On an unknown island within East Blue.

"What did that Smoking Nobody say?!" The loud grumble was clearly unwanted in the peaceful tropical surroundings as a frivolous tone cut him out, "Chapapa, he's the watcher of Loguetown and isn't under our command. Anyway, his objective is to keep pirates from leaving Loguetown and our objective is to capture three of them, chapapa..."

"Can't we get some food here aeee!" A third voice with a dragging tone complained while the first one sighed, "Uh, just my luck... anyway, just a punk who got lucky in destroying some forces of that arrogant Researching Bastard means squat! We know their abilities and the latest intel suggests that he has taken a few more members... all of them are women! Beautiful ones at that! Damn it! I want to tear him apart so much!"

"We're ordered to catch him alive, chapapa..."

"Yeah, yeah... confirm our plans with Smoker. Although he's an arrogant son of a bitch... we can't do shit to him because of his devil fruit. Besides, with cooperation, not only will we capture that Devil who has yet to awaken... we may also have an easier time capturing that thing for the higher-ups."

---

*Squawk*

*Squawk*

Pelicans squawked shrilly, their voices echoing through the vast blue sky as a pink-colored ship moved peacefully towards the intended direction. The sail had picked fortunate wind and the pedals of the ship didn't need manual labor to move. This was none other than Alvida's ship. Although it was of better quality, it still came a bit worse compared to ships created by marines as aside from maneuvering the sails, the pedals were designed to be automatic.

"Hah~! Now, this is the life of piracy!" In nothing but his shorts, Brody lay on a reclined chair and a pair of sunglasses over his head. They had been away for a few hours now after they left Buggy and his crew with themselves to build a ship or repair their old one. Some selfish bastard broke their ship, after all.

"Should I eat it?"

Not far from them, Alvida, Nojiko, and Nami sat around a table with a tiny treasure chest placed in front of them. The trio still couldn't believe their find and Nojiko glanced at her captain for his suggestion.

"It's your choice," Brody shrugged, "Look at Alvida, she got cool ability. Maybe you'll get something nice, too... or whoa! You could create clothes! My outfit is always destroyed so it would come in handy!"

The trio felt collectively stifled for a second with none even imagining such ability as they gazed at their captain shamelessly revealing himself... to the sun. This was all wrong!

They were the ones who wanted to lay down and sunbathe but... how the hell did the three of them end up working while the only man on the ship lazed so peacefully?

"I'm eating it!" Nojiko's gaze flickered with determination as she looked at a weird mango-shaped dark-red skinned fruit with spherical appendages sticking out of it that had white markings on top of it.

A Devil Fruit!

"Wait, wait," Nami hurriedly interjected with a worried expression, "Are you sure, Nojiko? If you eat this, the moment you fall into the sea, it'll be the end of you!"

Nojiko looked a little conflicted while Alvida groaned, "And all devil fruits have horrible tastes..."

"I still want to try it... who knows if we'll ever have another Devil Fruit. After all, you guys said that they are one of the rarest treasures of this world. Besides," Nojiko gulped and frowned, "This fruit looks strange... I will regret it if I didn't taste it, no matter the result..."

"You know," Brody spoke casually, "If you're willing to wait, there is a chance to identify this fruit. My partner has extensive knowledge of devil fruits so she could identify it for you."

"There is a partner?" Alvida inquired, "Why am I hearing about it only now?"

"Because you only joined us now," Nami deadpanned while Nojiko nodded, "That works for me—"

*Crash*

A gigantic dark green sea king tore out from the water to leap high in the air and then crash down into the ocean as its massive fins raised a mighty tide that even covered the sky as their ship was pulled high up into the tide.

"Brody! Get to the helm and—" Nami began to give instructions as Alvida hurried to grab onto the nearest railing with a panicked expression as it was clear that her ability to slip off of things was more of a conscious effort too as she managed to keep a tight grip of the railing. Meanwhile, Nojiko leaped to catch back the devil fruit while grabbing onto Alvida's mace.

"Hold on!" Alvida grunted as Nojiko nodded. Yet, as their ship crashed back on the relatively calm surface of the ocean, Nojiko and Alvida hit the deck relatively roughly, causing the breath to be knocked out of Nojiko for a second while the fruit in her hand slipped up, riding the counter momentum of the fall and...

"It tastes disgusting!" Nojiko spat out the fruit that had inflated her mouth with a tiny piece of it missing from the top.

The mango couldn't roll further due to the appendages sticking out as Nojiko's crewmate looked at her with Brody even pulling his shades above his forehead.

"W-what?" It was hard for Nojiko to feel flustered but she had her moments, too, as the bandaged, tattooed questioned.

"Nothing, we're just waiting for your powers to manifest," Brody replied.

"I don't think a single bite would have that effect," Nojiko pushed herself off of the deck of the ship when her hands suddenly revealed to have translucent, mist-like white extensions connected to the ship, causing her to blink and then yelp in surprise as she pulled her hand up hurriedly only for the crew to hear a distinct *tac* noise as if something had broken while the mist-like 'tendrils' squirmed and hastily entered Nokijo's body through the center of her palms.

"Nojiko," Nami hurried towards Nojiko, "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah," Nojiko looked stunned, "Better, actually," she casually hugged Nami back but as they pulled apart, again, distinct whitish mist-like tendrils were pulled 'out' of Nami, and they entered Nojiko's through her palm, causing Nami to suddenly feel a bout of weakness as she looked stunned, "Eh?" while her knees gave in and she collapsed onto the deck with a dazed expression.

"Nami!" Nojiko gasped when Brody pulled the elder sibling away, "Wait, I think it's something to do with your abilities... look at that," he pointed out towards the small area of the deck already rotten while Nami gradually recovered and looked at Nojiko strangely.

"That's one weird ability... to suck things..." She couldn't help but put the ability in this manner itself.

"Ah... could it be..." Alvida looked at the rotten area of the deck and then looked at a somewhat pale Nami, "Oi, Nojiko, hurry and take off your bandages!"

"My bandages?" She let go of Brody when a distinct, almost solid pillar of white glow emerged out of his arms and entered Nojiko's body causing her to go dizzy while Brody blinked in surprise as his knees wished to buckle down, too. Fighting against the dizzying spell, Brody barely held onto Nojiko as she lost her consciousness in his arms.

"Nojiko!" Nami screamed and tried to stand up only for her weakness to remain at the moment as Alvida continued, "It's just like I thought... Nojiko is just 'full' so her body is probably trying to digest everything she just 'ate.' Give her time, she'll wake up."

And then gazing at Brody with a surprised expression as the 'legends' always remarked how the effects would adversely affect everyone, Alvida couldn't help but feel impressed by the end of it since he still managed to remain standing.

---

"Ugh... huh?" Nojiko sat up, feeling utterly refreshed while instantly realizing that someone had undressed her bandages. Her hands unconsciously reached for her throat and realized that it no longer ached. Her other bruises seemed to have disappeared, too, while a feeling of rejuvenating strength filled her body!

"Brody! Alvida! Nojiko's awake!" Before greeting Nojiko, Nami called out to others while still staying close to the door as Nojiko inquired, "What happened to me?"

After the constant teasing Nami had suffered, she was in no mood to give a straight reply as she hummed, "Didn't you want to keep our captain 'tame'? Well, it would seem that you knocked out cold by just taking him even once is the price of your hubris."

"Who's knocked up?" Brody inquired while entering.

"Knocked out! Not knocked up!" Nami hissed, "I know you heard me right the first time!"

"Did I?" Brody shrugged while Alvida followed after him.

"So? Did you enjoy it?" Brody's expression lit up, "How did I taste? Sweet? Spicy?"

"Uh, what?" Nojiko revealed her confusion as she looked at her hands. This time, her touch didn't cause anything to come out of anywhere.

"The fruit you ate, most likely, is the Aura Aura No Mi. When I was a kid, I heard of a pirate in East Blue that could pull the life out of someone or something by touching them. In fact, when the pirate disappeared, rumors began to crop up that the Pirate was too greedy and took too much... Now, it seems that there is some truth to it."

Alvida explained while leaning against a wall as she gazed at Nojiko with barely concealed envy, "Aura Aura no Mi hasn't resurfaced since then. At most, we know that you can suck... what we think, the essence out of someone or something. Back then, you just got your power and overate... so it seems that there are limitations to this power."

"So... both of you are fine, right?" Nojiko looked at Nami and Brody with a concerned expression as Nami revealed a sad look, "Sadly... I feel too weak... Ah, Nojiko, why would you do that?!"

"I- I-..." Nojiko's expression twisted into guilt and worry as Nami shook her head, "There is only one way to help me, Nojiko... only you can do that!"

"Anything!" Nojiko nodded.

"Increase my allowance from 50000 B to 100000 B per month." Nami declared as Nojiko's expression froze before she glared at her younger sister, "Why would you do that?! I was worried sick for a moment!"

"Well," Nami smiled, enjoying the sweet moments of the table turning, "Who told you to be such a voracious woman, Nojiko? Tch, tch, even your devil fruit is 'nasty.' Are you sure you're really full with just our captain? Hmm? Then again, you did break the heart of everyone that asked you—"

"Understood!" Nojiko glanced at Brody's curious expression and then hissed, "100000!"

"Thanks~!" Nami stuck her tongue out.

"Well, I demand 1 million B per month then," Alvida smirked.

"10 million!" Brody chimed.

"Oh, of course, when you two wake up from your dreams, we'll talk again," Nojiko hummed, quickly regaining her composure and sighing, "Sorry, Nami, Brody... I..."

"Now, now, you didn't do it on purpose," Brody smiled, "Besides, you recovering so quickly only means that I have to focus on spooning Nami so that she can recover quickly, too."

"Huh?" Nojiko's expression froze.

"Eh?" Nami's eyes widened while her cheeks flushed instantly.

"Spooning to heal? Is it possible to learn such power?" Alvida gaped, realizing this crew was even stranger than one Straw Hat Bendy Boi.