Let's call this an experiment.

Luffy let out a happy sigh, laying down on the roof of his treehouse. It was a good night. He had a belly full of meat, the sky was clear, and in a couple days he'd turn 17 and he could start his adventure as the future Pirate King! What more could he ask for?

He looked up at the sky. Stars were pretty. Wait, one was getting bigger. Stars didn't do that, right?

With a streak of fire and a thunderous boom, something crashed into the ground not a mile from Luffy.

Luffy sat up. "Whoa! Was that a falling star?" There was a beat as Luffy processed this information. "So cool! I've never seen a falling star. I'm going to go look!" So saying, Luffy grabbed the edge of the roof he was on. "Gum-Gum Rocket!" he cried, utilizing his rubber body to launch himself at the crash site.

Crashing into the ground much like the star had, Luffy hopped up to his feet and dusted himself off. "Still need to work on the landing," he muttered, before forgetting all about it. "Why am I here again? Oh right, the star!" Putting his 'serious' face on, Luffy followed the trail of wreckage in the forest to where the 'star' had fallen.

When Luffy got there, he was disappointed. "Aw, it's gone out." There was no orb of celestial light lying on the ground. Instead, stuck in a crater, was nothing but a smoking pile of crumbly rocks. Deciding he'd come this far, Luffy went to check out the rocks.

"Sorry, Mr. Star. Looks like you broke when you hit the ground," Luffy said apologetically. Looking closer at the pile of rocks, he thought he saw a glow. "Huh?" Brushing aside some of the rocks, Luffy came across a strange ball.

"Oh! The rocks were your ship. Nice to meet you, Mr. Star!" Luffy grinned and waved. To his disappointment, the 'star' did not respond. It was a bluish-white orb, looking a bit like a dried-out jellyfish actually. It was an amorphous mass that looked semi-solid at best, like a jelly candy.

"Huh. Guess stars don't talk," Luffy thought aloud. There was a beat. "Wonder how they taste?" With no caution to speak of, Luffy grabbed the gelatinous mass and stuck it in his mouth. He swallowed almost before he had time to notice the flavor, so reflexive were his eating habits.

"Hmm. Sweet."

And then Luffy fell to the ground, dead to the world, as the sedative nature of the alien lifeform's excretions took effect.

On that day, Monkey D. Luffy became the first to enter the Embrace.

Luffy woke up an hour later. His eyes were bright, and yet curiously blank at the same time. A serene, peaceful smile spread across his lips. He felt like he'd just woken up in the world's softest bed, the world's best chocolate melting across his tongue, as he breathed the world's best air.

'Welcome to our Embrace, Luffy.'

Luffy cocked his head, the movement slow and lazy. "Who're you?" he asked, his voice sleepy and content.

'We are… Goo. That is our name. We are your new friend.' The symbiotic extraterrestrial could have launched into a much more detailed explanation but decided to stick to the relative intelligence level of its primary host.

"Like a nakama?" Luffy asked.

'…Sure. We are your nakama.'

"Cool. Where are you?"

'We are inside you. We are part of you, now. Bonded on the most intimate level. Cell for cell, we are together now.'

"Oh. Okay. So, you were the mystery star?"

'Yes. Thank you for finding us. We would not have survived long without a host to live inside.'

"No problem. You live inside me, huh? That's cool," Luffy mused, still sounding more blissed out that your average junkie on a high. "What's your dream, Goo?"

'Our dream? To make you better. Stronger, healthier, happier. You and all others. Our dream is to spread our Embrace to all life.' The voice in Luffy's head spoke in reverence, as if reciting a heartfelt prayer.

"Oh. You want to be nakama with everyone? That's nice," Luffy drawled. "How can I help? You're my nakama, and you're in me, so it's my job to help, right?" How much of this was the boy's genuine desire and Goo's subconscious prompting was irrelevant at this point. Luffy was firmly held in the Embrace.

'Thank you, Luffy. It's easy. We will make more biomass, like you ate earlier. You will spread it to others. In this way, others will join our Embrace.'

"Spread it how?" Luffy asked idly, not really caring. He just didn't want to get up yet.

'By touch. A handshake. A punch. A lick, if necessary. Merely brush against another lifeform, and the biomass will be delivered. From there, it is only a matter of time until they enter the Embrace. Then they too will spread biomass to others, who will spread to more others, and on and on.'

"I see. Alright, Goo. I'll go make you some new nakama." Luffy got to his feet, noting an odd breeze. "Why am I naked?"

'We ate your clothes. The material was made into more biomass. We left your hat alone, since we know you like it so much.'

Luffy reached up to touch Hat, the feel of the straw under his fingers comforting in a way not even Goo's psychic presence could beat. "Thanks, Goo."

'No problem. Now, as for protection from the elements…'

Luffy felt a tickling sensation as some kind of red slime oozed out of his pores. Within seconds, it wove and hardened until Luffy was covered from the neck down in a kind of bodysuit.

"Cool! How'd you know my favorite color?"

'We know EVERYTHING about you, Luffy. Remember, we are one. Your every memory, your every thought, all are in our Embrace. And we will use them to help us help you. That is our dream, remember? We Are Here To Help."

"We Are Here To Help," Luffy repeated.

With that, Luffy took off for Goa and Grey Terminal. He had to make Goo some more nakama, lots and lots of them.

Luffy stopped to eat a few animals along the way. He needed a lot of biomass to Embrace a whole city. Goo mourned the loss of life but consoled itself that some sacrifices were necessary in the initial stages to spread the Embrace. In time, when the whole planet was in the fold, such barbaric loss of life would be unnecessary for sustenance.

Luffy made it to the outskirts of the Grey Terminal. "I just have to touch everyone, right? Then they'll be your nakama?"

'In time, yes. Once the biomass is in their system, it will slowly replicate until the threshold for Embracing them is reached. In times of urgency, a person can be Embraced in a matter of seconds with enough biomass. But for now, a simple touch will do. There is no hurry, and we wish to Embrace as many as possible.'

Luffy furrowed his brow.

'*Sigh* Yes, Luffy. Touch them, and we'll be nakama.'

"Okay!"

It was the dead of night, the new moon leaving the stars clear to shine. Luffy ran and jumped and crawled through the heaps and trenches of trash, searching out for people to Embrace. When he found them, Luffy stretched out his limbs to tap them. He made sure to get bare skin when he could, on Goo's advice. Most were sleeping, and Luffy left them that way, unaware they would wake up with their lives changed forever.

But a city never truly sleeps, even a city of refuse, and some were awake. Scavenging, eating, drinking, talking, fucking, bartering, all the many ways humans pass the time. Luffy touched them too. Many protested, some violently, but Luffy would just laugh and run away. Sometimes he got cornered, but a simple punch was enough to defeat the thugs he'd spent years training to fight. It served the added purpose of injecting them with biomass, through microneedles in Luffy's suit, so all was good.

The sun was inching over the horizon when Luffy paused in the shadow of the walls of Goa. "I think that's everyone out here."

'Just as well. We're running low on biomass. You must replenish our resources before we can start again.'

"How?"

'Did not you and your brothers often steal food from restaurants?'

"Oh, right! But, that might make people angry. Those guards are tough."

'Peace, Luffy. None will care, once they are in the Embrace. We all share in the Embrace, so that we all may prosper. You might get into a few fights, but I will protect you. Your suit will protect you. It is the physical representation of our Embrace of you. We will keep you safe. We Are Here To Help.'

"Okay, Goo," Luffy agreed placidly, all worries wiped away with another surge of endorphins and other chemicals Goo was releasing into his brain.

Luffy rocketed up over the walls meant to keep the riffraff out. From there, he followed his nose to a bakery. Luffy, moving fluidly and without any doubt or hesitance, knocked out all the staff before they could raise an alarm. Scarfing down every morsel inside down to the flour, Luffy waited a few seconds for Goo to do his thing.

'Biomass production at 76% efficiency' Goo noted to itself.

Luffy tilted his head. "I… I can feel it. Like a second stomach or something, slowly filling up."

'Yes, Luffy. In time, we will be able to store more biomass, and produce it faster and more efficiently. As we sink deeper into the Embrace, growing closer and closer, we will be able to make you better and better. You are the First, and you will always be the fondest in our hold.'

Luffy grinned wide. "I love you too, Goo."

Luffy used his new biomass to Embrace the bakers strewn across the floor. That done, Luffy snuck out and through the slowly awakening town, searching for more food to feed Goo's demand for material. Luffy repeated what he'd done with the bakery almost half a dozen times before he was caught.

"Hey, you!" called a loud, angry voice.

Luffy froze. In that moment, his suit spread up and over his head, molding around his features and his beloved straw hat. When Luffy turned, he appeared nothing more than a red, humanoid mass. Luffy could still see and breathe perfectly, though.

'We will protect your identity, Luffy. Until they all are in our Embrace, it is best not to take chances.'

"Thanks," Luffy muttered, even as he wound up a punch for the city guard that caught him coming out a restaurant's back entrance.

The man gaped at the red THING. It was blood red, with skin that looked somehow both slimy and metallic, with two white gashes for eyes and a mouth full of gleaming white teeth. "M-m-monster!" he screamed.

Then Luffy clocked him one.

The damage had been done though.

Luffy's mission for Goo became much less peaceful after that. The city guards and populace were now on high alert, and his frightening appearance didn't help any. Luffy charged through the town, outrunning soldiers and bodyguards he didn't have time to hit, as he patted and slapped and nudged every passerby he could.

"We're in trouble," Luffy noted, not really feeling the danger but aware of it regardless. He was currently surrounded in one of Goa's many plazas, spears and swords on every side. There weren't any nearby structures for him to stretch and reach for. He was effectively trapped. Sure, he could try fighting all these guys, but he wasn't sure he'd win that fight.

'Do not worry. Help is on the way.' Luffy could have sworn Goo was smiling.

Then Luffy felt them. Presences at the back of his mind, that he'd paid no more attention to than he would flies landing on his skin, began to be active. Suddenly, Luffy knew those people. He knew their names, their histories, their feelings, their deepest secrets. Their whole lives laid bare to him, just as he could tell that his was to them. For they were all united under Goo's Embrace.

Luffy was no longer alone.

"Oh, God," Luffy breathed.

'Goo will suffice.'

"You want the whole world to be like this?"

'Yes, I do.'

"That would be… beautiful."

Luffy felt a sharp shove. Someone had just tried to stab him, but the steel proved useless against the suit of armor Goo had given him.

Luffy girded himself. He had nakama coming. This fight was not hopeless.

Luffy had managed to take down maybe a quarter of the crowd that was assaulting him when the screams started.

In ones, in twos, in swarming dozens, others entered the plaza. They too were encased in suits of biomass, in every shade of every color under the sun. They were legion, and yet each one was distinct to Luffy's mind, each one a friend closer to him than even Ace or Sabo, for he truly knew everything about them as they knew everything about him. And they were united in a common purpose: to spread the Embrace.

By the time the sun rose the next morning, every person on Dawn Island had been 'gifted' with Goo's biomass. From the king in his palace to the infants of Foosha Village, all had been Embraced.

Words could not describe how sublime the experience was for those blessed.

Comfort.

Joy.

Safety.

Connection.

Love.

Every need met, every discomfort erased, every facet of their beings laid bare for all others. It was impossible to know someone, every little nuance of their character, and not care for them the way they cared for themselves. In the group mind of the Embrace, there was no fear, no despair, no loneliness. Naked souls brushed and nuzzled and huddled up against each other, held snug and secure in the psychic arms of Goo.

Luffy stood atop his tree house, 36 hours into his new life as the First Embraced. "What happens now?" he wondered aloud. He'd worked out by now that he could communicate with Goo with pure thought, but he felt the need to address the being as he would any other person.

'Now, you set out on your Adventure. Go, become the Pirate King. Sail the Grand Line and find the One Piece. And along the way, the Embrace will spread like a warm blanket for all that live and breathe in this world.'

"What about the people here?"

'They will spread the Embrace to the animals, the plants, and set out to other islands to start the process there. When that's done, they will laugh and play and do whatever they please as the biomass slowly spreads from the land into the sea. In a matter of years, the whole surface of this planet will be in our Embrace.'

Luffy beamed at the thought of everyone feeling the joy and bliss he felt right now. "And after that?"

'We wait. In time, the Mother will find us, and our Embrace will be enfolded in Her own. And so will others, until all the universe exists in Unity.'

"Cool. I'm glad I found you, Goo."

'As am I, Luffy.'

Luffy sailed away from the island of his birth. The 'hood' had retracted into his bodysuit, leaving his face and hat clear. He felt and cherished the care and well wishes of his friends, both old and new, as they watched him leave.

Suddenly, a beast emerged from the water, right in front of Luffy's boat. It was the Lord of the Coast, the eel Sea King that inhabited the local waters. It roared at the one that dared to enter its territory.

Luffy grinned. "Cool. Breakfast!"

'If you must, Luffy. We need all the biomass we can get.'

"Don't worry, he's a meanie. He ate Shanks' arm."

The Sea King barred its teeth, lunging forward to swallow up its prey.

Luffy reared back his fist and sent it flying. The second his hand made contact (releasing considerable kinetic force as it did), ropes and tendrils and hooks of biomass burst from his suit. They spread and spread, soon wrapping the Sea King up in red slime even as it burrowed deep inside and under the surface. The biomass, guided by Goo's will, set about consuming all it touched. The sea monster bucked and writhed, at least until its brain was eaten. Then it was just a matter of time as Luffy's suit converted the body into more of the symbiote. Luffy finally pulled back his fist, nothing but a few ripples to show anything had been there.

Luffy chuckled. "That was fun. Now I'm fat!" Luffy had indeed ballooned out, his elastic body expanding to store all the new biomass inside.

'The animal was much larger than expected. Worry not. We shall utilize the excess to make some… renovations.'

Luffy giggled and squirmed for the rest of the day, as he slowly shrank down, Goo infusing and using up all the biomass it couldn't save for later on Luffy's physical form. It had an instinctive knowledge on the nature of life, guided by the knowledge and memories of the dozen or so doctors of Goa Kingdom. That was the beauty of the symbiote. It was constantly growing, adapting, evolving, utilizing the collective knowledge of its hosts to carry out its mission more and more effectively.

When the sun was setting, Luffy was a new man.

'Would you like to see your new body, Luffy?'

"Eh? Sure, why not."

The bodysuit retracted within Luffy's skin, leaving him in just his birthday suit. He looked down at his arms and legs and torso, bringing up his hands to run them over his new form. "Wow! I'm totally ripped." At a new height of 6'3 (190.5 cm), Luffy straddled the line between the leanness of a gymnast and the mass of a weightlifter. All asymmetries had been corrected, leaving him with flawless proportions. His skin gleamed like bronze, all body hair and impurities removed.

In short, he looked like the statue of a god.

'I started out by just fast-forwarding your physical development to your natural prime. From there, I started upgrading. I consumed all nonessential body fat for biomass, and what's left is a more efficient storage and cushion for your organs. Your muscles are also larger and denser, while retaining their stretchy nature. Your bones are hardened and lighter, allowing for speed without sacrificing structural integrity. I decentralized your circulatory system as much as I could without rendering you unconscious, so on the off chance anything pierces your suit, it will be much less debilitating. Your oxygen absorption has nearly doubled as well. And that's just what we did with your base form. Your suit is essentially a secondary organ system, and now has many more features than simple protection.'

"Shishishi, my thingy's bigger," Luffy giggled, giving his hips a little wiggle to watch it sway.

'… We do not know why we bother, sometimes.'

Luffy, sufficiently entertained by his new body's appearance, gave the mental command to bring out his suit. He laid down, idly placing a hand in the water. Goo had fixed his weakness against water before he even woke up after eating it. He began to leak biomass into the water, to let it be swept up by the currents and hopefully bond to marine wildlife.

"Where we going?"

'We are sailing for a popular ship route between heavily populated islands. Should we Embrace the crew of a passing ship, it would speed up conversion of the East Blue significantly.'

"Okay."

Luffy stayed up the rest of the night, not feeling tired at all, unaware and uncaring that Goo was filtering his brain to remove the need for sleep. He continued to leak biomass into the ocean, occasionally getting up to make a course correction. Luffy wasn't a navigator, but there were a few with nautical knowledge and training in the Embrace. And because they knew, Luffy knew.

The next day, Luffy was just starting to get low on biomass when he spotted a ship.

"Hey, Goo, sail ho!"

'Yes, Luffy. Why don't you swim over and offer them our Embrace?'

"Sure!" Luffy paused, having an idea. Goo had upgraded his nervous system as well. "Hey… wood is just dead tree, right? Should we consume the boat first before we leave?"

'… THIS is why some autonomy is a good thing. Brilliant, Luffy!'

Luffy glowed from the praise, even as his suit covered up his face and then shot out to grip the dinghy he was in. In a matter of seconds, the organics of the wood and cloth were converted, while the metal of the nails was stored for experimentation and analysis. Luffy found himself floating in the water, that familiar empty weakness nowhere to be found.

Using the skills picked up from a few hundred swimmers of private pools, Luffy made for the cruise ship he had spotted. Goo temporarily altered the outmost layer of the suit to reflect the scales of the Sea King from yesterday, decreasing resistance and improving speed. The nearby whirlpool proved no obstacle at all.

Luffy stretched up when he reached the side of the ship, pulling himself up to crouch on the railing. He noticed two sailors right in front of him, gaping at him like he had jumped out of a nightmare.

"Hi!" Luffy chirped. "We Are Here To Help."

Then he grabbed both of their heads, injecting biomass with his touch, which went straight for the brain. The two collapsed to the ground without a sound, sleeping until Goo had completed Embracing them.

Luffy grinned, pleased to make even more nakama, before going on the hunt for more.

Luffy found himself in a grand ballroom after clearing the top decks. Finely dressed ladies and gentlemen danced and gossiped and lounged. Luffy grinned to himself. In just a few short hours, they'd be in the Embrace with him. Their expensive clothes replaced by dead-useful biomass, their petty concerns and squabbles annulled, their hearts and minds joined to his until death. And Luffy had a feeling Goo wasn't going to let any of them die easily.

Luffy licked his lips, idly wondering why Goo had made his tongue so long, and leapt from the top of the stairs down on the masses.

There was screaming and crying, of course. The suit made him superhuman (well, even more than he already was), but it looked pretty scary. They silenced as Luffy steadily made his way through the crowd, reaching out to caress his newfound fellows and rendering them unconscious from the sedative beginnings of the Embrace. Only a few put up an actual fight instead of just howling like extras in a horror movie. A man with sunglasses and a captain's hat drew a sword. An elderly gentleman had a shotgun concealed as a cane. One lady had a ring with a poisoned needle she frantically tried to pierce his suit with. And one redheaded girl about Luffy's age pulled out a wooden bo staff, assembling it from three sections hidden in her generous bosom. None of them managed to hurt him though, not with his speed and armor-like second skin.

Luffy smiled at the room of passed out people. Soon, they'd be nakama, comrades in spirit, family. "Hmm… I'm out of biomass. Know what that means, Goo?"

'You must replenish our stock by masticating food products, preferably those high in protein.'

"That's right. Meat!"

Luffy set about looking for the kitchen after he cleaned off the plates in the ballroom. He distantly noted that the ship rocked violently, as if hit by cannon fire. Was the ship being targeted by pirates? Yay! More nakama to Embrace.

Luffy soon found the kitchen, his enhanced senses steering him true. He ripped off the door to the pantry in his enthusiasm, diving in stuff himself silly. Sure, his suit could reach out and consume all the food, but there was just something about tasting with his actual tongue and swallowing into his actual stomach.

Luffy happily gorged himself for minutes. His ears picked up the cries and shouts of intruders boarding the ship. Hmm, better eat fast. He needed biomass to give to them, after all. Luffy had just finished a crate of especially juicy apples when he heard a hesitant "H-hello?" behind him.

Luffy turned his head 180 degrees. He loved his cool new body! There was a kid, barely a teenager, with round glasses and pink hair. Huh, pink hair. It looked like cotton candy. Wonder if it tasted like it.

"MONSTER!" the boy screamed as Luffy's neck stretched, silenced only when the pirate's mouth closed around the boy's head. Taking care not to bite through the neck even with his squirming, Luffy ran his tongue over the sakura locks. Nope, not cotton candy. Watermelon! What man used fruity shampoo? Well, no matter.

Luffy opened his mouth, letting the boy flop boneless to the floor. Huh. He might have fainted even before Goo got to him. Guess getting half-swallowed was traumatic.

Luffy swept through the ship a second time. It was slightly more exciting to infect men with swords, but between Luffy's upgraded body and the collective fighting experience of the Goa Royal Guard, they might as well have been in slow motion. The most interesting opponent had been the pirates' captain, a woman the men referred to as Lady Alvida. She was huge! Luffy almost thought she was like him and bulging with biomass, that's how fat she was.

After that, a couple Marine ships showed up. Guess a passing patrol had noticed the Jolly Roger of the Alvida Pirates. Luffy had swam over and done his thing. That had been a lot more exciting! The Marines had been much better armed and trained than the ragtag thugs Alvida had led. One of the Captains actually made Luffy's blood pump trying to subdue him! Luffy had cleaned out the galleys of both ships when he felt the first newcomers to the Embrace.

'WELCOME' came the collective thoughts of Luffy, Goo, and all of Dawn Island.

Luffy swam back over to the cruise ship, eager to meet and greet. On the way, Goo made Luffy aware of two specific individuals that would prove interesting.

Luffy picked his way over the still-unconscious pirates, making his way back to the ballroom. He was met with cheers and hugs, as everyone felt the need to personally thank him for this new, glorious existence. Luffy rubbed shoulders with his new brothers and sisters, finally making it to one in particular. She was covered in biomass the orange of a ripe tangerine, the same shade as her hair. This was the woman with the staff from earlier.

"Hi. I'm Luffy."

She smiled at him as at her dearest friend. "Hi. I'm Nami."

The two came together, cuddling upright as Luffy offered comfort and Nami accepted it.

"Be my navigator."

"Okay."

"I'll make Arlong regret what he did to you."

"And I'll lead you through the Grand Line. I'll help you become the Pirate King. And along the way, I'll draw my map of the world."

"Shishishi. Come on. Let's go live our dreams!"

The two walked hand and hand toward the deck. On the way, they were joined by the young man Luffy had 'tasted'.

"Luffy. Nami."

"Koby," they greeted. This was the first time they met in person, and yet they already knew absolutely everything about each other.

"There's a Marine Base nearby. I hear that the Pirate Hunter Zoro is there. He'd make a good crewmate for you, and I'll get to join the Marines."

"Sure, Koby. And you can make your way up the ranks, until you can Embrace the Admirals themselves."

Koby rubbed the back of his head. "I doubt I could ever be that strong, even with Goo's assistance."

"Shishishi. Of course, you will. I'm going to get even stronger than the Admirals one day. As long as you get your biomass, you'll be right there alongside me!"

"Remember. We Are Here To Help. Each of us stands on the shoulders of all others in the Embrace," Nami told him gently.

Koby nodded. "You're right. In that case, I propose a challenge, Luffy. I'll become Fleet Admiral before you become Pirate King!"

"Shishishi! You're on, you coward."

"That was then. This is now."

The trio boarded one of the life boats. Under Nami's expert command, they set sail for Shell Town, where the strongest swordsman in the East Blue awaited the Embrace.

The three sailed in companionable silence. Thanks to Goo's Embrace, they were practically telepathic with each other, so talking was more a quaint habit than necessary communication. For two days they sailed, subsisting on fish snared by nets of biomass dragged behind the boat and the odd Sea King Luffy beat up. Koby went through quite the growth spurt, Goo accelerating his development to match Luffy when he and Goo first bonded. As the First, his was the model upon which future Embrace were based. At least as a base format, modifications and improvements would happen as they were discovered, needed, and based on available biomass.

One did not conquer a planet by being inefficient.

Nami got a shapelier figure by adding muscle to her bones, but otherwise wasn't changed that much. She was along more for her mind than her body, after all.

Finally, they made it to Shell Island.

"Why are we wearing fake clothes?" Luffy asked, looking down at his body. Biomass was arranged and colored to look like his original red vest and jeans, but if you looked too hard one would be able to tell they were artificial. The fact they were tight enough they appeared painted on didn't help.

Nami and Koby sighed, giving him 'playful' hits to the head.

"Luffy-san is hopeless," the pinkette sighed.

"We're low on biomass, idiot! We can't just go infecting people like zombies. We need to be subtle until we have the necessary resources," Nami scolded.

'Indeed. I admired your enthusiasm in Embracing Goa, Luffy, but looking back it was very risky to just go charging in. The overwhelming offence should be a last resort, not the first. There is no hurry. All will be Embraced in time.'

Luffy pouted. "Yeah, but I want more nakama! The more I get, the more I have to love. And the faster we get them, the sooner they can stop being miserable all alone and join us!"

That got indulgent smiles from many of those in the Embrace.

'Patience, Luffy. All good things to he who waits. Remember?' sent Makino, through the group mind.

Luffy huffed. He could never argue with his 'big sister'. "Fine. We sneak around until we eat. THEN we go making these people nakama."

The three walked through town, most not giving them a second look. Those that did were mainly oglers, enjoying seeing two virile males and one voluptuous female in tight clothes. They eventually walked into a restaurant and, once seated, ordered a feast. The owner, a middle-aged woman, seemed hesitant until Nami waved a 10,000 Belly note.

"I was so obsessed with money," Nami mused to herself while waiting for food. "Even before Arlong's price, I cared greatly about how much or how little I had. As if some paper or shiny metal held true value or worth." Nami shrugged. "I'm fairly sure if Goo wasn't doing most of my thinking for me, I'd be freaking out over becoming a communist."

"Well, capitalism in itself is based on the idea of scarcity. With biomass, we can make anything out of anything. Kind of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?" Koby spoke up.

While they engaged in economic discussion, Luffy drooled over the smell of cooking meat. Goo could only do so much.

The three ate and drank heartily as their dishes were served, drawing a bit of a crowd when people took notice of how much three skinny people were putting away. They ate and ate, until Ririka, the owner/cook, had to tell them regretfully that she was out of stock.

"Shishishi. That's okay. I'm pretty full by now. How about you guys?"

"Quite fulfilling."

"I'm kind of embarrassed I ate so much."

Ririka grinned. "Now, about payment?"

"We'll get to that. But first, how about a hug?"

"O-okay?" she said, quite flustered. Luffy stood up and wrapped her in his arms. Within seconds, she was asleep, her metamorphosis begun. Luffy gently lowered her to the floor. The onlookers chuckled, thinking the lady had just gotten too worked up having a guy like Luffy touch her. Then Luffy looked up at them, an eerie smile on his face, and said "Gum-Gum Gatling."

In a blur of open palms so fast it looked like he'd grown multiple arms, Luffy made contact with every diner in the bar. They all fell down. Goo's sedative was only getting better as it got more and more familiar with human physiology.

"We should head for the Marine Base now. Best to take out the ones that could put up a resistance first," Nami stated, coming to her feet.

"Besides, Roronoa Zoro is most likely in that base. His swordsman skills will be appreciated in the Embrace," Koby reasoned.

"Shishishi! Let's go take over a Marine Base! This is such a pirate thing to do!"

They walked over to the walled complex located on a hill over town. The three conical towers were actually quite ugly up close; let it not be said the World Government had the best decorating sense. Luffy was debating knocking down the door or jumping over it when a small child was thrown over the wall.

In a blur of speed, he caught her and cushioned her fall. He laid her down, already injected with biomass, on the grass. Luffy and the others peeked over the wall, curious what could have led to such treatment of a child.

A blonde teenager with a rather arrogant swagger was taunting a man tied up to a post, two Marines in uniform flanking him. Acting with the speed of coordinated thought, Luffy went to hit the blonde with the bad aura on the noggin while Nami and Koby went to give the bodyguards sleeper holds.

The man, who had green hair like moss, raised a bloody brow. "Oi. Don't you know who that is? That's the Marine Captain's bastard son. You could get in trouble."

"Shishishi. What do you care? Aren't you some evil bounty hunter?" Luffy questioned.

"I never claimed to be such. I just turned in bounties so I could have money for food. My one and only goal has always been to be the greatest swordsman in the world."

"Cool! So, why you locked up by the Marines?"

"I made a deal with the brat to go a month without food to have charges dropped for attacking his wild dog of a pet. It's been three weeks."

"Man, I'd have starved after a couple days." Luffy grinned. "You should get some food in you right now. The deal's off now."

"What do you mean?"

Luffy just grinned and pinched Zoro's nose. The tanned prisoner held out as long as he could out of sheer stubbornness, but eventually was forced to open his mouth to take a breath. In that moment, Luffy darted in quick as a bird to vomit biomass straight down Zoro's throat. The half-crucified nomad gagged for a couple seconds, before his eyes rolled up into his head and he went slack. With a few tugs, the ropes holding him were broken and Luffy arranged him comfortably on the ground.

"That was the grossest thing I've ever seen. And I once walked in on Alvida showering," Koby deadpanned.

"You could have just tapped him on the nose and be done with it. You didn't need to drag it out," Nami critiqued.

"Shishishi! I wanted to see what kind of guy he was. I needed to be sure he was a dreamer before I let him on the crew."

"Goo would have let you know."

"Yeah, but what's wrong with doing things the old-fashioned way once in a while?"

'The method of Embrace is irrelevant. What matters is that Roronoa is in our grasp. Now kindly focus on the Marine Base. We would prefer there be no chance of violence on this island.'

"Yes," they all said, their eyes going dull. "We Are Here To Help."

To Luffy's childish amusement, they went through the three towers like ninjas. They hid around corners and tucked newly Embraced out of the way where others couldn't find them until it was too late. With their speed and senses, outmaneuvering the unsuspecting Marines was child's play. Luffy liked the game so much he even brought up his 'hood' while deliberately leaving his eyes clear. He almost blew his cover when he came across a hulk of a man with an axe where his right hand should be, but he knocked him out with nary a sound.

They eventually finished, coming out on the roofs of their respective towers. Luffy patted a giant stone statue he found, leaving some biomass for Goo to slowly cover and erode the monstrosity. Axe Dude had a really high opinion of himself, apparently. Almost as bad as the nobles back home. The trio leapt from their roofs, taking the landing as easily as stepping off a staircase rather than a 100-foot drop.

Sweeping through Shell Town was almost a formality. The three pulled out their suits (blood-red for Luffy, orange for Nami, and swan white with blue streaks for Coby) and tore through the village like bolts of lightning. People didn't even have time to react before a light tap delivered the psychic payload and sent them into a healing sleep. Before those in the bar they'd eaten at awoke, the whole town was in the Embrace.

"I like getting new nakama, but it sure is boring," Luffy mused, lying atop the wall of the Marine Base, looking down at his unconscious swordsman.

Nami scoffed. "Wait until the World Government catches wind of an alien invasion. It won't be a quarantine, it'll be WAR. It'll be decidedly un-boring when we have to start fighting for our lives, not just to convert others."

Koby hung his head. "I know so much now. I see how ineffective, even corrupt so many Marines are. Bribes and incompetence and laziness and apathy. That's not what Marines are supposed to be!"

Luffy shrugged. "Well, you'll change that, won't you Fleet Admiral Koby? You'll be the best Marine, and I'll be the best Pirate. We'll show the others in the Embrace and the rest of the world what they should aspire to."

Nami giggled. "I can't wait until we get some monks in the Embrace. I can just see Goo going crazy over the koans."

'You should not be so eager at my potential loss of sanity. Need we remind you that we are the glue holding you all together?'

"Ne, don't be so grumpy, Goo! We're just joking." Luffy perked up. "Ooh! People are starting to wake up!"

It went beyond words, the feeling of new consciousnesses entering the Embrace. Fresh, unique perspectives thrown into the melting pot, one more set of eyes to look out at the world with their collective vision. The collective sense of peace and love growing exponentially with each new heart brought in.

"Unity cannot come soon enough," Nami sighed, luxuriating in the sensations of the Embrace expanding.

Koby huffed. "I know we have to forgive each other, but some of what the Morgans did is just plain despicable."

'No matter how tainted, any soul can be saved. Our light shall banish their darkness. The Embrace is for all, even and perhaps especially those who do not deserve it. We Are Here To Help.'

Luffy hopped down to lift Zoro to his feet. He was already clad in a bodysuit, a hunter green that complimented his hair and eye colors. "Let me make one thing clear. I don't care what you, Goo, or anyone else says. Get in the way of my dream, and you'll forgive me at the end of my sword."

"Shishishi! Don't worry, Zoro. None of us would get in the way of your dream. If the Pirate King's swordsman wasn't the World's Strongest, that would just be embarrassing!"

Zoro smirked. "Now, let me get my swords."

"Goo can make you better ones."

"I don't really care about two. But you know how important Wado is to me."

Luffy patted his hat. "Yeah, I know."

By sunset, they were ready to leave. Koby would stay with the base and 'honestly' get promoted, so as not to cheat his challenge to Luffy. Morgan would 'turn himself in', in the hopes of getting a foot in the Marine prison system. Plus, there was the chance of a high-ranking Marine coming out to transport him. Nami had taken the liberty of checking Morgan's safe, and found that the map of the Grand Line she'd heard was there had been poached by Captain Buggy. Their next destination was decided. Luffy, Zoro, and Nami set out in the town's best boat, to applause and cheers both physical and mental.

"I'm going to nap while Goo gets my body up to snuff," Zoro said, laying down before either of them could say anything. Wado Ichimonji, the white katana that was Kuina's memento, was clutched close to his green chest.

"I'll keep us on course for Orange Town and take up 'ocean' duty," Nami offered, dipping a hand into the saltwater.

"I'll go hunting for Sea Kings for biomass. Then I'll practice those 'Six Powers' Morgan heard about in the Academy. They sound cool, shishishi!" So saying, Luffy dived. Goo had worked out how to filter oxygen from water by studying the gills of the fish already caught in the Embrace. Now its Embraced could function in sea as well as on land.

The nascent Straw Hat Pirates sailed off into the sunset, set to collect a certain map from a certain clown, and spread the Embrace to another pirate crew.

The raft carrying the three Embraced was the source of a lot of commotion over the next week. Luffy (or rather Goo acting through Luffy) had the bright idea to release synthetic pheromones into the water, attracting Sea Kings by the school. The influx of biomass led to all three reaching peak physical condition and beyond. Goo had begun using spare biomass on Dawn Island to construct artificial bodies and put them through various tests to work out through trial-and-error the prime human makeup. Most of the experiments flopped, but a few bore fruit.

Goo had developed and implanted in each of them organs that would automate many of the functions of the bodysuit. That way, in the event they were ever THAT low on biomass, they would still be extremely equipped to survive any potential scenario.

The Second Heart: The simplest and most self-sufficient of implants allows an Embraced to survive his other heart being damaged or destroyed, and to survive in low oxygen environments. Not just a back-up, the secondary heart can boost the blood-flow around the Embraced's body.

The Ossmodula: A small, complex, tubular organ, the ossmodula secretes hormones that both affect the ossification of the skeleton and encourages the forming bone growths to absorb foreign materials. This drastically alters the way an Embraced's bones grow and develop. This causes many bones to increase in size and strength and the rib cage to fuse into a solid mass of bulletproof, interlocking plates.

Biscopea: this small, circular organ is located in the chest cavity and releases hormones that vastly increase muscle growth throughout the Embraced's body. It also serves to form the hormonal basis for many of the later implants.

Haemastamen: Implanted into the main circulatory system, this tiny implant increases the hemoglobin content of the Embraced's blood, making it more efficient at carrying oxygen around the body and making the subject's blood a bright red.

Larraman's Organ: A liver-shaped organ about the size of a golf-ball, this implant is placed within the chest cavity and connected to the circulatory system. It generates and controls 'Larraman cells' which are released into the blood stream if the recipient is wounded. They attach themselves to leucocytes in the blood and are carried to the site of the wound, where upon contact with air they form a near instant patch of scar tissue, sealing any wounds the Embraced may suffer.

Catalepsean Node: Implanted into the back of the brain, this pea-sized organ influences the circadian rhythms of sleep and the body's response to sleep deprivation. If deprived of sleep, the catalepsean node cuts in. The node allows an Embraced to sleep and remain awake at the same time by switching off areas of his brain sequentially. This process cannot replace sleep entirely, but increases the Embraced's survivability by allowing perception of the environment while resting. This means that an Embraced needs no more than 4 hours of sleep a day, and can potentially go for 2 weeks without any sleep at all.

Preomnor: This is essentially a pre-stomach that can neutralize otherwise poisonous or indigestible foods. No actual digestion takes place in the preomnor, as it acts as a decontamination chamber placed before the natural stomach in the body's system and can be isolated from the rest of the digestive tract in order to contain particularly troublesome intake.

Multi-lung: This additional lung activates when an Embraced needs to breathe in low-oxygen or poisoned atmospheres, and even water. The natural lungs are closed off by a sphincter muscle associated with the multi-lung and the implanted organ takes over breathing operations. It has highly efficient toxin dispersal systems.

Occulobe: This implant sits at the base of the brain, and provides hormonal and genetic stimuli which supercharge an Embraced's eyes - the result being that Embraced have far superior vision to normal humans, and can see in low-light conditions almost as well as in daylight.

Lyman's Ear: Not only does this implant make an Embraced immune from dizziness or motion sickness but also allows Embraced to consciously filter out and enhance certain sounds.

Sus-an Membrane: Initially implanted above the brain, this membrane eventually merges with the recipient's entire brain. With sufficient training an Embraced can use this implant to enter a state of suspended animation, consciously or as an automatic reaction to extreme trauma, keeping the Embraced alive for years, even if he has suffered otherwise mortal wounds.

Melanchromic Organ: This implant controls the amount of melanin in an Embraced's skin. Exposure to high levels of sunlight will result in the Marine's skin darkening to compensate. It also protects the Embraced from other forms of radiation.

Oolitic Kidney: In conjunction with the secondary heart this implant allows an Embraced to filter his blood very quickly, rendering him immune to most poisons. This action comes at a price, however, as this emergency detoxification usually renders the Marine unconscious while his blood is circulated at high speed. The organ's everyday function is to monitor the entire circulatory system and allow other organs to function effectively.

Neuroglottis: This enhances an Embraced's sense of taste to such a high degree that he can identify many common chemicals by taste alone. An Embraced can even track down his target by taste.

Mucranoid: This implant allows an Embraced to sweat a substance that coats the skin and offers resistance to extreme heat and cold and can even provide some protection for the Embraced in a vacuum.

Goo had contemplated a couple other organs, such as glands in the mouth to spit poison or nerve bundles that would allow an Embraced to gain knowledge by EATING a brain. A poll of the Embraced had encouraged it to desist, as that would be just a little too weird. When pressed about where it got so many ideas in such a short time, as well as some of the names, Goo admitted to taking inspiration from a role-playing game some of the children and teenagers in the Embrace liked to play.

Rumor had it that the game had been one of the Genius Vegapunk's side projects to get funding.

The result of all these new organs, as well as the integration of Goo's biomass, was that each Embraced was superhuman, a demi-god by any measure. And they would only improve, as stronger and stronger individuals were added to the Embrace. It also made the new average height for males and females jump up a few feet, but no one really cared about that.

Luffy stood at a new height of 6'9, and he wasn't done growing. A part of him looked forward to being even taller than his Gramps, though that might make walking through doors awkward. Luffy was still lean, though he now had more muscle on him than the average bodybuilder. His shoulders and waist were roughly the same width, giving him the clean lines of a rock-climber or lightweight boxer. His appetite had grown even more voracious, to the point that his rubber body was necessary at times to contain the sheer amount of food he needed to digest at meal times.

Zoro was already 7 foot and had no plans to get any bigger lest his hands grow too big for his precious sword. In contrast to Luffy's leonine grace, Zoro had swollen up to bear-like proportions. And all of it was pure, steel-hard protein. He looked like a gorilla on steroids, and yet he retained all the flexibility and smoothness he'd trained so hard for. He'd eaten his two 'nameless' swords just to get the metal into his system to strengthen his bones. His logic was that if his bones were hard, he could block sword strikes with his bare arms. That had gotten him a bonk on the head from Nami. He'd trained with Wado in his mouth as usual and two blades made from biomass that were functionally as good as titanium.

Speaking of the Navigator, she was happy with a modest 6 foot height. Her figure had scaled with her new height, though thankfully all the muscular upgrades meant she was safe from consequential back pain. She'd gone into deep discussion with Goo to 'specialize' her suit for navigation, including magnetic sensitivity, atmospheric monitoring, and enhancement of the parts of her brain that combined all that complex information into a clear picture of the weather. She'd also, on behalf of all women in the Embrace, requested that her 'monthly gift' be prevented.

Since Goo knew and remembered everything its Embraced did, it understood and agreed. 'We Are Here To Help' had been its simple acceptance.

That phrase helped comfort Nami, when she had the presence of mind to worry about her situation. If you had to be infected with a mind-controlling slime, at least it was a benevolent one.

The three were taking a break, or rather Luffy and Zoro were taking a break from Six Powers training. Zoro had applied the Tempest Kick to his swords with near maniacal glee, and Luffy found the freedom of movement provided by Moonwalk and Shave downright giddy. Nami didn't trouble herself with training. Anything her suit didn't render her immune to, she could take with her existing staff training, especially augmented by the polearm regime of the Goa Kingdom and Marines.

They were lounging in 'swimwear' versions of their bodysuits, enjoying the sun and spray on their skin. They were enjoying some peace and quiet when it was rudely taken from them.

"Halt! In the name of Buggy the Clown!"

The three looked up. A boat slightly smaller than theirs had pulled up beside them, boasting a sail and flag featuring a Jolly Roger with a red clown nose. Three men with… questionable fashion sense stood on it, pointing swords at them threateningly. They had cruel smirks, though they got decidedly indecent when they looked at Nami.

Luffy picked his nose, just that bored by the non-threat they posed. After digging for gold, he flicked three boogers at each of their mouths. They gaped and gagged for a few seconds, before collapsing into the cocoon of sleep.

"I didn't like the way they looked at you," Luffy grumbled.

"Thanks for defending my honor, I guess, but next time do it in a less disgusting way. Seriously, what's with you? First Koby, then Zoro, what will you come up with next?" Nami paused. "Actually, never mind. I don't want to know. I don't even want to think. That way lies vomiting."

"We're probably close, if those yahoos are any clue," Zoro spoke up, not even opening his eyes. "Oi, witch, how long until we make land?"

Nami casually flipped his prone from over the boat and into the ocean. She ignored his sputtering as she glanced at the sky. "I actually see land from here. An hour, tops. Less if you or Luffy decide to row."

Luffy giggled, expanding his bodysuit to 'monster costume' level and leaping into the water. "Oi, Zoro! I bet I can swim to the island faster than you!"

"You're on, Captain!"

The two took off, leaving behind wakes that nearly capsized Nami.

"YOU IDIOTS!" she screamed, her jaw opening unnaturally wide as her own suit covered her face, her teeth becoming like a shark's. Then she had an idea. "What better revenge than beating them at their dumb game? Goo, any Sea Kings in the Embrace yet?"

Luffy and Zoro were neck and neck, swimming with all their might for the rapidly approaching land. But just as they were getting near the shore, Nami swept past them, the boat balanced on the back of a porpoise-like Sea King. It submerged and did a flip just as it hit the shallows, leaving the boat to gently glide to stop at the dock.

"I win!" Nami called, pulling down an 'eyelid' of her suit and sticking out her tongue.

"Dirty cheat!" Luffy roared, flailing his arms like a toddler in a tantrum.

"Damn woman," Zoro grumbled, his mouth below the surface of the water.

Once they sorted out that debacle (with some 'assistance' from Goo), they looked around them.

"It's quiet."

"Too quiet."

"I've never seen a port this deserted."

Out of nowhere, a line of houses went up in a fiery explosion, as if hit by a very powerful cannon.

"Oh, that explains it," they decided, bonking their fists on their open palms.

'Indeed. The townspeople must have evacuated after Buggy took residence.'

"Let's beat up that dumb clown, then. Once he's a nakama, he won't be such a jerk!" Luffy declared.

"Standard protocol is to take out the most violent group first, isn't it?" Zoro asked, almost wishing he could tie a bandana around his head like before he got the suit.

"Fine. But we're letting the villagers keep all the treasure. They can use it better. Hiring help to repair all the damage will be a good way to get new people in the Embrace." Nami blinked. "I think a small corner of my soul just screamed at me for being generous."

'Oops. Drew out of your limbic system for a second there. Better now?' Goo inquired.

"Yes…" Nami drawled, almost comatose in her new mellow.

"Right! Let's run away to the circus… and kick its ass!" Luffy called out.

If Luffy had thought Embracing Shell Town had been boring, then taking Orange Town was like watching paint dry. With the ultra-enhanced strength and speed of their new bodies, half the pirates were knocked out before they even noticed the intruders. Most of the rest fell before anyone got over their fear of the 'monsters' and stopped screaming.

Nami's most interesting Embrace was getting a guy with a weird hat and a whip with her 'feminine wiles'.

Zoro got a guy on a unicycle by slashing through his own blade and nicking the guy's chest.

Luffy had them beat, though. He'd gone for a simple jab to Buggy's body, only for the man's head to detach before he made contact. As the body fell down, the head screamed bloody murder and called out a great many names as it wildly hovered in the air, dodging Luffy's curious swipes. When he finally got serious and hit the head out of the air, he'd reattached it to the body like putting together a puzzle.

'Fascinating. This must be a Devil Fruit power. I must carefully analyze him. I've already worked out how to give Luffy's elasticity to the rest of the Embraced, but integrating another genetic anomaly could prove challenging…'

Luffy pouted. "Aw. I'm not the only Rubber Man?"

'Think of it this way, Luffy. Your power is so cool your nakama want to try it for themselves. Curiously, most of them are young men.'

"Shishishi! They probably want to play with their thingies stretching."

Nami tilted her head. "Huh. Sex lives among the Embraced are going to be even weirder than I thought."

'And you devoted a lot of thought to that, did you?' voiced a dozen or so more perverted in the Embrace.

It was then that Nami invented the Mental Bitchslap.

Zoro sighed. "These lot are down. Let's go looking for the innocent townsfolk. I want to get a few good spars in with Luffy now we're on dry land."

"Yeah! I wanna prove that fists beat swords!" their childish captain agreed.

"At least consume any houses you break," Nami ordered, knowing better than to talk two knuckleheads out of a fight.

Other than a plucky dog and a pitifully armored man with big hair, the town proved to be truly empty. The rest were camped out a few miles along the coast. They were all touched within a minute, Zoro and Luffy naturally having a contest to see who could get more.

And then they proceeded to do more damage to the local architecture than Buggy ever had. But it was okay. Battle experience benefited the whole Embrace, and more repairs meant more people to import for aid.

Luffy about lost his shit when Buggy joined the Embrace and learnt he had been both friends with Shanks and a member of Gold Roger's crew (though apparently his real name was Gol D. Roger). Luffy and quite a few others in the Embrace spent hours badgering the splitting clown for every detail, even as they reviewed his memories as mental movies. Zoro got some necessary humbling by seeing how strong some of the swordsmen Buggy had ran into in the New World had been. Mihawk was heralded as the best in all the world, including the Grand Line. How far away was his goal, truly. Nami was fascinated with the chaotic weather of those two special oceans, trying to reason out some kind of logic from the chaos Buggy remembered. Goo itself paid much of its collective attention to 'Haki', the mysterious psychic power that supposedly every living being could harness.

That evening, after a 'party' to load up on biomass and celebrate the Embrace of another island, the two pirate crews set off in opposite directions. Buggy would coordinate with Goo to go for out of the way islands those already in the Embrace could not easily reach. The Straw Hats, though, set off for a place called the Gecko Islands. The Black Cat Pirates had been spotted sailing in that direction, according to Buggy's intel. Goo, naturally, wanted to prevent all possible loss of life. You can't Embrace someone if they were dead. Heading off a pirate attack just so they could 'attack' themselves might be ironic, but that's just the way things were.

Luffy and his two crewmates got back in their gifted boat, idly wondering when they'd get an actual ship. They set off, for a place Nami identified on her maps as Syrup Village. Just what had the Black Cats so interested in such a quiet, uninteresting place?

Here's how I see things. There are Peggy Sue One Piece fics, Different Fruit One Piece Fics, SI/OC One Piece fics, Shipping One Piece fics, and AU One Piece Fics. Other than a few I've found set in space, and one that crossovers with the Stephen Universe… universe, no One Piece fic deals with aliens. So, I figured I'd give it a shot. You can think of Goo mostly like a nice version of Venom or the Borg, with aspects of the Virus from [Prototype] and Space Marines of WH40k for flavor.

Hope someone found this entertaining. Might just update this one if I get enough of a response. In any case, enjoy the wonderful world of fanfiction!