Chapter 9: Luffy's Ability
Stare…
Luffy was starting to get uncomfortable under their scrutinizing gazes.
He couldn't help but complain:
"Can you please stop staring at me…"
Nami pursed her lips, mumbling:
"That tsunami was your doing, right?"
Zala and Kuina also nodded. They weren't fools—how could a small tsunami suddenly appear out of nowhere, take half the ship, and then vanish like it was all just an illusion?
Kuina reasoned suspiciously:
"You're a Devil Fruit user, right? What's your ability? Is it telekinesis? Before, you manipulated bullets, and now even the sea…"
Zala's face hardened as she gritted her teeth and asked:
"You're not using your Devil Fruit to fake your so-called iron-cutting skill, are you?"
Nami added more fuel to the fire.
"Yeah, when I met him before, he took a mace head-on without flinching. That's gotta be some Devil Fruit power."
Seeing them so adamant to know about his abilities, Luffy answered honestly (well, half-honestly):
"What are you even thinking? I'm a rubber man. I ate the Gomu-Gomu no Mi."
To make his claim more convincing, he stretched his face to the limit, then with a pat, his face snapped back to normal.
Nami exclaimed:
"Liar!! How can rubber not deform after getting smashed by a mace that weighs a ton? Your face didn't change at all back then!"
Luffy answered casually:
"I made the rubber hard."
Nami stared at him, speechless. She clearly didn't believe that nonsense.
Kuina chimed in:
"And what about the bullets you manipulated? That's not rubber."
Zala added:
"And the sudden tsunami…"
Luffy tilted his head, confused about why they were so eager to know his abilities. He knew this world was full of idiots who yelled about their powers in battle, practically advertising their strengths and weaknesses.
"What's wrong with you? Why the sudden interest?"
The trio fell silent.
Suddenly, Luffy seemed to understand.
"Oh… you think I don't trust you as crewmates? That I'm guarding secrets against you?"
The girls looked awkward.
Well, his abilities were too terrifying. Rather than him guarding against them, it was more like he was protecting them by not saying anything. The world's power system was already clear to them—if they knew about his concept abilities, who knew where their imaginations would go?
Luffy decided to satisfy their curiosity but still keep the most dangerous parts hidden.
"Are you sure you want to know? If I tell you, you might run away in fear. My Devil Fruit is… special."
Zala snorted, her tone full of resolve.
"Don't underestimate me. Since I've joined you and called you captain, my life is already in your hands. Your enemies are my enemies. As long as you don't tell me to abandon my dream, I'll do anything you ask. So no matter what, I'm not leaving."
Kuina looked at Zala with a complicated expression. Then she sighed, her eyes firm.
"I'm the same. I swear that no matter how outrageous your circumstances are, I'll never leave this crew."
Luffy didn't expect the scene to get so sentimental, with his crew swearing loyalty one after another.
Oh, wait—there was one missing.
Luffy looked at the conflicted Nami and teased:
"Hoo, so there's a traitor on board."
Zala and Kuina glanced at Nami, their expressions unreadable.
Nami panicked and hurriedly swore loyalty:
"Esteemed Captain! As your first crewmate, how could I ever think of leaving you? I'm the most loyal Straw Hat crew member alive—and even when I'm dead, I'll be the Straw Hat ghost!"
Luffy, Kuina, and Zala rolled their eyes in unison.
"So fake."
"Definitely the traitor."
"We should just cut her."
Nami sweated profusely.
Luffy chuckled, then said:
"Alright, I'll tell you. My Devil Fruit is indeed the Gomu-Gomu no Mi—but this fruit hides a terrifying secret."
The three girls looked at him curiously, eyes full of anticipation. It wasn't just about the ability—it was about trust.
Luffy continued:
"My Devil Fruit has another name: Sun God Nika. It's actually a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit."
Zala and Kuina looked bewildered, while Nami's eyes widened in shock.
"Sun God Nika? Isn't that just a story?"
Luffy looked at Nami with interest.
"Oh? You know about Sun God Nika?"
Nami blushed and stammered, as if trying to recall a memory.
"I just read it once… in a very old book. It was a story about a legendary warrior who freed people from slavery…"
Kuina and Zala were surprised but still confused.
What's so scary about that?
Even Nami didn't get it at first—but then she realized something.
"Wait—if that's true, why is it called the Rubber Fruit and not Sun God Nika?"
Luffy smiled and nodded at Nami approvingly.
"You're still smart, Nami-chan. That's right—because the people Nika fought against were the World Government. This Devil Fruit's power was so terrifying that it brought nightmares to the higher-ups of the government. So they tampered with its name."
He paused, letting the weight of the words sink in.
"So what do you think will happen if they find out I ate it—and I even awakened the real ability?"
Nami's face turned pale.
Even Kuina and Zala looked serious.
Luffy continued:
"You must be wondering what kind of power it is. I'll tell you—my ability is to turn imagination into reality. I call it Freedom."
The three girls stared at him in shock.
Kuina exclaimed:
"Such an ability actually exists? That's too OP! How is that even allowed?!"
Zala tightened her grip on her katana, her gaze full of awe and admiration.
Nami's mouth was wide open, eyes shining in disbelief.
Seeing her reaction, Luffy decided to tease her.
With a little willpower, he casually created a chunk of gold, letting it fall with a heavy thud.
Almost instantly, Nami dove for the gold, hugging it tightly—but her eyes were locked on Luffy, shining even brighter than the gold itself.
After all, a walking gold factory was too dazzling for her to resist.
Luffy chuckled.
"So after knowing about my ability, you should understand—if word gets out, our peaceful days will be over. If any of you are scared, you can leave at the next island. I won't stop you."
Zala and Kuina snorted in dissatisfaction.
Even Nami straightened up and shouted:
"Don't even think about it! Who do you think you're talking to?!"
"Yeah!" x3
Are you kidding?That chunk of gold must weigh a ton or two—and it was created casually.Even if Luffy didn't want her on board, Nami would shamelessly tag along anyway.
Luffy laughed.
While he kept many things hidden, he hadn't lied. His ability was just that terrifying.
He could feel that his relationship with the girls had reached a new level. They were no longer just companions—they were true crewmates now, willing to trust each other. Even Nami was subdued.
Though she hadn't said much, Luffy could tell—her heart was already set on the Straw Hat crew.
Off in the distance, the island silhouette came into view.
Luffy announced:
"The island's in sight. Get ready to disembark."
"Haiiii!"