The Virtual Laboratory
The world inside the simulation pod was a stark contrast to the wooden warmth of the Going Merry. Here, the laws of physics were merely suggestions, and the environment was a pristine, endless white void filled with floating holographic screens, cascading streams of blue data, and complex molecular models that spun in mid-air.
Time moved differently here. While the ship sailed lazily across the Grand Line, inside this digital construct, Ben and Chopper had been working for what felt like weeks.
"Stabilizing the Lineage Factor..." Chopper muttered, his hooves flying across a holographic keyboard that Ben had designed specifically for reindeer anatomy. He adjusted his glasses, his brow furrowed in intense concentration. "The bio-etheric binding is holding this time. We're past the 98th percentile—the same point where the matrix collapsed on us last week."
Ben stood in the center of a swirling vortex of equations. He was utilizing the full processing power of his Tony Stark template, combined with the biological understanding of Momo Yaoyorozu and the magical alchemy of Dumbledore.
"We were so close," Ben muttered, his eyes darting across the data streams. "But we were missing the catalyst. We tried to treat the 'Devil' as just a chemical reaction. But it's not. It's a will. We need to create a vessel that can hold a will without shattering."
"A vessel..." Chopper paused. He looked at the molecular model of the Hito Hito no Mi—the Human-Human Fruit. It was the fruit he had eaten, the fruit that gave him his humanity.
"Ben!" Chopper realized something. "The Spiral Energy! We're trying to force the spiral inwards, like a standard fruit. But the Human fruit... humanity expands! We need to reverse the polarity of the binding agent! That was our mistake before!"
Ben's eyes widened. He grabbed a virtual stylus and slashed through the equation, rewriting the binding parameters in real-time.
"Reverse polarity..." Ben muttered. "Of course. Humanity isn't contained; it's expressed. Chopper, you genius raccoon-dog!"
"I am a reindeer!" Chopper shouted instinctively, but he was grinning.
Ben initiated the simulation. The virtual model of the fruit began to coalesce. The chaotic energy that usually caused their experiments to explode suddenly harmonized. The spirals locked into place. The data turned green.
[SYNTHESIS COMPLETE. STABILITY: 100%]
The silence in the virtual lab was deafening.
Ben looked at Chopper. Chopper looked at Ben.
"We... we did it?" Chopper whispered.
"We did it," Ben confirmed. A massive grin broke across his face.
He swooped down, grabbed Chopper under the arms, and spun him around in the air. "WE DID IT, DOCTOR! WE CRACKED THE CODE! ARTIFICIAL DEVIL FRUITS ARE A GO!"
"WAAAAH! BEN! I'M DIZZY! BUT YAY!" Chopper cheered, throwing his hooves up. "We're scientists! Super scientists!"
Ben set Chopper down, both of them laughing. It was a monumental achievement. They hadn't copied anyone. They had built this from the ground up.
"Alright," Ben took a deep breath, calming down. "Let's bring it into the real world. Merry?"
The voice of the ship's AI echoed in the virtual space. "Ready for synthesis, Ben. The bio-printer is primed."
"Execute Protocol: Adam," Ben commanded. "Print the fruit."
"Acknowledged. Exiting Virtual Dive."
The Real World
The hiss of the pod doors opening sounded like a victory trumpet. Ben and Chopper stepped out of the white, egg-shaped machines in the laboratory room of the Merry. They stumbled slightly—the transition from virtual time to real time always messed with the inner ear—but their eyes were glued to the glass container in the corner of the room.
Inside the reinforced cylinder, a robotic arm was weaving biological matter together, layer by layer. It looked like 3D printing, but with organic sludge that glowed with a faint, eerie light.
"It's happening," Chopper pressed his nose against the glass, fogging it up.
They watched in silence for thirty minutes. Slowly, the sludge took form. It hardened, changed color, and developed the signature swirling patterns of a Devil Fruit.
Hiss.
The process finished. The glass container depressurized and lifted open.
Sitting on the pedestal was a mushroom-shaped fruit. It was pink and white, with patterns that looked like tiny, smiling faces if you squinted hard enough.
Ben reached out and picked it up. It felt heavy. Real.
"Scan," Ben muttered mentally, trying to put it into his System Inventory.
[System Alert: Item Rejected.]
[Reason: Anomaly Detected. Item does not match Database Registry for 'Hito Hito no Mi'. Item is designated as 'Artificial Variant: Type-01'. Cannot store in Template Inventory.]
"Hmph," Ben smirked. "Even the System is confused. Good."
He handed the fruit to Chopper. "Here, Doctor. You're the expert. Does this look right?"
Chopper held the fruit reverently. He sniffed it. He tapped it. He examined the stem.
"It... it smells exactly like the one I ate," Chopper said, his eyes wide. "It's the Hito Hito no Mi. No doubt about it. We actually cloned a Devil Fruit."
He looked up at Ben. "But... who's going to eat it? We can't just give it to anyone. If a human eats it... well, they just become a human who can't swim, right? That's useless!"
"True," Ben nodded, leaning against the workbench. "For a human, it's the worst fruit imaginable. They'd just lose their ability to swim and gain... 'enlightenment', maybe? But we aren't giving it to a human."
"Then who?" Chopper asked.
Ben smiled. "I was thinking... Merry."
Chopper blinked. He looked at the walls of the ship. " The ship? But... ships can't eat! They are non-living things!"
"You weren't there for Alabasta, were you?" Ben recalled. "Mr. 4 had a gun. A literal gun that ate the Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Dachshund. It became a gun-dog. If a piece of metal can eat a fruit, why can't a sentient android?"
Ben pointed to the door. "Mini Merry. She's an extension of the ship. She has a mouth. She has a processing core that acts like a stomach for energy conversion. If she eats the Human-Human Fruit..."
Chopper's jaw dropped. "She... she could become a real human?"
"Or something close to it," Ben said. "A living ship. A true Klabautermann given flesh."
Chopper looked at the fruit, then at the door. His eyes began to sparkle. "That... that would be amazing! A robot becoming a real girl! It's like a fairy tale!"
"Let's go tell the others," Ben said, taking the fruit back.
The Card Game
On the sun-drenched deck of the Going Merry, a heated battle was taking place.
"Gotcha!" Usopp slammed a card down on the barrel. "Full House! Read 'em and weep, losers!"
"Cheater," Zoro grumbled, tossing his cards away. "You were hiding that Ace in your afro."
"It's technique, Zoro! Technique!" Usopp crowed.
Nami sighed, scooping up the pile of berries in the center. "Doesn't matter. I have a Royal Flush. Pay up."
"WHAT?!" Usopp and Zoro screamed.
"Gebabababa! The Navigator is ruthless!" Dory laughed from where he sat near the mast. Brogy was napping beside him.
Luffy was sitting on the figurehead, trying to fish, while Vivi and Caroo watched the card game, amused.
"Attention, everyone!" Ben called out, stepping onto the deck with Chopper.
The crew looked up. There was something in Ben's voice—a mix of excitement and seriousness—that made them pause. Even Sanji stopped flirting with Robin.
"What's up, Ben?" Luffy asked, reeling in his empty line. "Is it lunch?"
"Better," Ben held up the pink, mushroom-shaped fruit. "We did it. Chopper and I... we successfully created an Artificial Devil Fruit."
Silence.
The wind blew through the sails. A seagull cawed.
"EHHHHHHHHHH?!"
The collective scream of the crew shook the ocean.
"ARTIFICIAL?!" Nami shrieked. "You made a Devil Fruit?! Those things are worth hundreds of millions! And you just... cooked one up?!"
"You created a Devil Fruit?" Robin lowered her book, her eyes wide with intellectual curiosity. "That is... historically unprecedented. The implications are terrifying."
"Suuuugeeeee!" Luffy's eyes turned into stars. "Can I eat it?! What does it do?! Does it make me a Robot-Man?!"
"You already ate one, idiot," Sanji lit a cigarette, though his hand was shaking slightly. "You'd explode. But seriously, Ben... you played God?"
"Just a little bit of science," Ben shrugged modestly.
"And me!" Chopper jumped forward, doing his signature wiggly dance. "Don't forget me! I did the DNA sequencing! Not that your praise makes me happy, you bastards! Ehehehe!"
"Yes, yes, good job, Doctor," Robin smiled, patting Chopper's hat.
"So," Usopp adjusted his goggles, looking closely at the fruit. "What power is it? Fire? Laser beams? The ability to summon 8,000 men?"
"It's the Hito Hito no Mi," Chopper announced proudly. "The Human-Human Fruit. My fruit."
The crew paused. They looked at the fruit. Then at Chopper. Then back at the fruit.
"So..." Vivi tilted her head, confused. "It turns you into a human?"
"Yes," Ben nodded.
"But..." Vivi frowned. "If a human eats it... they just become... a human who can't swim? Isn't that... useless?"
"Totally useless for us," Nami agreed. "Why did you make that one? Why not a Gold-Gold fruit?"
Ben wagged his finger. "You're thinking too small. The Human fruit gives 'Humanity'. Intelligence. Enlightenment. Walking on two legs. Speech."
He pointed at Caroo, the Spot-Billed Duck who was currently pecking at a crumb.
"If I gave this to Caroo," Ben said, "he would become a Human-Duck Hybrid. He would be able to talk. He would have human intelligence. He could probably beat Sanji at chess."
"QUACK?!" Caroo looked up, terrified.
"A talking duck..." Luffy imagined it. "That would be awesome!"
"But," Ben continued, his gaze shifting. "There is another option. Someone who is already part of the crew, but lacks... life."
The door to the kitchen opened, and Mini Merry stepped out, holding a tray of drinks. The small, android girl, built with Stark Tech and modeled after the ship's Klabautermann, tilted her head at the staring crew.
"Merry..." Vivi gasped. "You mean..."
"If she eats it," Ben said quietly, "she won't just be an AI anymore. The fruit grants 'Humanity'. It applies to anything. Animals. Objects. Androids."
"Whoa," Usopp whispered. "You mean... she'd become real?"
"She's already real to us!" Luffy shouted, jumping down. "But... she could be alive?"
"That's the theory," Ben nodded.
"So," Ben looked at Vivi. "You asked about Caroo. I can give it to the duck if you want. But... this is an experimental fruit. If something goes wrong with Caroo... I can't fix biology. But Mini Merry... she's a machine. She's a part of the original ship. If the fruit reacts badly, I can rebuild her body. It's safer."
Vivi looked at Caroo, who was shaking his head frantically, hiding behind Zoro.
"I think Caroo prefers being a duck," Vivi giggled. "Give it to Merry. She deserves it."
"Agreed," Zoro said. "The ship has saved us enough times. Let's see what happens."
Ben beckoned Mini Merry over. "Merry, come here."
The android walked over, the tray of drinks perfectly balanced. "Yes, Ben?"
Ben picked up a glass of juice and set the Devil Fruit on the tray.
"Merry," Ben said gently. "I want you to eat this."
"Analysis," Merry's eyes flashed with data streams. "Object: Artificial Organic Compound. Designation: Devil Fruit. Probability of System Error upon consumption: 98%. Recommendation: Do not consume."
"Override," Ben ordered softly. "Trust me, Merry. This isn't an error. It's an upgrade. A big one."
Merry paused. She looked at Ben. Her programming dictated she follow his orders, but her advanced learning AI also processed his tone. Trust.
"Acknowledged," Merry said.
She picked up the pink fruit. Her small, metallic fingers held it delicately.
"Does it taste bad to robots?" Luffy whispered to Usopp.
"Shh!" Usopp hissed.
Mini Merry brought the fruit to her mouth and took a bite.
Crunch.
She chewed mechanically. She swallowed. She took another bite.
The crew held their breath.
One minute passed.
Nothing happened.
"Did it work?" Nami whispered.
"Maybe she needs to digest it?" Sanji suggested.
Suddenly, Mini Merry dropped the tray.
CLANG.
Glass shattered. Juice spilled on the deck.
Merry stumbled back, clutching her chest. Her mechanical eyes flickered—blue, then red, then a soft, glowing gold.
"System... Alert..." Merry's voice glitched. It sounded less like a recording and more like... a gasp. "Internal... temperature... rising. Core... fluctuating."
"Merry!" Chopper ran forward, pulling out his stethoscope. "Ben! Is she okay?!"
"Wait," Ben held up a hand. "Let it happen."
Steam began to rise from Mini Merry's joints. Her skin—which was a high-grade synthetic polymer—began to change. It flushed. The cold, pale whiteness of the android shell softened, turning a warm, rosy peach.
Her hair, usually stiff synthetic fibers, seemed to gain volume and shine, flowing in the wind.
Merry fell to her knees, her hands gripping the fabric of her dress. She gasped—a real, sharp intake of air.
"Hah... Hah..."
She looked at her hands. She flexed her fingers. They didn't make the whirring servo-sound anymore. They moved silently, smoothly.
"Ben..." Merry whispered.
The crew froze. Her voice. It wasn't the synthesized melody anymore. It had texture. It had a timbre. It sounded... human.
Chopper rushed forward. He placed his stethoscope on her chest, right over where her power core used to be.
Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
Chopper's eyes went wide. He dropped the stethoscope. Tears instantly welled up in his eyes.
"It's beating," Chopper sobbed. "She... she has a heartbeat! A real heartbeat!"
At that exact moment, a deep, resonant sound echoed from beneath their feet.
CREEEEAAAAK...
The wooden deck of the Going Merry groaned. But it wasn't the sound of strain or age. It sounded like a deep, contented sigh. The figurehead of the sheep seemed to shimmer in the sunlight, the paint looking instantly brighter, fresher. The ship itself seemed to shudder with joy, vibrating in harmony with the new heartbeat pulsing in Mini Merry's chest.
"Did you feel that?" Usopp grabbed the railing. "The ship... it moved! It's happy!"
"The spirit has a body," Robin noted, smiling. "The ship and the avatar are one."
"What?" Nami covered her mouth.
"No way," Usopp breathed.
Mini Merry slowly stood up. She felt the wind on her skin. She felt the warmth of the sun—not just as data points of UV radiation, but as a sensation. Warmth.
She looked at Ben. Her eyes were moist.
"Ben..." she said, her voice trembling. She placed a hand over her heart. "I feel... loud. Inside. It's thumping."
"That's life, Merry," Ben smiled, feeling a lump in his own throat. "That's you."
She looked at Luffy.
"Captain," she said.
Luffy stared at her. He sniffed. "You don't smell like oil anymore."
A smile broke across Merry's face. It wasn't a pre-programmed expression. It was genuine, crinkling the corners of her eyes. Tears spilled over, rolling down her cheeks.
"I'm... crying?" Merry touched the wetness. "My optical sensors are leaking?"
"Those are happy tears!" Chopper wailed, hugging her legs. "You're alive, Merry! You're really alive!"
"I am... alive," Merry repeated. She laughed. A bubbly, wet, wonderful laugh.
She spread her arms and spun around, her dress fluttering. "I CAN FEEL EVERYTHING!"
The crew erupted.
"YEAAAAAH!" Luffy shouted, throwing his hat in the air. "MERRY IS A HUMAN! PARTY! WE NEED A PARTY!"
"A toast to the new lady!" Sanji pirouetted, hearts in his eyes. "Merry-chwan is reborn!"
"Unbelievable," Zoro shook his head, grinning. "Only this crew."
"Welcome to the world of the living," Robin smiled warmly.
Ben watched his creation—no, his crewmate—dancing with Chopper and Luffy. He felt a sense of accomplishment that had nothing to do with systems or templates.
He had given the ship a soul. And now, he had given the soul a life.
"Party time!" Usopp grabbed a barrel of cola. "Everyone grab a mug!"
As the music started and the celebration began, Mini Merry stood in the center of it all, her heart beating in time with the drums, finally, truly, one of them.