In the days that followed, while the Sorbet Kingdom outside descended further into chaos, the church where Lloyd and the others lived remained calm. Their daily routines continued as if nothing had happened.
The only change was Ivan. Normally, he ran outside every day, but now he stayed within the church walls, occasionally helping Kuma receive elderly patients who came seeking treatment.
No one mentioned the events of that night. Their interactions returned to normal, as though the storm had never occurred.
That peace ended the moment a Navy warship appeared at the port.
Rows of Marines disembarked in neat formation, followed by a Rear Admiral. The nobles and ministers of the Sorbet Kingdom, who had been waiting nervously, immediately rushed toward him.
One minister stepped forward eagerly.
"You must be Rear Admiral Babs from Marine Headquarters. We have been waiting anxiously for your arrival."
Rear Admiral Babs nodded and returned a proper salute, but his gaze drifted past the minister, toward the warship behind him.
Following his line of sight, the ministers saw a man descend from the ship. His slicked-back hair, dark grey striped coat, and exaggerated swagger declared his arrogance before he even spoke. Two men in suits followed him closely.
The Marines nearby lowered their heads awkwardly, clearly unwilling to interact with him. A hint of disgust flashed in Rear Admiral Babs's eyes before he suppressed it and stepped forward respectfully.
"Mr. Spandine, we have arrived at the Sorbet Kingdom."
Spandine ignored him. Instead, he turned slightly, and the suited man beside him immediately stepped forward, taking out a cigar and lighting it with practiced speed.
Spandine took a deep drag, scanning the nobles with contempt before shifting his gaze toward the nearby town.
"So this is the Sorbet Kingdom?" he said, exhaling a cloud of smoke. "This can be called a country? No wonder the heavenly tribute is pathetic."
He spat, the glob barely missing a noble's collar. The noble, usually arrogant within his own borders, did not dare make a sound.
The nobles were not fools. Spandine's behavior and attitude made his identity clear. This was no mere Marine officer. He was an official sent directly by the World Government.
The minister who had been flattering Rear Admiral Babs immediately switched targets. Bowing so deeply he nearly folded in half, he asked meekly,
"My apologies for the oversight, sir. May I ask your honored name?"
Spandine kept his chin raised.
Before he could even respond, the man in the suit beside him stepped forward and barked,
"Who told you to approach? You are not worthy of knowing the identity of this sir. Step back."
The minister flinched and quickly retreated. "Forgive me, I meant no offense."
Spandine waved dismissively. "Enough. I heard your King vanished? Such a trivial matter should be handled by Babs. I am here for an important mission."
The minister bowed repeatedly.
Rear Admiral Babs stepped in, speaking with military professionalism.
"Explain the current situation. Do you have any clues regarding King Beckley?"
As a minister, he could not afford to offend either a Marine Rear Admiral or a representative of the World Government. He nodded quickly and said,
"His Majesty was perfectly well during the day, but by the next morning, he had vanished. We suspect that this is related to Lloyd. He is young but possesses a strange ability, and he disregards all laws. He is extremely dangerous."
Babs frowned thoughtfully.
"A strange ability? A Devil Fruit user? That would explain much."
Devil Fruit users were rare, especially in a small country like this. An inexperienced ability user could still cause tremendous trouble.
Before Babs could ask more, Spandine suddenly froze. His cigar fell from his mouth.
He lunged past his suited escorts, seized the minister by the collar, and shouted furiously,
"Who did you say? Say that name again!"
The terrified minister stammered, "L-Lloyd. King Beckley was likely taken by him."
A crisp slap rang out.
The minister flew backward, only stopping because he slammed into Babs's leg.
Rear Admiral Babs scowled.
"Mr. Spandine, even if you represent the World Government, isn't this excessive? The Sorbet Kingdom is a member nation. You cannot strike a minister without cause."
Spandine was panting, completely exhausted from the slap.
Once he recovered enough to speak, he pointed at the minister and shouted,
"Do you understand nothing? That name is not something trash like you is permitted to speak! I should—"
He pulled out a pistol, aiming it directly at the minister's head.
Before he could pull the trigger, one of the suited men grabbed his arm.
"Spandine, not yet. We still need to extract information from him. If you kill him now, we lose the trail."
Spandine hesitated, then lowered the pistol reluctantly. He motioned for the suited men to drag the minister away.
Rear Admiral Babs remained silent this time. Whatever this was, it had grown far more complicated than he initially believed.
Not long ago, Sengoku had assigned Babs to investigate the King's disappearance. But before he could depart, Spandine appeared with a World Government document bearing full authorization, forcing his way onto the mission.
Even if Babs wanted to notify Sengoku, this document prevented him.
Spandine never explained his reason for coming, and Babs had assumed they would simply pursue separate objectives. But now, it was clear their missions were connected.
And the key point—the name that provoked such an extreme reaction—was the young man the minister mentioned.
Lloyd.
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