Chapter 158

### Chapter 158

That evening, under the arrangement of the Five Elders, **Mary Geoise** hosted a grand banquet.

All the **Celestial Dragons** gathered to celebrate, and the guest of honor was, without a doubt, **Carl**.

At the banquet, **Warcury** personally announced Carl's **"merit"**—the execution of the traitor **Darian**, who had allegedly conspired against Mary Geoise.

He showered Carl with praise, glorifying his **"self-sacrifice for the sake of justice."**

Sitting side by side, **Garling** and **Carl** watched Warcury's theatrics with blank expressions.

The gathered Celestial Dragons, most of whom were **not particularly bright**, immediately started whispering among themselves.

—

*"Oh my god! Saint Darian was such a person? No wonder I always felt uneasy around him!"*

*"Thank goodness for Saint Carl! He saved us all!"*

*"See? In times of crisis, we can only rely on our own people! If that lunatic Darian had gone on a rampage, even calling the Navy Admiral wouldn't have saved us!"*

*"Are you forgetting? Carl-san **is** the Admiral of the Navy! It's reassuring to have him in charge!"*

*"You're all too timid. We still have Saint Garling and his **Knights of God**! They would've handled Darian with ease!"*

*"Still… Darian was Carl's **biological father.** He actually sacrificed his own father for the greater good!"*

—

Carl's **sharp hearing** caught every single murmur.

A chuckle escaped his lips as he turned to Garling.

"Uncle Garling, I knew I shouldn't have come. This banquet is so boring."

Garling, who had always been **fond** of Carl, gave a rare smile.

"It is a bit dull," he admitted. "If you're tired, go ahead and leave. I'll take care of things here."

Carl nodded, stood up, exchanged a few polite words, and exited the banquet hall.

All eyes followed him, the Celestial Dragons watching with **awe and respect** as he departed.

—

Returning to his chambers, Carl was alone.

This time, he had come to Mary Geoise **without Lucia**, meaning there was no one to accompany him tonight.

After a quick wash, he put on a **black robe** and lay on his bed, staring at his **scarlet right arm** in silence.

Pulling his robe's collar aside, he examined the **intricate network of red bloodlines** that stretched from his arm **to his heart**.

A **vast power** flowed through him—power that had once belonged to **Darian**.

—

**The Source of His Strength**

This was the power Darian had accumulated using the **Blood-Blood Fruit**, the very ability that had allowed him to **rival Garling** and even **faintly surpass him**.

But before Darian could fully control this power, **Casillas** had cast him out of the **Figarland family**—and passed that strength **on to Carl instead.**

Now, Carl simply had to wait.

Wait for this **foreign power** to **fully integrate** with his own.

Casillas had also taken **precautions** with the **Dark-Dark Fruit**, sealing away a portion of its original power within the **Demon Sword Muramasa**.

This meant that **even if someone else obtained the Dark-Dark Fruit,** they would never be able to **awaken** it without the power hidden within **Muramasa**.

—

**A Plan 800 Years in the Making**

Eight centuries ago, Casillas had done the **same** thing.

He had stripped the **original power** of the **Blood-Blood Fruit**, merging it with **Darian's stolen blood power**, and prepared it as **a gift** for Carl.

Under normal circumstances, **devil fruit users** could not accept the original power of another fruit. It was akin to consuming **two devil fruits at once—** a guaranteed death sentence.

But Carl was **an exception.**

Casillas had learned that Carl's **unique body** could accommodate **multiple devil fruits** and that he already possessed the **Vampire Fruit**.

So, Casillas devised an **experiment**.

Could the **Vampire Fruit** and **Blood-Blood Fruit** be **fused into one?**

—

**A Devil Fruit's True Nature**

Through their **mental link**, Casillas had imparted his knowledge of **devil fruits** to Carl.

Among the countless secrets buried in history, one truth stood out:

**Some devil fruits were merely inferior versions of greater ones.**

The **original power** of certain fruits could be **merged**—a distinction between **superior and inferior abilities**.

This applied to both the **Vampire Fruit** and the **Blood-Blood Fruit**.

Casillas also suspected that the **Dark-Dark Fruit** was still **incomplete**.

Back during the **war against Joy Boy**, he had nearly reached the realm of **"transcendence."**

Yet, every time he approached the threshold, he felt a **strange sense of loss.**

As if **a crucial piece was missing.**

He theorized that the missing portion of the **Dark-Dark Fruit's original power** had likely **fallen into a lesser variant** of the fruit.

But amidst the war, **Casillas never had the opportunity to confirm his suspicions.**

In the end, that **one missing piece** had cost him **the battle against Joy Boy.**

And so, **Carl** became his **last hope.**

—

**The Last Experiment**

Casillas wanted Carl to test whether the **original power** of the **Vampire Fruit** and **Blood-Blood Fruit** could **truly fuse.**

Even if they couldn't merge, Carl's **multi-fruit tolerance** meant he wouldn't die from the experiment.

At worst, he'd simply gain **an extra ability.**

However, what **Casillas didn't know** was that Carl could **only consume a total of three devil fruits.**

If this experiment **failed**, Carl would **waste** his final fruit slot.

—

Carl sighed, turning his wrist.

A devil fruit **materialized in his palm.**

The **Blood-Blood Fruit.**

Though it was no longer in its **prime**, it remained **a top-tier Paramecia fruit**.

Carl had no intention of **wasting it.**

Fruits like the **Blood-Blood Fruit** and the **Float-Float Fruit** were **too valuable** to be left unused.

He needed to **find the right person** to inherit them.

Among his closest allies, **Ginny** had yet to gain an ability.

When he returned, he would **offer her the Float-Float Fruit**—though he doubted she would have any interest in the **Blood-Blood Fruit**.

For now, all he could do was **wait**.

Wait for the **power of the Blood-Blood Fruit** to fully integrate.

And once it did—

Carl would be ready to **claim his third and final devil fruit.**