It was a strange fruit floating silently in the center of the altar's stone platform.
The entire fruit was a deep, dark blue.
Intricate cloud patterns covered its surface, and faint traces of golden lightning coursed beneath its skin like tiny lightning serpents.
"Lorne, what is that?"
Carrot jogged up beside Lorne, stretching her ears curiously as she peered at the stone platform.
"It's a Devil Fruit."
Lorne stared at the fruit, his gaze sharpening slightly.
"And no ordinary one, either."
"A Devil Fruit?"
Carrot blinked, looking puzzled.
"You mean one of those treasures of the sea that gives you superpowers if you eat it, but leaves you unable to swim?"
"That's right."
Lorne nodded.
"Judging by those cloud patterns and lightning, this should be the Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Mythical Zoan type, Divine Dragon Form."
"Divine Dragon Form?"
Carrot cried out in surprise.
"That sounds amazing!"
"Something like that actually exists out on the seas?"
"Of course it does."
Lorne's expression remained calm.
"Kaido of the Beasts, one of the Four Emperors of the New World, is said to wield the Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Zoan type, Azure Dragon Form."
"And this Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Divine Dragon Form, is certainly no lower in rank than his."
"Then are you going to eat it, Lorne?"
Carrot excitedly waved her little fists.
"You're already so strong! If you ate a Devil Fruit too, you'd definitely become even more terrifying!"
"I don't need a Devil Fruit to grow stronger."
Lorne shook his head.
"My body has its own path to follow."
"You're not going to eat it?"
Carrot's ears drooped in disappointment.
"That's such a waste."
"If we sold it, could we get lots of carrots?"
"A Mythical Zoan's value can't be measured in money."
Lorne smiled.
"If it reached the Black Market, people would scramble