Dragon suddenly lifted his head and looked directly at Lloyd, his expression tense yet restrained.
"Senior Lloyd… what do you mean by that?"
Lloyd's lips curved into a faint smile, his tone calm and measured. "You still have some time before graduation, don't you? Going out to sea ahead of schedule, seeing the world with your own eyes, it will be far more beneficial to both your understanding and your growth in strength."
After saying this, Lloyd did not wait for a response. His body twisted into a dark vortex, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished from the training ground, leaving Dragon standing there alone, deep in thought.
Lloyd still had official duties to attend to.
As a newly promoted Admiral, he was required to report to Mariejois, a formality that every Admiral was expected to go through. Garp's long standing refusal to accept promotion was partly because of this very obligation. He had never had any interest in dealing with the Celestial Dragons.
Strictly speaking, given Lloyd's current status, he could have chosen not to go. However, this time, Saint Garling had personally requested his return, claiming that there was something important he needed to discuss.
After briefly greeting Fleet Admiral Kong, Lloyd departed Marineford with Lucia, escorted by a fleet bound for Mariejois.
Ginny did not accompany them. Even if Lloyd had suggested it, she would not have agreed. Her childhood experience as a slave had left scars too deep, making it impossible for her to harbor any goodwill toward the Celestial Dragons, aside from Lloyd himself.
Once the warship arrived at Mariejois, Lloyd brought only Lucia with him. He did not head to report to the Five Elders. Instead, under the protection of a group of Golden Armored Guards, he went directly to the territory of the Figarland Family.
Along the way, the Golden Armored Guards could not help but steal glances at the coat Lloyd wore, the Admiral epaulets resting clearly on his shoulders. Awe filled their eyes.
After entering the Figarland Family grounds, Lloyd and Lucia proceeded straight to the palace where Saint Garling resided. Once the two disappeared inside, the guards finally began whispering among themselves.
"The Young Master has actually become an Admiral. I heard he is not even twenty years old yet. This is unbelievable."
"As expected of the heir of the Figarland Family. This level of talent is terrifying."
"With Saint Garling and Saint Lloyd both here, how could the Figarland Family not prosper?"
"…Wait, what about Saint Gulando?"
"That's true. We haven't seen Saint Gulando in a long time. He…"
"Enough. Don't you know better?" one guard cut in sharply. "The relationship between Saint Lloyd and Saint Gulando isn't good, and even Saint Garling…"
He stopped abruptly. The others immediately fell silent. None of them were foolish enough to continue discussing the internal affairs of the Figarland Family.
Inside the palace, Saint Garling sat leisurely on an ornate chair, legs crossed, arms folded, his head lowered as if asleep.
The moment Lloyd stepped inside, Saint Garling opened his eyes and smiled faintly. "You're back."
"Yes," Lloyd replied evenly. "I'm back."
Lloyd pulled over a chair and sat opposite him. Saint Garling casually picked up an apple from the nearby table and tossed it over.
Lloyd caught it with ease and took a large bite. Compared to their previous meeting, the atmosphere this time was noticeably more relaxed, their interaction natural and unguarded.
After finishing the apple, Lloyd summoned the dark bible and retrieved a Devil Fruit, placing it calmly on the table.
Saint Garling paused, clearly surprised. "A Devil Fruit? Why are you taking this out?"
Lloyd clapped his hands lightly. "This is Golden Lion Shiki's Float Float Fruit. The ability is extremely powerful. Uncle Garling, if you're interested, you can eat it."
"The Float Float Fruit?" Saint Garling straightened instantly. He picked it up, staring at it in disbelief. "How did you obtain this?"
Lloyd then explained the ability he had developed, Dark Imperial Shinto. Aside from memories from Earth, there was nothing he felt the need to hide from Saint Garling.
Even with Saint Garling's vast experience, it took him some time to process what he had heard. He stared at the Float Float Fruit for a long while before finally shaking his head.
"Forget it. The Float Float Fruit is indeed powerful, but it doesn't suit me. I also have no particular desire to eat a Devil Fruit."
Lloyd was not surprised. To be honest, the Float Float Fruit was not especially suitable for a swordsman. Golden Lion himself was proof of that. His swordsmanship and Devil Fruit abilities had never truly complemented each other.
Placing the Devil Fruit back into the dark bible, Lloyd spoke casually. "Very well. I'll look for a suitable candidate among my subordinates instead."
He briefly considered Ginny, but quickly dismissed the thought. She was not well suited for the Float Float Fruit. The power of a Devil Fruit was closely tied to the user's own strength, especially for abilities with extremely high ceilings.
The reason the Float Float Fruit appeared so overwhelming was because its user had been Golden Lion Shiki himself. Shiki's strength, combined with his awakened mastery, allowed him to move mountains and overturn seas with ease.
Not everyone could replicate that level of power.
If Ginny ate the Float Float Fruit, she might only gain the ability to fly or make small objects float. Reaching Shiki's level would be nearly impossible.
This was precisely why Lloyd had offered the fruit to Saint Garling first. Among those he knew, Saint Garling was one of the few capable of fully drawing out the fruit's true potential.
Although Saint Garling declined, Lloyd still had not abandoned the idea of having him consume a Devil Fruit one day. In his view, it would be a waste for a top tier expert like Saint Garling to go without a powerful and compatible ability.
So he asked again, "Uncle Garling, are you truly not planning to eat a Devil Fruit?"
Saint Garling smiled faintly. "What, are you worried you'll end up with too many Devil Fruits and nowhere to put them?"
Lloyd snorted softly. "I'm just making sure the good things are reserved for you first. We're family, aren't we, Uncle Garling?"
Saint Garling laughed. He smiled more in front of Lloyd than he had in an entire year. There was only one person who could draw such a reaction from him.
Even so, his stance on Devil Fruits remained cautious. The only time he had ever seriously considered eating one was during the incident at God Valley.
The fruit he had been interested in back then was the Dark Dark Fruit, largely due to its historical ties to the Figarland Family.
That thought, however, had died almost instantly.
Who would have expected his own nephew to intercept it first?
Since then, Saint Garling had put the idea of eating a Devil Fruit aside. Yet now, after hearing about Lloyd's Dark Imperial Shinto, another Devil Fruit surfaced in his mind, one that had left an unforgettable impression on him.
He had personally witnessed its power.
And that memory, like so many others, traced back to God Valley.