Lili had been expecting an outburst—being controlled by the Devil Fruit, going berserk, losing himself, all that shit.
But nothing happened.
The spider face remained completely still. From the moment it tore its way out of his body and let out that deafening roar, it had fallen into absolute silence.
Lili stared at it.
The spider stared back.
Neither moved.
They remained like that.
Silent.
For nearly twenty minutes.
Finally, Lili broke the silence and addressed the system.
"What's the problem?" he asked flatly. "This thing was eager—desperate—to come out. It felt like it wanted to devour something, to go berserk."
"But now? Nothing."
"So explain it, system. What's going on here… or am I just being paranoid?"
Ding—
□ Research
To clear things up: No, the spider body does not have its own sentience or will.
The spider face does not think for itself or argue with the host; it is simply a part of your body that you control entirely.
It is the host's instinct and will that reacted the entire time, which caused the Devil Fruit to respond to your own sentience and desires.
Lili slowly raised an eyebrow.
"…Me?"
"All this time… it was me thinking about all that?"
"…Me?"
His lips twitched.
"Have you gone mad, Shakky? I know myself very well."
He waited for a response.
Nothing came.
Silence again.
For the first time, doubt crept in.
He exhaled, then shrugged it off.
"…Maybe I'm just stressed," he muttered. "A lot of shit happened recently, after all."
Lili cracked his long, pale neck.
Crack.
"Ah—"
"That felt great."
He glanced down again.
"So this thing doesn't have any sentience…"
"Then why is it smiling?"
"And drooling?"
"It even knows how to smile."
Ding—
□ Research
Even though the spider is not "alive" on its own, it possesses specialized biological traits.
The spider face can eat, breathe fire (via a specialized internal weapon), and spit sticky webbing.
Lili stared.
"So… it's like a puppet."
"But with a twist."
"That sounds good and abnormal at the same time."
He looked down at the massive spider head.
"Hey, Spiddy," he said casually. "What do you want to eat?"
"Raw? Cooked? Overcooked?"
No response.
No movement.
"…Yup," Lili nodded. "Confirmed. This guy is hollow."
"Just like a robot—only acts if I command it or communicate through my mind."
He examined the spider more carefully, mentally calculating.
"…You're big."
"Double my size, at least."
"I'd say around fourteen feet."
"And it feels like I can increase your size too."
Lili frowned slightly.
"…How am I aware of this?"
"Not just aware—I feel it. Like I already know how to do it."
"What's going on here?"
Ding—
□ Research
Researching your memories…
1%—23%—36%—48%—52%—68%—74%—87%—94%—100%
Ding—
□ Research
Date: 1-13-2023
Time: 3:07
Oda addressed this directly in SBS Volume 45, and his explanation was surprisingly grounded for a world of magical fruits.
He debunked the idea that Devil Fruits "speak" or "whisper" their name to the user.
It's an instinct, not a conversation.
The fruit does not speak. There is no voice in the user's head. Instead, the user experiences a physical realization.
Once you take a bite, you suddenly realize you have a new ability. It's like discovering a muscle you didn't know you had.
You don't "know" the name Gomu Gomu no Mi—you just realize your arm is stretching like rubber.
Paramecia and Logia fruits are simply "powers."
However, Zoan fruits possess a "will of their own."
They do not speak—but they can influence instinct and personality.
The Awakening Risk:
If a Zoan user's will is not strong enough, the animal nature can take over.
The Instinct:
A Zoan user may feel urges—to hunt, to move, to react—which helps them understand their new form.
Lili went quiet.
"…That was… detailed."
"…Did I research this before?"
"And where exactly did you get this from, Shakky?"
He smirked faintly.
"And see? I told you."
"This Spiddy thing is influencing me."
♤
Lili waited for an answer from the system, but just like before, it remained silent.
He didn't bother anymore.
Slowly, he looked down again.
The spider beneath him had many eyes—red, set in dark purple flesh streaked with faint crimson veins. Its fangs were sharp, more like knives than teeth, and green acid dripped steadily from its mouth, sizzling softly as it hit the ground.
Lili stared at it for a moment.
Then he moved.
Without hesitation, he controlled it.
He took a single step—using the spider's legs.
The spider moved exactly as he intended, slow and deliberate, as if it were his own body.
Like it had always been.
He tested it further.
He wanted to jump.
And just like muscle memory, the spider's legs bent low beneath him, coiling with power—then launched.
Swoosh.
"Woah."
He shot so high that the forest spread out beneath him, the canopy shrinking as he rose.
Then gravity claimed him.
He descended far faster than he had gone up.
Fooooosh—
Bang.
The spider slammed into the ground, cracking the earth at the landing point. The ground shattered outward, but Lili felt nothing.
No pain.
No damage.
He moved again.
Jumping from tree to tree.
Each leap was effortless.
Every landing obliterated whatever he touched—trees shattered instantly, trunks crumbling and collapsing under the sheer force of impact.
It should have felt exhilarating.
Amusing.
The raw feeling of power should have stirred something inside him.
But Lili's face never changed.
His expression remained flat, bored, utterly nonchalant.
As if none of it mattered.
As if this overwhelming strength was nothing worth caring about at
♤
But he didn't know yet.
Within those dark purple eyes of his, something flickered.
A red glint.
Was it desire?
Hunger?
Destruction?
Or was it nothing at all—just a red glint?
Well…
who knows.