The Devils in the Fruits

8- Gura

He was nine years of age when his grandfather died and entrusted him with the task to come find me.

He was twelve years of age when he finally did.

The boy carried my fruit around until his eighteenth year when the crew he was sailing with at the time was slaughtered in a raid.

It was a last resort, but his temporary 'family' was in jeopardy.

Edward Newgate was truly an interesting fellow.

After about three years- after he had begun to make a name for himself- I think that was about the time he realized that something was there.

It took him several years, but he finally figured out my existence.

Once he learned of my name, gender, and roughly what I looked like (I drew him a picture once when was bored), he had asked as many questions as I could answer and began to compile all his information into a book.

He also began calling me his mother, much to my immediate distaste. I never exactly argued on the title, though. Actually, I began to grow accustomed to the name over time.

I was his first permanent family member, apparently.

Of course I tried to kill him most every time he entered the water, but I'm sure he forgave me for that.

At some point, after a good number of years, we lost the book to a storm.

I can still remember the basic contents though.

1: All Devils' Fruits contain a devil.

2: Devils almost always hate their humans.

3: It's not the human's power, it's the devil's.

4: Communication is possible over an ouiji board.

5: Humans cannot see their devils...

The information went on and on.

I stayed with that boy for seventy years.

Yes, even when he was almost always on life support and had his nurses and sons tend to his every beck and call; even as the hair on his head vanished and his mustache whitened; even as he stood proudly at Marine Ford, the sun to his back and death proudly saluting him; even as I felt myself leave the human world; to me, he was always that little blonde boy who's birth I witnessed and who looked up at his grandfather with awe and admiration.

He was my little one.

My little Edward Newgate.

My... Son.

{Gura: Gura-Gura no Mi (Quake-Quake Fruit)[I made up the backstory.]}