Dragon spat out a mouthful of blood, uncertain whether it came from sheer exhaustion or burning rage. His eyes were bloodshot as he glared upward, his voice hoarse with fury.
"Why?" he demanded. "The battle isn't over yet!"
Lloyd looked down at him with calm indifference.
"When I say it's over," Lloyd replied evenly, "then it's over."
The words carried an overwhelming pressure, It was the unmistakable authority of one accustomed to command, reinforced by a faint trace of Haoshoku Haki that pressed invisibly against everyone present.
Aramaki's face flushed with excitement at the sight. His heart pounded wildly as he screamed inwardly.
"This is the real deal. This is what a true Celestial Dragon should looks like."
Dragon, however, could not accept it. As someone who preached equality and despised tyranny, this kind of absolute authority ignited his fury instead of suppressing it. His head burned hot as he struggled, trying to force himself free.
Lloyd's grip did not shift in the slightest.
"You brought this on yourself," Lloyd said quietly.
Buzz.
Dark energy surged from Lloyd's hand, releasing a warped gravitational force that twisted violently around Dragon's wrist. The bones bent unnaturally, contorting into a horrifying angle.
"Ahhh!"
A heart-rending scream echoed across the training grounds. Dragon's face twisted in agony as he half-collapsed, clutching his mangled wrist. His teeth ground together so hard they threatened to crack.
The surrounding students froze in place, fear written plainly across their faces. In their eyes, Lloyd had always been calm and composed, almost approachable. None of them had ever seen him display such cold cruelty.
Jessica tugged nervously at Ginny's sleeve and whispered,
"Ginny, does Lloyd like this… scare you?"
Ginny shook her head without hesitation.
"No. What's there to be afraid of?" she said casually. "Lloyd is much more ruthless when he's fighting enemies. He's gentle to his own people."
Jessica hesitated before asking softly,
"Then… how does someone become one of those 'own people'?"
Ginny laughed lightly.
"Why are you so nervous? Relax. Lloyd already has a good impression of you. He won't hurt you."
"Eh? Why would he… have one of me?"
"Because the food you made at the last gathering was really good," Ginny replied. "Lloyd even said that if there's a chance later, he wants to invite you to be the head chef on his warship."
"Ah? No, no," Jessica hurriedly protested. "My rank is nowhere near enough to be a head chef. Lloyd's warship is structured for an Admirals level."
"So what?" Ginny shrugged. "If Lloyd wants it, it's just one sentence for him."
Jessica's fair face flushed red. She tucked a strand of golden hair behind her ear and spoke softly,
"I… I'll definitely work twice as hard"
...
Lloyd glanced once more at Dragon, who was in too much pain to even speak, then turned toward the stunned crowd.
"Two of you," Lloyd said calmly. "Take him to the infirmary."
At once, several male students instinctively rushed forward. Lloyd selected two with a glance, and they quickly supported Dragon on either side, carrying him away.
After everything was arranged, Lloyd turned his attention to Aramaki.
"Aramaki," he said, his tone measured, "your performance earlier was commendable. You followed orders and adapted well in combat. You're granted three days of leave. Go rest."
The moment Lloyd finished speaking, Aramaki felt a wave of warmth wash over him. The exhaustion weighing down his body seemed to fade instantly.
Truthfully, he didn't need much rest at all. His injuries were minor, mostly fatigue. As a plant-based Logia user, all he really needed was sunlight and time to recover through photosynthesis.
Several days later, when Zephyr returned to the Navy School, he was greeted by a training ground that was nearly one-third destroyed, along with Dragon standing stiffly nearby, his hand wrapped in thick bandages and his expression dark.
Zephyr's first instinct was that Dragon must have provoked Lloyd again.
But on second thought, with Lloyd's strength, subduing a single Dragon shouldn't have caused this much damage. After finding Lloyd and learning what had happened, Zephyr felt a headache coming on.
Before he could speak further, Dragon stepped forward stubbornly.
"Zephyr Sensei," Dragon said firmly, "I believe Senior Lloyd is targeting me personally. His temporary authority should be revoked."
The moment those words left his mouth, the surrounding students looked at Dragon as if he had lost his mind. Aramaki, standing to Dragon's left, immediately stepped forward and shot back without hesitation.
"You're the one causing trouble," Aramaki sneered. "If you're unhappy, then go back to the East Blue."
Dragon snorted coldly.
"Defeated opponent," he said flatly. "I suggest you stay quiet."
Aramaki's thick skin was legendary. He lifted his chin proudly.
"Who are you calling defeated? If Senior Lloyd hadn't stopped me that day, I would've beaten you till you become a cripple."
Dragon clenched his teeth as air currents began to stir around his feet. Aramaki only grew more arrogant.
"Oh? You want to fight again?" he taunted. "Fine, I'll accompany you. If you lose, you'll call me grandfather."
As he spoke, Aramaki deliberately glanced at Dragon's bandaged hand, his expression infuriatingly smug.
Dragon wanted nothing more than to smash that face in, but the throbbing pain in his wrist forced him to restrain himself.
At that moment, Lloyd stepped forward of his own accord.
"Zephyr Sensei," Lloyd said calmly, "I may have gone a little too far."
People were naturally biased. Zephyr, who already held Lloyd in high regard, had never intended to punish him in the first place.
Under Dragon's stunned gaze, Zephyr waved his hand dismissively.
"You were fulfilling your duty," Zephyr replied. "There's nothing to apologize for."
"Zephyr Sensei!" Dragon exclaimed.
"That's enough," Zephyr said sharply. "Dragon, you need to reflect on your temperament. Your fellow trainees are not your enemies."
Dragon stared at Zephyr in disbelief, then looked around at the other students, all of whom nodded in agreement. In that instant, he felt as though the entire world had turned against him.
In his heart, everything traced back to one moment, the day he had provoked Lloyd upon joining the Navy.
Dragon slowly lowered his arm. A heavy sense of disappointment flooded his chest.
He had once believed that the Navy was where he would find like-minded companions. Instead, reality had struck him with merciless clarity.
Wasn't this very scene the injustice he despised most?
He stopped defending himself. After quietly saying, "I understand," he fell silent within the ranks, ignoring Aramaki's continued provocative gestures beside him.
Zephyr sighed inwardly.
Garp… this son of yours really is a headache.
Lloyd narrowed his eyes slightly, an almost imperceptible smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
To be blunt, everything he had done was intentional.
Dragon had handed him the perfect excuse that day, walking straight into conflict. Since then, Lloyd had deliberately guided Dragon's emotions toward constant eruption.
His goal was simple.
Force Dragon out of the Navy.
The louder the incident, the better. When the time came, a righteous trial would follow. At the very least, Lloyd would not allow Dragon to quietly leave the Navy and later form the Revolutionary Army in secrecy, only for the World Government to realize the threat when it was already too late.
Where one stands determines how one thinks.
As a Celestial Dragon, Lloyd would never allow the Revolutionary Army to grow unchecked. The World Government was, at its core, his power base.
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Milestones
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200 Power stones = 3 Bonus Chapters
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