Cat-Cat Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Frost-Sky Ice Beast!

"Grandfather." Vikengam greeted him respectfully.

In the entire Jaygarcia Family, only he, the designated "young master," was qualified to address Saint Saturn as "Grandfather."

"Vikengam, you're here." Saint Saturn gave him a slight nod, then gestured. "Have a seat. Try this Ximiao Red Tea newly presented from the North Blue. It tastes fairly good. If it suits your palate, take some with you when you leave later."

"Then I won't stand on ceremony." Vikengam replied with a smile. He no longer maintained that somewhat distant air of respect, instead sitting openly on the sofa across from him and pouring himself a cup of tea.

Saint Saturn did not rush to say anything. Only after watching Vikengam take a sip and reveal a contented expression did he smile and ask, "Well?"

"The fragrance lingers on the lips and teeth, leaving an endless aftertaste..." Vikengam said with heartfelt admiration.

"Putting on airs. It's merely ordinary black tea, no different from what we have at home..." Saint Saturn said as he set down his teacup.

"Cough..." Vikengam awkwardly covered his lips with the back of his hand and coughed, then gave an embarrassed smile.

Saint Saturn seemed long accustomed to Vikengam acting this way and did not continue teasing him. Whenever he was outside, he always carried himself with an imposing, solemn demeanor. Only around Vikengam would he occasionally set aside a trace of that majesty. Ordinary people would never even see the slightest smile from him, much less the teasing from earlier.

Vikengam had originally thought Saint Saturn would bring up Professor Clover, after all, this was the experience he had been sent down to undertake, and it had been arranged by Saint Saturn.

Yet Saint Saturn seemed to have no particular interest in that matter. Instead, he asked, "You've heard about the matter God's Knights are handling, haven't you?"

"Yes. Ah Fu mentioned it on the way here," Vikengam replied with a nod.

"How is your Haki training progressing?" Saint Saturn asked again.

"Not bad. My Armament Haki has improved, and my Observation Haki has progressed somewhat as well. But as for Conqueror's Haki, I still have no clue or sign of it..." Vikengam said.

His talent truly was quite good, but honestly, there was indeed a certain gap between him and the monsters of the sea. Take Charlotte Linlin, renowned for her talent—by the time she was eighteen, she had already become a famous pirate, and her strength far surpassed that of the eighteen-year-old Vikengam.

That was the difference between being talented and being a true monster.

Fortunately, Vikengam had his cheat. Once he developed his Sharingan to a certain level, he was confident he would be inferior to no one.

"You need not rush the matter of Conqueror's Haki. If you were born with it, you will master it sooner or later. If you were not, no amount of thought will be of use. For now, your efforts must be focused on Armament Haki and Observation Haki," Saint Saturn instructed.

Though they bore the title of "Warrior Gods," judging from the Five Elders' performance in the future, they could be called all title and no substance. They possessed powerful Mythical Zoan abilities, and all three types of Haki were formidable, but they held high positions and rarely saw battle. They had probably not fought anyone for decades, perhaps even centuries. In Vikengam's eyes, the few of them were genuinely worrying when it came to actual combat.

They had nothing but stats, with no technique.

The key was that while their stats were strong, they were not absurdly strong, leaving them awkwardly in between.

Even so, given Saint Saturn's current condition, instructing Vikengam was more than easy enough.

Thus, Vikengam immediately replied, "Understood. I will work hard to live up to your expectations, Grandfather."

"Mm." Saint Saturn nodded in satisfaction, then paused slightly before saying, "However, Armament Haki and Observation Haki require long, painstaking effort. Only through diligent, uninterrupted practice and daily refinement can one build a deep foundation. With the field trip approaching, you likely will not see much growth in a short time..."

Vikengam nodded along without interrupting.

Sure enough, Saint Saturn's tone shifted. "Among the younger generation in their teens, you are indeed outstanding. Even Garling of the Figarland Family, who has been given such high expectations, was far inferior to you at your age. The rest of those fools are not worth mentioning. But God's Knights will also participate in the upcoming field trip, and I will be present as well. You are far younger than they are and lack their experience. If your performance is not impressive enough, I will lose face as well..."

"Rest assured, Grandfather. Even if it costs me my life, Vikengam will never bring shame upon you or the family's honor!" Vikengam immediately declared.

Though he was already considering how to leave Mary Geoise, he still had to spare the old man's feelings at this moment.

Saint Saturn was quite satisfied with Vikengam's attitude, but the gap in strength was clearly not something that could be overcome with a few words.

Saint Saturn glanced toward an ordinary little storage box on a nearby table and said, "Open it and have a look."

Vikengam's heart stirred. He seemed to have guessed something, and his thoughts fluctuated, but he showed none of it. He briskly opened the box on the table.

Sure enough, just as he had guessed, inside was a strange Devil Fruit. Its peel bore ripples resembling smooth fur, and its overall color was frosty silver-white, as if it had truly been frozen. Its stem had five branches, which was even rarer.

"A Devil Fruit?" Vikengam murmured, pretending to be somewhat surprised.

He had seen the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia before, but it contained far too many bizarre things. It was impossible to remember them all, so he had only memorized some of the ones that interested him.

Thus, he could not identify what type it was or what ability it granted.

It was even possible that this fruit had never been recorded in the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia at all. After all, the encyclopedia was not omniscient.

"Do you recognize it?" Saint Saturn asked.

Vikengam shook his head. "No. I have no impression of it whatsoever."

"Mm. After all, it has appeared only a handful of times throughout history. Its most famous appearance was also buried by us beneath the dust of history. It was never recorded in the encyclopedia, and only a very small number of people know of this ability." Saint Saturn explained, but did not elaborate.

Just as Vikengam was about to ask what ability it was, Saint Saturn spoke first. "Eat it. Perhaps with this ability to supplement you, you will shine even more brightly on this field trip..."

This sudden arrangement made Vikengam's heart sink.

Old man, I don't even know what ability it is, and you're telling me to eat it?

But he was silent for only an instant before immediately nodding. "Thank you, Grandfather. Then I won't stand on ceremony!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he bit into the Devil Fruit. A strange taste instantly spread through his mouth. He had no desire to savor it, so Vikengam took two more bites, chewed, swallowed the entire Devil Fruit, and sent it down his throat.

His decisive display made Saint Saturn smile with even greater satisfaction.

What a good child. He had exceptional talent, worked incredibly hard, possessed such decisiveness and resolve, and most importantly, was obedient and well-behaved. Saint Saturn's efforts in nurturing him had not been wasted!

On the other side, as Vikengam felt the changes in his body, he could not help feeling somewhat emotional.

He had been planning to scheme for the Azure Dragon ability, but now there was no need to consider it. He had acted so decisively because he understood Saint Saturn's style all too well. In this room, he had no right to refuse Saint Saturn's arrangements.

Indecision only brought greater trouble. Rather than that, he might as well be ruthless.

Besides, considering Saint Saturn's plans for him, this fruit could not possibly be bad. He would just consider it a gift from his portable old grandpa!

As these thoughts churned through Vikengam's mind, his body began to change.

First, a frigid aura overflowed from his body. In the blink of an eye, the entire living room was covered and frozen in frost. Quite a few of those expensive, luxurious furnishings would likely be damaged.

Only Saint Saturn and the sofa he sat on remained completely unaffected.

And clearly, Saint Saturn did not care at all about the destruction of luxuries that countless people would go mad over. He continued watching Vikengam with a pleased expression.

It was not merely the sudden eruption of frost energy. Vikengam's originally meticulously groomed medium-length silver-white hair rapidly grew to his waist. His long hair moved without wind, spreading behind him in a wild and domineering display.

Vikengam's already towering frame of three meters and twelve centimeters gradually expanded as well. His solid, muscular body became even more filled with strength and savage wildness!

His originally heroic features also changed. This was clearly a Zoan ability, causing his face to take on beastly traits. He resembled both tiger and leopard, possessing the might of a fierce tiger alongside the sleek refinement of a nimble leopard. His canine teeth extended into prominent fangs, while a horn curved upward from the center of his brow, forming into a frosty white ice crystal that further heightened his ferocious aura.

At that moment, five thick tails swayed behind Vikengam. His skin was covered in silver-white fur, every strand radiating a frosty chill. He looked extraordinary, noble, and domineering!

Before Vikengam could say anything, Saint Saturn introduced it. "The ability you possess is an exceptionally rare Mythical Zoan. It is called the Frost-Sky Ice Beast and is classified as the Zoan-type Cat-Cat Fruit."