Carl shook his head and sighed.
"Such duplicity... women, huh…"
Lily snapped back at him.
"Carl-sama, you're just the type who judges by appearance. Hmph, men…"
Carl raised an eyebrow, and the hand resting on Lily's back began to gently caress her. But such a touch, which would've made her jump yesterday, had already lost its effectiveness. Lily smirked and threw him a mocking yet provocative glance.
"Hmph..."
Carl narrowed his eyes. If not for the inappropriate setting, he would've pinned her down on the spot.
Everyone around them pretended not to notice the conversation or the subtle gestures between Carl and Lily, eyes lowered, expressions blank.
But internally, each one of them was utterly shocked—Lily, a woman who had stood aloof for centuries, had been "conquered" by Carl in a single day.
Especially Saturn, who had followed Lily for hundreds of years. He now felt that the deaths of the other four Elders were not in vain. Particularly Warcury, who died the earliest—he was lucky to die when he did. If he had seen Lily acting this... affectionate with Carl, he might've been scared to death on the spot.
Carl shot Lily a warning glance, then turned to Saturn, slowly raising a hand.
Before Saturn could react, Carl's fingertips transformed into elongated spikes and pierced directly into Saturn's neck.
Blood energy surged into Saturn's body. He felt his blood boiling, a rare feeling of lightness sweeping over him.
Under the astonished gazes of Akainu and the others, the deep wrinkles on Saturn's face began to fade at a speed visible to the naked eye. His aged skin regained a youthful glow. His graying hair gradually turned black.
When Carl withdrew his hand, the man who had looked like he was pushing eighty now appeared to be a slightly chubby middle-aged man.
Saturn clenched his fists, disbelief written all over his face. Akainu and the others, witnessing Carl's ability for the first time, were stunned into silence.
Even Lily was visibly shaken by Saturn's transformation. She furrowed her brows.
"Is that the power of the Vampire Fruit? No… The Vampire Fruit only allows the user themselves to regain youth. Even if awakened, it shouldn't have that level of effect."
She couldn't help asking Carl,
"What exactly is your ability?"
Carl gave her a mock-surprised expression.
"Oh? There's actually a power in this world that even the great Lily-sama doesn't know?"
"...Forget it!"
She turned away with a slight pout, making her seem just a bit like a sulky teenager—never mind the fact that she was over eight hundred years old.
Carl chuckled at the sight.
"Of course I'll tell you if you want to know. It's the power of the True Ancestor Fruit—a fusion of the Vampire Fruit and the Blood-Blood Fruit."
Lily's tense expression relaxed at last. She nodded.
"So that's how it is… You've already grasped the origin of Devil Fruit power…"
Her gaze toward Carl now carried even more admiration. Though she wielded the Primal Demon Devil Fruit, her understanding of its "origin" was only theoretical—she had never been able to fuse powers the way Carl had.
To achieve this required not just incredible talent, but something more vital—the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit. Only darkness could grasp the elusive core of a Devil Fruit's essence.
But as a Primal Demon Devil Fruit user, she had no way to command darkness.
...
By now, Saturn had recovered from his shock and was basking in the joy of his rejuvenation. He never imagined that giving up power would yield such a reward.
With a thud, he dropped to his knees and kowtowed heavily.
"Thank you for your grace, Carl-sama!"
Carl smiled.
"You've earned it. You're retired now. Got any plans?"
Saturn thought for a moment.
"I've always been fascinated by scientific research. If possible, I'd like to stay in the lab and continue working."
He meant every word. Among the original Elders, he was the one whose role best matched his actual interests.
Carl nodded slightly.
"Sure. You can go to Vegapunk's lab if you like. It's well-equipped."
He turned to Kuma and smiled.
"Kuma, from now on, you're the new Warrior God of Science and Defense."
Kuma blinked, then quickly waved his hands.
"Carl, I know nothing about science! I'm not qualified for such a big role!"
"Huh? Kuma, who said you're not qualified? I feel safest with you in that spot. You don't need to know science—just keep an eye on that old man Vegapunk."
Kuma scratched his head.
"Alright… I'll give it a try. Just hope I don't mess things up."
"No need to stress. Saturn will be there too. You can ask him if you need help."
Saturn, understanding Carl's fierce loyalty to his own people, dared not show even a hint of disrespect toward Kuma. He immediately responded,
"No problem. I'll give Kuma-sama my full support."
Being addressed as "Kuma-sama" left Kuma visibly uncomfortable.
"Saturn-sama, just call me Kuma…"
Saturn didn't reply. Instead, he glanced hesitantly at Carl. Carl waved his hand.
"Kuma, your status has changed. You need to start getting used to it. Learn from Borsalino in that regard."
The Admiral known as Kizaru gave Kuma a dazzlingly fake, sunshine-like smile—a clear gesture of encouragement.
Kuma gave a small, silent nod, accepting his new identity.
...
With the Science and Finance Warrior Gods chosen, only two positions remained: Agriculture and Environment. Naturally, Carl intended to select Admirals for those roles.
He turned to Aokiji first.
"Kuzan, you'll take over as Warrior God of Environment for Mars."
Though he'd already guessed as much, hearing it confirmed still left Kuzan momentarily stunned. Beside him, Aramaki clicked his tongue and muttered,
"Knew they'd give it to that frozen dummy."
No sooner had he spoken than Carl's voice rang out—light and musical like celestial bells—directly in Aramaki's ear.
"Aramaki, don't go picking on Kuzan. You're taking over as the Warrior God of Agriculture."
Smack!
Aramaki dropped to his knees in a dramatic slide, tears streaming down his face.
"Carl-samaaaaa!!!"
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+140 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg