Lloyd recounted his past with a face carved from stone, his expression so calm it felt unnatural, as though the cruelty he described belonged to another life entirely.
Ginny, Ivan, and Kuma listened in stunned silence, unable to comprehend that a father so monstrous could exist. Calling him less than human would have been far too generous.
Lloyd lowered his gaze slightly, a faint wisp of darkness curling from the corners of his eyes. Though his voice remained level, the shadows revealed what he did not say aloud.
"I will return to Mary Geoise one day, and I will kill him with my own hands."
Ginny's heart tightened. Fear and instinct mixed, and she quickly seized Lloyd's hand.
"Lloyd san, you are not planning to leave us, right?"
Ivan blinked repeatedly, his anxious trembling obvious. Kuma lifted his head, his large eyes filled with worry as he watched Lloyd in silence.
Lloyd paused for a moment before giving a low, quiet chuckle, his tone mild but distant.
"Leave you? Hardly. I am far too weak right now, so it is not the time to return to Mary Geoise."
Ginny and the others finally exhaled in relief. Their bond, forged during their escape from God Valley, was deep enough to withstand almost anything. And among the four of them, Lloyd had long become the one they naturally looked to, especially Ginny, who relied on him the most.
Realizing he had no intention of going back yet, Ginny's joy overflowed.
She threw her arms around him, rubbing her cheek against his stoic face despite his cold demeanor.
"That's wonderful, Lloyd san. We will stay together, always."
Ivan tried to raise his bandaged hand to speak, but Kuma beat him to it, voice steady and full of sincerity.
"Lloyd, you gave me this power. I will train hard. I will never be a burden."
A faint smile touched Lloyd's lips, though the darkness at his eyes made that smile feel slightly wicked.
"Kuma, you do not mind that I am a Celestial Dragon?"
Kuma shook his head firmly.
"No. Lloyd is still Lloyd. You are my Lloyd san forever."
Ginny blinked in confusion.
"Kuma chan, then why were you looking down earlier? You scared us."
Kuma scratched his head, embarrassed.
"Sorry. When that man Fingerland mentioned the Figarland Family, I already knew. I heard the name when I was a slave. But I did not want our relationship to change. I thought, if I pretended not to know, everything would stay the same. I did not expect Lloyd to tell us himself."
The simple honesty in Kuma's expression made Lloyd's eyes narrow slightly, the faintest satisfaction flickering behind his calm exterior.
Lloyd gently removed Ginny's arms from him, his gaze sweeping over the three of them. A sphere of darkness pulsed behind him like a living shadow.
"Do not focus on me alone. All of you were persecuted by the Celestial Dragons. Your revenge, I will help you claim it."
Ginny bit her lip anxiously. Her heart was soft, and living peacefully with everyone was already more than she had ever hoped for.
"Lloyd, can we really stand against the Celestial Dragons?"
Lloyd raised his right hand. Shadows coated it entirely, turning it pitch black.
"Of course. Otherwise, this Dark Dark Fruit would be wasted on me."
Darkness surged outward, swallowing the entire church in an instant. Light vanished, as if the world itself had been devoured.
Ginny let out a startled gasp and clung to Lloyd's clothes, trembling.
But as swiftly as it came, the darkness receded like a tide.
The hall was spotless and tidy, every speck of dust erased without a single object disturbed.
Ginny's eyes widened.
"This, this is amazing."
Kuma stared around the room in awe. As a Devil Fruit user himself, he couldn't hide his disbelief. He had seen Lloyd's darkness swallow everything in its path. That power could reduce the world to nothing, and yet Lloyd now wielded it with meticulous precision.
Kuma couldn't help imagining what would have happened if he had tried cleaning the hall with his own Paw Paw Fruit. He would have had trouble creating a bubble large enough to cover the church, and even if he did, he would probably end up launching the entire building into the sky.
The difference in control made him respect Lloyd even more.
Lloyd's rapid improvement was due to him merging completely with his original body. His soul, far stronger than that of ordinary people, awakened his Observation Haki naturally. The result was precision that bordered on frightening.
Ginny, unable to think that deeply, simply clapped her hands in excitement.
Ivan swallowed loudly, envy shimmering in his eyes.
Among the group, he was the only one without a Devil Fruit. Watching Lloyd and Kuma display their abilities made his heart burn with hope.
Lloyd noticed.
"Ivan, do not worry. The Devil Fruit meant for you has not appeared yet. Trust me, it will be yours."
Ivan lit up like a firecracker.
"Really? What is the name of the Fruit?"
Lloyd lifted a finger and shook it slowly, his expression unreadable.
"I will not tell you yet. Just know that it perfectly matches your little hobbies."
Ivan's curiosity exploded like a volcano. He bombarded Lloyd with questions, pleading and begging, but Lloyd ignored every attempt with the cold patience of a man who enjoyed watching others struggle.
Finally, Lloyd had enough.
A thin trail of darkness slid from his fingertip, brushing across Ivan's mouth. A soft shadow sealed his lips shut, not painfully, but effectively.
Ivan's eyes bulged, and he tried to speak through the dark seal.
"Mmm mmm mmm, I have not eaten yet."
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