Chapter 123

When Olvia was on the verge of tears, Carl gently placed his hand on her shoulder. A flash of red light flickered, and Olvia reverted to her original form.

Realizing this must be the power of the Bat-Bat Fruit, Olvia glanced at Carl, who wore an evil grin. Furious, she shouted:

"Admiral Black Dragon, do you enjoy scaring me?"

Carl spread his hands, smiling.

"Didn't you say I was going to die suddenly? I just wanted to prove that I'm perfectly fine."

Olvia, her face now serious, circled around Carl, inspecting him thoroughly. Puzzled, she mumbled to herself,

"This is incredible. Isn't it impossible to eat more than one Devil Fruit?"

She stopped, propping her chin thoughtfully with one hand.

"Could it be that people can eat two Devil Fruits? Maybe that person's case was just special?"

With a rigorous approach to all things academic, Olvia began to concoct theories, eventually arriving at a wildly incorrect conclusion.

Carl deactivated his ability, lightly tapping her forehead with his finger.

"Stop with the theories. Let me tell you, I am special. Don't come up with dangerous ideas that might get others hurt."

Olvia's curiosity was piqued again, and she couldn't help but ask,

"Then, can you tell me why you can eat two Devil Fruits?"

"Oh, I can't."

"..."

Olvia wore an exasperated expression and turned her head away, choosing silence.

Carl reached out to pat her shoulder again, but this time she dodged reflexively, her eyes wide with horror, clearly traumatized by the power of the Bat-Bat Fruit.

No one could easily accept the terrifying experience of being aged from a queen to an old woman!

Carl raised his hands defensively.

"Alright, alright, it's a long story. I'll explain someday. You've helped me quite a bit today—anything you want? Maybe I can make your wish come true."

Olvia hesitated, startled. What she wanted most was access to the Poneglyphs, but could she admit that to Carl?

Carl seemed to sense her thoughts and smirked.

"Are you interested in history? Perhaps the Poneglyphs?"

"!?"

Olvia's pupils dilated in shock. She clenched her fists but quickly released them, taking a deep breath. She locked eyes with Carl and said slowly,

"You already know."

Carl smiled, but didn't confirm or deny.

"I know much more than you think. Olvia, do you think I should hand you over to the World Government?"

There was a pause before Olvia responded.

"You should. But you won't."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Because if you truly wanted to, you'd have already done it. You've got the Bat-Bat Fruit now. If you wanted to capture me, you wouldn't be standing here talking."

Carl crossed his arms and grinned.

"If I let you go, will you continue with your mission?"

Without hesitation, Olvia replied,

"Yes! The world has a right to know the truth!"

Carl sneered and slowly approached her.

"The truth? Power? Do you think those are things the weak can afford to touch or talk about? The only fate awaiting the weak is death!"

As the word "death" escaped Carl's lips, an overwhelming Haki enveloped the area, suffocating Olvia. Trembling, she gritted her teeth.

Just as she was about to collapse, Carl eased up on his Haki, his voice softening.

"And is the so-called truth really that important? Most people in this world just want to live in peace."

Olvia remained silent, her expression conflicted.

Carl shrugged, dropping the topic.

"Forget it. Do what you want. Before the World Government catches on to you, I'll pretend I don't know a thing."

Olvia whispered,

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. My offer still stands. If you have a wish, tell me. I'll grant it if I can."

Olvia gazed at Carl, preparing to respond when suddenly Carl's ears twitched. A soft expression replaced his stern one.

"It's time to head back. Lucia is still waiting for me."

This abrupt shift in mood didn't faze Olvia. Carl hadn't changed the topic out of nowhere—Lucia truly was on the warship waiting for them.

As Olvia pondered this, Carl's arm wrapped around her waist, and in a blur of motion, they vanished, leaving only a thick mist of blood behind.

Back on the deck, Carl appeared behind Lucia, who was absentmindedly lying near the edge, and whispered,

"Lucia, I'm back."

Lucia turned in surprise.

"Cousin! I was just wondering…"

"You were wondering why the young master hasn't returned with the fruit yet?"

"Wha-? Cousin! Were you standing behind me this whole time?"

Carl smiled but said nothing. A confused Olvia turned to Lucia and asked,

"Vice Admiral Lucia, did you really say that just now?"

Lucia's face shifted into an emotionless expression, her voice soft and neutral.

"Yes."

"Exactly those words?"

"Mhm."

"..."

Olvia swallowed hard. She suddenly realized Carl hadn't been avoiding the conversation—he had actually heard Lucia from that far away.

Could someone's hearing truly be that advanced?

In reality, without mastering Observation Haki, no human could hear that well. But Olvia had overlooked one key detail—the Vampire Fruit wasn't just any Devil Fruit. It belonged to the Bat-Bat Fruit line, not the Human-Human Fruit!

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