Mythical Zoan: Vampire Form

Luo's gaze was fixed on the strange fruit; the spiral patterns seemed to wriggle slightly as if alive, and the black lines gleamed with a dark red luster under the light.

"Roy..."

Luo spoke in a low voice, his tone filled with undisguised wariness and curiosity, "What exactly is this fruit?"

Roy chuckled softly, tapping the edge of the box lightly with his fingertips. His tone was casual yet deep. "Zoan, Bat-Bat Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Vampire Form."

The air seemed to freeze for a moment after he finished speaking.

Luo's pupils suddenly contracted, and he leaned forward abruptly. "Mythical Zoan?!"

That's even rarer and more unrepeatable than Logia!

And "vampires," a species that only exists in legends and dark myths, should never appear in the real world.

At this moment, Tesoro leaned back on the sofa, his expression turning serious, and slowly added, "According to ancient records, those who swallow this fruit will gain basic abilities such as bat-wing flight, night vision, ultrasonic perception, and sound wave locking."

"But what's even more powerful is its terrifying control over the night—once night falls, the user's attributes will be dramatically enhanced, and they can unleash 'Absolute Dark Domain,' stripping the enemy of their sense of direction, hearing, and even the synchronization of their heartbeat."

Luo's expression gradually turned serious, but Tesoro had not yet finished speaking.

He lowered his tone and continued, "And its most lethal core—is its unique blood-sucking ability!"

"Sucking the target's blood can directly deprive them of their vitality, accelerate their aging, and even, at certain frequencies, pull them into a dreamless slumber, causing them to fall into a state of permanent mental stagnation."

Luo heard his breathing quicken slightly, and countless possibilities flashed through his mind—this was practically a perfect ability tailor-made for assassins, manipulators, and rulers.

He slowly raised his head, looking at Roy with a complex and awe-inspiring expression. "This kind of thing... should never fall into the hands of ordinary people."

Upon hearing this, Roy simply smiled calmly, slowly closed the golden box, and the metal lid clicked shut, as if sealing a sleeping monster back into its coffin.

His tone was calm, yet carried an unfathomable sharpness. "It never belonged to the weak from the very beginning!"

Tesoro leaned back on the sofa, his eyes Flash slightly, his expression revealing a complex mix of emotions.

He gazed at Roy, who sat opposite him with a calm expression, his eyes filled with contemplation and a hint of... awe.

"You really are still the most unfathomable person."

He gave Roy a meaningful look, his tone tinged with a helpless sigh, "'Sleeping Ancient Town' —that kind of forbidden area that's almost been erased from the map, a place even underground intelligence networks shun, yet you can accurately pinpoint the possible location of the target fruit."

He paused, as if waiting for Roy's response, but Roy only smiled without saying a word, his fingers lightly tapping the edge of the gold box, as if striking the drumbeat of fate.

After a few moments of silence, Tesoro changed his tone and slowly said, "You instructed me to search for two fruits, and this 'Vampire Fruit' was one of them."

"The other one—our people are still tracking it, but the leads are sporadic..."

He hesitated slightly as he spoke, glancing at Roy again.

Roy simply waved his hand dismissively, as if he didn't care about it. "It's nothing."

He leaned back on the sofa, his expression languid, yet his tone carried an undeniable certainty and composure. "If we really can't find it... then let's wait."

He paused slightly, raised his eyes slightly, and said calmly, "Perhaps, it will appear naturally when it wants to."

These words, though seemingly calm, were like a pebble dropped into a deep abyss.

Both Luo and Tesoro were startled and fell silent in unison.

That silence was not one of doubt, but rather an instinctive awe of the unknown.

They all understood the deeper meaning hidden in Roy's words: he wasn't waiting for a fruit, he seemed to be waiting for it to appear on its own? Could the fruit be...?

Luo's brows furrowed tightly, his throat bobbed slightly, and he finally couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Roy..."

His tone was cautiously inquiring, "Who do you plan to give this 'Vampire Fruit' to?"

That's a power that can devour even life itself; if misused, it will likely bring not power, but calamity.

But Roy simply closed the gold box with a click, as if stamping the end of a conversation.

He leaned back in his chair and smiled mysteriously, "You'll find out when we get back."

That smile offered no explanation, yet it sent a chill down the spines of both Luo and Tesoro.

They knew very well that every decision Roy made was not made on a whim.

Tesoro pushed the last document towards Roy, his tone finally returning to its usual calm and playful tone. "My people have already made contact with the people on Sky Island. I will handle the matters you have arranged."

Roy glanced at the document, tossed it aside, and it vanished into the spatial distortion. His tone was indifferent. "Well done. I believe you."

He stood up and led Luo towards the door.

"Alright, we've said everything we needed to say, it's time for us to go..."

Guran Tesoro Golden Palace

Inside the magnificent hall, the Flame flickered, and the golden reflections seemed unable to illuminate the echoes deep within the shadows.

Tesoro stood in the center of the main hall, the golden Throne behind him silent, his gaze fixed on the door that had just been closed.

A moment ago, Roy and Roy's figures stopped in front of the door.

Roy's words, seemingly casual, were etched into my heart.

"On the day I shatter the nightmare, I will have you personally hand me the first spark."

It was described lightly, yet it struck like a deep bell.

"Shatter the nightmare...?"

Tesoro murmured, the silhouette of the giant crystal chandelier on the ceiling of the hall reflected in his golden pupils.

His fingertips trembled slightly, and his usually flamboyant and confident expression could not hide a trace of long-hidden pain and anticipation.

He slowly lowered his head and bowed deeply to the empty hall.

His voice was low, yet exceptionally firm. "... I believe it."

Time seemed to stand still, and a sense of antiquity seemed to waft through the air.

Tesoro slowly raised his head, as if he had heard something, or perhaps it was an echo buried deep within his own heart—

Stella...

That name, long buried behind gold, echoed like a gentle breeze in the silent hall.

Grand Line Paradise Route - Warship Deck

On the azure sea, waves crashed against the hull, Warship, like a beluga whale cutting through the waves, left trails of white spray.

The sunlight was bright on the deck.

Roy changed into casual clothes, lazily reclining on a wooden sun lounger, hands behind his head, sunglasses covering his face, and a blade of grass he'd somehow acquired dangling from his mouth—a classic Garp- esque "top-tier slacking-off" pose.

"Luo, time to head back to headquarters~"

He closed his eyes, his tone relaxed and languid, as if he had just come out of a hot spring.

Luo stood not far away, having quickly completed the course instructions. A report came from the control room confirming the route, and the Warship began to accelerate towards Marine Headquarters.

But his gaze couldn't help but fall on Roy.

The person in the sunlight seemed as carefree as the wind, but from the dispatch from the Sky Island and the secret meeting in the Golden City to the sudden appearance of the Mythical Zoan "Vampire"—

Every move he made seemed to have been calculated in advance, and he could even foresee the future direction, laying out a plan in his mind.

Luo's gaze deepened, a ripple of emotion stirring within him. "Roy... how far have you progressed in your plans?"

"Shatter the nightmare"—that phrase, the more I think about it, the heavier it becomes.

He wanted to ask, did he mean the World Government? The Celestial Dragons? Or some deeper taboo?

But the next second, Roy spoke up as if by telepathy, "Kid, don't overthink it~"

He rolled over, his tone still nonchalant. "You'll find out when the time is right."

"Now..."

He smiled, the blades of grass swaying gently, his voice soft yet carrying a hint of inexplicable weariness. "While I can still be lazy... let's enjoy ourselves a little longer~"

The wind lifted the curtains at the edge of the deck and gently brushed against Luo's hair.

Looking at the face that was pretending to be asleep with its eyes closed, Luo finally sighed helplessly.

But a subtle smile crept onto his lips.

Yes--

Since the storm was bound to come, at least for now, they can have a brief period of peace.