Chapter 2: The Beginning of an Era

After Hancock and his sisters woke up, Tyr started to ask them about their powers.

"Information came inside my head suddenly. I can turn people into stone if they feel any kind of affection for me." Hancock explained.

'I feel like I'm giving them a physical.' Tyr thought of getting a white coat or something.

"I see, any change on your body like Marigold and Sandersonia?" Tyr asked and Hancock shook her head.

"Something weird and metaphysical, like energy?" Tyr was trying to dismantle the mystery of devil fruits.

'I have to say, this is really amazing. A fruit that gives you random powers? And she can turn anyone into stone if they feel affection for her? She'll turn into a beautiful woman. That's busted as hell.' Tyr wrote down the information.

"Not really, but ever since we ate those fruits. These cuffs that they put on us are making us feel lethargic and weak." Hancock pointed at the cuffs on them.

"It looks like normal steel cuffs though?" Tyr tapped on it with some steel that framed his pocket watch.

'Why am I tapping it like that, I have no idea how different metals sound like.' Tyr almost facepalmed.

"Let me lift it a bit." Tyr took hold of the shackles and he was surprised by how heavy it is.

"This isn't steel or iron, that's for sure." Tyr concluded immediately.

"Father still hasn't given me more information about devil fruits, we'll check what this is later. Maybe it's special cuffs." Tyr thought it will be a problem for future him.

"Sandersonia, Marigold, how about you guys? Do you feel any different?" Tyr asked the other two and they shook their heads.

"Can you transform? Don't worry, you girls aren't monsters. Think of it as powers you can use to your benefit." Tyr smiled at them.

Hancock looked at him fondly as Marigold and Sandersonia were deeply disturbed by their newfound powers.

"O-okay." The duo tried to remember the feeling of transforming, but they just couldn't.

"We can't, it feels... Muted?" Sandersonia tried to explain.

"Yeah, like something is stuck and I can't just reach it." Marigold added and he nodded.

"So these are special cuffs... Maybe they prevent the usage of devil fruits? The only question is how." Tyr looked at it again and it just looked like normal cuffs.

"I guess that concludes it. But I do wonder, maybe the devil fruit changes you to the molecular level?" Tyr rubbed his chin.

It's impossible for them to just ignore the laws of conservation of mass. 'Those fruits are magical alright.'

He wondered what the tradeoff was though. And the cuffs entered his line of sight again. Because he didn't feel anything when he touched it.

"I'll try to get it off of you. I'll think of something." Tyr patted their shoulders and they teared up.

"You don't need to put yourself at risk for us, Tyr. Just a place where... Where those pigs won't get their hands on us is enough." Hancock frowned, thinking about the celestial dragons.

Branding them like cattle. And in the short time they were with them, their whole world turned upside down. Seeing the worst of humanity.

"Well, we can't test your fruits that way now can we? You already have it, let's improve your powers so father would think you are more useful for me." Tyr planned with them and they nodded.

"Saint Tyr, please pardon my rudeness. God warrior Topman has called for you." A servant called for him and Tyr stood up.

"Stay here, don't go anywhere. You understand me?" Tyr looked at them seriously and they nodded.

"Bring some food in here, double the amount. I'm gonna need it when I return." Tyr ordered as he went out of the door.

"Big sis Hancock..." Sandersonia and Marigold hugged her tightly and they nuzzled together.

"We're safe, we're safe Sandy, Mari." Hancock gritted her teeth.

'I can't protect them... I have to rely on Tyr for safety and food... I need to become stronger, so strong that nobody will ever tell us what to do.' Hancock vowed in her mind.

__Tyr POV__

"Here, this book will serve you well." Topman looked at Tyr from his table.

"Thank you, I have made some discoveries as well. The cuffs are special, are they not? And is it related to the tradeoff of devil fruits?" Tyr asked.

Topman was slightly surprised that he could infer that much with just a simple interview. And he wasn't much of a talker as well.

'Maybe, I should lead him to Saturn? I think they'll have great conversations.' Topman wondered what will the result be.

"You are correct, good. You can learn more in there." Topman nodded.

"I see, then I will take my leave." Tyr bowed and turned around.

"Wait, are you perhaps interested in the science of it?" Topman looked at him carefully.

"Hmm, I think it changes them to a molecular level as well. Based on the transformation, can it be passed down? Do they receive traits from the fruit while untransformed?" Tyr listed a few of his curiosities.

"What a curious boy. Lead Tyr to Saturn, they will get along." Topman barked orders and Tyr wondered who that was.

"Let us go, saint Tyr. God warrior Saturn is in another part of Pangea castle." The butler bowed at him and Tyr followed.

'Why is this place so large?' Tyr was already walking for thirty minutes and he rolled his eyes.

"We are here, God warrior Saturn. Saint Tyr was sent here." The butler said softly and the doors opened.

It hissed and Tyr raised a brow at the sci-fi feel of it.

"Do I need to sterilize myself?" Tyr asked as the place looked like a laboratory.

"Interesting, I like you already." Saturn appeared and he looked at Tyr with appreciation for sterility.

"As long as you do not touch anything, then a pair of new shoes and a hair net is fine." Saturn explained and Tyr went to the changing area.

"Sir, you are in charge of research?" Tyr followed Saturn and he nodded.

"I have a question, do devil fruits change people to the molecular level?" Tyr asked and Saturn turned around and looked him in the eye.

'Hmmm, Topman's child is definitely a conqueror in the making. Such terrifying intelligence for his age. Will he be the next Vegapunk?' Saturn's interest got piqued.

"We're making strides in that age old question. But we are making a lot of progress." Saturn confirmed his suspicion.

"I see, can devil fruits be rejected by a person? Sudden mutations like that is quite dangerous." Tyr got nervous for the sisters.

"Fortunately, they do not. Topman has a mythical zoan fruit as well. They give you certain properties. And there has been no consumer that rejected it." Saturn explained.

"What a bio-engineering marvel." Tyr thought the maker of those had to be insane geniuses. If they weren't naturally occuring.

"It is, boy. Say, are you perhaps wanting to be a researcher as well?" Saturn asked.

"Currently, no. I was just curious, forgive me if I offended you." Tyr bowed and Saturn raised his hand.

"That's unfortunate, you have potential." Saturn shook his head in disappointment.

"I do have a suggestion." Tyr rubbed his chin in thought.

"Speak your mind." Saturn leaned in curiosity about what he has to say.

"Devil fruits are strong and all. But I believe that they need suitable hosts. Instead of researching devil fruits. Shouldn't the user's base strength be increased first?" Tyr thought of supersoldier programs.

"Hmm, go on." Saturn was definitely interested now.

'I guess giving the marines a boost will be much better. Pirates seem to be running rampant. The innocent are caught in the crossfire.' Tyr wanted to click his tongue.

"I assume that the research about devil fruits has given scientists a lot of knowledge about genetic make-ups? Why not change those first to create a perfect human. Then give them a devil fruit to bolster them even further?" Tyr suggested.

"That is an ambitious project. But much more doable than replicating devil fruits." Saturn went pensive.

'Yes, please research that. It will also help a lot with diseases like cancer.' Tyr hoped that he will at least be able to leave an impact for the world by manipulating the world government.

"You gave me a lot to think about. That is indeed something worth checking. Thank you, Tyr." Saturn had a little smirk on his face.

"You jest, it was just some rambling on my part." Tyr bowed and Saturn patted him on the back.

"I will give you one thing, tell me what you want for this suggestion." Saturn asked him and Tyr was surprised.

'Damn, I didn't think I would get this far.' Tyr scratched his head sheepishly.

"I want to research more about the goods I have. I noticed that the cuffs prevented that. Can you give father a good word, sir?" Tyr thought that was a nice request.

Not too demanding, and not too small of a request.

"I will inform Topman then." Saturn wasn't a fool, he knew it was due to his compassion for them.

But he already gave his word. 'Maybe I'll introduce him to Vegapunk in the future. He might give us better perspectives.' Saturn was impressed by him.

'I guess we have been a bit too narrow sighted. Research is done in steps after all. And this will strengthen the marines.' Saturn watched Tyr go. Interested in what more he has in his head.

__Tyr's room__

He came back to the sight of the sisters staring at the food with wide eyes. Drooling heavily as their stomachs rumbled.

"Hah, I thought you understood that I ordered food for you girls." Tyr snickered at them.

"Really? We thought it was for you." Sandersonia looked at him expectantly.

"Go ahead, let's eat together." Tyr smiled at them and they started to dig in.

Tyr's smile fell when he saw them eating like savages. Too hungry to even think about manners.

'Damn, imagine what the others are going through. Intent on torturing pre-pubescent girls for three shabby meals.' Tyr's veins on his temple popped as he gritted his teeth.

'I'll destroy this place... Just wait and you'll see.' Tyr squinted his eyes.

"It's so delicious..." Hancock had stars in her eyes as she swallowed a mouthful of food like a chipmunk.

"Eat your fill. I have better news though." Tyr smiled at them and they looked at him with tilted heads.

'Agh! They're too adorable. Damn this place, I will definitely burn it to the ground.' Tyr received some damage at their cute expressions.

"I think we will be able to get rid of your cuffs. Father's colleague told me that he will talk to him about it." Tyr smiled at them and they gasped.

"R-really?" Marigold teared up and they all looked at each other.

They then started crying, putting a wry smile on Tyr's face.

"It's not freedom, but at least you won't be tied down like dogs." Tyr looked at them fondly.

"Tyr!" They hugged him tightly. "Oof! Wait, wait! I'm just two you know?" Tyr tried to catch them but they fell on him.

"Wait, what?" They looked at him like he grew two heads.

He looked like a school-age boy. So that was a massive surprise on their part.

"Ahh, didn't I tell you? That doesn't matter anyway." Tyr shrugged.

They then bugged out, thinking that they were saved by a literal toddler.

__A day later__

Tyr was currently standing in front of a marine. A vice admiral, based on the cape he had on his back.

"What a pain, why is the world government making me train a brat in haki?" The huge man picked his nose lazily.

'Haki? What the hell is that?' Tyr thought it might be another source of power there.

"But we already know how to use haki." Hancock raised her hand and the man looked towards them with squinted eyes.

'They look well dressed, a bit emaciated. But not in despair. Is this kid their owner? They're certainly no celestial dragons.' He observed quickly.

He then noticed that Tyr was just wearing a stylish black suit with a white undershirt. Having a symbol of the world government on his suit's collar.

'No way... He's related to the gorosei...' He almost went wide eyed.

"I'm Garp, Monkey, D. Garp. I'll be teaching you haki, you brat." Garp got interested in him immediately.

'I thought I'll just be humoring a shitty celestial dragon's whims. But this brat's different.' Garp looked at his eyes.

"Hello, Garp. Please take care of me." Tyr bowed a little and he almost gasped in shock.

'Yup, this brat's different. I'm glad Sengoku pestered me for this. Damned shitty four-eyes, you think when he turned into fleet admiral. He would give me more leeway.' Garp snorted.

"Then let's learn about haki, brat. Dodge this." Garp threw a ball at him with blistering speeds.

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Thank you for reading everyone, ciao.