Long ago, on a certain island in some distant sea, a small indigenous religious organization had been quietly carrying out its activities.
This religious organization was what people would call a "heretical cult."
It exhibited the sort of behavior typical of such groups: fanatical teachings, exclusivity taken to grotesque extremes. Against Outsiders, they brooked no argument, resorting even to murder as a means of elimination. On top of that, they conducted rituals involving human sacrifice.
Today, nothing remains on that island.
The Government of the time deemed the group dangerous, and a Buster Call was ordered. The Cult, its members, and everything on that island were blown away and erased from existence.
...With the exception of a certain research sample that had been smuggled off the island just before.
Though these people have now vanished from the world, one notable characteristic defined the Cult: they had used a certain organism to dominate the island.
That organism was the parasitic creature known as "Plaga."
This parasite, which resembles a cross between a spider and a centipede, enters the body of another living creature in its egg state, hatches, and then connects its own body to the host's nervous system, seizing control of the body. In other words, it hijacks the host entirely.
In the process, the host's original brain cells suffer catastrophic damage, and their sense of self is almost entirely destroyed.
However, since a certain degree of intelligence is preserved, the host can continue to behave normally, as though still alive. In reality, by the time parasitization and assimilation are complete, the host can no longer be considered alive as a human being.
Additionally, as a byproduct, the host's body is remodeled to some extent to suit the Plaga's needs, resulting in a significant enhancement of the host's vitality and physical capabilities.
The Cult exploited this property by implanting Plaga into its followers, turning them into slaves that moved at their command.
As mentioned, the Cult itself was destroyed, but the sample that had leaked out just before its end made its way through various hands and eventually reached a certain researcher belonging to a certain Pirate Crew.
That researcher, Sou, took note of the Plaga's properties and, after extensive research, established a method of applying the Plaga's ability to "connect with nerves and enhance the host's body" to human body modification.
She then applied this to her own body, which had been ravaged and breaking down from illness and modification surgery, and successfully obtained a physique equal to, or perhaps even surpassing, her prime.
***
"So that's the story! By utilizing the parasitic organism's properties, I managed to repair my damaged nervous system while also enhancing my physical functions to a certain degree!"
"So what you're saying is, Granny, you currently have that parasite inside your body... no, you're 'keeping it' inside your body... is that right?"
"Put simply, that's exactly right!"
"Is that even safe!? You said being parasitized destroys, you know, the... the brain, right!?"
Leona blurted this out, eyes wide with shock at what she'd just heard.
A perfectly natural reaction, I'd say, but Mama seemed completely unfazed, answering in her usual breezy manner.
"No need to worry! I'm perfectly fine! I've made all the proper adjustments, and besides, the type that destroys the brain is the 'Subordinate Strain.' What I've got inside me is the 'Dominant Strain'!"
"'Dominant Strain' and... 'Subordinate Strain'? There are different types of Plaga?"
"Of course there are! After all, that's exactly how they 'dominated' their followers!"
According to Mama, the "Subordinate Strain" works exactly as described earlier.
It connects to the host's nervous system and takes over. The host's brain is destroyed. As a human being, they die.
The "Dominant Strain," on the other hand, connects to the host's nervous system in the same way, but with one key difference: the host's sense of self is not lost. And the physical enhancement still occurs as expected.
The Cult's Executives exploited this by deliberately implanting the "Subordinate Strain" into their followers while implanting the "Dominant Strain" into themselves, allowing them to freely control the followers (or rather, the Plaga that had taken them over).
And Mama, while not using the exact same method, had modified the Plaga to some degree and then deliberately parasitized herself with it. Rather than implanting it as an egg, she'd used the Op-Op Fruit's Powers to directly incorporate the Plaga into her body and connect her own nerves to it. What an insane thing to do...
As a result, Mama's nervous system, which had been damaged by illness and human modification, was restored to better than its original state, and as a bonus, her physical functions improved as well.
"So then, Mother and her group were told about this during that 'talk' the other day... That must have been quite..."
"Yeah... I was honestly shocked. She said she was going to use a parasite to cure her illness and restore her body. Even though she claimed she'd fine-tune everything with the Op-Op Fruit's Powers."
Yeah, really... It worked out, so that's good, but still.
...Now then, that was only the halfway point.
Yes. Halfway.
We've covered the Plaga explanation, but the other terrifying substance remains: "Kadu."
And since this, too, is inevitably connected to Mama's "Second Modification Surgery," we need a proper explanation.
I'm scared to hear it, but hang in there, everyone. Just a little more!
"Mother. We got dragged into this."
"Don't sweat the small stuff!"
"Oh yeah, and on top of that, here's a Supreme Advisor's Order from Grandpa. You're sticking around, brats."
"In that case, perhaps I could excuse my..."
"You're mandatory attendance by default, obviously, Dr. Indigo. You're technically Sou's boss right now, remember?"
"The parental faction today is just brutal..."
"...??? I don't really understand, but you all sure have it tough!"
"..."
...All the retorting in the world just makes you tired, so let's move on.
"Alright, I'll give a quick explanation of this one too! This 'Kadu' is an ancient research document I found inside an abandoned ship at Ape's Concert. Like the 'Plaga,' it has the property of parasitizing other organisms, but as you can see from its appearance, it's not an insect! It's a 'fungus'... a relative of mold and mushrooms!"
"This thing's a mushroom...? It looks more like an alien or something..."
"When it parasitizes a host, it remodels the host's body just like the 'Plaga,' but since the 'Kadu' itself has no self-awareness, if proper compatibility is achieved, there's no risk of brain destruction or anything like that. That's the major difference! Though if compatibility fails, there is the danger of losing your human consciousness and reason, turning into a monster!"
"So it's dangerous either way... And given how this conversation has been going, Mama, you've put this one inside you too?"
"That's right! While I used the 'Plaga' to reinforce and repair my nerves, the 'Kadu' is covering the functions of my internal organs that had gone into failure! This organism has the property of adapting to its host's body and changing its own characteristics accordingly, so with some adjustment using drugs and the Op-Op Fruit's Powers, it can be made to function as a replacement for specific organs! Thanks to all that, I'm in perfect health now!"
Saying this, Mama demonstrated her vitality by doing a Kirara Jump, bouncing up and down on the spot.
Sure, she certainly seemed healthy, but knowing that her insides had essentially transformed into something genuinely inhuman was a little frightening...
No, yeah, let me say it again: it's a good thing she got better. Truly.
"So that's the story! I've been conducting research on both 'Plaga' and 'Kadu,' and by applying that research, I was able to completely resolve my illness. That's my report! Any questions?"
"Yes, me."
"Yes, Sue-chan!"
"I understand the content of the research, but Mama, how are you planning to utilize or deploy these two things within the Golden Lion Pirates going forward? I hope this isn't the case, but are you thinking of using them the way that destroyed Cult did, to increase and strengthen subordinates and slaves?"
"That's absolutely not happening, so don't worry! Sure, this could produce loyal servants who would never betray us, but an army of humans with no real thinking ability and only the barest scraps of intelligence would be completely unacceptable for a Pirate Crew, right? And Boss wouldn't find that sort of thing appealing at all, right?"
"Damn right. That'd be no different from Zombies. I ain't trying to be the Boss of a Legion of monsters that can't think for themselves, playing king of the hill."
Hearing that was a relief.
I'd figured there was not even one chance in ten thousand of that happening, but still... if she'd gone with an application straight out of a panic-horror scenario, I really would have had to step in and stop Mama before it came to that.
"...Though, we do actually have someone in our ranks who rules over Zombies as their Boss."
"Don't derail the conversation, Indigo. Well, yeah, there is one."
Oh, right, yeah. There is. The one who says "Kishishishi! Make me the Pirate King!" A textbook case of Reliance on Others.
Though calling that one an affiliate is a stretch. It's more of a provisional arrangement based on repaying a debt.
"But then, Grandma, how are you planning to use it?"
"Basically, I'm thinking it could be used like I did on myself: treating crew members who've had to Withdraw from battle because of injuries! If someone still wants to fight as a Pirate but their body won't cooperate, and if the cause is nerve or organ damage, I think this could cure them! Though they need a certain degree of physical compatibility, so I can't guarantee it for everyone!"
"So you wouldn't use it on people who don't have that desire and are planning to retire or live in seclusion?"
"Well, that's right! There wouldn't be any particular benefit for them or for us! Though, if someone's retiring but has an organ disease that leaves them with very little time, or requires nursing care that actually costs us more in manpower, that might be worth considering! Their past contributions to the crew and their expected future value would be the deciding factors, I suppose!"
I see... The methods themselves aside, the application plan was relatively sensible.
She clearly had no intention of treating this as ordinary medicine or some kind of charity. It was purely about what would benefit the Golden Lion Pirates. That was very much in character for a scientist employed by a Pirate Crew, perhaps.
Papa seemed to have reached the same conclusion, resting his hand on his chin with a fairly serious expression as he thought it over.
"Got it. We'll need to discuss this further going forward. I'll listen to your input properly, so don't go running off and doing something reckless again."
"Okaaay, I'm sorryyy!"
"...Wait, why did you apologize? No, if it's because you're reflecting on your past unauthorized actions, that's fine, but the nuance feels off. I'm getting a really bad feeling right now."
"...Me too. Hey, Mama, be honest. Have you already... done something?"
"I'm sorryyy!"
""You absolutely did something.""
I-if only this could have ended here. The content itself was shocking enough, but at least it still would have fallen within the bounds of a legitimate progress report...!
Spit it out! What did you do!?
Not just me and Papa, but Indigo and all five daughters too, everyone watched with expressions split equally between exhaustion and anxiety. The fact that even Iris and Snow had ended up like this showed they'd come to accurately understand and grasp just what kind of person Mama was, which I suppose was something. Mama, showing no particular concern, continued.
"It'll be faster to show you than explain! Just watch, okay?"
With that, Mama pulled a knife from the inner pocket of her lab coat.
A survival knife. One that seemed a bit too large for someone Mama's size to use. Big enough that it could serve as a weapon in combat.
I was wondering what she was going to do with it when Mama gripped the knife in her right hand, placed her left hand on the desk, and stabbed the blade straight into the back of that hand.
Everyone's eyes flew wide in shock at the sudden act of violence, but what happened next made even less sense.
'...? There's no blood?'
Before our eyes, the knife was clearly embedded in Mama's left hand. Given the size of the blade, it had obviously gone straight through.
And yet, not a single drop of red blood showed any sign of flowing from the wound.
Mama raised her left hand. Ah, yep, it went all the way through.
Then she yanked the knife out with a squelch, and even though we could see a hole clean through her hand, still no blood.
If anything, from that wound, something black and viscous erupted and covered the injury. No, not just the wound. Everything from the left wrist down transformed into that black, gooey substance and collapsed.
But only for an instant. It reformed back into its original shape, Mama's left hand.
And when it had returned, the wound had vanished completely without a trace.
"I only meant to quickly erase the wound, but controlling Logia really is tricky!"
"...Logia...? Wait, Grandma, you have the Op-Op Fruit... That's Paramecia, right?"
"But that just now, the way her hand turned to mud and reformed, it really did look like what Suzu does..."
True, I'd thought the same thing.
It looked exactly like one of the higher-viscosity muds that Suzu could produce with the Mud-Mud Fruit's Powers. As if she truly had a Logia ability.
But that should be impossible. After all, a Devil Fruit is limited to one per person...!?
"...Mama, don't tell me... you used the 'Plaga' and 'Kadu' to...?"
"Oh my, Sue-chan, figuring it out in an instant! What an imagination! In that case, I'd better go ahead and show you the 'other one' too!"
Sounding impressed, Mama removed the lab coat she'd been wearing.
Underneath, she had on a sweater with a wide-open back, the so-called "Virgin-Killer Sweater." The kind of outfit Alice would have been thrilled about.
Given the mood wasn't exactly right for that, even Alice hadn't said any... Actually, wait, she was leaning forward slightly, properly fixated on Mama's back. Classic Alice.
But from that exposed back, wings emerged.
The kind insects have, thin enough to see through. The type that buzz rapidly with a loud humming sound to achieve flight.
And in fact, Mama flew up to demonstrate, just like that...
Thwack!! Splat!
"Ow ow ow... This needs practice too!"
She failed to fly properly, crashed into the ceiling, and fell. Oof, she landed face-first...
Then, with arms that had at some point multiplied to four and were now covered in what looked like insect chitin, she pushed herself up with a little "upsy-daisy" and rubbed her head.
This was... just as I'd feared...
"Oi, Sou. Explain this properly."
"Of course! As you all know, a person can normally only possess one Devil Fruit ability, right? If you eat a second Devil Fruit, your body blows apart! But that means, in other words, if you're no longer just 'one person,' the problem is solved!"
"...!"
Hearing this explanation, the sharper minds in the room, Papa, Indigo, and Alice, caught on immediately.
Iris was just slightly behind them.
Suzu, Snow, and Leona still seemed to be struggling. The first two looked like they were almost there, right on the edge...
"To put it plainly, I currently have both 'Plaga' and 'Kadu' living inside my body, right? And while they exist in a parasitic or symbiotic relationship with me, those two are unmistakably 'living creatures under my control but distinct from me'! Which means those organisms still have room to eat a Devil Fruit and gain Powers of their own!"
"So the mud-like thing and the insect-like wings you just showed us..."
"Exactly! I've fed a Devil Fruit to each of the 'Plaga' and 'Kadu' inside me, and since I hold dominance over them, I can freely use those Powers! In other words, I am now an existence that can wield the Powers of three Devil Fruits!"
Paramecia: the Op-Op Fruit.
The Modification-Free Human, who within the Operating Room field could operate on and freely manipulate anything.
Zoan-type: the Bug-Bug Fruit, Model: Termite.
The Termite Human, capable of using termite abilities, as the name suggested.
Logia: the Mold-Mold Fruit.
The Mold Human, capable of transforming her body into mold spores, hyphae, and the like, and controlling them freely.
An existence wielding three Devil Fruit Powers simultaneously, surpassing even the Four Emperors' Blackbeard.
Without question unprecedented. A bomb so staggering that if word got out, it would cause far more than just shockwaves. This person had... this person had done it again...!
"Also, where did you get the Devil Fruits for this? I haven't given you any 'future-sourced' ones, have I?"
That massive stockpile of Devil Fruits was too risky to leave vulnerable to embezzlement or loss, so as Admiral, I'd taken unified control of them all, sealing every one inside Enigma and storing them within my own body.
I only took them out and distributed them when a suitable recipient was found, or when a properly justified request for use was submitted.
So it was impossible for anyone to just help themselves like raiding the fridge for pudding with a "Sorry, I ate it, my bad."
"Well of course, I obtained both of those Devil Fruits on my own! I picked up the Bug-Bug Fruit at the Dark Bazaar when I went with Alice the other day, bought it with my own pocket money! And the Mold-Mold Fruit was among the cargo I brought back from Ape's Concert!"
"You really need to report these things properly..."
Off to the side, Alice had an "Oh!" look on her face. What, you two went on that kind of outing together?
She says she didn't even know Mama had bought a Devil Fruit? She thinks Mama must have bought it the moment she looked away? Don't take your eyes off someone this dangerous!
"And anyway, what're you gonna do with that many Devil Fruit Powers? It's not like you're gonna fight with 'em, right? You're still hopeless in that department."
"That's true! But there are all sorts of uses for them, you know? In fact, I feel something almost fateful about having obtained the abilities of 'Termite' and 'Mold' in particular!"
Terrifying... I was terrified to hear how Mama planned to put those two abilities to use...!
If it were just the Logia "Mold" ability, I could at least tell myself it was for self-defense, protection against surprise attacks or stray bullets... though even that felt excessive.
I mean, even ordinary, everyday mold can sometimes cause respiratory diseases, making it fairly hazardous in its own right. And in the world of fiction, that stuff is downright scary.
In the fifth part of A Certain Bizarre Adventure, there was a mass-murder-grade mold ability user famous for "Yesyesyesyesyesyes"... Come to think of it, that character was a doctor too.
And his partner was a "mud" ability user... Not that that means anything in particular.
Oh, and "Kadu" was a mold-derived organism too, wasn't it? There could be a connection there.
"Sigh... Anyway, Mama, from now on, really... really. Please hold back on the stunts? If you consult us properly beforehand, as long as it's not something utterly insane or excessively harmful, both Papa and I will give it proper consideration. Okay?"
"Understood! I'll do my best!"
That's what people say when they have absolutely no intention of following through... Whatever, I'm exhausted.
To be continued...