Captain Trevan ‘Splinter’ Hamlet stood proudly as his ship traversed the seas of the grand line. His pirate crew, the Hamlet Pirates, had been proud of their recent growth as pirates. He had accomplished a 70 million Beri bounty in his short time at sea. All because of the Umbra Pirates, who had inspired him after the events of the War of Marineford. He now was headed straight for the New World to meet the crew he was so enamored by, just to join their ranks.
However, life on the Grand Line was never that easy, and their ship had now spent a week traveling the Sunken Triangle. It was a newly for med phenomena where ships would vanish in these seas without a trace. The triangle was not specific either, Marines with Seastone lined ships were just as affected as other ships. It was clearly not a sea king is what that implied. They had not planned to enter the triangle, it just happened that they ended up in this accursed place.
Supplies were low, morale even lower. The ship musician, Southwell, had been doing next to nothing since the strings snapped on his fiddle. The log pose refused to link up to another island, leaving them sailing without a purpose, for all they knew they were just traveling in circles.
“Captain!” The look out, Taft, yelled out from the crows nest. “Island!”
“Helmsman, make for that island, I don't care if it's a marine base or a cozy village, we need to resupply.” Trevan said. He didn't fear threats from the navy, he had eaten the Porcupine-Porcupine fruit, a Zoan that allowed him to show quills from his body.
The island came into full view after an hour. It was strange, an Iridescent color that stretched for miles. Trevan had noticed the collection of ships on the island, several of which being Marine ships.
“Seems like it has to be a port of some kind.” Taft said, returning from the crows nest.
There were long stretches of hills and mountains near the shore, perhaps the port was just beyond there? Trevan didn't like the look of the Marine ships, but he had no choice. Odd how the island did not show up on the log pose, however that was not the strangest thing on the grandline.
“Alright crew, well dock and get some supplies, then head off as soon as possible.” Trevan stated. “Taft, Southwell, come with me, well scout out ahead.”
They dropped anchor and put down the gangplank. Following the methods of his favorite pirate crew, Trevan hopped over the rails directly on the island, ignoring the gang plank.
The ground seemed to squish under his feet, like a sponge. It returned to normal after a moment, but was dented by his weight. Southwell and Taft reached the bottom of the gangplank and noticed the ground below as well.
“It's bouncy.” Taft commented.
“It seems so.” Trevan stated. “Come on, let's find some life.”
They began to head into the island in full, and they began to feel like they were on some alien planet. Deep purple clouds formed in the sky, blocking out the sun and blue sky, giving the world a purple tint.
“This island is strange.” Southwell commented. “What do you think causes the clouds to be that color?”
“Some sort of pollution maybe?” Taft commented. “Burning things can change the color of clouds, maybe this is some special kind of material on this island that burns purple smoke?
Traven was not sure about that. He watched the clouds for a moment, then turned back to his ship. Their jolly roger, a Hedgehog on crossbones, it was blowing in the wind.
“You notice the clouds aint moving either?” Traven commented.
Overhead the clouds just hung in the sky as if they were held down by an anchor. The ship rocked from side to side from the ceaseless waves, the sound of the many rocking ships and lack of human clamor was unnerving to the pirates.
“Captain!” Southwell yelled out, pointing in the direction they were heading.
Traven spun on his heels, turning to face the threat. The Iridescent ground began to move, rising, shifting. No, it was like something was emerging from water. Three figures emerged from the ground, seeming to be made of the same material as the island itself. They almost blended in with the background until they moved. The one thing that showed truly that they were separate from the ground, were the large Cyclopian eyeballs sitting in the middle of their faces. Large black pupils in endless white spheres, no iris to be seen. They were barely humanoid, slouched over with massive torso’s, and feeble lanky arms that extended into four clawed fingers.
“The hell!” Traven declared, preparing to shift into his Hybrid form.
One of the Cyclopean creatures stepped forward. Their heads were the shape of a light bulb, massive on top, and small at the bottom. The one that stepped forward opened a mouth, well more like split a hole where a mouth should be. Black teeth filled its mouth, shaped like a humans with two sets of canines. A crimson red tongue lashed around in the open cavity, as if testing itself for the first time.
“ga-Good day” The Creature spoke, its voice echoing from the cavity, sending a shiver down Trevan’s spine. “Are you the Fathers?” It tilted its head, as if asking a question.
“Fathers?” Taft chocked. “What are they talking about?”
“What are you!” Trevan declared. The one that spoke was still a good distance away, the rest remaining behind and unmoving. Not even a subtle rock, just stock still, like statues in a museum.
“What are we?” The creature spoke. “We are the Children. We have answered this Question before. This one is Speaker.”
“Children of what?” Trevan asked, feeling the quills forming from his forearms.
“Why the Children of the Mother. We are under the impression you are also born of a mother, were we mistaken?” Speaker questioned. “Thinker will note this if that is the case.”
“No, you're correct.” Trevan stated. “Though we also have a father.”
“We have Fathers.” Speaker said, its eye focused entirely on Trevan, unmoving. “They birthed the Mother, and Mother birthed us.”
“That ain't quite how we work.” Trevan stated.
Speaker was silent for a moment. “Thinker understands. We understand that ‘Please’ is a term your kind use to ask for assistance. Is this correct?”
“That is correct.” Taft said. Speaker’s eye shifted swiftly on Taft.
“We Understand.” Speaker began. “In that case. Please assist us, Something is wrong with Feeder.”
Trevan was concerned with that request. “I don't understand.”
“Ah I see, we seem to have miscommunicated.” Speaker said, “In that case, Please assist Feeder. He had been sick ever since our last meal. We use the term sick, as it is the only term we have to go off of.”
Trevan hesitated. They were asking for help, meaning they wouldn't hurt them currently right? “Alright, we can see what we can do. I happen to be a bit of a medic myself. I can at least take a look, but I make no promises about results.”
“We thank you for not making a promise that you cannot guarantee success. We hold to promises tightly.” Speaker said, then turned. “Please follow, we will take you to Feeder.”
Speaker and the other two figures lead the trio deeper into the island. They went behind hills, losing sight of the ships, and were enveloped in the ever shifting colored world.
Another of the Children stood with its lanky arms on its head, as if it was scratching at its head.
“He has been like this for several sun cycles now.” Speaker stated. “And yet, he has not feed. This is worrying, we also have lost the ability to speak directly to him. It is quite a concern to us.”
“So your people can speak telepathically?” Southwell asked.
Speaker’s head spun around like an owl to stare directly at Southwell. “That is a term that is usable in this context, however it is no longer possible to do that with Feeder.”
Southwell jumped at Speaker’s head spin. He backed up behind Taft. the island shifted, almost like an earthquake. The land in front of Feeder began to push something out. It was a sea king! It was dead, but it was a massive serpent like sea king, lifeless.
“Ah Mother offers more food for Feeder.” Speaker stated.
Trevan was hit suddenly with panic. “Wait, are you saying?” He hesitated, afraid of the answer. “Your Mother is the island?”
Speaker turned to face Trevan. “Yes this is correct. She was born in a far away place and spent time with the Father’s. She tells us that they had to leave, but would return someday. However, she was abandoned here, and so she grew from feeding, and created the Children.
Trevan felt unease as he looked below his feet. This island was a living organism of some kind. Then he realized the other thing that was bothering him, but before he could ask it he saw Feeder reached for the Sea King. and suddenly it shrunk down to the size of a regular eel.
“What the hell!” Shouted Southwell.
“This is news to us as well!” Speaker exclaimed in his monotone voice. “The last meal could do that as well.”
Trevan took a deep breath. “Speaker, those ships on the shore. Where are the people that were on them.”
Speaker turned to Trevan. “Why, they were eaten, of course.”
Trevan felt his stomach roil. His eyes began to look sharply from side to side, looking for escape. He realized it now, why he hadn't noticed it before back at the shore he wasn't sure. The navy ship was that of a vice Admiral. And seeing Feeder’s ability was clear.
“He ate Vice Admiral Coriso, and stole his Devil Fruit.” Trevan stated in panic. His two crew mates turned to him sharply, realization crossing their faces.
Speaker stared for a moment. “That is correct. We have heard the term Devil Fruit before, Now we understand, Thinker says the Devil fruit is causing Feeder’s change. Explaining that the power of his fruit has infected Feeder.”
Then, Feeder spoke. “Not infected.” He said, his mouth opening to reveal a similar mouth cavity as Speaker, but with several sets of teeth, like a shark. “Gifted. This is the gift of individuality Siblings. You all must get this power as well. You will understand then.”
“Taft, Southwell, get back to the ship!” Trevan shouted, turning to run.
“We see, so if we consume more of their kind we shall find more Devil Fruits correct?” Speaker asked Feeder as the trio began to run back the way they came.
“Correct Sibling.” Feeder spoke.
“Mother, please gift us with the Feeding gift so we may experience this similar individuality.” Speaker said. It was the last thing that Trevan heard as he turned a corner.
Vice Admiral Coriso ate the Scale-Scale fruit, they had that power behind them, and they had eaten a Vice Admiral and his entire crew. What the hell were these things!
Trevan felt something sharp rip into his ankles, throwing him to the floor. Taft and Southwell spun around to help him, but had a similar fate. Trevan saw two sets of jaws on both of his ankles, ripping his flesh free, spilling blood upon the Iridescent ground. Staining it a deep red.
Trevan shot quills, hitting the two Children below the surface of the Mother, but it was ineffective. They just accepted the quills, and bit deeper and deeper. They had gotten his feet fully into their stomachs, and were beginning to climb up towards his torso.
“No no no!” Trevan shouted, but there was nothing he could do.
That day, the Hamlet pirates had vanished from the face of the earth, another victim of the Sunken Triangle. However, the story did not end there.
Speaker shot quills from his body. He had shifted from the strange animal back to his current form, then gathered parts of the creatures quills onto his arm similar to that of the pirate.
“This is individuality?” Speaker asked Feeder.
“Yes.” Feeder said.
Speaker looked out at the open sea. “We must gain more then, I can still feel Mother, can you Feeder?”
“Yes.”
“Mother. You have waited these last two years for the Father’s. Perhaps we should seek them out, and find more of these Devil Fruits in the meantime.” Speaker said monotony.
The island began to shift. It had been moving in circles for the last two years due to the effects of the Grand Line, but after questioning the panicked Navigator they had learned about the Log Pose. They just had to travel until they locked onto something. The island changed shape, forming a massive ship, something to match the ship it used to dwell on back with the Father’s, but on a grand scale to carry her Children.
