stood there, gritting his teeth after he coughs up blood as if knowing that his life is about to end. Luffy stared with eyes wide and full of disbelief.
"Ace..."
Akainu pulled back his fist, still burning, but Ace refused to cry out in pain. Ace fell forward, landing in Luffy's arms. The younger brother lifted his hand from the hole in Ace's back to find it covered in blood.
"Sorry, Luffy..." Ace whispered in his now broken voice, "I tried..."
"Don't worry! We'll get you some help!" Luffy said fearfully.
Ace, despite the state he was in, couldn't help but smile, "Thank you for trying so hard, but this is... as far as I can go..."
"Come on, what are you saying?! This isn't over yet!" Luffy's words were only getting harder to say.
Before Akainu could finish what he started, two Division Commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates, Marco the Phoenix and Flower Sword Vista, joined the scene to stop the mad Admiral. They both succeeded in pushing him back.
"Grr!" Marco growled, "We were so close!"
"Don't give up yet! We still have a chance!" Vista shouted.
Akainu, now with a large magma-leaking welt across his neck, hissed in pain, "You're too late!"
Marco and Vista pressed on with their attacks.
"This way, doctor, quick!" exclaimed one of the nearby Whitebeard Pirates, "It's not looking good!"
A man with a black coat, top hat, and doctor's bag approached Ace from behind to examine the wound... but he feared the worst.
"I can feel my life..." Ace struggled to say, "...slipping away... So, listen to me, Luffy..."
"Ace..."
"There is one thing... that hurts," Ace confessed softly, "I won't be around... to see you fulfill your dream."
Tears were now weeping out of Luffy's eyes.
"I know you can do it... because you're my little brother..." Ace said, gently panting for air, "Do you remember that day? I did it... I lived with no regrets... even though it ended this way... Can't complain now."
"Well, I can!" Luffy wailed, "You can't die like this!"
"Sure... things could've gone better... But it's alright..."
Luffy's tears now lead to sobs.
"I can't raise my voice anymore... I'm too weak. Tell everyone else... what I'm about to say, alright?"
Not wanting to miss a single word, Luffy drowned out the noise of the surrounding battlefield to hear Ace's final words. But, he still couldn't accept the fact that Ace was dying. He lost one brother before, to which he declared that he would get stronger no matter what it takes, so he wouldn't have to go through that pain again.
"Pops... My family... and you... Luffy... Thank you... for caring about someone like me... who has bad blood in his veins." Ace whispered as the last tears he'll ever shed now pours down his cheeks, mixed in with his blood. Despite everything that's happened, Ace sounded so happy.
"Thank you for loving me... Thank you so much!"
With those final words, Ace smiled as his eyes slowly shut for good. His whole body slackens as if trying to stay in Luffy's arms for just a moment longer, but all the strength he had left had all but slipped away... and he fell.
Ace was dead...
The Vivre Card burned to nothing...
Never before had Luffy been filled with so much feeling and pain as he does now. Stunned, Luffy's arms fell to his side. Looking down desperately, he spotted the gaping hole that destroyed the mark of the Whitebeard Pirates on Ace's back. A mark that was his pride. A mark he used to shield his kid brother from the fate that claimed him instead.
Ace's face held no pain, though. In the end, it was full of peace, complete with a smile. But what troubled Ace deep down before he died was that he was unable to fulfill his promise to Sabo.
"Ace...?"
His brother's blood was still dripping off his hands, his chest getting tighter and tighter. Ace's dying words echoed in his ears. He could barely hear the cries and screams of Ace's comrades as they mourn their fallen friend.
Unable to hold in all the built-up despair, Luffy's whimpers turn to cries and screams that grew louder and louder.
And with one last shriek of pain and shock, he raised his head to the sky.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
...then darkness fell.
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(Present)
(Luscaina, Calm Belt)
Luffy gasped, eyes widened as he sat upright wearing nothing but his blue shorts and sandals, as well as some bandages wrapped around his abdomen and right upper arm. What was new was the X-shaped scar on his chest, courtesy of Akainu after he blacked out, from what he'd been told. His trademark straw hat, though, was missing.
He was dripping with sweat from head to toe and panting desperately for air and staring around wildly as if predators were hiding in the darkness of the night.
"Did you have a nightmare?" asked a concerned voice.
Luffy looks up to see his mentor, Rayleigh. The old man approached him, holding a drink of some kind as if he expected something like this.
"Dark King" Silvers Rayleigh is an elderly man in his 70s with a well-built body. His white facial hair was arranged embattled across his lower jaw. He has a long and old vertical scar over his right eye, which was behind his round glasses. He was dressed in a plain t-shirt, shorts, sandals, and a large silver hooded cloak draped over it all with the hood down.
He met Luffy when he and his crew arrived at Sabaody Archipelago, located at the very end of Paradise, the first half of the Grand Line. He's a retired pirate who once served as the first mate and "Right Hand" of the late Gol D. Roger, the King of the Pirates. Because of this, Rayleigh, despite his old age, was an extremely powerful individual. After his old crew disbanded 22 years ago, he became a coating mechanic working at Sabaody Archipelago. He quickly became friends with Luffy and his crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, after they discovered him at a slave-trading auction house, posing as a slave. He was planning on robbing whoever bought him before escaping as a free man again.
After learning of Luffy's whereabouts after the war, Rayleigh swam to the island of Amazon Lily, an empire ruled by the Kuja, a tribe made up of entirely female warriors, located in the Calm Belt. When he arrived there, Rayleigh offered Luffy two choices on what he wanted to do next; meet up with his crew and go to the New World, the second half of the Grand Line, unprepared, or stay and train for 2 years.
"You're covered in sweat," Rayleigh added. Luffy slowly looks up at him fearfully, as if expecting him to be Akainu. Rayleigh holds out the mug to the young man, "Here, try drinking this."
Luffy desperately takes it and doesn't think twice before chugging down the contents almost as quickly as a certain friend of his with a good bottle of booze.
"There you go," Rayleigh reassured.
After losing his big brother, Ace, during the War of the Best at Marineford, Monkey D. Luffy was left in a fragile state, both mentally and physically, for a while. Miraculously, he escaped thanks to the assistance of Trafalgar D. Water Law, the "Surgeon of Death", Captain of the Heart Pirates, and fellow Supanova, in his submarine. For 3 straight days, Luffy was in a medically induced coma after blacking out. Thanks to Law's generous medical services, Luffy's injuries were on the path to healing, but his mind was still shattered.
The first thing Luffy noticed when he gained consciousness was that he was back in the jungles of Amazon Lily. Looking down, he saw that his entire body was covered head to toe in bandages, looking almost like a mummy. His thoughts were interrupted by recollecting memories of what went down at Marineford, and what he had lost. The visions drove Luffy berserk, which drove him to destroy the trees and boulders around him. Even while completely wrapped in bandages, Luffy was slowing down, nor did he feel the pain of his wounds reopening. After an unforeseen amount of time had passed, Luffy finally calmed down, now breathing heavily. Feeling his strength leaving him, he dropped down to all fours and noticed he was bleeding out of the various spots of his bandages.
He was then approached by a large figure. A whale shark Fishman who Luffy met in Impel Down where he was held prisoner. This was "Knight of the Sea" Jinbe, a former member of both the Sun Pirates and the Seven Warlords of the Seas. He resigned from the latter during the War of the Best for refusing to participate in the battle.
Before the war, Jinbe was freed from Impel Down by Luffy after he made it to the lowest level of the prison. In return, Jinbe offered to repay his liberator by assisting him in Ace's rescue. After the war ended, Jinbe accompanied Luffy in Law's submarine back to Amazon Lily.
Convincing Luffy that he wasn't dreaming, Jinbe could only watch as Luffy cried his eyes out while yelling out Ace's name. Before Luffy could go on another temper tantrum, Jinbe was able to pin him down and remind him of what he has left in this world.
Luffy still has his crew...
Remembering that he had to meet them back at Sabaody Archipelago, where they first got separated, Luffy and Jinbe walked back to the coast where the Heart Pirates docked their submarine. It was at that time that Rayleigh appeared from the ocean, saying that he 'swam' through the Calm Belt which was overcrowded with Sea Kings. But knowing his strength, nobody was surprised.
Out of the 2 choices Rayleigh gave to Luffy, he decided to be smart for once and choose to hold off on meeting up with his crew to train for 2 years. After getting the message across to the scattered members of the Straw Hat Pirates, The Kuja Pirates, led by "Pirate Empress" Boa Hancock, one of the Seven Warlords of the Seas, offered to take them to the nearby island of Luscaina, which is a harsh island with 48 seasons per year which changes almost weekly. Not to mention it was inhabited by colossal beasts that were at least more than 10 times their usual size. It was the perfect place to train.
Three months had passed since Rayleigh started training Luffy in the arts of Haki.
Haki was the mysterious power that allows the user to utilize their willpower and spiritual energy for various purposes.
Rayleigh explained and demonstrated the different forms of Haki to Luffy on the first day of their training. There were 3 separate categories of Haki: Observation Haki, Armament Haki, and Conqueror's Haki.
Observation Haki gives the user a sixth sense of the world around them, allowing them to sense the presence, strength, and emotions of other people. It also grants limited precognitive abilities, allowing the user to sense their opponents' intentions and predict their actions and attacks before they happen.
Armament Haki allows the user to use their spiritual energy as armor to defend against attacks, as well as make their attacks more potent. It can also be used to bypass the defenses of Devil Fruit powers that make the user somewhat invincible, such as Logia intangibility. A person can apply Armament Haki to a section of their body, over their entire body, and even imbue it onto their weapons.
Conqueror's Haki, the rarest form of Haki, allows the user to exert their willpower over others. This type of Haki cannot be attained through training and only one in several million people are born with this ability. It is said that one in a million people who can possess this type of Haki have the qualities of a king, otherwise known as the Color of the Supreme King.
After witnessing Rayleigh's demonstrations on a giant wild elephant, Luffy recalled moments on his journey when he subconsciously used Conqueror's Haki but didn't know what it was. He also recalled witnessing certain people use Observation Haki, as well as being on the receiving end of Armament Haki.
After Luffy finished his drink, he looked around until his eyes stopped at the large campfire that was cooking up a large chunk of meat that he would happily eat later.
"Do you feel okay?" Rayleigh asked.
"...Not really," Luffy answered hesitantly.
Rayleigh cocked an eyebrow, "Hmm? What's wrong?"
"...It's not enough."
"What, you need a refill?"
"Not the drink, my training!"
"Luffy, it's only been a few months and you're already making a lot of progress," Rayleigh reminded him, "You can use Armament Haki most of the time now. Your Observation Haki is getting good but still needs work, and you've just started working on that new Fourth Gear of yours. We still have 21 months of training left. So why do you say it's now enough?"
"I know I'm getting stronger, but..." Luffy lowered his head, staring into his empty mug, "I just don't think it'll be enough. I want to be even stronger than I thought imaginable. I want to be able to protect my friends and their dreams."
Luffy paused.
"I... I trained for years before I set out to sea. By the time I left my home village, I was already the strongest pirate in the East Blue. When I first got to the Grand Line, I started running into fighters who were more challenging than the last. My first big challenge was Crocodile."
"The former Warlords?"
"Yeah, him. He was the second Logia I ever fought, and I lost to him twice before I finally took him down."
"Second? Who was the first?"
"The first was that Smokey guy that I met in Loguetown. He's a Marine."
"You mean Commodore Smoker?"
Luffy gave his mentor a questionable look, "Yeah, that's what I said."
"Hmm," Rayleigh ignored Luffy's obliviousness, "Anyway, you were saying?"
"Right. Anyway, after losing to Crocodile more than once, I know that it was only a matter of time before I run into even stronger enemies than him. That's when I found out about Second Gear. To be honest, I learn it by accident.
"Yes, you showed it to me a while ago," Rayleigh reminisced while stroking his beard, "You used your elasticity to accelerate your blood flow, burning through more nutrients and oxygen. It makes you move a lot faster. A process that would kill any normal person.
"Yeah," Luffy nodded in agreement, "But Chopper tells me that it was taxing on my body. I love the technique, but if it destroys my body, I'm not gonna get much done. Third Gear is pretty much the same, and Fourth Gear is even harder!"
"Yes, there's the drawback of Third Gear that shrinks to the size of a toddler for about a minute after you release all that air in your bones. But it's too soon to know what you can do with Fourth Gear. You still need to master your Haki.
"I'm not worried about my Haki, it's just..." Luffy paused, "I don't think I'm using my Devil Fruit powers to the fullest."
"You know, come to think of it," Rayleigh pondered, catching Luffy's attention, "You said the name of your fruit was the Gum-Gum Fruit, right?"
Luffy nodded.
Rayleigh went over to his backpack and pulled out four books. Three of them had very similar covers, but the other one looks like it hasn't even been published.
Devil Fruit Encyclopedia I (Paramecia) by Dr. Vegapunk
Devil Fruit Encyclopedia II (Zoan) by Dr. Vegapunk
Devil Fruit Encyclopedia III (Logia) by Dr. Vegapunk
Devil Fruit Encyclopedia X (Classified)
"What are those?" Luffy asked.
"These are the latest Devil Fruit Encyclopedia books that I acquired in the New World many years ago, back when I sailed with my old crew. They're extremely hard to get, especially the complete set. They were written by the World Government's lead scientist, Dr. Vegapunk, the smartest man alive."
"So?" Luffy seemed uninterested.
"If we can find your fruit in these books, maybe you'll learn something new. Now, let me take a look. Paramecia, right?" Rayleigh asked, while already flipping through the pages of the Paramecia book.
"Uh-huh."
Skimming through the alphabetized catalog of Devil Fruits, Rayleigh stopped when he got to "G".
"Why don't you grab a bite off the spit while I do some quick research, Luffy? You look hungry," the old man said, not looking up from his book.
"Yay~! Meat!"
After several minutes of eating his fill, Luffy patted his now fat belly like a bongo. He let out a satisfied sigh after licking his fingers clean.
"Find anything yet, Rayleigh?" Luffy asked, turning towards his mentor.
"Yes and no," Rayleigh answered ominously.
"Huh?" Luffy cocked an eyebrow in disbelief.
"There's no record of a Gum-Gum Fruit anywhere in the Paramecia volume, however..." Rayleigh picked up the Classified volume, "I did find something similar under 'Classified'."
Luffy stood up and walked over to where Rayleigh was sitting to get a closer look at the book. Rayleigh started flipping through the pages again because he didn't bookmark what he found.
"What did the Devil Fruit that you ate look like, Luffy?" he asked his student as he continued flipping through the pages.
"Uhh, let me think, "Luffy put a finger to his forehead in hopes of trying to think harder to jog his memory, "It was... blue... violet, I think. It was round, like a ball. It had a stem on top, and... it was covered in swirls! Oh, and it tasted really gross."
The moment Luffy finished describing the fruit he ate, Rayleigh's page-flipping came to a stop. What was revealed on one of the pages was an illustration of the very fruit that Luffy just described at the top of the right page.
"Yeah, that's the one! That's the fruit I ate!" Luffy confirmed. He was starting to get excited about knowing more about his fruit.
"Look further down."
Luffy did as he was told and looked at what else was written on the page.
The first thing he noticed was the name under the picture...
A name he was not familiar with...
A name he didn't expect...
Human-Human Fruit
Model: Nika
(Mythical Zoan-type)