Kuma finally snapped out of his shock. He rushed forward, gently lifting Ivan from Lloyd's back and placing him in a chair.
The four of them gathered around the dining table, eating the fish Kuma had prepared. It was the only dish they had for the night, though fortunately the fish was large enough for everyone. Lloyd dug in with quiet satisfaction. Since arriving in this world, this was the first hot meal he had eaten.
In God Valley, they barely had the strength to catch fish, let alone start a fire. Fruit had been their only option for survival.
But the others weren't eating. Kuma, Ginny, and Ivan simply stared at Lloyd as he devoured his portion with clear enjoyment.
After drinking a large bowl of rich fish broth, Lloyd wiped his mouth and frowned slightly.
"Why aren't you all eating? It tastes good."
Kuma leaned forward cautiously.
"Lloyd, do you remember what happened earlier today? Your body emitted electricity. Was that another Devil Fruit ability?"
Ginny nodded quickly, gesturing with her hands as she spoke.
"Your eyes turned red too. It was terrifying!"
Ivan didn't speak. His large eyes stared unblinking at Lloyd, filled with curiosity.
Lloyd saw no reason to hide the truth from them. His expression remained calm.
"I remembered some things. You heard it too, what that man said before we left."
Kuma was the clearest-minded one among them at that time. He nodded.
"I remember. That person said your surname was Figarland. Does that name mean something?"
"Of course. That name is what brought my memories back."
Lloyd paused, then locked eyes with Kuma.
"Kuma, if I turned out to be a Celestial Dragon, would you hate me?"
"What?!?" Ginny and Ivan shouted in unison.
Both sprang from their chairs, staring at Lloyd in disbelief.
Kuma, however, lowered his head, silent. His reaction was difficult to read.
Lloyd didn't speak, simply waited.
The room fell into a suffocating stillness. Ginny finally gathered the courage to force a faint smile.
"You're joking, right, Lloyd? There's no way you're a Celestial Dragon. We escaped God Valley together!"
Her voice wavered. Deep down she already sensed the truth from Lloyd's serious demeanor.
Lloyd turned to her.
"I wouldn't joke about something like this. I am indeed a Celestial Dragon. Why else would the Chief of the Divine Knight Order, Saint Fingerland, save a slave taken by Charlotte Linlin?"
"This Fingerland is your…?"
"He is my uncle."
Ginny's eyes watered instantly. She rushed to Lloyd, grabbing his hands tightly, as if afraid he would vanish.
"No, that has to be a coincidence. If you were truly a Celestial Dragon, there's no way they would let you drift to God Valley…"
Lloyd raised a hand and gently stroked the pink cowlick on Ginny's head. His tone remained calm as he recounted the past.
He had fully merged with the memories and experiences left by the original soul. Every moment of agony now felt like his own.
"I was born in the Holy Land, Mary Geoise. My father was the eldest son of the Figarland Family: Saint Figarland Gulando. His younger brother is Saint Fingerland Garling, who already serves as the Chief of the Divine Knight Order. Their family has held that position for generations."
The Divine Knight Order was the most elite force guarding the Celestial Dragons. Though the position was not officially hereditary, the Figarland Family had dominated it due to their exceptional natural talent and comparatively "sane" mentality.
Even compared to powerful fighters outside the Holy Land, their strength was extraordinary. Lloyd recalled Saint Fingerland's monstrous presence at God Valley. He fought Linlin, Newgate, and even Rocks D. Xebec without showing signs of decline.
"At first, my father, Gulando, was also talented. But he could never surpass his younger brother. He lost every competition. The role of Chief slipped from his grasp. It became a thorn in his heart."
However, Gulando's talents lay elsewhere.
While he lacked his brother's overwhelming combat ability, his mind was sharp—too sharp. His scientific talent surpassed that of most people in the Holy Land, rivaled only by a few.
Driven by both envy and ambition, he fixated on strength. He studied beings with unique and powerful genetics, eventually targeting the Minks and the Lunarians.
His desire was simple: inject their genes into himself and evolve.
But Gulando was afraid of death. And as an adult, the effects of gene modification would be limited.
Then Lloyd was born.
The Figarland Family had a method for testing the physical potential of newborns. Lloyd's results were astonishing, even surpassing Saint Fingerland's.
Gulando was ecstatic. And he became obsessed.
"Since his body wasn't suitable for experimentation… he chose mine."
Lloyd's tone didn't change, but Ginny trembled.
Gulando's greed escalated. Combined with knowledge of the Ope-Ope no Mi, he envisioned perfecting his own body through physical exchange. But he wasn't satisfied. He wanted to perform gene modification on Lloyd as well.
To create a body worthy of a "god."
He conspired with Dr. Vegapunk, using Lloyd as the subject of brutal experiments.
But no matter how strong a child's potential was… he was still a child.
Long-term genetic tampering destroyed Lloyd's body.
He "died" on the operating table.
Gulando didn't mourn. His madness only grew.
"Trash. Trash!"
He had the corpse discarded onto a slave ship bound for God Valley.
Lloyd's voice remained completely calm as he finished.
And yet, in his eyes… something cold and calculating flickered beneath the surface.