Chapter 299: Nidhogg, Ratatoskr
[Discovered Devil Fruit user 'Loki']
[Determined Devil Fruit is 'Zoan, Mythical Zoan, Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Model: Nidhogg'. Parsing and storing into the 'Fruit Encyclopedia']
[Effects at each level]
[LV3: Can transform into the mythical beast existing at the bottom of the World Tree in legends—the 'Black Dragon' Nidhogg. Gains powerful physical attributes and a boost to all stats. Can spew lethal venom from the mouth.]
[LV4: Advanced fruit development. Can devour the souls, vitality, and Source Energy of Lineage Factor of all things, and store them within the body.]
[LV5: Fruit Awakening · Ragnarok]
[Fruit Awakening. Can transform the surrounding environment into a 'Kingdom of the Dead' under one's control, and forcibly pull all surrounding living beings into it.]
[While within the Kingdom of the Dead, everyone can directly attack the other party's soul, but the user of this fruit can use the 'souls', 'vitality', and 'Source Energy of Lineage Factor' they have stored to enhance themselves, alter the environment of the Kingdom of the Dead at will, and create an army of the dead. The army of the dead cannot die, possesses the abilities they had in life, is absolutely obedient, and can be enhanced by granting them Source Energy of Lineage Factor.]
Yes.
This was the information that appeared on the Fruit Encyclopedia the instant Uma laid eyes on Loki.
And this information confirmed what Roy had already suspected.
The Devil Fruit guarded by Elbaf — hailed as a 'national treasure' — was indeed something special.
The Black Dragon 'Nidhogg', the evil dragon residing at the bottom of the World Tree in legends.
It is said that it devours the souls of the dead and gnaws on the roots of the World Tree, ultimately bringing about Ragnarok.
When Ragnarok arrives, it flies out of the Underworld on beating wings, carrying the souls of the dead to wage war against the gods — and ultimately, to the world's destruction.
The fruit's ability perfectly complemented the legend.
It truly possessed the power to devour all things and steal the world's strength — the first and only fruit Roy had ever encountered that could obtain and manipulate Source Energy of Lineage Factor.
And besides that...
[Discovered Devil Fruit user 'Lightning']
[Determined Devil Fruit is 'Zoan, Mythical Zoan, Mouse-Mouse Fruit, Model: Ratatoskr'. Parsing and storing into the 'Fruit Encyclopedia']
[Effects at each level]
[LV3: Can transform into the messenger 'Squirrel' Ratatoskr on the World Tree from legends. Gains powerful physical attributes and a boost to all stats. Massively enhances claws and teeth, and can transmit one's own thoughts and voice silently to a designated target within 1000 meters.]
[LV4: Advanced fruit development. The transmitted voice can contain emotions and trigger emotional fluctuations in the recipient, such as 'courage', 'timidity', 'surprise', etc.]
[LV5: Fruit Awakening · Messenger of All Things]
[Fruit Awakening. Ratatoskr can materialize all non-physical things, including 'force', 'speed', 'energy', 'substance', and 'natural power', and deliver them as 'letters' into the bodies of other things. For example, the user can deliver a portion of the 'Haki' within their body as a letter to a certain creature or object, shaping it into a special item.]
"Perfect..."
At this moment, even Uma couldn't help but inwardly exclaim 'perfect'.
"These two fruits — so that's how it works. That's how Hajrudin's 'Crown of Wisdom' came to be."
Upon seeing the abilities of these two fruits, Uma naturally understood everything.
As established earlier, the 'Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Model: Nidhogg' itself has a distinct flaw.
Namely, the fruit had considerable restrictions on how Source Energy of Lineage Factor could be used.
It could only be used after the fruit's awakening, and its Source Energy of Lineage Factor was only effective on the user themselves and the 'army of the dead' created by the ability.
But the fruit consumed by Lightning changed everything.
Ratatoskr — like Nidhogg, it is a messenger squirrel existing on the World Tree in legends and myths.
It scurries between the crown and roots of the World Tree, ferrying messages between the Black Dragon and the Giant Eagle. And in legends, this squirrel is also the incarnation of nature.
The fruit's ability mirrors the legend. It can transmit any of the user's own power as a 'letter' to other things — and shape them.
And that naturally includes Source Energy of Lineage Factor.
In other words, the Source Energy of Lineage Factor that Loki devours and stockpiles through the Nidhogg Fruit can be transmitted outward through Lightning — enabling the creation of special items like the Sun Stone or the Crown of Wisdom.
"No wonder Lightning has guarded the Nidhogg Fruit in Elbaf since ancient times — it's not merely a guardian, but a necessary complement for that fruit to reach its full potential!"
Roy had already understood this fact in his heart.
Only when a powerhouse who has consumed the Nidhogg Fruit wields Lightning can they truly harness Source Energy of Lineage Factor to its fullest.
Beyond that, Roy could now almost piece together the grand 'plan' Davy Jones and Joy Boy had devised.
"The three fruits they need to complete the plan are the 'Dark-Dark Fruit', the 'Nika Fruit', and the 'Nidhogg Fruit'."
"And among them, the weapon Lightning passed down through generations of the Giant race is also required."
"This is clearly to replicate Imu's 'Divine Authority'."
Roy had long been very clear about this.
The reason Imu is called a God lies in His utilization of Source Energy of Lineage Factor.
The 'power of all living beings' wishes' combined with 'Source Energy of Lineage Factor' — whether it was creating Devil Fruits, reshaping the environment, raising sea levels, or granting eternal life — it could almost be called 'omnipotence'.
So far, only Imu and Roy could exercise this 'Divine Authority'.
But now...
"Although each of these three fruits has its own flaws, if combined... it does seem possible to achieve something similar."
Roy could already see some things.
The Nidhogg Fruit combined with Lightning can manipulate Source Energy of Lineage Factor.
The Dark-Dark Fruit can absorb other Devil Fruits' abilities through darkness and 'nullify' them — and if Roy's guess was correct, its true essence lay in plundering the 'wishes' that constitute Devil Fruits.
But because this world's Devil Fruits inherently carry 'restraints' and cannot be consumed in multiples, that alone still wasn't enough.
It still required the Nika Fruit's 'Body of Freedom' — the power that breaks free from all restraints.
"The Dark-Dark Fruit plucks 'wishes', the Nika Fruit brings 'freedom', plus the Nidhogg Fruit provides 'Source Energy of Lineage Factor'... a perfect combination!"
Thinking of this, Roy couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
For Davy Jones and Joy Boy to have found a method of this caliber within this shackled world — that alone was stunning.
Of course, for the current Uma, none of this mattered.
Because what truly mattered most lay beyond Loki and Lightning.
The third prompt that appeared on the Fruit Encyclopedia.
[Discovered Devil Fruit user 'Marshall D. Teach']
[Determined Devil Fruit is 'Special Paramecia, Parasite-Parasite Fruit'. Parsing and storing into the 'Fruit Encyclopedia']
(End of Chapter)
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