10 7 Years / Devil fruits
The wind was silent while a young man was doing push-ups and counted them...
"99.998"
"99.999."
"100.000"
As he stood up, three women came by, followed by an 'old man. They looked at the young man who was about 8'7 and had red hair; despite being 8'7 at 16, he looked pretty good and mature. His body wasn't too slim nor too muscular.
As the older man then looked at him, he smiled and said:
"So, Justus D. Xavier."
As Justus heard those words, he replied with a smile and a simple nod as he then went over to the three women. The three women who stood there then took them in their arms as then the tall slim woman who wore a long coat spoke.
"My little Justus is already sailing... Ai how fast the time is flying and you are already this tall!" And who else could it be then his Aunt Hancook?
"Tch, let the young man alone, Sister Hancook! Our little Justus is now a grown man!" Auntie Marigold added as she patted Justus on his back; even though she said he was a grown man, Justus felt like life played him.
'Auntie Marigold is 14'2 Shes the double of me...' Even though he knew that people are tall, he felt lowkey depressed thinking about it. But then he looked at the other tall or more giant woman next to his Auntie Marigold; it was his Auntie Sandersonia who was even taller than Marigold!
Being 14'10, Sandersonia always made fun of Justus, who was mere 8'7.
"Well then, little man come to your Auntie!" Sandersonia said with a smile as Justus walked over and hugged her feeling like he was a dwarf or something.
"Well then! Justus I want to talk with you alone." Shanks said as he walked to the coast of the island.
"Whats the matter Grandpa ?" Justus said as he followed his Grandpa; in the past seven years, Justus trained intensely to become stronger, but yet he had lost to his Grandpa about 300 times already, was the intention of his Grandpa to fight him the last time before he hoists his sails? Nevertheless, he just followed Shanks, and then as they arrived, Shanks looked up in the sky and asked:
"Do you remember when I said that I would give you a special gift ?"
But as Shanks asked him that Justus recalled the bet with his Grandpa, he then looked at Shanks and said with laughter:
"Haha! Oh yeah, I guess that was when I was nine, right?
"Exactly." Shanks replied with a smile as he looked back to his Grandson, revealing a chest to his Grandson. The chest was small but looked quite formidable; Justus then looked at it for quite a while as he felt some familiarity with the chest.
'When did I saw this chest once ?' Although he was pretty sure he has seen it, he couldn't say when and where. It was just this familiar feeling that he felt.
Shanks then looked with a serious face at Justus and said:
"Open it with your Armament Haki!" Shanks then gave Justus this chest and waited.
Looking at this chest for a bit, Justus knew he had to use the advanced Armament Haki. Therefore he took the chest and then began with the process.
A black layer with a hint of red aura then began to wrap up the hands of Justus. The chest then began to move, and in the end, his Haki was strong enough and destroyed the chest's lock.
And then, as the chest opened, it revealed an exotic-looking fruit.
A golden mango with leaves on one end with the usual spiral pattern...
Looking at it fot a while, Justus could feel some kind of warmth as he then had to ask Shanks if that was truly a devil fruit even though he was pretty much sure.
"Grandpa- This... is that a devil fruit!?" Looking at the fruit in his hands and then back to Shanks.
"Yes, yes it is."
"What?!" Justus was lost in his thoughts. He read many things about devil fruits and especially their worth that was rising through the years.
"This devil fruit is a present of your mother. It was her will that I would only give that to you once you have the ability to destroy this chest." But as Justus heard those words, he looked at the fruit with shock and frowned. Even though she was his mother, she died when he was quite a young boy, and therefore he had not too many memories of her but still, it was the woman who gave birth to him. And of course, this would be a precious thing for him not only because it was a devil fruit, no... It was a present from his mother.
(A/N: I have a friend whose mother had died in front of his eyes when he was five years old, and she had given him the last present, a necklace. Even though it didn't match him, he wore it anytime and would never take it off. He also says that he doesn't really have many memories of her, but still, he can feel her warmth if he touches the necklaces. However, I just wanted to include this in my story because of how he told me this.)
Justus then nodded and took the devil fruit, with the intention not to eat the fruit; Shanks then said words that would change his opinion:
"You mom would've been sad if you wouldnt eat it, dont make her death so meaningless."
Silence...
"What did you said..." Justus then asked in shock as he looked at the fruit in his hands.
"Dont make her death meaningless by wasting the fruit by not eating it." Shanks said as he got a flashback...
Six years ago...
"Lucca so you have really killed them?"
"Father, I dont have much time. You know her will and also that he won't accept it once he knows that it is a present from his mother."
"Aiya, No worries. I will handle that, don't forget that she was like a daughter for me."
"Well then... I hope I can see Justus in New Seas again."
"However, we will-"
TSCHHHHH...
The connection of the transponder Snail...
Back to the present...
Hearing those words, Justus quickly looked at the fruit as he began to devour it... But as he was expecting something super gross like sources would tell, the fruit was more than delicious!
However... As he finished the fruit, he looked over to Shanks and asked:
"Oh, Grandpa you have never told me, what this fruit is..."
Shanks smiled and replied:
"Well done, that fruit is a Divine Zoan type, Snake Snake fruit Model: Quetzacoatl!"
------
1st chap, another chap is coming and another Volume 'Hoist the sail!'
