"Grandfather."
Valthior greeted him respectfully.
Within the entire Jaygarcia family, only he—the acknowledged "young master"—had the right to address Saint Jaygarcia Saturn in such a way.
"Valthior, you're here." Saturn gave a slight nod, then gestured casually. "Sit anywhere. Try this new Seastyle Black Tea from the North Blue. It's quite decent. If it suits your taste, take some with you when you head back."
"Then I won't hold back," Valthior replied with a grin.
Dropping the distant formality, he sat across from him and poured himself a cup without hesitation.
Saturn didn't rush the conversation. Only after watching Valthior take a sip—and seeing the satisfied expression on his face—did he speak again.
"Well?"
"Fragrant on the lips, with a lingering aftertaste…" Valthior said, sounding genuinely impressed.
Saturn set his teacup down.
"Putting on airs. It's just ordinary black tea. No different from what we already have at home."
"Cough…" Valthior cleared his throat awkwardly, covering his mouth with the back of his hand before letting out an embarrassed chuckle.
Saturn didn't press further.
Truth be told, he was used to this side of Valthior.
Out in the world, Saturn was always solemn, authoritative—an untouchable figure of power. Only in front of Valthior did he occasionally let that mask slip. To others, even catching a glimpse of a smile from him was nearly impossible, let alone hearing him joke.
—
Originally, Valthior thought Saturn would bring up Professor Clover.
After all, that had been the purpose of his recent assignment.
But instead, Saturn waved it off entirely and said:
"You've heard about the matter organized by the Holy Knights, I assume?"
"Yes. Alfred mentioned it on the way here," Valthior nodded.
"And your Haki training?" Saturn asked.
"Going well. My Armament has improved, and Observation has made some progress too. As for Conqueror's…" Valthior paused slightly. "No signs yet. No direction either."
His talent was undeniably strong.
But compared to the true monsters of the sea?
There was still a gap.
Take someone like Charlotte Linlin—renowned for her natural gifts. By the age of eighteen, she was already a notorious pirate dominating her own territory. Her strength far surpassed Valthior's current level.
That was the difference—
Between being gifted…
And being a monster.
Fortunately, Valthior had his own advantage.
Once his Sharingan developed further, he was confident he wouldn't fall behind anyone.
—
"There's no need to rush Conqueror's Haki," Saturn said calmly. "If you possess it, you will awaken it in time. If you don't, no amount of effort will change that. For now, focus on strengthening your Armament and Observation."
Though he was called a "Warrior God," Valthior couldn't help but think—
The title was somewhat misleading.
The Five Elders possessed immense power—Mythical Zoan abilities, mastery of all three forms of Haki.
But they had sat at the peak of power for far too long.
Decades—perhaps even a century—had passed since they last fought anyone seriously.
Their combat sense?
Blunt.
They were like characters with maxed-out stats but poor mechanics.
Strong, yes—
But not overwhelmingly so.
Still, even so, Saturn's guidance was more than sufficient for him at this stage.
"I understand," Valthior replied immediately. "I won't disappoint you, Grandfather."
"Hmm." Saturn nodded in approval, then paused briefly before continuing. "But remember—Mastery of Armament and Observation Haki is like grinding ice on a stone. It requires constant practice, day in and day out, before the depth truly shows. With the upcoming study tour, I doubt you'll make much progress in such a short time…"
Valthior simply nodded in response, choosing not to interrupt.
As expected, Saturn's tone shifted. "Among your peers in this generation, you are indeed outstanding. Even Figarland's much-anticipated Garling was far inferior to you at your age. As for the others—they're not worth mentioning. However, during this study tour, the Holy Knights will also be present, and I myself will attend. You are still younger and less experienced than them. If your performance isn't exceptional, it will reflect poorly on me as well…"
"Rest assured, Grandfather," Valthior replied resolutely. "Even if it costs me my life, I will not let you or the family's honor be shamed!"
Though in his heart he was already considering leaving Mary Geoise, he knew better than to neglect Saturn's pride at a moment like this.
Saturn seemed pleased with Valthior's attitude, but the gap in strength was obvious—no mere words could bridge it.
With a slight gesture, Saturn indicated a plain little storage box on a nearby table. "Open it."
Valthior's heart stirred slightly. He seemed to have guessed what it was, though he showed nothing outwardly. Calmly, he stepped forward and opened the box.
Just as he expected—it contained a peculiar Devil Fruit.
Its surface bore patterns resembling soft, flowing fur, its overall color a frosty silver-white, as if it were frozen solid. Even its stem branched into five tendrils—an unusually rare feature.
"A Devil Fruit?" Valthior murmured, feigning surprise.
He had looked through the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia before, but there were far too many strange entries to memorize them all. He had only committed a portion of those that interested him to memory.
So he couldn't identify this one—its type or ability.
It was even possible that this fruit had never been recorded in the encyclopedia at all.
"Do you recognize it?" Saturn asked.
Valthior shook his head. "No… I've never seen it before."
"That's normal. It has appeared only a handful of times in history. Its most notable appearance was buried by us in the dust of history. It was never recorded in the encyclopedia. Only a very small number of people know of this ability," Saturn explained, without going into detail.
Just as Valthior was about to ask further, Saturn spoke first:
"Eat it. With this ability, perhaps you will shine more brilliantly during this study tour."
The sudden order made Valthior's heart sink.
Old man, I don't even know what ability it is—and you want me to eat it?
But the hesitation lasted only a moment. Valthior immediately nodded.
"Thank you, Grandfather. Then I won't hold back!"
With that, he bit into the Devil Fruit.
A bizarre taste exploded in his mouth. Without even attempting to savor it, he took a few more bites, chewed quickly, and swallowed the entire fruit.
His decisiveness made Saturn's smile grow even more satisfied. What a fine child… talented, diligent, resolute, and obedient. Truly worthy of my care.
Meanwhile, as Valthior felt changes begin within his body, a hint of emotion stirred in his heart.
He had once planned to aim for the Azure Dragon fruit… but now there was no need to consider it.
The reason he had acted so decisively was simple—he knew Saturn's nature well. In this room, he had no right to refuse.
Hesitation would only bring trouble. Better to commit fully.
Besides, given Saturn's arrangements for him, the fruit couldn't possibly be bad. He might as well treat it as a gift from his "portable old mentor."
As these thoughts churned in his mind, his body began to change.
First, a wave of frost spread outward from his body. In the blink of an eye, the entire room was frozen over, covered in ice. Many of the luxurious items within would likely be ruined.
Only Saturn—and the sofa he sat on—remained completely unaffected.
Clearly, Saturn didn't care in the slightest about the destruction of treasures that countless people would covet. He simply watched Valthior with a satisfied expression.
At the same time, Valthior's meticulously groomed silver-white hair began to grow rapidly, extending down to his waist. It billowed behind him without wind, exuding a wild and domineering aura.
His already tall frame—over three meters—began to expand further. His solid, muscular build became even more powerful and feral.
His originally handsome, heroic features also shifted. This was clearly a Zoan ability—his face now bore beast-like traits, a blend of tiger and leopard. It radiated the raw power of a tiger while retaining the sleek, predatory precision of a panther. Sharp fangs jutted from his mouth, and at the center of his forehead, a curved horn of frost-white ice crystal emerged, enhancing his already fearsome appearance.
At this moment, five thick tails swayed behind him. His body was covered in silver-white fur, each strand radiating a chilling aura—extraordinary, noble, and domineering.
Before Valthior could speak, Saturn began his explanation:
"This ability of yours is an extremely rare Mythical Zoan. Its name is the 'Ice Zheng,' classified under the Cat-Cat Fruit."
...
(TL/N: The "Zheng" in Ice Zheng refers to a mythical creature from ancient Chinese mythology. It is described as a fierce, predatory beast—often tiger- or leopard-like, sometimes with horns—and is considered extremely powerful and ferocious. In this story, it is the inspiration for Valthior's Devil Fruit ability.)
(For reference, see the illustration provided)