Chapter 49: The Secret of the Celestial Dragon

Carl now felt the same as when he obtained the Dark-Dark Fruit in the Valley of the Gods. The demon sword Muramasa seemed to have become a part of his body.

With a thought, Muramasa instantly transformed into black energy that merged with Carl's right hand, forming a black sword-shaped mark on the back of his hand.

Garling witnessed the entire process. His expression shifted from initial shock to calm. Looking at the mark on Carl's hand, he slowly said, "As expected. With the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit, you are the most suitable master for Muramasa."

Garling's words sounded mysterious. Carl asked, "Does Uncle Garling mean that anyone with Dark-Dark Fruit abilities can become Muramasa's master?"

"Of course not. To become the master of the demon sword Muramasa, you must first be of the Figarland family's blood. Otherwise, you will be devoured by Muramasa."

"Devoured?"

"Yes. Saint Ancestor Casillas, eight hundred years ago, was also a Dark-Dark Fruit user, and his development of the fruit nearly surpassed its limits. He could even actively separate the demonic power within his body."

When Carl heard Garling mention "surpassing the boundaries," he initially thought it referred to fruit awakening.

At first, he assumed this meant the ancestor hadn't even fully awakened the fruit. But the last sentence changed his perspective. The ability to actively separate the power of demons was unheard of, even in his knowledge from Earth.

This meant that the ancestor had touched upon the original power of Devil Fruits, proving that fruit awakening was not the ultimate limit. There was a higher realm beyond it!

The revelations from Garling completely overturned Carl's understanding of the pirate world, forcing him to put away any sense of superiority derived from his memories of Earth.

After all, the One Piece manga was never completed, and there was no guarantee that this world would follow the same timeline. Too many unknown factors existed.

Carl believed he had developed the Dark-Dark Fruit well based on his knowledge, but he was still far from awakening—let alone transcending its limits.

At this moment, his thirst for knowledge burned stronger than ever.

As Carl was the heir of the Figarland family, Garling did not hide anything and continued explaining their ancestor's history.

"Eight hundred years ago, our ancestor used the demon sword Muramasa to deliver a critical blow to Joyboy, but he himself was severely injured. He died shortly after the establishment of the World Government."

Although Carl already knew of Joyboy's existence, he feigned curiosity and asked, "Uncle Garling, who is this Joyboy you mentioned? Was he really that strong? Was he not even a match for our ancestor?"

"Joyboy was the common enemy of all Celestial Dragons. He is also the only one who has ever trained a Devil Fruit beyond its limits. He mastered a terrifying power of rules, and by combining his own strength with that of his fruit, he created a Devil Fruit with both Paramecia and Zoan characteristics—the Nika Fruit."

As soon as Garling uttered the name "Nika Fruit," the mark on Carl's right hand flashed with black light. A wave of unwillingness emanated from Muramasa.

Carl suppressed the restless energy of the demon sword and asked in a deep voice, "So, this Joyboy is dead, right?"

Garling remained silent for a moment before slowly responding, "By the standards of the world, yes—he was slain by the twenty kings of that era. But we all know that a Devil Fruit reincarnates after its user dies. As long as the Devil Fruit containing his will exists, then he has not truly perished."

Garling then looked at Carl deeply and continued, "Of course, we have not allowed this fruit to roam freely. We have spent eight hundred years searching for it, but just like your Dark-Dark Fruit, it seems to possess a will of its own. Every time we are about to obtain it, it either disappears or has already been consumed."

"Fortunately, for all these years, those who acquired the Nika Fruit were unable to awaken it. So the world only knows about the Gomu Gomu no Mi—a deception we created—without realizing its true nature as the Nika Fruit."

After revealing all this, Garling suddenly placed a firm hand on Carl's shoulder, his voice carrying a heavy tone.

"But we must never lower our guard. This world belongs to us—the Celestial Dragons. If someone fully awakens the Nika Fruit, they will become our greatest threat. You've probably heard many rumors about the Celestial Dragons, haven't you?"

"Yeah, the world doesn't speak highly of the Celestial Dragons," Carl admitted.

"Hmph. You need not concern yourself with the chatter of insects," Garling scoffed. "But it is true that most of the Celestial Dragons today have grown weak, corrupted by luxury and ease. Only one true king remains from the past. If the Nika Fruit resurfaces, it will be difficult to counter its power in our current state."

Carl nodded in agreement. If it weren't for Garling and a select few among the Celestial Dragons who still sought power, they wouldn't even need to wait for the Nika Fruit to awaken—just the Rocks Pirates alone might have been enough to wipe them out.

Garling sighed and said, "In addition to the Nika Fruit, the Dark-Dark Fruit was also a priority in our search. Its power played a critical role in the war eight hundred years ago. However, our ancestor did not truly reach Joyboy's level. To prevent the Dark-Dark Fruit from becoming a threat in the hands of another, he separated a portion of its demonic power before his death and infused it into the Demon Sword Muramasa."

"This sword accompanied him for years in battle. He often nourished it with his own blood, ensuring that even though the Dark-Dark Fruit left the Figarland family, its power would always belong to us."

"Now that you possess both the Dark-Dark Fruit and Muramasa, your path to fruit awakening will be much smoother. I don't know the details—you will have to discover them yourself."

"Our ancestor's foresight was remarkable. A Devil Fruit as powerful as the Dark-Dark Fruit is incredibly rare. If not for that fool Rocks, who knows how long we would have waited for it to resurface."

"But now, it has finally returned to the Figarland family. I believe this is fate."