Chapter 96: The Awakening of the Seed
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Morning brought a lot of surprises for Bonney, Titania, and Eleine who found themselves with 6 guests headed by Catherine, all of them ready with bags of notebooks and sheets of paper, along with sealed inkwells and instruments for writing.
"Sorry for the disturbance." called out Catherine who was greeted by Vlad and Dalyon at the entrance of the Caravel, while behind her were Adra and other beautiful young maidens that looked with scepticism and worry at the two large guys.
"There's no disturbance. Lady Catherine I will leave my trusted aid, Dalyon to attend to you and the ladies needs since I will not be around the ship until night."
Catherine shifted her attention to Dalyon who was wearing black trousers and a white buttoned shirt while his white hair was kept on a unique hairstyle to his people that from what Vlad could understand was something Lunarians were doing when trying to impress possible mates, not that he cared that much.
Still, seeing this youngster copying his style of clothing made him nod when first glancing at him, thinking about how his chances rose a little bit.
"Please, after me, Lady Esthil." called out Dalyon while keeping a cool appearance as he glanced at the red-haired beauty with his crimson eyes.
After saying that, he turned around and began moving toward the Captain's Cabin followed by Catherine, Adra and the rest of the girls who were stepping on such a ship for the first time. In their descent to the awaited room, from the neighbouring door, a hand extended out revealing Eleine who gave Catherine a sharp look before harrumphing.
She kept her cool since she was on enemy territory, but what Dalyon commented about the black-haired woman made her smile a bit.
"Don't bother with that Witch, since she is sick in her head and sees any woman stepping on the ship as a challenge. I heard she even tried to make you feel uncomfortable with her stupid questions, I apologize in her sted."
"No need, I wasn't offended in any shape or form, sir Dalyon."
*Cough* "I see."
Dalyon who was ahead of the group had a foolish smile, that he instantly broke away when remembering the words Vlad told him about keeping a cool appearance, and acting mysterious.
On the other hand, Catherine was slightly impressed by the shift in behaviour from this white-haired man who had an impressive body, where she could feel an intense power emanating around with his large black wings, making her wonder what his origins were.
If one could say what was marked by the appearance of the young Lunarian was the brown-haired woman who was wearing a long skirt with a large opening that revealed her thigh, along with a green shirt that highlighted her perky bosom. From the five maidens that were accompanying Catherine she looked to have been prepared appearance-wise the most.
'Lucky me, Lady Catherine really has a sagely wisdom and even told me that I might encounter the fallen angel.'
The way she was watching Dalyon's black angelic wings, and the manner her eyes shifted around his nape, white silky hair, and strong body frame made Vlad, who watched from the main deck, grin devilishly as he thought to himself.
'Boy, I did guarantee you a chance that you will not be virgin by the time we leave this island. Now, I hope you aren't too dense not to see the signs from that little girl.'
"What are you smiling at? Did you plan something bad?"
Hearing that soft voice coming from his left shoulder, he couldn't help but start chuckling a bit, which confused Titania who was swift into getting her answers with regard to Catherine's visit.
"There's nothing bad going on this time. That woman offered me a discount for the plants I need, on the condition that she gains access to my Library."
"Wait, what? A discount to be able to stay in your dusty books? Really?"
"Of course, knowledge is precious regardless of how you look at it."
"... That is surprising. Well, it seems that you don't keep those books just for decoration reasons. What about Dalyon, why do I feel he looks different than usual, especially standing in such close proximity with you. You are sure, there's nothing going around here?"
"No, not at all. Anyway, I will go around the plant fields to check something, want to accompany me?"
"If you tell me what you are hiding from me."
"Maybe."
While the Caravel received guests, Vlad took Titania who didn't even prepare for a walk outside, still wearing her short pyjamas found herself in the periphery of the gardens filled with fruit trees, a sign that he wasn't this time interested in the plants, instead his attention was placed on the tree fruits.
Ignoring the workers who were taking care of the fruit trees, even though they were throwing questioning looks, he was on a mission that garnered Titania's curiosity further.
"So? What are we doing in the garden? What's got into you that you suddenly started looking at fruits?"
"I am checking on something." commented Vlad who touched around all sorts of fruits from the trees he was passing by as if he was about to pick them up.
"I can see this, but I didn't ask you this."
"... Curious as ever. I am trying to check if a theory about Devil Fruits is correct. Is something written in the journal of an alchemist from 200 years ago, who was bent on finding the truth behind the devil fruits."
"And? Did that person find out the truth?"
"No, his book was cut short, as if he couldn't continue his research for certain reasons. Various sources close to Sir Forkwic Albert state that he was killed by certain individuals who wanted to keep the truth hidden since the balance of the world was at stake."
"Mhmm, it does sound like something those Marine people would try."
"No, way, way above them. The World Government. The Marines are just their instrument of "Justice" and will use them on a wimp whenever they feel that someone threatens their Status Quo."
"Wait, wait, won't we be in trouble if word spreads that we are looking into this secrets?"
"Are you going to share what I am doing with someone else?"
"The girls?"
"Not yet. I am still too weak to even attempt to challenge those people. Afterall, I am aware that I am weak compared to Garp the Hero, and by comparison I can draw the conclusion I am weaker than the established Great Pirates or Admirals of the Marines."
"With time that disparity will vanish and I will no longer worry about my back."
Titania, who was seated on Vlad's nose, turned her head to look with shock at the arrogant, prideful man who always believed himself to be above anyone else.
"Impossible! You talked as if you have been cured about your arrogance and stupid pride."
Frowning when hearing that remark, he used his long index finger and flicked the Fairy who was thrown off from his nose, making her shout with some anger in her tone for the sudden movement.
"Hey! I am only stating the obvious." called out Titania while flying around the black-haired man, moving back on his head while pulling on some strands of hair.
"Fully aware of this point."
"Then why flick me off my comfortable spot?" asked the Fairy as she was preparing to grab and pull his hair with her mouth.
"Because you have grown lazy."
"Yeah sure. Still, are you sure it wouldn't be dangerous to look into the secrets those people at the top want to keep secret?"
"Compared to what happened in the Ohara Incident when the so-called "Devils" have been hunted down, what we are doing is something noticeable by the World Government, at least if we keep quiet and stay on a straight lane."
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Vlad and Titania were having their discussion relating the research of the one called Forkwic Albert, who according to the black-haired man's words, he inclined to believe that Devil Fruits who have been consumed by people who died have a high chance of appearing inside a fruit in the closest area of the downfall of its user.
"The researcher called this process Reincarnation. However, the draft ends with only the theory and not the conclusion, since it was published by the man's wife."
Titania nodded holding her hand on the chin as he was placing a contemplating expression while calling at various intervals with "Naruhodo"
"Are you searching for the Devil Fruit of the pirate you killed?"
"Conducting my research."
Shifting his presence to a focused one, he ignored Titania while he was processing various trees, and while hours passed that night was slowly approaching he was left without any concrete answer.
Walking out from the garden of trees, he settled down at the tea house and started writing on his notebook the results of his first day of the search, even though there weren't any signs of him finding a devil fruit.
The warm tea eased his tired eyes slightly, and the Fairy could notice the signs of Vlad struggling with his stinging eye pains.
"This is the first day, I am sure we'll find something on the following days."
"Do I look worried?" asked Vlad who stopped from writing in his notebook, while taking a sip from the teacup.
"Not really."
"Then, stop giving me that look as if I am a lost cause. Such research isn't completed just because you attempted to walk around fruit trees and search individual fruits for the mutations of the Devil Fruit. It takes years if not decades of dedication for a definitive result to the research, and I've only took the first steps toward this answer."
"Stubborn like a mule." remarked Titania who was using a straw to enjoy her tea.
"A personal trait I am proud of."
After enjoying their tea and watching how the sky started getting darker, with some stars making their apparition, the time for their return also appeared and once there, Vlad could feel the presence of the guests who still didn't call it home.
When he stepped inside his cabin without showing a sign of caring about those people inside, he noticed how Dalyon was talking with Adra while seated closer to one another, while the other four maidens along with Catherine were working on transcribing some books.
"Ahh, it's about time we withdraw…" said Catherine who noticed Vlad walking toward his desk without calling to the group.
"You still have time." responded Vlad who took out his pocket watch to see it show 9:26 PM, stopping the group of women from breaking from their focused states.
"Then, pardon us if we make too much noise."
"Mhmm."
He took out from his hair the dark hairpin keeping his long hair together, which he morphed into a key used to open a cabinet on his desk, where he pulled two books and with his own notebook he started reading in silence while the studying guests returned to a natural state.
'With regard to the study into Devil Fruits, I have 3 options and thus far I've got to finish trying the first option of scouring the entire island of the Devil Fruit.'
'Anathema, mind sharing some information about this subject?'
Looking at the black pen he was holding as he was playing around by drawing various geometrical shapes, the response was swift and cold as if the being lurking in the weapon was indifferent to his worries and studies.
{I will only tell you this. The research of that human you are reading about isn't half-wrong. It just needs a thorough understanding of the concept he was so delighted to emphasize.}
'I see, this is good enough for me.'
The black fountain pen shone with a dark aura before calming down as if it reacted to Vlad's thoughts and curious mind as he was digging for some truths that from its tone sounded trivial.
Vlad spent one hour, ignoring the women searching around his Library since he had no secrets hidden there, pondering about the Devil Fruits and all the information he knew about it from the rare books he stumbled upon in his mission of devouring various books.
He departed to the kitchen where Titania, Bonney and Eleine were talking about something that attracted his attention.
"Quite the dedicated guests you have gotten "Captain". Besides, for how long do those girls intend on breathing the same air as me since it's getting annoying."
"One week or two weeks at most." responded Vlad casually, placing some food on a plate as he started eating with all three girls watching him.
"What's your plan this time?"
"There's no plan, that woman Catherine offered me a discount at her plants in exchange for access to my Library. Also, stop asking me stupid questions and think with your own little head why I do certain things."
"..."
While he shifted around to spend his time in the kitchen, the time limit of stay for the guests ran out, and Dalyon didn't miss out on the chance to accompany Catherine, and her maidens, without even noticing that he was still closer with the brown-haired maiden, something that Vlad didn't bother to mention to the kid since it would break what was being built.
"Mister Dracul, we thank you for allowing us access to your Library."
"Sure. I am expecting my plants soon."
"Of course, tomorrow they will be delivered." called out the red-haired woman who looked at the large man moving from the kitchen area to remind her of the deal they had.
Nodding, he remained quiet as the guest departed, leaving out Dalyon who was standing at the wooden railing of the Caravel to be stuck deep into his thoughts, and he snapped back to reality when turning to look at Vlad who was about to walk to his Cabin.
"I no longer feel that spark for miss Catherine now that I've been around her for so long." said the white-haired youngster, in the realization of his own feelings.
"You know your own heart, young man. All I can tell you is to follow your heart and what your guts tell you."
"Got you. I appreciate your honesty, you no longer make me want to kill you."
"Of course. Still, I would also appreciate it even more if you didn't forget our own little deal."
"Sure, do you want to tell you what I know right now?"
"Nah, let's leave it when we move to our next location since traveling on the sea is always a boring process for me."
Waving his hand dismissively at Dalyon, he returned to his cabin and took a deep smell of the fragrances of women, and with an evil smile, he walked to open the windows and clear out the still air.
Afterward, he stepped toward his Library and following his keen sense of smell he picked on some books that were centred on plants and flora, and with his hands turning the pages in a swift manner with his eyes reading the contents diagonally, he stopped where the page looked to be roughed a bit by a nail.
[Generalities about The Treasure Tree]
"Interesting. She is interested in something so rare?" remarked Vlad who used his ghostly speed to appear in the lower deck where he opened the locked door to his laboratory stepped inside an obscure room filled with alchemical tools, and various vials, where on the main table housed two heads of some men stuck inside large jars filled to the brim with some translucent liquid.
'You know, I was thinking about Nihiloor and how his tentacles resembled the ones of a tree. And the seed I managed to obtain along with the Key Fragment.'
Acting mysterious, while around him the air turned colder, he stepped toward the small window of the laboratory where a small desk he used to write his analysis and observations over the research he conducted, and as he removed some fake books that were placed to distract the eyes of whoever might intrude into his Sanctum.
Tapping on the table multiple times, an opening located in the side of the cabinets built in the desk opened, revealing a hidden compartment where various notebooks and even smaller wooden boxes lay undisturbed.
Taking one of those smaller wooden boxes, he opened it to reveal small fragments of a crimson seed that was chopped by him, left in a dead state, but it was exactly a fragment of Nihiloors heart.
{Don't do anything stupid on the seed.} called out Anathema as the black hairpin flew from his hair, morphing into its default shape of the black longsword filled with Runes shining in a pitch-black darkness.
'While I might seem barbaric in my thought process, I will not waste such an interesting specimen. There's no point in overreacting, since I don't intend at throwing this seed into an alchemical mixt.'
{Then what was your point in opening the wooden box that was sealing away the seed?}
Vlad's cold expression, irked an evil smile as he was holding the pieces of the seed in his large palm, and he couldn't help but marvel at the smaller details he could notice after activating his Observation Haki.
'So you know, Anathema, I have search a bit on this Adam Tree. There is an interesting story about this particular "Legendary" Tree and it goes about something like this.'
'It can form a consciousness of its own, and has managed to survive endlessly, watching at the destruction of the people who settled near the "Giant Tree". People went and come, died and returned to life, only the Tree stood immemorial.'
'And based on how twisted this Atlas guy seems to be, I can see how he probably modified the "Adam Tree" into something called Nihiloor.'
{Ehh, excellent deduction. But you still have to try harder if you want to know the whole picture.}
'Indeed, for which. I wanted to try this.'
Swift on his actions that Anathema didn't even react, he bit his right-hand index finger that blood started spilling, and with a twisted expression he started pouring the fresh blood in the seed resting in his left palm.
*Drop*
*Drop*
Akin to the droplets of water finding their target and creating a sound that could bend shape minds, there wasn't any initial reactions from the seed, but from how Anathema started shining with a light that gave the impression it was irked, he started laughing.
"It doesn't take a genius to understand how something so mysterious yet trivial works. The amount of dead bodies, even though they could have been used as puppets, were with a reason. Nourishment."
Patience was something the Impaler Prince cultivated in his decades of imprisonment, and as minutes flew by, the fragments of the seed bathing inside blood reacted by shining with a crimson-dark light. From there on, the fragments started moving towards one another, while the blood was consumed rapidly, and before Vlad knew it, he found himself holding a singular seed bound together and pulsing around, like the Magris worms.
"Yeah, just like the Magris Worms. Could it be? Those were also some failed experiments of this Atlas person? Fascinating. While I usually try to look down on this individual for his stupid challenges that are wasting my time, I can only admire his intellect."
{...}
The seed in his hand, which contained fresh blood from his finger dripping continuously, suffered another change as it transformed into a scene that shocked the man who never experienced such a close encounter with how life was created. The wooden texture of the seed started turning into flesh, and before he knew it, while he was stunned by the scene before him, he felt a sting on his hand like a mosquito.
Wide-eyed, he pulled the seed from his palm, and using his Observation Haki he noticed how on the seed there was a small beak akin to the fabled Homunculus only Grandmasters of Alchemy were told to be able to create.
*SHRIEK*
{Do you want to unleash that monster again on the world?}
"Fascinating. Was that a high-speed multiplication of cells akin to the effects of the Maggris Worm saliva that generated an intense reaction of the body system to repair itself.
No, I doubt I can keep such an abomination in this small ship. I need something bigger to house it."
{Tch, you are also sick in your head.}
"Oh yeah? I once heard from an old Greek Philosopher that one needs a spark of madness to succeed in life."
Placing Nihiloor's Seed in his small wooden container that was sealed shut, the shrieks also ended after Vlad's voice was heard by the seed, and without any opposition and reaction it stayed in the ship, awaiting further developments as if consciousness was being awakened again.
Cleaning out his hands with disinfectant, he closed the door shut, moving back to his Cabin, where he noticed that he spent an entire hour watching the developments in the entity called Nihiloor.