"Zoan-type Cat-Cat Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Frost-Sky Ice Beast?" Vikengam asked, a trace of confusion in his voice.
At the same time, he gradually adapted to the changes within his body. He quickly reined in the surging chill, his figure swiftly returning to normal. Somewhat embarrassed, he said, "Grandfather, everything in this room..."
"They are merely worldly possessions. I had grown tired of looking at them anyway, so I will have someone replace them later." Saint Saturn waved it off indifferently, then continued, "Legend has it that in the Land of Extreme Cold in the North Blue, there dwelled a beast the local natives called a Zheng Beast. It resembled both tiger and leopard, with a single horn upon its brow and five tails. Its entire body was frost-white, and its cry sounded like hard iron striking stone, chilling souls to the bone. In a fit of rage, it could freeze a thousand miles and wield the power of All Things Mournful Ice. Since all feared its terrifying strength, they respectfully called it Frost-Sky. Its name has been widely passed down through generations in the Land of Extreme Cold in the North Blue. Perhaps this Fruit's power originated from that..."
As the Warrior God of Science and Defense, Saint Saturn naturally possessed vast knowledge.
Another reason Vikengam had earned his favor was that he, too, was well-read and knowledgeable. Ever since he had learned this world's writing, he had loved reading every valuable book in the Holy Land that he was permitted to access. By now, even he had lost count of how many books he had read.
There were quite a few Celestial Dragons who could fight, but there were hardly any like him, who loved reading, absorbing knowledge, and broadening their horizons. Saint Saturn was the same sort of person, which was why he appreciated this aspect of him.
Just now, Vikengam had been somewhat puzzled, feeling as though he had heard that name somewhere before. Once Saint Saturn explained it, he immediately remembered. And Saint Saturn's claim that "the Fruit's power may have originated from this" was not baseless either.
The farther north one went in the North Blue, the more bitterly cold it became. Its northernmost region was known as the Land of Extreme Cold. Because it was sparsely populated and harshly difficult to survive in, strange legends had always been abundant there.
Things like the North Blue Kraken and Frost Giant Ymir were names everyone knew.
This Frost-Sky Ice Beast was likewise widely celebrated by the people of the Land of Extreme Cold. According to Dr. Vegapunk, Devil Fruit powers might originate from humanity's "fantasies" or "wishes"—wishing to possess this sort of power or that sort of power... Though there was no concrete proof for such a theory, Saint Saturn's words now seemed to carry a similar implication.
Similar theories could also be found in the books of Mary Geoise. Vikengam had seen them before, and he himself was rather supportive of that view.
"Mythical Zoan powers are extraordinary by nature. Most possess strength far beyond that of other Devil Fruits; even Logias often cannot compare. That is why all five of us are Mythical Zoans—you know this much. And among God's Knights, there is no shortage of formidable figures with Mythical Zoan powers as well..." Saint Saturn picked up the teacup on the table and was just about to take a sip when he realized the tea had already frozen into a block of ice. He casually tossed it back onto the table.
Taking the opportunity, Vikengam said, "I heard that one of the prizes for this study trip's competition is also a Mythical Zoan power. I had originally planned to see whether I could compete for it."
"That is true. It is the Zoan-type Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Azure Dragon Form. Its power is indeed extraordinary, outstanding even among Mythical Zoans." Saint Saturn first nodded in affirmation, then continued, "However, to claim that prize, one must rank among the very best in that competition. Garling once declared that he would take first place, win the beauty, and seize that Fruit power. Considering your current circumstances, I feared that even with luck on your side, you would struggle to compete with them. After all, you are still quite a ways behind those fellows in God's Knights. You most likely would not have won that reward. Since that was the case, it was better for you to eat this Frost-Sky Ice Beast Fruit and gain some additional strength."
From Saint Saturn's perspective, that was indeed the case.
Although he had made the arrangement without asking Vikengam's opinion, making him seem somewhat forceful and overbearing, it truly did contain his desire to protect and strengthen Vikengam.
After all, given the current situation, if Vikengam participated in the competition properly and followed the usual process, then barring a surprise, he had no chance of obtaining the Azure Dragon Fruit.
What could Vikengam say after hearing that? He had already eaten it. It was not as if he could spit the power back out.
So he simply sighed and said, "Thank you for your care, Grandfather."
"Mm. And you need not feel regret. The Azure Dragon Fruit may be powerful, but judging by the feats of this Frost-Sky Ice Beast, which we once buried beneath the dust of history, it is not inferior in the slightest." Saint Saturn paused slightly before continuing, "But these are not matters you should know about yet, so I will not say more. Whether you can make this Fruit's power shine brilliantly once more will ultimately depend on you."
"Yes. Viking will not disappoint your expectations, Grandfather. I will strive to become a true powerhouse as soon as possible!" Vikengam declared resolutely.
Saint Saturn nodded in satisfaction, then advised him, "A power and its user must complement each other to build a great reputation together. Every powerful ability user on the seas is like this. But today, Grandfather must give you one more warning: the person is ultimately the master of the power. If one cannot strengthen oneself, then no matter how powerful the ability one eats, it will be nothing more than an empty shell and a laughingstock."
Vikengam could not help nodding as he listened. While verbally agreeing, he could not stop himself from thinking, Old man, maybe you should reflect on those words yourself...
But shortly afterward, he felt that he had been too biased, allowing preconceptions to make him arrogantly prejudiced against the old man and the others.
Although they had seemed rather underwhelming later on at Egghead Island, there were actually only a tiny handful of monstrously gifted people on these seas whose luck and strength were absurd enough to surpass them.
Looking at it that way, these five really were outstanding figures of their era. Otherwise, how could they have risen to the Five Elders' position of supreme authority? There was nothing wrong with what the old man had said.
"Arrogance and prejudice really do harm people. I should examine myself thrice a day..." Vikengam silently admonished himself.
Seeing Vikengam's earnest expression, as though he had truly taken the lesson to heart, Saint Saturn smiled. "You are still young. There is much for you to learn in the future."
The room was bitterly cold, yet neither Saint Saturn nor Vikengam seemed to care.
After finishing the discussion about the so-called "study trip," Saint Saturn finally brought up Vikengam's training this time.
"How is Clover doing?" Saint Saturn asked.
"He is still the same as before, but he should have already noticed some problems..." Vikengam said softly.
Hearing this, Saint Saturn's gaze darkened slightly. He looked at Vikengam without speaking, while Vikengam calmly met his eyes.
After a moment, Saint Saturn finally spoke again. "Not just him. You as well, right?"
"After all, Grandfather, your arrangements these past few times have been somewhat... strange. If I had no doubts or suspicions, wouldn't that simply make me seem incompetent?" Vikengam said directly, making no attempt to conceal anything.
Saint Saturn nodded lightly before asking, "Eighteen years ago, a major event occurred. Do you know what it was?"
Vikengam froze. After hesitating for a moment, he said uncertainly, "I was born?"
Saint Saturn???
You brat, are you making fun of me?
That said, eighteen years ago—Sea Circle Calendar 1466—an extraordinary person had indeed been born: Borsalino. He and Vikengam were the same age.
But obviously, that was not what Saint Saturn meant. Rather...
"Do not talk nonsense." Saint Saturn glared at Vikengam, half annoyed and half amused, before continuing, "Eighteen years ago, a man barged into the Holy Land and caused havoc. He even killed an Admiral of the Marines at the time, making the World Government lose all face..."
The moment Saint Saturn said that, Vikengam recalled something.
Mm, the desk-bound Admiral. He knew about that incident. As for that man, he was none other than the great pirate currently dominating the headlines across the seas—Rocks D. Zebek.
"Rocks?" Vikengam raised an eyebrow.
"That's right, him..." Saint Saturn nodded, then said, "Even as his mortal enemy, I must admit that Rocks is a rare genius, one that appears perhaps once in a century. Few people on the seas can compare to his formidable strength. At the same time, he is wildly ambitious. He has always sought to destroy our World Government and seize hegemony over this world. He has publicly declared many times that he wishes to become the King of the World!"
Rocks never concealed his madness or ambition. His slogan about becoming the King of the World was known to everyone and was no secret.
"Now, he has gathered a large group of equally troublesome and ruthless figures under his command. Their threat sticks in the World Government's throat like a bone. Yet given the current circumstances, unless an extraordinary opportunity presents itself, we truly have no good way to deal with him. Whenever I think of this, I cannot help feeling uneasy..." Saint Saturn said in a low voice.
Thinking it over carefully, the Rocks Pirates truly were frighteningly powerful at present. It was entirely understandable that Saint Saturn was so wary of them.
"And Professor Clover's research may bring us some unexpected surprises. That is why I have tolerated him time and again," Saint Saturn explained briefly.
But that was all he said. Clearly, he had no intention of telling Vikengam any more of his thoughts at the moment. Perhaps, in his view, Vikengam was not yet qualified to know more.
Before you continue