- Location
- USA
I've enjoyed your other works and this one is looking interesting so far so watched. Keep up the good work!
Ex Machina (One Piece Gamer OC Insert)
- Thread starter Blinktwice13
- Start date
- Location
- Canada
- Pronouns
- He/Him
The Schrodinger Zoan is probably the coolest fan-made Devil Fruit I've ever seen, big props for that. Loving the sibling energy that Luffy and Rose have, and how you write Luffy!
App
Dedicated Spoilsport
- Location
- America
Huh, I wonder if the 'illness' that Linlin has in this case is mental, as in, the horrible hunger pangs which cause her to lose reason, up to the point where she has straight up eaten dear friends and family without knowing.
That seems like the sort of thing that's worth fighting to fix.
That seems like the sort of thing that's worth fighting to fix.
The thing is, the worst damage (in this case, how it impacted her early development, and who she grew up with) is done. Being respectively that it filled her with trauma, and her primary caretakers taught her NO morals and continually gas-lit her.
Removing her unintentional rampages would save a lot of suffering...but Charlotte Linlin remains a deeply disturbed woman who fundamentally does not perceive reality as it truly is, is extremely selfish and callous, and actively encourages gratuitous amounts of violence for literally no reason. Unless we're talking personality-death levels of behavioral alteration (like when she got her head injury and regressed about 6 decades)... she's already an irredeemable despot and a profoundly abusive parent.
That said, having something on hand for what appears to be a potential form of that madness in Rose would definitely be a good idea. Even if it's incredibly minor, leaves her self-aware (if not precisely rational), and is sated by cuddles...well. There are times when flying into a blood rage and mercilessly massacring all those that are not allies are not a good idea. Most of the time that is.
Seperate from that since I'm posting anyway...a couple thoughts from a re-read.
Chai only mentioned it off-hand, but it seems like a lot of her power is bound up more in the meme of Schrodinger's Cat then the physics problem itself. By herself, she can use it in profound manners, up to and including 'teleporting' away or perceiving the future (which was no doubt a great deal of help making her plans and picking out Devil Fruit...even if it sounds like her mother did more of the latter.)
As soon as you introduce observers though...she starts to be limited. Once the box is opened, the cat is alive or it is dead after-all. It's not a matter of a hypothetical equivalent to the Heisenberg Uncertainty principle, just that the meme of the Schrodinger's cat's exist is only in flux while it is not observable.
One on one like with Jabra? This still doesn't seem to be too much of a hindrance, and it probably makes Chai one of the more terrifying assassins and/or duelists in the world...in a perfect 'box' of just herself and one or two others. Especially if there's Conqueror's/Observation shenanigans going on to dictate how hindering a given individual observing her is.
Throw in multiple strong-willed people? Or hundreds to thousands of grunts? And I imagine Chai's potential power from her fruit starts to drop sharply. Hence her focus on stealth, manipulation, and indirect conflict.
Moving on, I know that Rose's devil fruit inspired powers have been called 'spells'...but being able to use a buff spell on an ally looks a lot more like a classic real spell then a fiat-driven perk CALLED a spell. And this opens up a lot of potential for using spells on other crew-mates, or even unlocking some forms of meta-magic tweaking as skill levels in given spells rise. Or even the potential for other 'magic' equipment like spell focuses to further improve things.
Finally, going back a couple chapters...I guess I hope there's still some decent light-hearted comedic elements going on? Specifically in regards to the Three/Goldenweek duo surviving on Little Garden without all their supplies. Three's a ruthless Merc, but he's faaar from the pits of scum and villainy on the Grand Line, and Goldenweek is a literal child. It'd be a bit dark if Tina's curbstomp killed the wax-master, and Mrs. Goldenweek got killed by disease/exposure/predators after being stuck on a hazardous island with no food or paints to enable her powers.
Blinktwice13
Underpaid Struggle Bus Attendant
- Location
- Eastern US
- Pronouns
- He/Him
This much I'll say: Buggy's world trip happened like canon, and he was a set of hands, feet, and a head for some of it. Mr. 3 is fine.
Goldenweek was stuck there with the giants, who wouldn't flatten an unarmed child.
For Valentines and 5, they got Very Big Boo Boos but are otherwise alive, if regretting multiple life choices.
If I decide for character death to happen, it'll happen onscreen.
Chapter 7: All of the Other Reindeer
Blinktwice13
Underpaid Struggle Bus Attendant
- Location
- Eastern US
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Chapter 1 of Alabasta is now written, so have Drum 2/3. House stuff is picking up so we'll see if I post next week.
Content Notes: Allusions to Loguetown being a rough place. Canonical minor injury to characters we like.
_________________________________________________________-
Chapter 7: All of the Other Reindeer
Individuality is a double-edged sword. That which makes us unique can be a boon which gives us leverage in life. Intellect, talent, a mark of beauty. It can also be a burden which causes others to reject us. 'Freak.' 'Monster.' 'Abomination.' Such things can come from personality, ability, or something so simple as appearance.
I looked down at Zoro, swaddled tightly as he was. The winter wind was pleasantly cool, my Environmental Adaptation breaking its hold on us. I looked back to the shore.
The scene played out as expected. Dalton postured. A bullet fired. Luffy raged. Vivi begged. Luffy followed her wishes.
The buffalo-man got the rest to stand down, and I was glad I'd insisted we stayed behind.
"Wha's goin' on?" Day nine. Five until limb loss, six until death. Zoro's fever left him pale and sweating, breathing labored.
I had a sub-quest, but it could wait. If I did it, fine, but Zoro was my priority.
…I admit to having crushed on him before, but over the past week and so, one crucial thing changed.
There was nothing remotely sexy about playing caretaker, let alone to a curmudgeon like Zoro. However he might have looked hale and healthy, cleaning his failing body and helping him accomplish his 'personal needs' stripped any mystery away. It didn't make me care about him any less, mind you - I just wasn't besotted with him.
(Would I change my mind in the future? Who knows. But between the gap in age-experience and this, it was a nail in the coffin of the now.)
"It seems we have clearance to depart." I hefted Zoro into a bridal carry, making sure not to shift his body more than he could handle. I laid his head on my shoulder, making sure his neck was stable. Beyond that, I didn't do anything fancy. I walked down the gangplank to the shore.
"Permission to come ashore?" I droned, letting my eyes gleam.
Dalton jerked, staring at me. "We have assurance from your captain that you pirates will behave," he said slowly.
I shrugged. "The only concern I have is for the person in my arms and my crew. If you have services to offer, I'll pay fairly. Information, supplies, so on. I'm not in the business of starting fights, personally." I used a bored, airy tone.
Luffy gave me a flat look.
"Rose," Vivi hissed.
"The witch doctor lives in the castle on the highest of the Drum Rockies," Dalton said, not taking his eyes off of me.
"Any short cuts?" I frowned.
Dalton looked at Zoro, and back at me. He looked at Luffy. "Unfortunately, the Ropeways are inoperable. We can try to send a message to the castle, but-"
I looked up the mountain. Mentally, I accessed the 'rules' section of the system.
Difficult Terrain: Terrain that costs extra movement to cross. This includes snow, mud, sand, and thick underbrush. To a degree, it also includes steep inclines or declines, but sheer cliffs are a different type of obstacle.
"How much would the best climbing gear in the village cost?" I interrupted.
Luffy grinned.
"Noooo, you're supposed to be the reasonable one," Nami whined.
"Sounds like you have a plan," Sanji noted.
I looked to Luffy. "Want to hear the pitch?" I asked.
Dalton seemed tense.
"Sure." He shrugged. "If it gets us there faster."
"We can do well on foot due to… personal circumstance." I glanced at Nami, and I saw when it clicked. "However, sheer cliffs aren't something I have tools to deal with. Would it be safe to assume climbing is in your wheelhouse?"
"Huh?"
"Can you climb and pull myself, Zoro, and anyone else behind you."
"Oh, sure! Might want something to hang on to, though."
Zoro wheezed a little, and I scowled.
"My thought is this: we need people to watch the ship and inform the good people here of… any approaching issues." I looked at Vivi. "I believe the princess has the diplomatic mien to lead that party."
She straightened her back. We hadn't gotten the fateful newspaper, and likely wouldn't here - this set her priorities, to my knowledge, to the present. "What are you proposing?"
"You fill in the good people here on who and what we encountered on the way." I noted the blood dripping down her arm. "And get patched up in the meanwhile." My gaze slid to Dalton. "That one I will expect you to do free of charge. It was, after all, your doing."
To his credit, Dalton didn't argue. "Princess Vivi is a good woman. I don't know how she came to sail with pirates, but we'd be remiss to mistreat her further."
I inclined my head, and paused. I glanced at Luffy. He made a 'go on' motion with his hand.
"Vivi, you'll be in charge of Sanji and Usopp. Usopp's job will be to guard the ship, and anyone not of the village or crew who approaches…" I held out a hand, and a bag appeared. I shifted it with a soft clink. "A little something to spice up your ammunition."
10x Melt Vial subtracted. 20x Burst Vial subtracted.
Usopp swallowed. "Uh." He looked nervous, but stepped forward anyway.
"Take apart what you like. Use what you can." I shifted so he could reach under Zoro and take the bag. "Sanji, you're on guard duty for Vivi while she recovers."
Sanji glanced at Luffy before nodding. It was a testament to the situation that he didn't go full noodle.
Luffy folded his arms.
"Nami, you're with Luffy and I. Luffy will be our main line of defense, and between the two of us-"
"I'll watch the sky, you watch everything else." Nami was pale, but she looked determined.
I looked to Luffy, and felt myself blush. "...sorry."
He grinned. "It's fine! I know you just wanna help." He lowered his hat. "Sure you don't want me to carry Zoro?"
"I can fight some with my hands full. You're better off with all limbs." I paused. "Though fighting might not be our best bet…" I muttered, glancing at the mountains. Lapin? Lapun? Fuck-off Rabbits. The last thing we needed was an avalanche…
Whatever. We'd wing it once we had what we needed.
Zoro breathed harshly, unconscious from fever once more. …time was not on our side.
____________________________________________________________________________
Nami was almost in shock at how easily they strode through the snow. There was no way it should have been so simple. The slope, the powder, the underlying ice - any one would have made the journey agony. Should have.
"Luffy? We're not going anywhere without Rose from now on, okay?" A gale blasted snow around and past her, and even the flakes didn't truly obscure her sight. It was practically set-dressing.
"Uh? Why would we? He's nakama."
"Yep. Nakama. One of us. Part of the ship, part of the crew," Nami agreed rapidly.
Rose cast a glance back at the two of them, legs moving faster than they had any right to. A sparkle of crimson and flash of teeth was all she saw of the grin.
The weather was dire, but they kept moving as though it were a calm day. At the rate they were going, it was like walking on flat ground. Forget the spells, this alone made Rose worth his weight in gold. Not belli, gold.
And for some reason, the Lapahns - which Dalton warned them about - steered wildly clear of them. A tiny one took one look at Rose and bolted, shrieking at the top of its little lungs. Silhouettes Nami spotted in the distance also fled alongside it, clearing the path.
Rose sighed as a tall bear gave them a wide berth, not even acknowledging them. It seemed to almost paddle down the mountainside with its walking stick. "Yep. Animals. Get used to this kind of thing," he muttered, voice somehow carrying back.
"And 'Tina'?" Nami asked.
"The first animal that got close enough to interact with me. I… got a little overexcited." Rose blushed, the back of his neck matching his hair. Zoro snored.
Nami walked with her crewmates in companionable silence.
"We're making good time," she observed. She squinted. "It looks like there's a spiral path up the mountain. Not a sheer incline, but-"
"Environmental Adaptation will make short work of it. There's going to be at least one cliff if we want to keep making good time."
"And I'll get us up it." Luffy punched his palm. "I thought you said there'd be a fight?"
"I thought the Lapahn might make trouble. My inverse animal magnetism seems to have dealt with that." Rose seemed almost… sad?
"This is a good thing, right?" Nami asked.
"But… but… bunny." Rose turned his head, and his lip wobbled. "Fluffy bunny."
Nami's heart went out to him. Truly. "Carnivorous fluffy bunny."
"That makes it better!"
Nami did not yell. She did not trigger an avalanche.
"After all, we have the same teeth."
She kept breathing. In and out. Rose was, mostly, on an even keel. And given he tamed a T-Rex, there was precedent. His flavor of crazy was comparatively harmless to the rest of the idiots. It was worth the absence of machismo to tolerate an affinity for terrifying creatures. If she repeated this enough, she might even believe it.
…the money was worth it. Yes. Yes, she could work with that.
"Do you want me to catch one?" "Not to eat, to pet." "Sure, sure."
"Ahem. Zoro?"
The crew's youngest member and new biggest enabler had the temerity to look abashed.
Zoro coughed a little. "Grn?"
Rose picked up the pace, back straight. "Right, moving."
Nami smiled a little.
"After all, even after we wrecked Wapol's shit he's still going to make his way here eventually. Better to get Zoro recovering and us in the castle."
Nami's smile vanished. "What."
"Really? He seemed pretty weak…" Luffy seemed to pout.
"If nothing else, I can probably handle one or both of his minions." Rose sighed. "And do remember, I supercharged your attack. He probably is a bit more durable when not getting hit with a ten-thousand-kilo double-rubber-palm."
"Hehe, think so?" Luffy put his hands behind his head. "Okay. But if it's boring, I'm gonna make you do it! You need to catch up!"
"And if I can't?"
Nami looked at Luffy.
"Then I'll save you. But you gotta try first." Luffy kept walking, unconcerned.
Rose shifted Zoro, keeping him cradled close. "...alright then."
Nami looked back ahead. They kept going up a slope, until… oh.
"Ah. A wall."
Yes, Luffy. A wall.
____________________________________________________________________________
Luffy continued to grip the rocks under his hands, latched on fiercely. The boots and gloves helped him get a good grip, and Nami clung to his back. Rose was at the other end of the rope, Zoro strapped to his back. Somehow he managed to hold on and keep pace. No matter how fierce the wind blew, it parted for him and his friends.
It could have been harder, been more of an adventure- but Zoro was in trouble. If he was this bad off, he couldn't imagine what it would have been like if one of the others had it. Not even Sanji, but Nami or Usopp or Vivi or Rose. If this thing hurt him that badly then… would they have had this much time for anyone else?
"Ugh. Well, it's a workout. And 'climbing' is now a skill." Rose paused. Talking, not moving. "Hold up."
Luffy grunted. Nope!
"Oh, not stop, but I had a thought. Let's see…"
Luffy became aware of a weird crunching, and the rope moved… sideways? And up?
He looked to the right.
Rose stared back with red cheeks, standing like the straight cliff under him was the floor. "Climb? Uh, it's already rank 15/50-" Zoro dangled from his back limply, snoring.
…Luffy kept going, and Rose strode up the mountain like it was a walk in the forest. Not even Mt. Colubo forest, but a nice, harmless, flat-ground forest.
Nami was very quiet.
"Even if your fruit lets you do weird stuff, I'm stronger," Luffy grunted out. "Weird magic mystery fruit."
"Yup. Though as a skill, this is more like making a paintbrush-"
"Rose." Nami?
"Yes?"
"Stop talking."
Rose shut up and started power-walking up the cliff. Luffy scrambled for holds to follow.
"Shishishishi!"
"So using SP makes skills grow faster, I see-" Rose muttered, pulling ahead further.
A race? A race!
"Luffy do not-" Nami started.
Luffy flung his arms back, grinning. Zoro could take it!
"Luffy-!"
His arms shot past them, past Rose, and gripped the cliff's edge. "Gum… Gum….!"
"Nonononononononono-!" Nami started squirming, trying to hit his head.
Rose looked down, eyes wide. "REINFORCE-"
Zoro snored.
"ROCKET!"
The world passed in a blur. For a brief, shining moment, he hung in the air over the snow, a castle in sight. The door was open, so he aimed to land there. Some noise rang in his ear.
Oh. It was yelling.
"LUUUUUUFFYYYYYYYY!"
Crash! Poof! Whoosh! The snow broke their fall easy! And they weren't hurt at all!
There was a sharp pop, and Luffy looked up.
Light like sparklers popped under Rose's feet, and he held Zoro up, some weird lines covering the both of them. Gradually, the two drifted down, loud snaps filling the air.
Nami clung to Luffy, breathing hard against his neck. "Eeeee…" She shot up as soon as Rose got to the ground. "YOU IDIOT! WHAT IF WE DIED!?"
"We didn't! Besides, it's in Rose's thingy!" He pouted. "Things that aren't people hurt less!"
"Correction: things that aren't people hurt me less. The snow, cold, whatever - I can share that. Fall damage is still a thing for you guys." His eyes blazed. "This includes Zoro. Just be glad I was able to negate all that-" He cut himself off. "Nevermind. It's fine, no one got hurt. It's fine."
Luffy looked at Rose. Rose looked down.
"...I'm just really worried," he admitted.
"Well, well, well. Sounds like I've got some noisy guests."
They all turned, and Luffy perked up.
A lady stood in the open castle door. She had long pale hair, and was really thin and young - NO SHE WASN'T! HER FA-
"Would it be safe to assume you're Doctor Kureha?" Rose stepped forward, shooting Luffy a look.
"Who else would be up here, brat?" The old lady wore really tight purple clothes with fire patterns on them. She had a belly button ring, and a tight t-shirt. Everything from the neck down looked like Nami or Vivi, but head up was wrinkles! She lifted a bottle and tilted it back.
Luffy swallowed, bowing at the waist. "Please, help us. Our friend… my first mate… he's really sick."
"Hm. You did come all this way up the mountain, so you're probably serious enough. Not to mention you have a surprising amount of manners for a brat. Alright. I'll let you make your case inside."
It wasn't a yes, but it wasn't a no.
"Thank you, Lady Kureha." Rose inclined his head.
"Heeheeheehee! So humble for pirates! You are pirates, aren't you?"
They followed her inside.
"Well, yes, but…" Nami trailed off.
"We don't pick fights, but we finish them. And in the case of pirates or other criminals who attack us, we take all their stuff. It's been sustainable so far," Rose explained. "We're not saints, but we're… somewhat ethical sinners, I suppose."
Luffy hummed. "Treasure's nice, but I really like adventure. And meat!"
"Treasure. Definitely treasure," Nami disagreed, looking around the castle.
"Well, the only treasures you'll find here are my medical skills, a wealth of knowledge you probably can't learn, and…" Kureha grinned. "Perhaps you want the secret to my eternal youth?"
"Good living, probably. If you have a fraction of the skill I've heard of, between diet, exercise, and supplemental treatments you'll likely outlive us all." Rose paused dramatically. "Not to mention you possess more caution in your pinky than our captain does in his whole body."
"From a glance, I'd say the fingernail," the old hag agreed. "Though no. Not the worst guess I've heard, so gold star for you, Chompers McGee."
"...we should introduce ourselves," Nami interrupted. "I'm Nami-"
"I'm Monkey D. Luffy, the man who's gonna be the king of the pirates!"
Kureha paused and looked back. "That so." She didn't laugh, but she didn't seem like she believed him. "Have any trouble getting up here?"
"Nope! Rose's 'Environmental Accesibiuh-"
"Adaptation, Luffy."
"Yeah! Made it so it was like we were walking on flat ground in clear weather!"
The doctor stopped. "Devil Fruit?"
Rose nodded. "Yes. The Ga-"
She threw a hand up. "I know quite well the fruit you have. In fact, I knew its last user, and who had it last. How did you come to have it?" Scalpels appeared in her hand, like magic.
Luffy puffed up, ready to fight. "Hey! Our mom gave him that fruit, so leave my brother alone!"
The scalpels fell to the floor. "She spawned?" And she did the jaw-drop bug-eye thing that his crew did when he did something fun. Huh! Chai-Mom must be more like him than he thought!
"Y-yes." Rose looked down. "But. Erm. We have maybe three days before Zoro - this man - becomes inoperable. At least, that's what the quest said."
"Take that thing with a grain of salt, boy. It will give you information it has no right to, but the human spirit can surprise it yet." Kureha looked at Zoro. "But… I wouldn't push your luck. Did it diagnose him?"
"Yes. Cretaceous Tetanus, it said."
The doctor narrowed her eyes. "Blue pus? Bright? Fever, pallor? Moderate incontinence? Rapid onset?"
"Y-yes to all of them. I have no medical training, but-"
"But you likely dosed him with what potions you could and any disinfectants. Helpful to stabilize, but not to treat." Kureha frowned. "Boy. I believe you yet owe me an introduction."
"...Abendstern D. Rosehip."
"Rosehip." Kureha lifted her head. "Tell me, the Lapahns give you any trouble, 'Rosehip'?"
"Mammals and I-"
"Most with warm blood fear you, unless they're humans - whose instincts have dulled in favor of reason - fools, or simply stronger than you. This you have in common with the last bearer of that fruit. Which, I would advise you only reveal to those you trust."
Luffy frowned. "Why?"
"Because there are those who want it so dearly for all it can do, they have placed a bounty on it or any who eat it." Kureha pointed into a room. "Put your friend down, and I'll call my apprentice in." She smirked. "This oughta be good."
Rose winced. Luffy didn't like it.
"What… kind of bounty?" Nami asked slowly.
"Two billion even," Kureha said evenly. "And it's only because I know your mother that I don't turn you brats out before you bring real danger to my doorstep."
Nami went pale, staring at Rose.
Rose's fruit… could get that strong…?
Rose shivered, but kept walking. "Weird that my bounty is higher than hers…"
"And what do you know of Chai, boy?"
Rose put Zoro on the bed. "...she was taken when I was six. The system says to find a man named Jabra, who I know to currently be part of CP9. That's where I'll get answers."
"Hee. Hee. Hee." Kureha whipped around. "So she hasn't changed a damn bit. That stray cat. CHOPPER!"
Luffy perked up at the sound of something tapping the cobblestones, making its way into the room they stood in.
____________________________________________________________________________
I turned to see the reindeer walk in on all fours. His head swiveled slowly to take us all in, before stopping on me.
I swallowed, and stepped back rapidly until he had a clear route to Zoro. "Please don't be scared of me," I whispered. "He needs your help very much."
Chopper paused. He looked at me for a long moment. Then he looked to Kureha. "Doctorine?"
"Wh-!"
"Luffy," I snapped.
He looked at me, disgruntled.
"Devil Fruit. And everyone has a story, so please…" I wrung my hands in front of me. "Just. Please."
I glanced to the side and saw a notification. It had been blaring at me since Wapol.
Success! Wapol 'of Tin'. Former King of Drum, Future inventor of Wapomental. Level 18. Spell: Transmutation obtained.
I looked at the spell and- oh. Oh.
Tutorial! Transmutation: A spell that turns material into another composition. Metal to metal, wood to wood, and so on. Can be used up to a stack of 10 per cast, and can move upwards or sideways one step in 'value', or five downwards. Can also be used along developmental chains. Coal to diamond, sand to glass, etcetera. Cost: 10MP/Cast.
This… made things very different. I got where it came from - because hello, Wapometal - but it was still a fundamental game-changer.
"Rose?" Nami asked quietly.
"Doctorine, I need them to leave. This disease - it's gotten pretty far." Chopper looked up, not changing shape. He looked- not at Nami, not at Luffy, but at me. "I can do this, though. It won't be easy with the infection, but I can."
I exhaled. "Thank you."
Chopper gave a curt nod, his pink hat balanced on his antlers.
"Well, you heard the doctor." Luffy turned around and gave me a look.
"I'll explain what I can," I said, walking towards him. "And Kureha-"
She raised an eyebrow.
"You and your apprentice will be appropriately compensated. I promise."
She grinned. "I figured. Chai never welshed on a deal, even if she did get 'creative' on how to pay. Never disappointed, though."
I looked at Chopper one more time.
Success! Tony Tony Chopper, Reindeer, Doctor. Age 15. Apprentice to Kureha, Drum Herd Exile. Level 16. 50/50 Base Medicine, 37/50 Pharmacology, 39/50 Surgery, 50/50 Theoretical Disciplines. Devil Fruit: Human-Human. No Spell Available. Passive Obtained: Intellect Amplifier.
Observe/Analyze Level Up: 40/50.
I turned around and followed Luffy and Nami out, closing the door. I let out an exhale. "Sorry. Sorry, I'm really not trying to challenge you-"
"Yeah?" Luffy blinked. "I know?"
I bit my lip, but he put a hand on my shoulder.
"Rose. It's okay. I trust you. If you jump in to do something, it's because you know." Luffy was calm. "If I give an order, will you follow it?"
I looked up. "I… yes. I might offer advice if I have it-"
"And that's fine. But if I don't change my mind?" Luffy stared me down.
Nami looked at us, hands folded in front of her.
"Then… I'll have to trust you, I guess. Though I can't say I like the idea of a leap of faith like that," I muttered.
"Okay. That's all that matters." Luffy paused. "So… a deer?"
"A deer who ate a fruit that gave him human intelligence and shape-shifting. Reindeer, to be precise. And his skill at medicine is… really something." I couldn't help but smile softly. "He's been through a lot, Luffy."
"Yeah?" Nami peered at me.
I paused. Inhaled. Exhaled. "So… after… after. You know how I've got," and I motioned at my mouth.
"Yeah?" Luffy blinked.
"They're noticeable, yes. And kind of cute." Nami smiled.
I blushed. "Uh, thanks. So you'd be in the minority on that opinion. Between that and being a very small… child… the general consensus was either I would be of use or could get lost." I swallowed. "The main reason my Observe skill is so high is because I used it to avoid anyone that had less than good intentions."
"But you worked with the Marines," Nami pointed out.
"Smoker and Tashigi were… they never judged me. I never tried to get close, but I could… they got attached. Cut me better deals than they had to." I looked away. "I have no doubt they'll chase after us. Maybe they feel betrayed, maybe they want to save me. I don't know. They have their own codes, and they're decent people. I made sure only to work with them. Won't stop them from chucking us all into prison, but, you know. Pirates."
"Yes. Pirates." Nami's smile was wry. "I'm familiar with prevailing opinions on that."
"Pirates are awesome!" Luffy's glare was mulish.
"Even the ones not like you or Shanks or Whitebeard? Like the one who tore through this country and made everyone scared and small?" I raised an eyebrow.
"...those are just jerks." Luffy scowled. "I just want adventure. I want meat, and fights, and friends, and fun. I want to see everything, do everything, all the way to the end."
I looked at Nami. Despite ourselves, we both smiled.
"And that's why we love you, Luffy." I grinned.
"Love is a strong word," Nami hedged, "but I follow you for a reason." She kept smiling, though.
"Shishishi! So… I get you needed to talk about that." He looked at me. "What's that got to do with Chop-Doc?"
I'd need to remember that one. "His nose presented similar issues with his herd."
"Herd?" Nami blinked. "Oh, animal that ate a fruit. Wait, what fruit?"
"Human-Human."
They stared at me. "Wut." Luffy blinked.
"He's smarter than all of us put together, but because of his nose and intellect his herd…" I paused. "Let's walk and talk. I'm sure we're distracting them."
We moved, and made for the stairs.
"So they shunned him. What about people?" Nami asked. "Even if… they would have seen the use in being kind, right?"
"His full 'human' form is more of a yeti than human. Larger than Zoro and Sanji, broader, and more muscle. His halfway form is tiny and childlike. Not precisely human. Different. And when you're different-"
Nami winced.
"What?" Luffy tilted his head.
"People are cruel, Luffy. You treat people how they treat you, right?" I rubbed my chin. "They… their hearts are stupid. They get scared and act out. You don't get scared, not unless something's dangerous. And even then, you just show it who's boss, right?"
"Yeah." Luffy huffed. "Okay. That makes sense. Stupid sense."
Nami giggled. "You know Rose, maybe we should put you in charge of explaining things to Luffy."
I tilted my head. "Would you like that, Captain?"
He shrugged. "If you want. You're already busy with Witch Stuff."
I nodded. "So… we have a whole castle here."
Nami raised an eyebrow.
I pointed at the massive door. "That armory has all sorts of goodies inside. Stuff that Wapol will want when he gets here."
She raised both eyebrows.
"I think the contents - treasure and weapons alike - will pay for Zoro's treatment nicely, don't you?"
Her expression flattened.
"I already have five million in stock."
"Of course, it behooves us to be generous to our honorable doctors," Nami agreed quickly. "And given how they're helping an indispensable member of our crew, such a fee is very warranted."
Luffy blinked. "Huh?"
"She was going to get grumpy at missing a payday, but I pointed out I'm still pretty loaded. Cue attitude adjustment."
"Oh! Okay."
Nami scowled again.
"Also: Wapol took a ton of stuff, left, and started doing piracy when Blackbeard attacked." I grinned. "Who's gonna guard his sub after we beat their asses when they come calling?"
From the grins on my crewmates' faces, I didn't need to explain shit.
I sighed. "I never used to do this kind of thing back home. I really have to blame you, Nami."
Nami puffed out her chest. "I am the best influence."
Luffy hummed, unconvinced.
"I've also been swiping all our food."
"Okay!"
Nami and I laughed.
____________________________________________________________________________
We continued to plod around the castle, only for Luffy to stop in an empty bedroom. He wandered over to the fireplace.
"Luffy?" I followed along.
He looked up into the chimney. "Hellooooo? Mister Revo-Guy?"
I froze. Of course, it was listed on the sub-quest, and this would be a prime place to check-
There was no answer.
"Hm. Wonder why the mystery box said 'no dragons, no dragonlings, no bears, check chimney.' Weird." Luffy pulled his face out.
I looked cautiously at the fireplace. "Well… your father's army has five commanders. The Grand Line one is… occupied." I glanced around the room. "But if I apply what Mom told me, one of them used soot."
"Soot?" Luffy brushed some of the stuff off of his face.
"Right. Remember Smoker's smoke? The North Blue Commander is named Karasu, and he ate the Soot-Soot fruit. He's easily as strong, if not stronger than Captain Smoker. More likely stronger."
"Ohhh. But he'd be in the North Blue, right?" Luffy stared at me.
I carefully did not look at the black mass slowly extruding from the fireplace. "In theory. Remember, Kureha said my fruit gave me intel it had no right to have. And while I shouldn't trust it on what a person's limits are, something like location…"
"And you said Dad had Sabo, right?"
"Yes, Dragon raised him to be the Chief of Staff, Monkey D. Luffy."
Luffy's face scrunched up at my words. "Why'd you call me that?"
The soot exploded, whirling around the room.
"For his benefit," I yelled, covering my head. We were in the center of a black cyclone. I couldn't believe he was here of all places…!
"WHOA!" Luffy reared back, wide-eyed as a pillar of dark dust emerged in the center of the cyclone.
Rapidly, it coalesced into a bare-chested man. Pale of skin, muscular, wearing a plague doctor's mask. He was bald, and wore a feathered coat as dark as the soot that composed his body. His dark eyes drew both of us in.
"You are either very intelligent or very stupid," he droned. "But regardless, if you were looking for a confrontation, you have it."
"A conversation is preferred," I said quickly. "If possible?"
He stared at me. Looked at Luffy. "Tell me. Do you really believe Dragon the Revolutionary is your father?"
"Rose said." Luffy pointed at me. "I only knew Gramps growing up."
"And who would that be?" The soot caged us, spinning slowly. An implied threat.
"Grampa Garp. He was all 'you're gonna be a Mari-"
It fell like water, only to shimmer and draw into Karasu's feet. "The knowledge of Dragon's parentage is not widespread." He looked to me. "You said 'his' father, but 'your' mother. Therefore, there is another figure in play. Name yourself."
I swallowed. "Abendstern-"
Karasu groaned. "Of course. Even now, that woman is a headache."
"Not as bad as Outlook Sabo's. Given he forgot he swore brotherhood to both Whitebeard's Second Division Commander and Luffy." I got the words out quickly, stifling my own feelings at his reaction.
Karasu slowly turned his head to me.
I swallowed.
"By the seas. You really are her child." Karasu exhaled. "So your name is 'Rose', then."
"Rosehip, but I prefer Rose." I nodded.
Karasu looked at the two of us and folded his arms. The vein on his forehead popped slightly. "So. What do her children want with me? Don't tell me how you knew, I have a strong feeling that it won't work for our enemies."
Luffy tilted his head. "Is that a speaker?"
"He's quiet so he needs it," I pointed out.
"Oh. Can we see Sabo?"
"Not Dragon?" Karasu blinked.
"Dragon kept his distance for a reason." I looked at the door to the hall.
"A valid one. The Chief of Staff is only slightly less notorious." Karasu paused. "As you've surmised, I am indeed here to pick up the slack left by… the commander of the 'G' division. I can get in contact with Dragon, but if he has not reached out to his child then he would be wary. The Army does not do social calls."
I thought fast.
"Do you guys stop bad rebels?" Luffy asked.
"...bad…rebels?" Karasu muttered. "What? What do you mean? What?"
"So Croco-guy drank all the water in Alabasta, so we're helping the Princess kick his butt. He's got spies and stuff and started a war by putting them places."
Karasu froze. He looked up.
…oh. Oh shit. This was exactly the kind of thing the Army got involved in. Luffy, you stupid, beautiful genius.
"To translate: Sir Crocodile runs an organization called Baroque Works. It's a highly secretive-"
"We are aware of its existence," Karasu murmured.
"Right. He's seeded the lowest ranks into the royal army of Alabasta and the budding rebel army. After causing a drought, he is instigating a civil war so he can get at the Poneglyph in the royal catacombs."
"Why? To what end? He cannot read it. That knowledge is all but lost."
I looked to Luffy. He nodded.
"Nico Robin of Ohara and he are using each other. She thinks it's a link to the Rio Poneglyph, but is hedging her bets. She's covered for us before. Crocodile is using her to try and find Pluton."
Karasu stood upright. "This. This is a reason to inform Dragon." He shook his head. "I was puzzling how to contact Dalton and erect a non-Wapol regime-"
"Vivi befriended him, I think. If we vouch for you, you can approach openly," I offered.
"You travel with the princess?" Karasu glared at me.
"Yeah, she spent two years in Baroque Works finding out who Croco-guy is and stuff." Luffy nodded. "She's our friend and we're gonna help kick his butt!"
Karasu looked back and forth. "...I see. Perhaps…" He trailed off.
"How about a test?" I offered.
He glared at me again. It was more focus than malice, I saw.
"Wapol is coming back. If we force him out and work with the locals, you work with us. Get in touch with Dragon, get Sabo and whatever backup he needs to meet us in Nanohana." I thought fast. "And if possible… do you have any contact with Whitebeard?"
"I do not. Iva…san… might have." Karasu blinked. "Why?"
"Because Ace will take it poorly if he sees his dead brother without warning," I grumbled.
Luffy blinked. "Oh. Ohhhh. Ooooh. Yeah, that's bad." He didn't question Ace being in Alabasta, the wonderful moron.
Karasu, to his credit, looked sheepish. "Whitebeard is… well. Hm. Wait. Perhaps… it would be indirect, but there might be a link." He looked to Luffy. "I will leave Wapol to you, then. I have arrangements to make on behalf of Alabasta."
I cleared my throat. "The news will likely give the victory to the Marines, even if we succeed. All of us."
Karasu gave me a level look. "I am not Ivankov, who is stingy with his help. I am not Betty, who goads those oppressed to break their own chains. I go where I am needed and help as I can. I do not do this for 'credit'." He tilted his head. "And by those words… neither do you."
"We're gonna help Vivi 'cause she's our friend. That's that." Luffy folded his arms.
"Taking Crocodile for all he's worth is a fringe benefit." I paused. "If funding is an issue-"
"We'll negotiate later," Nami hissed, making herself known by twisting my ear.
Oh thank goodness no HP damage. Still. Ow!
"Gghk."
Karasu hummed. "Eighty-twenty, your favor."
Nami's jaw dropped, and her pupils turned to Belli signs. "Eh!?"
"He's that loaded, huh."
Karasu looked at me. "The man has a crocodile of solid gold the size of a caravel atop his casino. If you can 'take him for all he's worth', we'll still see a revenue spike of several hundred percent with this arrangement."
Nami started to drool.
Karasu, perturbed, stepped back. "And with that-"
"You will leave us a Den-Den Number and then take your leave," I said pointedly, tugging Nami's hand from my ear.
"...we have a Den-Den?" Nami asked.
I held a hand up, and the baby transponder appeared. "Mr. 3 had some good loot. Also, my powers act as stasis for living things in certain categories." I produced a lettuce leaf, and the snail began to munch.
Soot billowed around us, causing Nami to yelp as it flowed up the chimney. The black tide left a scrap of paper in my free hand, patterned with a tidy scrawl.
"Huh. What's his hurry?" Luffy blinked.
"Captain, stuff like Alabasta is what they do. I wouldn't be shocked if we met-" I paused and looked at Nami. "The leader."
Luffy grunted. "My dad the Revolutionary?"
"The what." Nami stared at us, murder in her eyes.
…time to explain fast!
____________________________________________________________________________
"Sooo…" Nami drawled.
"We do not know All-Sunday's name. We definitely do not know it while on the same island as her." I stared her in the eye. "Got it?"
"Why?" Luffy raised a hand.
"Because she's been systematically betrayed by everyone who offered her safety because the world government wants her dead."
"Why?" Nami frowned.
"She's literate," I said shortly.
They looked at each other. They looked at me. "What?"
I sighed. "She can read an old language, and if she can find the artifacts with things written on it she can read them. This information is forbidden by government fiat because it might contradict their doctrines."
Luffy raised a hand.
"The government lies. The blocks tell a truth, possibly the truth. Sunday is the one known living person who can read them."
He lowered his hand. "Thanks." He nodded.
Nami bit her lip. "So… if they want her like that, and they want you like that…"
"She wouldn't turn me in. Wouldn't stick her neck out for me, but wouldn't let the government get me." I sighed. Looked at my hands. "And I have her number."
"We should talk to her." Luffy folded his arms.
"What? What. No. Bad idea. Very bad. If she's around Crocodile-" I shook my head. "There's only so far her good graces go, and I don't want to push it."
"She could help. You said Croco-guy wants Plu-thing, whatever that is. Does she?"
"Ahahahaha no." I shook my head. "She's ruthless because she has to be, but she's a scholar first and foremost."
"So give her a reason to help more." Luffy stared at me. "If you trust her with your fruit, maybe it'll work."
…fundamentally, he was right. Nico Robin was no saint, but that was out of necessity. At her core, she was a good person. Scared, pragmatic, and ruthless at need but never cruel when she could avoid it. The majority of her damage fell on those who deserved it or those who could take it - she never broke the Straw Hats, even when they threatened her in canon on their ship.
That said, if she got orders she'd follow them to cover her own ass. She didn't know or care for us. Yet. And even if she did, that… well… hrm.
I swallowed. "...this could backfire really hard. I mean, we're already involving a world power here. I…" I looked at Luffy. "I'm scared."
"But if I tell you to, you'll do it."
"Luffy-" Nami protested.
"Yeah. I will. Just… not alone?" I looked at him, my nerves alight.
He nodded firmly. "Never alone." He put a hand on my elbow. "We can do it after Wapol's done. You like Robin, and you wanna help her. If you wanna be her friend, then that's okay. And if you're scared, I'll push you until you're past it." He sat up. "If Croco-guy is using her, she's in danger. Even if we don't know her, you think of her as a friend. It's obvious."
Nami exhaled. "Oh-kay then. We're playing ball with the World Government not three months into our collective careers. This is a thing we are doing."
I gave a weak grin. "At least we'll get really rich doing it?"
Nami rolled her eyes. "Dirty talk only gets you so far, buddy."
Luffy snickered, wrapping us both in a side-hug. "You guys are the best!"
"And don't you forget it." "You too."
I looked up the stairs. "...hm."
"You like Chopper." Luffy didn't ask.
"Yeah. I hope he likes me too."
"If he doesn't, he must not be that smart after all," Nami scoffed.
"Or a small furry animal," I pointed out.
"That too," she admitted.
"Okay. Then first, we'll get Chopper as our Doctor. Then Robin as our scholar!"
Nami's jaw dropped. "There's a huge difference between bailing her out and recruiting her!"
"She's scary versatile and strong, though," I pointed out. "And she's got way more experience than us, especially on the Grand Line."
"If we get her to like us, we'll all be good!" Luffy grinned. "Rose has good taste. I knew picking him up was a good idea!"
"You said bottles when Rose joined, you had no idea!"
"I lied!"
Nami boggled at Luffy.
He kept grinning.
"Youuuuuu…"
I leaned back as his head whipped back and forth, neck firmly in Nami's grip. The rubbery bludgeon shot over my own head when I ducked. "Nami! Ack!"
"DIE! JERK! ASSHOLE!"
"Shishishishi!"
"SHADDUP!"
We all looked upstairs.
Chopper loomed in his full-human form, pink hat almost comically small. "Your friend is resting. The drugs are working, and we cleared out the bulk of the infection. The incisions will take a bit to heal, unless Doctorine is right about your 'potions'." He directed the last part at me.
I smiled widely. "Thank you!"
Chopper leaned back, and despite the fur I could tell he was embarrassed.
"So cooool! Hey, Chop-Doc! Join my crew!"
A series of complicated expressions crossed his face. "What!?"
"You're the coolest reindeer I ever met!"
"He's the only reindeer you ever met!" Nami snapped.
"You're the first non-primate mammal that hasn't tried to run away or maul me!" I chirped.
"I am currently rethinking that stance. Do not push me." He edged towards the hallway. "...go check on your friend. I'm going to go find Doctorine."
"Chopper? Seriously. Thank you." I gentled my smile.
He looked down at me. He sidled a little more. "Th. That."
I blinked.
"That doesn't make me happy, stupid! You bastard! D-don't butter me up!" He bolted.
"...was he blushing?" Nami asked.
Luffy nodded. "Totally."
I hid my face in my hands. "What a cute lil' guy," I muttered.
____________________________________________________________________________
I let Nami and Luffy check on Zoro while I followed Chopper.
"Lady Kureha?" I called.
"Hm?" she poked her head out of a room. "Ah, Chai's wordy brat. Come on in." She turned around.
I followed.
"So. Spit it out."
"For payment, I can unlock the armory for you."
She paused in wiping her hands. "How so."
"I can craft keys easily. Analyze the lock, make a key, and it's yours."
She gave me a long look. "And you want… none of it."
"We don't need it. Wapol will come, and once we drive him back we can raid his submarine."
"Heeheehee! Pirate to the bone, huh? That's Chai's pragmatism too. Never let an opportunity slip by." Kureha gave a smile that was almost indulgent.
"How… how did you meet my mother?"
Kureha grinned. "How do you think?" Her voice was almost taunting.
"Uh." Oh. Oh why did my brain go there. "Did you ever, er. Do midwifing?"
Kureha stared. "Holy shit you've got an imagination. No. I was friends with her mother first. Even when that stray cat was a kitten she had claws."
I bit my lip. "How… likely is it that Cipher Pol got her, then?"
"Anything short of their best would fall short, and even the best would be a gamble. They'd need at least ten."
So… why Jabra? He wasn't weak, but far from CP0.
"She probably took you as far as you could go and jet before she could draw more heat. Sounds like her." Kureha gave me a long look. "Not saying CP wasn't part of it, but if she didn't come back either an Admiral showed or she just didn't plan to. Sounds cold, but alone with that fruit is way more than most people would get from her in that situation."
"Yeah. She left Luffy on Foosha. She kept up to date, knew about how he wanted to be a pirate, how he wanted to sail the Line, what kind of person he was-"
"And she told you." Kureha grinned. "That's her all over. Set you up to survive long enough to connect with the brat. And he's Garp's, after some fashion. Right? Well out of her reach."
I frowned. "I mean, Garp is probably stronger-"
"Chai's an ambush predator. One on one, there are three people I can think of who would live. Garp ain't one of them, and he'd pack an army to deal with her. Dropping her name would bring the army, too."
"...live?"
Kureha's grin didn't falter. "Did I stutter? That woman only has a bounty as low as it is because eighty percent of her bullshit is too dangerous for the World Government to air to the public. And given who her mother was, I can't say I'm surprised." The grin turned to a smirk. "I wonder how your game will play out."
Low? Almost a billion and a half was low?
I could tell the conversation was approaching its end. And of course, I was left with more questions than answers. Where was my mother? What happened with Jabra? What was she planning?
So I exhaled. "I… what are the odds of us convincing Chopper to come with us?"
Kureha paused. "Why."
"Practically? We need a doctor for these kinds of situations, and he's already one of the best. All he lacks is experience, and the seas have that in store. Personally? I see some of me in him-"
"Yes, he overheard before you moved. If I thought it was to manipulate him, I'd put a scalpel through your eye, but…" Kureha shrugged. "I gotta say, asking him not to fear you really put you on his radar, kid. Not a lot of people ask that. Usually that was his line." She grunted. "I could probably figure out another assistant if need be. If you and that brother of yours are anything like your mother - and the signs I'm getting point to yes, for better or worse - you could win his trust. I even daresay you'd look after him."
"I'd do everything I could to protect him, as much as he'd let me." I didn't hesitate. "He… Chopper is good. It's not even looking past his appearance. He just is."
Kureha grinned again. "And if he wanted to stand on his own as a man?"
"I'd respect it. I made that promise for Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji. I… I'm too selfish to let them go if they're wounded, incapacitated, or dying. But I'd let him have his battles."
"Just like that mother of yours." Kureha… approved. "You're growing into those claws of yours, yet. I'm eager to see what the world makes of you."
I bowed. "Thank you, Doctorine."
"I HAVE RETURNED!"
"WAPOL!" a young voice yelled.
I stood up ramrod straight. My mouth bent into a snarl.
"Heeheehee! Sounds like you've got a playdate with my idiot son." Kureha's eyes glinted like ice. "Don't keep them waiting."
I sprinted down the stairs, teeth grinding.
Time to punt a hippo over the horizon.
Finding family is pretty scary. Blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb, and all that. Vulnerability is very hard. I empathize with Rose, like an insane amount.
Also, I feel like the Strawhats' adventures are gonna get even more interesting. In the Chinese proverb kind of way. Everything is chill and amazing, until there's damn Admirals on your tail, or seakings trying to make a meal out of you, or superspy assassins. All in the space of an hour. Ha.
Thanks for sharing.
Also, I feel like the Strawhats' adventures are gonna get even more interesting. In the Chinese proverb kind of way. Everything is chill and amazing, until there's damn Admirals on your tail, or seakings trying to make a meal out of you, or superspy assassins. All in the space of an hour. Ha.
Thanks for sharing.
Well, Transmutation is certainly something. It's not quite an instant solution to money since it requires a base material at least molecularly similar and can't MAKE items by itself...but there are a lot of questions it introduces.
I'll save the biggest for last though, and start with a question of WHAT materials exactly? Metals become other metals (or maybe even Alloys like Wapometal), molecular structures can shift (like turning carbon in coal into diamond, or other complex structures Rose currently lacks the lab or 'blueprints' to make use of)...but what about living material? Dead wood can presumably change. Does a materials condition factor in quality, or just species? A worn or warped board is certainly lower quality then a freshly treated and straight one, but weathering is closer to 'damage' in reality, and there was no mention of repairing structures in this Spell. For that matter, what about animal materials? Claws, bones, and such might be relatively simple, but what about meat?
Then, what about gases or liquids? The latter have a vast variety of different compounds that might be more 'quality' then plain water by being fuel, food, or poison, but they don't intuitively compare to each other all that well. What about substances that are liquids...but only non-STP conditions? Gases are the same questions, but worse.
Finally we get into 'units'...for the purposes of the Inventory, what is a 'unit'? Is it a set amount of Mass? Volume? A contiguous object? For the purposes of Transmutation, can it only be applied to items within the Inventory, or applied to those outside as well? If so, would a conversion to a more or less dense material conserve mass and subsequently warp the material into new dimensions? Would it instead operate on volume and create or destroy mass Ex Nihlo?
Actually, what are the limits of Inventory for that matter? Rose has thus far freely pocketed objects up to the scale of doors and a decently large office safe...including the contents of that safe. Does she have a limit on size or mass? Must the object be discrete? If she does and she, say, decided to Inventory the boards of a (Marine) ships hull, could she? What about objects that are in motion? Bullets, cannon-balls, and mid-use-swords are all smaller then prior items...and technically, all things in the world of One Piece undergo a constant state of motion, as they exist on a planet obeying conventional models of astro-physics (ie, everything is moving VERY fast through space at all times), or is it relativity that matters (ie, is it moving compared to ROSE)?
I hate to have pulled the Socrates problem all over this, but these are some details that should probably be worked out at some point or another with a witty character like Rose at the helm. Even if it's entirely fiat (ie, it uses nonsensical game-logic to prevent most possible Cheese utilities because a tool for exploration and survival is not one for combat is not one for crafting is not a UI), limits and capabilities should be determined so Rose has room to experiment and come up with novel solutions to problems as the story progresses.
Because, like just as the FIRST thing off the top of my head? Even with maximum restrictions (no combat use, inventory items only, only single composition materials or DEAD minimally complex organic ones, and only into materials that Rose has encountered before or possesses an example of)...she could just take any break of time that she has on land or sea scooping up material and transmuting it into money-metal/honey (probably one of the more valuable liquids in a world without gas engines)/noble gases and then 'recycle' it into Belly for infinite cash. And if she spends some of that cash or materials on crafting mana-restoratives...she could increase the the amount she makes on top of reducing the risks of being low on mana in case of combat. Even if there's probably a soft-cap on how much money she can make in terms of an efficient use of her mana-to-money comversion and the production of mana restoratives (if it takes specific foods or materials, she can only stockpile when buying from traders or plundering victims, so continuous fast money generation is out, as is the reserve of restoratives for combat)...well a nearly constant, passive, source of funds will quickly build up. Being basically set as far as money goes could do a lot change things for the Straw Hats...if admittedly not as much as it would change other Pirate Crews (Luffy being adventure-sexual would probably make similar decisions, regardless of the potential treasure at the end or it's use to the crew).
Also, kinda seperate to that...Rose has some bad habits when it comes to her Devil Fruit. Earlier it was excusable as she didn't know about the bounty (and may have just subconsciously equated it to an Isekai cheat that doesn't really belong in the setting being more organically introduced)...but now she knows about it, and the fact that other people have used it before.
And, well, it's bad enough to be making potions or using the inventory around low-level 'know-nothing' Marines like Smoker and Tashigi. Flashing her use of Inventory or making reference to specific Game features is dangerous around the wrong people (or more accurately, people that know enough to recognize it and inform the really scary people.) She's in Law's position with his Op-Op fruit, only on a (to-be) infinitely more visible pirate crew, with an infamous past user (a key member of the Rocks pirate crew that basically defined the start of the pirate era compared to no famous users but those who died attempting/performing the immortality procedure and probably had all their information covered up by World Nobles), and is quite likely even more sought after (if only because the Op-Op has one big known use to set it apart, and the Game-Game looks like it has a LOT...to say nothing of how it is a demonic counter-part of Nika's 'gum-gum' fruit).
I'll save the biggest for last though, and start with a question of WHAT materials exactly? Metals become other metals (or maybe even Alloys like Wapometal), molecular structures can shift (like turning carbon in coal into diamond, or other complex structures Rose currently lacks the lab or 'blueprints' to make use of)...but what about living material? Dead wood can presumably change. Does a materials condition factor in quality, or just species? A worn or warped board is certainly lower quality then a freshly treated and straight one, but weathering is closer to 'damage' in reality, and there was no mention of repairing structures in this Spell. For that matter, what about animal materials? Claws, bones, and such might be relatively simple, but what about meat?
Then, what about gases or liquids? The latter have a vast variety of different compounds that might be more 'quality' then plain water by being fuel, food, or poison, but they don't intuitively compare to each other all that well. What about substances that are liquids...but only non-STP conditions? Gases are the same questions, but worse.
Finally we get into 'units'...for the purposes of the Inventory, what is a 'unit'? Is it a set amount of Mass? Volume? A contiguous object? For the purposes of Transmutation, can it only be applied to items within the Inventory, or applied to those outside as well? If so, would a conversion to a more or less dense material conserve mass and subsequently warp the material into new dimensions? Would it instead operate on volume and create or destroy mass Ex Nihlo?
Actually, what are the limits of Inventory for that matter? Rose has thus far freely pocketed objects up to the scale of doors and a decently large office safe...including the contents of that safe. Does she have a limit on size or mass? Must the object be discrete? If she does and she, say, decided to Inventory the boards of a (Marine) ships hull, could she? What about objects that are in motion? Bullets, cannon-balls, and mid-use-swords are all smaller then prior items...and technically, all things in the world of One Piece undergo a constant state of motion, as they exist on a planet obeying conventional models of astro-physics (ie, everything is moving VERY fast through space at all times), or is it relativity that matters (ie, is it moving compared to ROSE)?
I hate to have pulled the Socrates problem all over this, but these are some details that should probably be worked out at some point or another with a witty character like Rose at the helm. Even if it's entirely fiat (ie, it uses nonsensical game-logic to prevent most possible Cheese utilities because a tool for exploration and survival is not one for combat is not one for crafting is not a UI), limits and capabilities should be determined so Rose has room to experiment and come up with novel solutions to problems as the story progresses.
Because, like just as the FIRST thing off the top of my head? Even with maximum restrictions (no combat use, inventory items only, only single composition materials or DEAD minimally complex organic ones, and only into materials that Rose has encountered before or possesses an example of)...she could just take any break of time that she has on land or sea scooping up material and transmuting it into money-metal/honey (probably one of the more valuable liquids in a world without gas engines)/noble gases and then 'recycle' it into Belly for infinite cash. And if she spends some of that cash or materials on crafting mana-restoratives...she could increase the the amount she makes on top of reducing the risks of being low on mana in case of combat. Even if there's probably a soft-cap on how much money she can make in terms of an efficient use of her mana-to-money comversion and the production of mana restoratives (if it takes specific foods or materials, she can only stockpile when buying from traders or plundering victims, so continuous fast money generation is out, as is the reserve of restoratives for combat)...well a nearly constant, passive, source of funds will quickly build up. Being basically set as far as money goes could do a lot change things for the Straw Hats...if admittedly not as much as it would change other Pirate Crews (Luffy being adventure-sexual would probably make similar decisions, regardless of the potential treasure at the end or it's use to the crew).
Also, kinda seperate to that...Rose has some bad habits when it comes to her Devil Fruit. Earlier it was excusable as she didn't know about the bounty (and may have just subconsciously equated it to an Isekai cheat that doesn't really belong in the setting being more organically introduced)...but now she knows about it, and the fact that other people have used it before.
And, well, it's bad enough to be making potions or using the inventory around low-level 'know-nothing' Marines like Smoker and Tashigi. Flashing her use of Inventory or making reference to specific Game features is dangerous around the wrong people (or more accurately, people that know enough to recognize it and inform the really scary people.) She's in Law's position with his Op-Op fruit, only on a (to-be) infinitely more visible pirate crew, with an infamous past user (a key member of the Rocks pirate crew that basically defined the start of the pirate era compared to no famous users but those who died attempting/performing the immortality procedure and probably had all their information covered up by World Nobles), and is quite likely even more sought after (if only because the Op-Op has one big known use to set it apart, and the Game-Game looks like it has a LOT...to say nothing of how it is a demonic counter-part of Nika's 'gum-gum' fruit).
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And so the legend of Abendstern D. Chai grows. And the Game-Game fruit has a legacy, because of course it does; it's a devil fruit. The time when the Rocks pirates ruled the waves must have been interesting.
Oh, and to the steady procession of butterflies in the present, you've now added a Mothra (hi Karasu).
Grow fast, Strawhats. You will desperately need that strength in short order, powerful allies and shadowing protectors or no.
The first thing that came to my mind with Transmutation was Adam Wood.
Oh, and to the steady procession of butterflies in the present, you've now added a Mothra (hi Karasu).
Grow fast, Strawhats. You will desperately need that strength in short order, powerful allies and shadowing protectors or no.
The first thing that came to my mind with Transmutation was Adam Wood.
Clearly Haki is gated behind personality. Probably 100 personality at that. No doubt Rose knows this.
Blinktwice13
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So 'Inventory' works on inorganic/dead matter, and very very very specific living beings. There is no upper inventory limit, much like older RPGs by way of Japan (stares in Final Fantasy).
She has to touch the item to inventory it, and while she could do the hull thing, it's hideously ineffective because she'd need to be very close to the water to do it. There's a lot more ways she would be able to sink a ship by that point. It's a blend of 'hand span' and 'discrete items'. Giant Golden Crocodiles? Valid target. Entire swaths of hull? Less. More like two to three boards plus nails/screws.
This also prevents Rose from jamming their hand in the sea and sucking it up into inventory.
Units are essentially 'x amount for the purposes of Crafting'. Everything else gets decently counted.
Transmutation works in two areas. One is 'item'. For these, think Skyrim's Transmutation but it goes both ways. It follows lines of 'mineral', 'plant' 'animal'. The limitation is she has to have seen the end result before, so since she hasn't seen Adam Wood or Star Metal or anything like that, she can't make it - yet. Damaged material becomes different damaged material. It's not a repair spell.
Area two is state. All states are counted as an 'upward' change. Snow to ice, for one. So gas>cloud>water>snow>ice is an example of a chain. Coal>Diamond is a much shorter, more game-breaking one.
The limitation to Gold Farming is less a hard one and more a soft one. How much can Rose spend without getting people curious? And it's not just having the best materials on hand, it's also having the right ones where Crafting is concerned. Just because Rose can read the recipe doesn't mean she'll have encountered all objects, or that they're all transmutable. Essences (introduced in Chapter 3) are required for Magic Items, which are their own ball of wax.
As far as 'salvaging' any valuable material - she has to be literally unable to use it. The stuff she scrapped was artwork of varying quality but high price. She can't just turn honey into cash, that has use. Likewise any gems or metals. Kitsch wax and abstract paintings are one thing, gold etc are another.
Lastly, yes. Rose having a built-in 2 billion bounty is going to set things off hard the instant they get a normal one. As in, here comes the Queen of the Pleasure District hard. Emperors noticing hard. She now has to be careful to keep things like screens out of the public eye and be way more careful who she talks about her fruit to. There's a reason one of her bonus conditions for Alabasta will be 'don't get a bounty'.
EDIT: I've also updated (finally) the character sheet for the new spell, passive, and skill from this chapter.
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Blinktwice13
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Unfortunately no. Party Up as Written only works on non-numerical effects - that is to say, absolutes. So Environmental Adaptation lets them ignore climate (handy in Drum, Alabasta, and Punk Hazard) and terrain for movement - but not environmental damage (falling, thorns, etc).
Intellect Amplifier is all numbers so it doesn't do anything.
There won't be another passive that affects the crew for another arc or two through Party Up (many number about to happen).
I'm liking all the rest, though this bit is still a bit suspect to me. The thing is, Art has value even if it is not useful in any utilitarian sort of way. Highly subjective value...but value all the same. Maybe raw gold/silver cannot be salvaged because it is still technically crafting material (albiet for jewelry with no utilitarian value or complex electronics Rose most definitely can't make). What about that jewelry? I'm assuming that even with out any utility ('enchanting' seems like another DF ability to acquire, maybe even Miss Goldenweek's and a few others)...people still assign value to useless jewelery because of the inherent value of the materials composing it, and the skill in its craftsmanship.
It seems like gold farming is still perfectly possible to me...but it could be heavily curtailed to suit the narrative just by giving a few assumptions. The first, that Rose needs to either physically make things, or spend limited Stamina on Instant Crafting, or do the former to unlock the latter. And the second is if the value of recycling 'art' is more heavily skewed to the skill of the craftsmanship then the materials (which is unlike real life, but it's a game and those can be loosey-goosey with economics). Mr. 3 may have had truly crappy taste (egocentric self-portraits and busts would never sell well to others), but his product was made with masterful skill honed over years (decades?) of practice with his Fruit and a personal dedication to 'art'.
Rose...will not start of nearly that good. And even if she can improve supernaturally quick through mundane iteration (at least in the ability to make her art, if not the creativity to come up with something inspired)...well it'll still take her a while to be making much profit on her endeavors. Moreover, if it ends up being more efficient to just dismantle low-level works to reuse materials for the skill-grind...well most crafting systems in games limit the efficiency on that pretty hard.
(Edit: Of course, another limit, and one I didn't touch on before either is opportunity cost. Time and resources spent on grinding crafting and making money is time/resources not grinding stats and combat skills. Or having fun. Rose isn't anywhere near as bad as Luffy, but exempting food, they don't seem to be nearly as single-minded and patient as Gamer's on the grind could be. Or else their stats at the beginning of the story would be a lot better.)
As for the money itself...spending seems like a much lesser problem in One Piece. The very nature of the world, disparate and disconnected, makes tracking transactions truly difficult, much less trying to enforce them. When Fiat-created Belli are likely physically identical to the normal stuff that just makes it even worse. The only way this would be a real issue is if the Straw Hats spend a fairly extended portion of time in one location with decently advanced economic tracking systems, and also make it clear in the beginning about how much money they have...and then they prove to have a (statistically) significant amount more. Otherwise? There's way too much abandoned and lost loot and treasure in the oceans and no practical way to check that they haven't just sold stuff at prior locations (or pirated previous merchants). Moreover that most of their stops will be quick ones to get stuff, explore/adventure for a few days, and then leave? There's no time to notice, and vendors will not care, or likely even have the right equipment and data to track monetary discrepancies.
And even if the Straw Hats were found out by the super-competent, never before seen, WG Bureau of Financial Investigation...would anyone they buy from care? If they could even recognize them? The money still looks perfectly good after-all. Even IRL, good counterfeits are caught by banks and such with the dedicated resources, and Game Game money isn't like that, nor is the world of One Piece so advanced or interconnected.
Now, by the time they are extremely famous...the WG could no doubt figure out what's going on. Tracking all their reported and suspected piracies are part and parcel of tracking their location, suspected capabilities, and psychology after-all, and any big transactions or selling of loot could be investigated after-the-fact. With that kind of scrutiny, it would quickly become apparent that the StrawHats have a mystery budget that can't be sourced to treasure they sell or civilians they rob...but even that would take a fair amount of work, not really address the issue that the Straw Hats can still buy stuff, and be greatly obfuscated if Rose and Nami keep up the trend of robbing all their enemies, especially rich ones with unknown quantities of wealth, blind.
Really, the bigger concern for money is not twigging people on to the Game Game fruit producing it, or the use of Inventory for mass looting.
(Edit 2: That last bit actually means they'll probably have to go through some bits of theater with particularly big heists. Crocodiles golden Croc can't just disappear, they need to be seen taking it apart, and/or dragging it off into the desert. And then sell hard-to quantify chunks of gold in various places so the gold is 'gone' and not impossibly hidden on the Going Merry.)
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*Urge to Fisher Tiger rising*
Can you imagine how effective that would be as a distraction if you did it during the Battle of Marineford?
Of course, you'd then need to survive the attention of a couple of pissed Admirals. I recommend advanced stealth and evasion abilities, personally.
But for however long you held their attention, they wouldn't be on the field.
Blinktwice13
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So as far as art, it falls into two areas for Inventory: Key Items and Vendor Trash. A Key Item would be a relic, an heirloom, or something that would be specifically required down the line. For the rest, it's all turned to Belli if the scrap isn't salvageable/usable further on. Regardless of actual value, Inventory is at its heart a brutally utilitarian function.
Rose won't be doing art, suffice to say.
Also, for at least a little bit Rose will be doing proper thief work. If they get a bounty a lot of eyes will be on them very quickly. Money won't be a concern after Rainbase, let alone Skypeia. Luffy dragging them onto the world stage will be what shakes things up.
(Cough Cough Eines)
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As a Joke, I think someone should consider the great Terry Pratchet. Horse Horse Fruit, Modle Blinkie.
Just straight up nope. Hell nope