Olvia was momentarily dazed as she stared at the Devil Fruit in Carl's hand. After a moment, she wordlessly took the fruit, then bit into it without hesitation.
As the juice burst in her mouth, a grimace crossed Olvia's face. Wiping the purple juice from the corner of her mouth, she remarked,
"This taste... lives up to its reputation!"
Carl tilted his head and said,
"Actually, you could've swallowed it whole. That would've dulled the taste quite a bit."
Olvia chuckled softly and replied,
"You underestimate a scholar's curiosity. Unlike you, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me. Of course, I had to experience it properly."
"Sometimes, too much curiosity can be dangerous."
Hearing this, Olvia fell silent for a moment. She sighed deeply and said,
"You're right. Ohara was destroyed because of that, and it nearly dragged even more people down with it. My sins are unforgivable."
"It's rare to hear you admit that. If you'd realized this earlier, things might have turned out differently."
Olvia gave a bitter smile, took a deep breath, and raised her head to meet Carl's gaze.
"There are no 'ifs.' My sins are heavy, and if it weren't for you, I wouldn't even be alive now, let alone have had the chance to watch Robin grow up. I'm truly grateful to you."
Carl waved dismissively and said flatly,
"I don't need your gratitude. How's the book coming along?"
Olvia froze for a moment before giving a helpless sigh.
"You really are a cold man."
She thought for a moment, then smiled faintly and added,
"Though sometimes, you do show a bit of warmth."
Carl raised an eyebrow and retorted,
"Cut the nonsense. Show me what you've got so far."
Olvia gave an exaggerated bow and declared loudly,
"As you command, Saint Carl!"
She then turned to adjust the tilted ladder nearby. Carl frowned and asked,
"What are you doing?"
"I put the finished book up there. I can't reach it without the ladder," Olvia explained, stabilizing the ladder.
"...Was that Devil Fruit I just gave you fake?" Carl asked dryly.
"Oh, right! I almost forgot to check what kind of fruit it is," Olvia replied absentmindedly.
"Yet you ate it so decisively?"
"You're the one who gave it to me. I wouldn't dare not eat it," she replied with a shrug.
Carl gave her an exasperated look.
"Eating everything you're handed will only get you into trouble."
Olvia frowned slightly.
"Why does that sound like it has another meaning?"
Carl shrugged casually.
"That's on you. Try out your new power. I think it'll suit you."
Feeling the mysterious energy within her, Olvia raised her hand and snapped her fingers. With a series of popping sounds, several books appeared out of thin air, floating around her like birds in flight.
Pudding, who had been quietly standing nearby, gasped,
"The Book-Book Fruit!"
Immersed in her new ability, Olvia glanced at Pudding and muttered thoughtfully,
"The Book-Book Fruit..."
Carl grabbed one of the floating books, flipped through its blank pages, and tossed it aside.
"Seems like a standard creation-based ability for a Paramecia-type fruit."
After a moment of experimenting, Olvia made two of the floating books land at her feet and stepped onto them. They lifted her into the air effortlessly.
Seeing this, Carl nodded in approval.
"Not bad. You're a quick learner."
He recalled that the previous user of the Book-Book Fruit, Charlotte Mont-d'Or, had used a similar technique called the Book Ladder.
Olvia smiled faintly, brushing back her silver hair as she rose higher, finally reaching the top of the bookshelf. She touched a thick black book, and with her touch, all the books she'd marked floated off the shelf and followed her down to the ground.
The thick black book hovered in front of Carl. He glanced at it before turning to Olvia with a faint smile.
"How does it feel? Do you like this power?"
Olvia smiled brightly.
"I love it. Thank you."
Carl grabbed the book.
"Good. Let me evaluate it. If it doesn't meet my standards, I'll be taking back the fruit."
His eyes narrowed slightly as he added softly,
"And the retrieval process might be a little... unpleasant."
Olvia placed one hand on her hip, tilting her head as she said,
"Do whatever you want. My life belongs to you anyway."
Whether this was resignation or confidence, Carl didn't comment further. He opened the book and began scanning the table of contents.
Olvia had structured the book in the style of a chronicle, recounting major historical events.
When Carl saw the first chapter's title, a smile crept onto his face:
Celestial Dragon Genesis.
This opening section detailed how the original twenty kings of the Celestial Dragons defeated the lawless Joy Boy, restoring order to the world. The Figarland family, in particular, was credited with delivering the decisive blow.
Satisfied with the introduction, Carl skipped to the final section—and froze.
There, written boldly, was his name:
King Carl.
Olvia noticed his expression and peered over his shoulder.
"Why did you include me in this? And what's with this 'King' title?" Carl asked.
Olvia looked up at him earnestly.
"Is there a problem? In today's world, only you are worthy of such a title. It's a conclusion I've reached through scientific reasoning! If this book is going to be distributed worldwide, your name needs to be in it. Without it, the book's credibility would suffer."
Straightening up, she stretched her neck before adding,
"The book doesn't have a title yet. I was waiting for you to name it."
Carl thought for a moment before declaring,
"Celestial Dragon Genesis."
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+250 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg