In the first half of the Grand Line, a massive three-masted ship flying the World Government's flag sailed slowly under the protection of several escort vessels.
Judging by its course, it seemed bound for the Holy Land Mary Geoise.
CP Agents in black suits stood throughout the massive ship. Security was tight, with a sentry every three paces and a guard post every five.
The escort vessels were packed with sharp-looking Marines. On the decks of the two ships closest to the flagship, Marine Vice Admirals stood gazing out to sea, their vigilance unwavering.
Without question, someone important to the World Government was aboard the flagship.
And indeed, inside one of its lavish cabins, a young man sat on a large sofa made of expensive leather.
Compared with the attendant brewing tea beside him, the man on the sofa looked unusually tall—nearly three meters.
His silver-white hair was smooth and glossy, combed back to just cover his neck and groomed without a strand out of place. Together with his strong, handsome features, it made him quite striking.
His dark nobleman's riding clothes fit perfectly. A gleaming iron chain coiled down his entire left arm from shoulder to wrist, then hung over the edge of the sofa. Just before it reached the floor, it rose again to his waist, where it joined seamlessly to the end of a rather vicious-looking one-handed axe's handle.
The unusual outfit gave him an air of nobility without sacrificing his rugged edge.
Books of all kinds covered the tea table before him. They weren't there for show; their somewhat scattered arrangement made it clear he read them often.
At that moment, he held a notebook and read it intently.
Then came a gentle knock at the cabin door.
"Come in," the man replied without looking up.
A member of Cipher Pol in a black suit opened the door and said respectfully, "Saint Vikengam, Professor Clover is here."
"Just let him in," Vikengam said calmly.
The Cipher Pol agent stepped back. Once the middle-aged man whose beard and hair together resembled a clover had entered the cabin, the agent gently shut the door and retreated a few more steps.
Only then did Vikengam lift his gaze from the notebook. Smiling at Professor Clover, he said, "Have a seat, Professor. It's time to begin today's lesson."
"How strange. No matter how many records I search, I can't find eyes like yours. Could they be a bloodline power unique to Celestial Dragons?" Professor Clover seemed quite familiar with Vikengam and showed little restraint as he strode into the cabin.
He was genuinely curious. Those scarlet eyes were mesmerizing no matter how often he saw them, especially when Vikengam grew serious and the tomoe-like marks in his pupils slowly began to turn.
Their allure would have been enough on its own. But whenever Vikengam's eyes turned scarlet, his ability to learn improved before Clover's very eyes. It made the scholar practically drool with envy!
"Don't worry about the details. Besides, prying into other people's secrets isn't a good habit," Vikengam replied with a smile, personally pouring Professor Clover a cup of tea.
Saint Jaygarcia Vikingum had regained the memories of his previous life at the age of three. He came from one of Mary Geoise's Five Elders families and had a formidable background.
Word throughout the Holy Land was that Jaygarcia Saturn Saint, the Warrior God of Science and Defense and one of the Five Elders, had high hopes for his young relative and thought highly of him. As a result, even other Celestial Dragons had to show Vikengam a measure of respect in Mary Geoise.
It was almost funny. His previous life had ended for no apparent reason, and when he came to, he was already in this world. Before he had even figured out where he was, a strange thought arose within him: he possessed a Sharingan that had yet to awaken, something he could rely on.
At the time, he had immediately assumed he was from the Village—most likely even a member of the Uchiha Clan!
But once he got his bearings, he discovered he wasn't from the Village at all. He had become a Celestial Dragon?
How did that make any sense?
I came to the world of pirates, and you gave me an unawakened Sharingan?
Where the hell did you send me? Did you take a wrong turn?
Doesn't the Sharingan need a powerful surge of yin-nature chakra to awaken? How am I supposed to use chakra in the world of pirates? There's no chakra to use!
Wasn't my cheat completely useless?
Vikengam tried all sorts of methods, but none awakened his eyes. Convinced his cheat was broken, he wallowed in gloom for a long time. Only after thoroughly enjoying the privileges of a Celestial Dragon in Mary Geoise did he gradually shake it off.
Even with his cheat out of commission, he hadn't let himself truly sink into decadence. His status as a Celestial Dragon gave him abundant resources, and he worked diligently in Mary Geoise. Compared with most of the "gods" who did nothing but eat and wait to die, he stood out. That earned him the favor of his family's patriarch, Jaygarcia Saturn Saint, and made him the only younger member of the Jaygarcia Family allowed to call Saint Saturn "Grandpa" directly.
After spending several years building a solid foundation and gaining a measure of combat skill, he began training in Haki at fourteen.
At fifteen, he grasped the basics of Haki. That same year, its power stimulated his long-dormant Sharingan and successfully awakened a single tomoe.
In that instant, Vikengam felt as though a door to a new world had opened. At last, he knew what power he needed to strengthen his Sharingan in the world of pirates.
It hadn't brought a dramatic leap in strength, though. An ordinary One-Tomoe Sharingan wasn't an especially powerful ability.
Still, certain traits of the Sharingan had greatly improved his memory and ability to learn. That was why Professor Clover envied him so much. The professor had spent more than a decade, perhaps far longer, mastering that forbidden knowledge, while the Celestial Dragon before him had nearly caught up in three years. How could Clover not feel a little bitter?
Vikengam thought the professor's envy was excessive, though. If he remembered correctly, Nico Robin would later be the real prodigy. She became a scholar at eight, learning no less efficiently than he did with the Sharingan. Now that was absurd.
"You tell me not to pry into your secrets, but if I remember right, this is the third time you've caught me in three years. Couldn't you stop prying into mine?" Professor Clover grumbled.
"That's different." Vikengam sipped his tea and chuckled. "Studying the Ancient Language, old records, and even the Poneglyphs is a serious crime. You are breaking the law, after all."
Clover D. Clover—that was his full name, though few people knew it, and the World Government was entirely unaware. Vikengam knew only because he had come from another world, and he had no intention of revealing the secret. He simply acted as though he didn't know.
After Clover's brother had been shot dead because his name contained a "D," Clover had realized the World Government seemed to be hiding something terribly dark. He began searching for the truth. At first, no one paid him much attention.
But as his actions grew bolder, the World Government gradually took notice.
Starting about six years ago, the World Government arrested and investigated him several times. Three years ago, when Vikengam was fifteen, Saint Saturn assigned him the task of capturing Professor Clover as a way to gain experience outside the Holy Land.
Once a year. So far, Vikengam had caught him three times.
What was a little strange was that they could have eliminated Clover with ease, yet each time, an order came down to release him back onto the sea soon after the investigation.
Clearly, they were using him as bait. They weren't even trying to hide it.
Even more absurdly, Professor Clover paid no heed to the arrests and kept doggedly pursuing that untouchable taboo.
"And what about you? The knowledge you've learned from me these past three years is forbidden too. Aren't you breaking the law?" Professor Clover couldn't help retorting.
Vikengam gave Clover a peculiar look. "Under one of the World Government's highest laws, Celestial Dragons are exempt from all laws."
Come on. Who are you, and who am I?
I didn't even know murder was illegal until I left Mary Geoise.
With my status, I could hit you with a ship and send you flying five hundred meters, and you'd still be found fully at fault for fleeing the scene.
What? You were smashed to pieces?
Then you killed yourself to avoid prosecution!
I'd even demand a huge payout from your family to soothe my tender heart.
Before you continue