Lucian Thorn's throat tightened. For a moment, he found himself at a loss for words.
How was he supposed to even begin saying this?
This matter was even more outrageous than traveling through time to recruit Rayleigh and Luffy.
In his mind, the image of a Devil Fruit surfaced.
It was a fruit created by the System after it had analyzed Luffy's Hito Hito no Mi, Mythical Zoan, Sun God Nika Form, back when they were on Amazon Lily. It had been granted as an ultimate reward—a direct product of that analysis.
According to the System's description, this fruit's power was an elevated, more fundamental force—one that was drawn from Sun God Nika himself!
It represented the purest, most extreme authority of the Sun God—Light and Destruction.
[Mutated: Sun God Apollo Fruit]
Even just hearing that name sent waves of excitement and longing through Lucian.
He had a powerful hunch—this fruit contained energy capable of obliterating the world.
Yes, he currently wielded the System-granted powers of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, and he could even use several of its techniques.
But ultimately, those were just System-generated skills, not the real Devil Fruit.
They had limits. Cooldowns. And unlike a true ability user, he couldn't develop or awaken the power.
He needed a real Devil Fruit—something to become the core of his strength.
And this Sun God Apollo Fruit was undoubtedly the best, no—the only—choice.
But...
To consume a Devil Fruit with unknown power and extreme risk, especially right before a great war—that was a wild gamble.
If he failed, he would be completely annihilated by the rampaging force of the fruit.
Especially since it bore the name "Sun God." If its powers went out of control, the consequences would be unthinkable.
So he needed someone—someone absolutely reliable, and strong enough to suppress any catastrophe—to guard him.
Looking across the world, only one person qualified. Only one person was worthy of that trust.
The man standing before him now—the man who treated him like his own son.
Edward Newgate.
Watching the shifting, troubled expression on Lucian's face—his rare hesitation and struggle—Whitebeard's curiosity only deepened.
As Lucian hesitated to speak, clearly burdened by something serious, Whitebeard didn't grow impatient. On the contrary, he grinned.
That grin was filled with Whitebeard's signature boldness and dominance.
"Gurararara…"
He slowly rose from his seat.
"Kid, what are you hesitating for?"
Whitebeard walked up to Lucian, and once again slammed his massive hand onto the young man's shoulder.
Bang!
This time, the impact was even heavier than back on the deck.
"When did my son become so timid?"
"You've already done something as insane as time-traveling—bringing back Rayleigh from the past and Straw Hat from the future as reinforcements!"
"What could possibly surprise me more than that?"
Whitebeard leaned in, his world-weary eyes staring straight into Lucian's.
"Speak!"
"What is it you want from me?"
"If it's something I can do—whatever it is—I'll do it."
"Gurararara! Even if you asked for the moon in the sky, I'd find a way to bring it down for you!"
There was no room for refusal in that voice. It was a declaration of absolute support and faith.
It was the purest, most unconditional form of a father's love for his son.
In that moment, all of Lucian's doubts and concerns were blown away by Whitebeard's overwhelming spirit.
He lifted his head and met Whitebeard's eyes—eyes filled with encouragement and trust.
No longer hesitating, he spoke with solemn determination, word by word.
"Pops…"
"I need your help."
"Oh?" Whitebeard raised an eyebrow, visibly intrigued.
Lucian's voice suddenly dropped, edged with a madness and resolve he himself hadn't noticed.
"I've obtained… an incredibly powerful Devil Fruit."
"A Devil Fruit?"
Whitebeard's brows twitched slightly.
Lucian didn't explain the origin. He simply stated his request—his voice now heavy and firm.
"This fruit holds tremendous power—but also… extreme danger."
"I'm not fully confident I can control it."
"That's why I'm asking you, Pops…"
"I want you to protect me while I consume it."
"If I lose control… I want you to stop me. Restrain me. No matter what it takes."
At those words—
The smile on Whitebeard's face slowly faded.
He looked at the young man in front of him.
He could tell—Lucian wasn't joking.
And he could feel it too—that Lucian was placing his life entirely in Whitebeard's hands.
Complete, unwavering trust.
A long silence followed.
Then, Whitebeard suddenly threw back his head and burst into the loudest, most unrestrained laughter yet.
"GURARARARARARARARA!!"
"GURARARARARARARARA!!"
His booming laughter shook the entire room.
This time, it was full of pure admiration.
What a bold little brat!
On the eve of a final battle with Marineford and the World Government, this kid was thinking about breaking through his limits?
Planning to eat a Devil Fruit he himself described as "dangerous"?
That kind of nerve—
That kind of madness—
Even Whitebeard, in his youth, had never gone that far!
"Gurararara!!"
His laughter roared like a storm, as if it could lift the roof off the Moby Dick itself.
"Interesting!"
"Truly interesting!"
"Kid, even in my wildest youth, I wasn't this crazy!"
Whitebeard threw an arm around Lucian's shoulders, his eyes gleaming brighter than ever.
"Fine!"
"I'll do it."
"I'll personally watch over you."
"And I'll get to see for myself…"
"Whether the power of this Devil Fruit…"
"…is stronger or weaker than my Tremor-Tremor Fruit!"