The moment Lloyd noticed Saint Garling's expression, he knew his uncle was tempted. Lloyd pressed the advantage immediately, his tone steady but insistent.
"Uncle Garling, is there a Devil Fruit you're interested in? Tell me. I'll bring it to you."
Saint Garling raised his head, studying Lloyd with a faint, knowing smile. Lloyd frowned slightly under that gaze.
"Why are you looking at me like that, Uncle Garling? Do you doubt my capabilities?"
Saint Garling folded his arms, tilted his head, and replied calmly, "I trust your abilities completely. However, the Devil Fruit I currently favor already has an owner."
Hearing this only made Lloyd more energized. The idea of taking a Devil Fruit from someone else stirred something dark and eager within him. He tapped his chest without hesitation.
"That's fine. Just say the word. I'll kill him."
Saint Garling nodded, clearly amused. "Very well. The one I want is the Tremor Tremor Fruit. Bring it back for your uncle."
Silence followed.
Lloyd froze, his expression stiffening almost imperceptibly.
Saint Garling chuckled, shaking his head. "What's wrong? Why isn't our Admiral speaking? Is killing Whitebeard too much for you?"
Lloyd turned his face away. There was no point pretending otherwise. He could not defeat Whitebeard.
At his current level, Lloyd was barely strong enough to stand at the threshold of true Admirals. Whitebeard, however, was in his prime, a genuine Emperor of the Sea. Lloyd could fight him, but after dozens of exchanges, the only realistic outcome would be retreat, likely through Kamui.
Still, having already spoken so boldly, Lloyd clenched his teeth and answered, "It's not impossible."
Saint Garling paused, startled. He immediately waved it off. "Don't. I was joking. You are not Whitebeard's opponent right now. Do not act recklessly."
Lloyd lifted a hand dismissively. "Of course I know that. What I lack most right now is time. Give me enough of it, and I will personally take Whitebeard's Tremor Tremor Fruit for you."
Saint Garling studied him for a moment, then nodded slowly. "With your talent, I believe that day will come."
Lloyd continued evenly, "If you are impatient, you could come with me. The two of us together could definitely kill Whitebeard."
Saint Garling did not know whether to laugh or sigh. He reached out and tapped Lloyd on the forehead.
"That is impossible. As the leader of the God's Knights, I am the final shield of Mariejois. Unless something emerges that truly threatens the authority of the Celestial Dragons, I cannot leave the Holy Land."
The God's Knights were no different from an imperial guard. No matter how dire the situation outside became, they were never meant to abandon the palace.
From the perspective of those in power, it was the most rational arrangement imaginable.
If Saint Garling truly led the God's Knights out of Mariejois and joined forces with the Navy, the pirate world would be devastated unless monsters like Whitebeard united in response. It would be nothing short of total annihilation.
Lloyd understood this perfectly. He nodded once. "Then there is nothing to be done for now. You will have to wait."
"I am in no hurry," Saint Garling replied calmly. "Eating a Devil Fruit is not a necessity for me. Just make sure you survive out there and continue growing stronger."
The concern in his words warmed Lloyd more than he expected. Saint Garling, on the other hand, looked slightly uncomfortable after saying it. For a moment, the uncle and nephew fell into silence.
After a brief pause, they spoke at the same time.
"Right…"
"Uncle Garling…"
Both paused again. Saint Garling gestured. "You first."
Lloyd nodded. "I saw the child you mentioned last time, the one aboard Roger's ship."
Saint Garling's body stiffened. He leaned forward instinctively, his voice lowering. "Does he have red hair?"
"Yes. His name is Shanks. He's still young, barely reaching my waist in height. He seems to be a trainee on Roger's crew."
Saint Garling's expression tightened. "Was he injured?"
"No," Lloyd replied. "But he lacks battlefield experience. During the fight, he was arguing with another child, a red nosed one, and nearly got cut down."
Saint Garling's hand clenched, and the armrest of the ornate chair cracked under the pressure.
"I intervened," Lloyd continued evenly. "Saving him exposed my position, so I left immediately using my ability. I didn't have time to speak to him."
Saint Garling exhaled slowly, leaning back. "Good. As long as he's safe. That boy has always been troublesome in his own way."
Lloyd allowed a faint smile to surface but did not pursue the topic further. "Uncle Garling, what was it you wanted to tell me earlier?"
Saint Garling straightened, his expression turning serious. He retrieved a thick stack of documents from his coat and handed them over.
"Read this."
Lloyd accepted it, scanning the contents quickly. After only a few moments, his expression darkened. Shadows spread across his hands, seething and unstable.
If Saint Garling had not reacted instantly and snatched the documents away, they would have been shredded by that surging darkness.
Lloyd remained seated, unmoving, but black flames of power licked across his body.
Saint Garling frowned and released Conqueror's Haki, his voice sharp and commanding. "Lloyd, wake up."
Lloyd slowly raised his head. His eyes had become bottomless black voids, yet the hatred burning within them was unmistakable.
Saint Garling sighed and softened his tone. "I understand what that experience did to you. But what's written there is important. It will help you understand your body."
Lloyd inhaled deeply, forcibly suppressing the rampaging darkness. He took the documents back, his grip steady this time.
They were experimental records.
And the subject was Lloyd himself.
He flipped through the pages expressionlessly. Each sheet detailed his physical responses, measurements, and reactions during the experiments. Every word dragged memories of the laboratory back to the surface.
Saint Garling spoke quietly. "This is a reorganized report of the experiments Dr. Vegapunk conducted on you back then. If you want him dead, I can summon him here immediately."
Lloyd shook his head. "No need. He was acting under Gulando's orders. Without him, I would have died on that operating table. Gulando was afraid anesthesia would interfere with the results."
He continued reading, his voice cold and rational. "Besides, Dr. Vegapunk is too valuable to the World Government. Killing him would be wasteful."
Suddenly, Lloyd's fingers stopped.
His eyes locked onto a specific line, shock flashing through his otherwise controlled expression.
The words on the page were unmistakable.
"Devil Factor and Green Blood."
___
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