Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to One Piece. I own only some of the OC's in this fan-fiction, and any place I make up.

Italic - Someone thinking

Italic and Underline - A flashback or Location shift

Bold - Terms that will be explained

Bold, Italic, and Underline- Journal entry, Bounties, Author notes, or Chapter

Where it all Began!

The Kanga Kanga no Mi!

The jungle was not a quiet place, especially not at night. The wind blew through the trees, making their large leaves rustle. Small creatures could be heard scuttling around it the underbrush while the howls of larger predators echoed through the blackness as they pursued their prey. There was chirping coming from night birds higher up in the tree canopy. One could even hear the storms in the Florian Triangle raging in the distance. Those were only the familiar noises. There were other sounds, but all of unknown origins.

Needless to say, it didn't seem like the place or time for small children to be wandering about. The way logic worked, they should have been tucked away in bed at this hour. Yet, despite the darkness and the strange sounds, two small figures were moving along the suspended walkways around Akuma Hinasho. The moved quickly past the lights strung along the trees that provided a dim glow for late night island dwellers and dashed behind leaves and branches to avoid being seen by anyone out during this late hour. As they moved, they got closer and closer to the great tree located on the island in the middle of the lake that played as the city centre: The Orchard House.

The child in the lead was a boy no older than eleven. He had long blond hair and strange long eyebrows that extended beyond his face to match. Following him was a chubby tanned girl with short blonde hair who was no older than eight. Both were clad in their pyjamas (the boy's being blue and the girl's being yellow), jackets, and the boy wore a blue scarf. The girl was giggling uncontrollably and boy was constantly shushing her.

(Island Resident:

Hoko)

(Island Resident:

Veda D Kagura)

"You have to be quiet!" Hoko hissed, pulling Kagura behind a bench as a young couple walked by.

She pouted. "Sorry, but I'm really excited! Are you sure you can get us in Hoko-kun?"

Hoko, nodded. "I told you we'd get in and I meant it, but you still have to be quiet Kagura-chan!" Kagura nodded her head and started giggling all over again. Hoko rolled his eyes and pulled her along.

For as long as there had been seas and islands and the men who sailed them, there had been a place called Hammer Island. It was not a well-known place for certain. In fact, it was a heavily guarded secret and if any outsider managed to discover it- which very few did- they did not stand a very good chance of living to tell about it. The fact of the manner was, Hammer Island was a secret for a number of reasons. For starters, medical and scientific advances beyond the understanding of the outside world were constantly being made and re-examined. Historians were studying the forbidden Poneglyphs and from their discoveries and an old set of blue prints were constructing an Ancient Weapon. The most important detail, however, was the abundance of and research regarding Devil Fruits that occurred every single day.

For any of these reasons, the acting power in the world would have a Buster Call issued on the island. Luckily for the islanders, their jungle home was located in the middle of the stormy Florian Triangle and virtually impossible to get to without help. The islanders were sworn to secrecy from birth and held tight to those values for nearly eight hundred years. And every single discovery had occurred in one place.

Up ahead, the Orchard House stood before them in complete magnificence. It had been built in the massive tree growing out in the middle of the lake. The entire thing had been hollowed out and built on until it was a worthy place for the important research that took place on the island. There were orchards with controlled climates that housed Devil Fruit trees. Laboratories, experimentation rooms, The Great Library, and many more important places were inside that giant tree. It was the most scared and important place in all of Hammer Island.

And Veda D Kagura couldn't wait to get in.

Kagura had wanted to work at the Orchard House ever since she had first started learning about Devil Fruits from Hoko, her best friend. He was the smartest person she knew, sense wise and academic wise. He was only eleven and already had been accepted into college as a child prodigy. He was going to become a scientist at the Orchard House and was always willing to let her in on everything he learned about the Devil Fruits. He was the teacher and she was the eager student.

The pair reached the giant and elegantly carved wooden doors of the Orchard House. Kagura stood for a moment, as she always did when they snuck out here, to look at them. They were perfectly carved, with strange swirling runes on them, like an entrance to another world. One day, she was going to walk right through them to get to the rooms within instead of following Hoko around to the left side of the tree.

With no key to use on the back entrance of the Orchard House (which was hidden beneath a small canopy of leaves) the children went around the left side of the hollowed trunk. There was a window there, out of reach for either child unless they stood on each other's shoulders. It was broken, the lock mechanism not working as it should. It had been this way for several months. Hoko assumed no one knew about it, or else it would have surely been fixed.

The boy hoisted Kagura up as the smaller child pushed the window open before pulling herself in. She reached out a chubby hand to Hoko and managed to pull him inside. The room was nothing special, a janitor's closet with a mop, a rolling bucket and several bottles of poisonous cleaning supplies. Hoko went over to the door, opened it a crack and took a peek. He waved Kagura over when he was positive the coast was clear and both children bolted down the hall.

The halls were lined with doors leading to all sorts of different rooms. If Kagura remembered right, there were several green houses on different floors, but most of the research rooms were on the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh floors. The Orchard Keeper's office, as well as the highest level of the Great Library, was located at the tenth floor, which was the top floor before the roof (the Great Library was three levels and filled up about eighty percent of the three floors it was on). There wasn't much on this first level, mostly reception rooms and places to keep paperwork as well as a few storage rooms. The children would have to go higher if they wanted to see more.

Hoko had already memorized their path and led his friend down a left hallway. There was a staircase at the end of it that spiralled upwards. The children had to move slowly, in case the stairs creaked and caught some unwanted attention from anyone on the night shift. Hoko especially had to make sure Kagura listened to him, as she seemed ready to bolt at any second. The boy stuck his arm out in front of her when they reached the top and took a look around. He nodded to her that the coast was clear and both children rushed down the hall.

The children had only explored this floor in the past two months. They were trying to work their way up by seeing how long it would take them to get to certain places. They were under a time limit after all; sneak out as soon as you were put down for bed and be back before morning. The children always stuck something underneath their blankets to make it look like there were little bodies under them. They could only go out on Fridays, as that was when both children's families usually held a poker night.

The pair came to a halt at a thick glass door and opened it before rushing inside. Laid out before them was one of the many Devil Fruit orchards in all of the Orchard House. The whole room jutted out so that the glass roof could let sunlight in. The trees were planted in rows according to what Devil Fruit category they fell under. Their twisting trunks rose up to a canopy of dark green leaves and their branches hung ripe with fruits of different colours and shapes, all of which had the same swirling pattern.

"They're so beautiful!" Kagura squealed, her dark eyes wide with delight.

Hoko grinned. "I figured you'd say that."

Kagura ran over to one of the trees and ran her small hands on its trunk. She turned to her friend. "Thanks so much Hoko-kun!" The boy nodded. She gave the same reaction every time they came and it always made him smile.

The pair wandered around the orchard for a long time, Hoko quizzing Kagura on the trees around them. She knew most of the answers and anything she got wrong or should have expanded on Hoko was willing to tell her. She took every new bit of information like a sponge and held it tight. She wanted to learn everything there was to learn and she couldn't have asked for anyone better to teach her.

Although after a while, even her drive ran thin. "Hoko-kun, I'm hungry."

The boy sweat dropped. "I don't have any food…"

"Is there a kitchen around here?"

"I don't know. We should be heading back though. Our parents might be done playing poker by now."

"I don't think so. I say we find food." Hoko rolled his eyes and headed back to the door.

The two children started back the way they came, but something was nagging at the back of Hoko's mind. There was a strange sound coming from the hall. It sounded like it was right behind them. He stopped suddenly, making Kagura run into him.

"Kagura-chan, do you hear that?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't move…." Hoko spun around to see that the hall was empty and the sound was coming from Kagura, whom was eating something that was small and green.

"Kagura-chan, what is that?" he asked.

"I dunno. I found it on the ground. You want a bite? It tastes a little funny, but it's not bad." She replied holding it up to him.

Hoko went very pale. "Kagura-chan…that's….that's…"

"Hm?"

"THAT'S A DEVIL FRUIT!!"

"EH?!"

"We have to get out of here!" Hoko shouted. "We are in so much trouble!!"

"Oh you'd better believe it," said a new voice, making the children scream.

(In the City…)

"Full house!!" the man howled, making the other people at the table moan in disappointment. The large balcony of the Veda family home was lit up like a tree at Christmas and a large group was gathered around a round table with cards and beers. Most of them were family friends and one woman was a neighbour who lived in the house below theirs (The Veda House was build at the top of a large tree). This was a tradition of theirs. They could drink and gamble until their hearts content, even if they ended up loosing. Everyone always had a good time.

The man who had just slammed his cards down on the table was a tall lean character. He was in his thirties, but his shoulder length hair had already gone silver. He wore glasses and occasionally slipped off his face. He was wearing an worn suit shirt, brown slacks, hiking boots and his lucky fedora hat. Despite the stupid grin on his face, someone could tell that he was very strong.

(Island Resident:

Veda D Erwin

-Kagura's father-)

"Full house!" Erwin laughed. "This is ace! Now pay- ARGH!!" He was cut off mid-sentence when slim fingers grabbed his ear.

The woman sitting next to Erwin was a small tanned lady with a made of thick red hair that reached her shoulders and draped over one of her eyes. He was casually dressed in a white skirt, yellow tank top and simple sandals. The air about her was that of a leader.

(Outsider:

Allison Veda

-Erwin's wife and CP9 member-)

"Dammit Allison! That hurt!" Erwin shouted, rubbing his ear. "Why'd you do that?"

Allison threw her cards on the table. "You have a full house, but I have a royal flush." The whole table burst into laughter as Erwin stood there, dumbfounded. No matter what happened, Allison was always able to beat people at poker. She had a gift.

Actually, she cheated, but no one ever said anything about it. Erwin didn't know and it was too much fun watching him loose.

"I'll get you one day…" he muttered, then turned his attention to everyone else "STOP LAUGHING YOU ASSHOLES!!" This outburst only made them laugh more.

During his outburst, no one heard footsteps coming up the stairs that lead from the Veda's balcony to the jungle floor. The footsteps continued up to the to the small gate and came to a halt. One of two large figures spoke, but was ignored by the laughing crowd. They spoke again, only a little louder and still went un heard. The figure seemed to be getting impatient.

"ERWIN!!"

The laughter immediately went silence and Erwin flinched at the sound of his name. He slowly turned his head to see four figures at his gate; two big ones and two smaller ones. The tallest figure was an older man with stern eyes and grey hair that was slicked back. Beside him was a young woman with dark skin and nappy black hair piled on top of her head in a style that made it look like a black palm tree. Both were dressed in the attire of Orchard House scientists. Erwin sighed. He didn't want to deal with these two.

(Island Resident:

Head of Scientific Research

Rolf)

(Island Resident:

Orchard House Apprentice:

Diega)

"I'll be right back…." Erwin mumbled, heading over to the pair. "Evenin'. What can I do for ya?"

Rolf glowered at Erwin. "Do you know what these are?" He asked, pushing a very scared looking Kagura and Hoko forwards.

Erwin examined the pair for a moment and grinned. "Well, I recon they're ankle biters!"

"Yes…ankle biters…"Rolf muttered. "More accurately, I think the girl belongs to you."

Erwin studied the girl closer and suddenly burst out laughing. "Well what do ya know! I recon she is mine! Thanks for bringing her back!" Behind him, his wife groaned and several of his friends started laughing. He ruffled the girl's hair. "I thought I put you to bed a few hours ago Kagu-chan!" Kagura mimicked her dad's grin as he turned to Hoko. "Is Owl-brows gettin' you into trouble again?"

"You too Hoko?" came a woman's voice from behind. A woman with long brown hair and same eyebrows as the boy walked over and stood beside Erwin. She was wearing a ling white summer dress and had her hair tied in a loose ponytail.

(Island Resident:

Kushina

-Hoko's Mother-)

Erwin chuckled. "Your kid is a bad influence Kushina-chan." That statement earned him a fist to the side of the head, which only made him laugh louder.

"Erwin-san, you don't seem to understand the situation…."Rolf stated calmly as he could. "We found these two in the Orchard House."

"Ah, what's the problem?" Erwin asked. "They were just looking at the fruits."

"SHE ATE ONE!!" Diega shouted, making the whole area go silent.

There was a tradition on Hammer Island. Since the place was so bountiful when it came to Devil Fruits, nearly every person on the island had eaten one. The normal tradition for that was that when a child turned ten, they parents would send a letter to the Orchard House and three Devil Fruits would be sent to them: a Paramecia, a Zoan, and a Logia. The child would pick one in a small celebration held by the family and the other two would be sent back.

Erwin stared at them. This was a problem. She was his oldest child and she was only eight. He was about to say something when a little voice cut in the silence.

"Daddy! Daddy! I'm a wallaby!" Erwin looked down at Kagura, whom had shifted in appearance to what was not a wallaby, but obviously a small kangaroo.

"Kangaroo!" Hoko hissed. "You ate the Kanga Kanga no Mi! You're a kangaroo!"

"Awww, I wanted to be a wallaby…"

Diega looked about ready to shout at the girl when Rolf raised a hand to silence her. "Anyways, this situation is very troublesome and we expect that you'll do something-"

"Oh what's the big deal?" Erwin asked, obviously not caring. "She was gonna eat one eventually."

Allison came up behind her husband and grabbed him by the ear. "I'm sorry Rolf-san. Thank you for bringing her back. We'll deal with right away."

"I will too," Kushina said, grabbing her son's hand. "Come on. You're in big trouble young man." She said, dragging her son down to the house on the jungle floor, where she and her son lived. "Thank you for the lovely evening." She called back. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Rolf and Diega handed Kagura, who had resumed her human form, back to Erwin and left without another word.

The men at the table were silent as Allison started scolding Erwin about responsibility and how he should keep a better eye on her. Erwin's reply once she was done was simply, "I'm sorry. I get it. I'll keep a closer eye on her. NOW LET GO OF MY EAR WOMAN!!"

The men watched as Erwin headed into the house with Kagura and Allison returned to her seat. They all stared at her until she glared at them. "Aren't we suppose to be playing cards?!" she snapped. The other men instantly went about starting up another round.

(Kagura's Room...)

Erwin turned the lights on in Kagura's room and sat her down on her bed. They were both silent for a moment before Erin sighed and took of his glasses. He breathed on them and then cleaned them off on his shirt. "Do you know how much trouble you're in?"

"Yes…"

"How much?

"Lots…"

"And do you know why?"

"'Cause me an' Hoko snuck into the Orchard House and I ate the Devil Fruit when I wasn't suppose to…"

"Right-o. And if you knew that you weren't suppose to, why did you do it?"

"Mr. Baboon said it was okay. He gave it to me." She insisted. "Hoko an' me were leaving and I was really really hungry and then Mr. Baboon came and offered me a fruit!"

Erwin sighed. Not the baboon again. A few months ago she had made up an imaginary friend she called "Mr. Baboon" and he had humored her by pretending he was real too. He was getting worried though. She had started disappearing to the Orchard House; he had seen her standing on the porch talking to trees branches as if some one was there, and now this. He thought it was because with Hoko being accepted into college so early, Kagura was getting very lonely.

"I think Mr. Baboon is a bad influence on you." He said. Typical of him. He just couldn't go and tell her that it was all her overactive imagination.

"Mr. Baboon is nice," Kagura pouted.

"I'm sure he is…" Erwin said, sweat dropping. "Look, I don't have the time to talk about this with you. It's way past your bedtime. So go to sleep and I'll give you a good bopping in the mornin'."

Kagura looked at the floor. "Okay…"

Erwin nodded and tucked her into bed, gave her a kiss on the forehead and headed towards the door. Just as he reached to turn off the light she spoke up. "Are you mad at me Daddy?"

He looked back and smiled. "Course not."

She smiled back and curled up under the covers and fell asleep.

Chapter End

Terms

Florian Triangle: A mysterious part of the Grand Line where ships are known to go missing. Hammer Island is located at its centre.

Akuma Hinasho: The capital city of Hammer Island. It is built in and around the last lake along the Zamon River. It holds the Devil Fruit Orchards and is the ancestral home of the Orchard Keepers. Its name means Devil's Sanctuary.

The Orchard House: Located in the massive tree growing from the lake's center, this is where the Devil Fruit trees are grown in climate controlled areas to be studied. The Orchard Keeper usually takes residence here as well.

Hammer Island: A lush jungle paradise located in the center of the Furorian Triangle. Despite the constant storms that ravage the area and claim over 100 ships every year, the island's climate is very normal for a rainforest. The thick jungle makes it difficult to travel through the island on foot, so the cities are built in the Four Great Lakes along the mighty Zamon River. The island is littered with ancient ruins. The most important thing about this island is its abundance of Devil Fruit trees. The inhabitants of the island have taken an interest in them and thus have made discoveries over the past six hundred years about the fruit's powers that Marine scientists have only recently managed to understand. Also, with such an abundance of fruits, every person on the island has eaten one. The only way to get to the island is by enlisting the assistance of the Sea King, Rosen-san.

Poneglyphs: These blocks are inscribed with the script of an ancient language, and tell of a history long forgotten.

Ancient Weapon: Weapons created during the Void Century. They are known to be weapons of mass destruction that may be able to wipe out an entire island.Buster Call: The "Buster Call" is the strongest military action, performed only under special circumstances. The target of a Buster Call is usually to destroy a criminal or group of criminals that have proven dangerous to the World Government.The Great Library: A giant library located in the Orchard house. It contains hundreds of thousands of books on discoveries made in the Orchard house as well as a vast number of other topics.

The Orchard Keeper: The head of Hammer Island. This person is in charge of all scientific research and it is up to them to keep the island safe.

Ace: An Australian slang term meaning 'Excellent'

Ankle biter: An Australian slang term meaning "small child"

Owl-brows: A nickname for Hoko in reference to the fact that his long eyebrows make him look like an owl.

Kanga Kanga no Mi: A Zoan type Devil Fruit that allows the user to turn into a kangaroo or a kangaroo human hybrid. This is the Devil Fruit that Kagura ate.

Next Time…

Allison: You are expected to make an apology to the Orchard Keeper.

Haimon: There's no ahrm done.

Kagura: Kodji-kun is here!

Erwin: You can keep this a secret right?

Hoko: Two powers in one fruit?!

Meeting with the Orchard Keeper! A Mysterious Devil Fruit!

I AM BACK!! Here we have it folks! The NEW Kangaroo Kickboxing begins now!

Next up, Hoko and Kagura are expected to make an apology to the Orchard Keeper himself. Also, there appears to be a mysterious fruit about and someone has been called in to investigate! What's in store for next time? You'll have to wait and see!

Fishie-chan, out!