Lloyd in his Moon God Form was nothing like before.
Gulando, who had initially appeared relaxed, gradually grew serious.
Every strike Lloyd unleashed carried violent currents of power. Gulando was forced to retreat step by step, his hand instinctively reaching toward his waist, only to grasp empty air.
Only then did he remember that he had not brought his sword tonight.
He had not expected to need it against Lloyd. From the beginning, he had never intended to fight him to the death.
What Gulando had not anticipated was that Lloyd would be pushed into transformation, nor that his strength would exceed every previous estimate.
The vast courtyard had already been reduced to ruins by their clash. Cracked stone, scorched earth, and shattered structures littered the ground. Strangely, despite the destruction, no one had come to investigate.
Lloyd leaped high into the sky. Thick streaks of silver energy erupted continuously from his fingertips, tearing through the air.
Below, Gulando's figure flickered rapidly across the ground. Each missed strike from above blasted charred craters into the courtyard floor.
Seeing his attacks fail only fueled Lloyd's rage further.
Darkness gathered behind him, spiraling violently until it formed a massive dark tornado that surged forward toward Gulando.
The tornado released an overwhelming gravitational pull, swallowing debris, tearing stone apart, and crushing everything in its path.
Gulando clenched his fists. A scarlet aura erupted around him, intertwined with red and black lightning.
As a member of the Figarland Family, Haoshoku Haki was not a privilege. It was a requirement.
Facing the oncoming dark tornado, Gulando charged straight ahead and unleashed a punch from a distance.
"Swordless Style, White Chapter!"
Boom!
A deafening explosion echoed through the courtyard.
Gulando's Haoshoku Haki surged forward like a colossal scarlet wave, instantly shattering the devastating dark tornado. The backlash sent Lloyd crashing down, smashing heavily into the ground.
The impact jolted Lloyd's consciousness back into focus.
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, stomped his foot, and his body transformed into a streak of silver light that shot toward Gulando.
Gulando's fists were coated in dense Haoshoku Haki, crackling with red and black lightning. Even after transforming, Lloyd was once again at a disadvantage.
Yet Lloyd no longer felt pain.
He fought recklessly, abandoning defense entirely. This ferocity caused even Gulando to hesitate.
Every punch that landed on Lloyd's body sent a sharp ache through Gulando's chest.
This was not paternal affection. Such a thing did not exist for him.
To Gulando, Lloyd's body was simply an extension of his own. He did not want it damaged.
He began consciously reducing the force behind his strikes.
What he failed to notice was a small flame that quietly ignited at the back of Lloyd's neck.
As the flame appeared, Lloyd's defense skyrocketed.
When Gulando's fists struck Lloyd's skin, the sound was no longer flesh on flesh, but metal colliding against metal.
Gulando gradually noticed the anomaly.
He increased his strength, but Lloyd's body only trembled slightly in response.
Earlier, when Lloyd's awareness had returned, he occasionally used Kamui to evade fatal damage.
Now, he did not bother.
He allowed Gulando's fists to hammer into him without resistance.
The only discomfort he felt was a maddening itch spreading across his back, as though something inside him was desperately trying to break free.
Gulando grew impatient.
He seized Lloyd's fist with one hand and drove a brutal punch into his abdomen, launching him high into the air.
As Lloyd ascended rapidly, he attempted to use Moonwalk to stabilize himself. The sensation on his back intensified violently.
As his body began to fall, something changed.
Rip!
The sound of fabric tearing echoed through the air.
Lloyd let out a muffled groan.
To Gulando's stunned gaze, a massive pair of black wings burst forth from Lloyd's back, spreading wide and allowing him to hover mid air.
The moment the wings emerged, the flame at the back of Lloyd's neck flared violently, erupting into a blazing inferno.
A look of exhilaration crossed Lloyd's face.
He knew it.
The Lunarian bloodline factor within him had finally awakened completely.
The transformation continued.
Within his Moon God Form, the black wings gradually shifted, turning pure white. At that moment, Lloyd resembled a fallen angel reborn in fire.
He looked down at Gulando from above, the raging flames behind him radiating terrifying heat.
Gulando snapped back to reality.
Ecstasy filled his expression as he shouted,
"Perfect! This body is mine!"
Driven into frenzy, Lloyd descended from the sky like a blazing meteor, engulfed in roaring flames.
Gulando was swallowed instantly by a sea of fire.
Lloyd landed nearby, calmly watching the inferno consume everything.
Suddenly, a mass of blood shot out from the flames, twisting and expanding into a grotesque giant blood mouth that lunged toward Lloyd.
"I cannot wait any longer! Give me your body!"
Lloyd's expression shifted.
He did not fully understand the true limits of the Blood Blood Fruit. To avoid risk, he immediately prepared to enter the Kamui state.
Before he could, a figure appeared in front of him.
It was Saint Garling.
Garling coldly faced the charging Gulando. Drawing the sword from his waist, he released a blade of sword energy that cleaved through the sky.
Gulando was instantly shattered into scattered blood, splattering across the ruined courtyard.
Moments later, the blood began to stir, gathering together and reforming into Gulando's body.
He stared at Garling with a dark expression.
"So," Gulando said, "you still could not restrain yourself."
Garling ignored him.
He turned toward Lloyd. After seeing the wings on Lloyd's back, he nodded slowly.
"It appears Dr. Vegapunk was correct. Battle truly is the best catalyst for awakening."
With his Observation Haki, Garling had already sensed Gulando's presence while they were still dining in the palace. He had known Gulando was following Lloyd the moment he left.
The reason Garling did not intervene sooner was because of Lloyd's words during dinner.
He needed battle to awaken the Lunarian bloodline factor.
Using Gulando as the trigger allowed Lloyd to awaken and experience Gulando's Emperor level strength firsthand.
In Garling's view, it was a mutually beneficial outcome.
Judging by the results, the effect exceeded expectations.
Seeing Garling, Lloyd's tense nerves finally relaxed. His Moon God Form dissipated shortly after.
Transforming without moonlight consumed an enormous amount of energy, especially against an opponent like Gulando.
Once the transformation ended, weakness flooded Lloyd's body. He swayed twice and nearly collapsed.
Garling caught him by the shoulder, allowing Lloyd to lean against him.
Gulando, having been completely ignored, erupted in fury.
"Garling!" he roared. "Lloyd is my son! Do you need to interfere?!"
As he stepped forward,
Boom!
A blade of sword energy slammed into the ground before him, carving a deep ravine into the earth.
Supporting Lloyd, Garling spoke without turning his head.
"Do not force me to kill you."
___
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