Redfield was sent directly to the sixth level of Impel Down. If nothing unexpected occurred, that hellish prison would be his final destination for the rest of his life.
Garp was aboard the warship as well, personally responsible for escorting him. Given Redfield's current condition, even if he regained consciousness, he would not be capable of stirring up any trouble.
Lloyd stood on the deck of his own warship, watching as the vessel carrying Redfield gradually disappeared beyond the horizon. His expression was calm, yet there was a faint trace of contemplation in his eyes.
Lucia approached quietly and stopped beside him. She looked at his profile for a moment before asking softly,
"Young Master, what are you thinking about?"
Lloyd withdrew his gaze from the sea, a faint smile forming on his lips as he replied,
"I am thinking about a Devil Fruit."
Ever since he heard the news about Redfield while in Mary Geoise, the image of a particular Devil Fruit had lodged itself firmly in Lloyd's mind. It refused to fade no matter how much time passed.
In the future he remembered, this fruit had belonged to Redfield himself. When paired with Redfield's image and temperament, it felt as though it had been created solely for him.
The Bat Bat Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Model Vampire.
Like all Mythical Zoan fruits, the Vampire fruit granted an overwhelming enhancement to the user's physical abilities, far surpassing ordinary Zoan types. More importantly, it possessed an extraordinary special ability, eternal youth through the absorption of blood. As long as the user continued to feed, aging would never erode their strength.
These traits alone already placed the Vampire fruit among the most coveted Devil Fruits in existence. Beyond that, it also possessed several other highly practical abilities that Lloyd knew well.
Lloyd had already made his decision. This fruit would become his second Devil Fruit.
He also knew where the Vampire fruit was hidden. It rested within ancient ruins located in Sleepy Ancient Town. However, obtaining it was not as simple as brute force. The ruins were protected by ancient texts, and deciphering them required someone capable of reading the language of the past.
Lloyd remembered clearly that Redfield had once used Transformation Leaves to disguise himself as Nico Robin. Only after deciphering the secrets of the ruins had Redfield successfully obtained the Vampire fruit.
Finding Robin herself would not be difficult for Lloyd. He could simply go to Ohara.
The issue lay in timing. At present, Robin was still a very young child, barely three years old. No matter how gifted she was, she could not yet shoulder such a task.
That, however, was not a real problem.
Robin's mother, Nico Olvia, was an accomplished archaeologist and scholar. With Olvia present, deciphering ancient texts would be effortless.
With his thoughts settled, Lloyd turned to Lucia and said calmly,
"Lucia, have the warship turn back. We are returning to Navy Headquarters first."
Lucia nodded without hesitation and left to relay his orders.
Upon arriving at Marineford, Lloyd immediately contacted Spandine through a Den Den Mushi and assigned him a task, locating the whereabouts of Nico Olvia.
Spandine poured himself fully into the mission. Having already risen to the position of CP9 commander, intelligence gathering was his greatest strength.
A few days later, Spandine delivered the results directly to Lloyd.
The report indicated that Olvia's exploration team was currently en route to the Kingdom of Alabasta.
Inside the admiral's office, Lloyd studied the information in his hand and smiled faintly. Olvia's purpose was obvious. She was heading to Alabasta to decipher the poneglyph hidden there.
That detail alone greatly increased the credibility of the intelligence. At the very least, Lloyd would not be making a pointless journey.
He tapped his fingers lightly against the desk, thinking for a brief moment, before activating a Den Den Mushi to contact Lucia once more.
"Lucia, prepare the warship. We are heading to Alabasta."
In a sea region near Alabasta, within the first half of the Grand Line, a scholarly vessel cut steadily through the waves.
At the bow of the ship, Nico Olvia held a small box in her arms as she gazed at the land slowly approaching in the distance. A trace of excitement flickered in her eyes.
Not long ago, she had received confirmation that a poneglyph existed within Alabasta. She had set out immediately. The thirty three companions aboard the ship shared her excitement.
For scholars like them, deciphering poneglyphs was more than academic curiosity. It was proof of their worth, and a step closer to uncovering the truth of the world itself.
One of the scholars approached Olvia and said,
"We have already contacted the Alabasta royal family. Someone will meet us at the port and grant us entry."
Olvia nodded.
"Did they ask about our purpose?"
"They did. I told them we are scholars from Ohara here for academic research. Once they heard that, they welcomed us."
Ohara's name still carried great weight throughout the world. Before the tragedy that would later befall it, scholars from Ohara were widely respected.
Olvia brushed a strand of pale hair away from her forehead and looked down at the box she was holding. Sadness surfaced in her eyes as she whispered softly,
"You must be happy too, aren't you? We will see the poneglyph soon."
Inside the box were the ashes of her husband, who had passed away over a year ago. Like Olvia, he had devoted his life to pursuing the truth hidden within history. Even on his deathbed, those were the words he muttered most often. Now, as she neared Alabasta, Olvia carried him with her once more.
The surrounding scholars fell silent, sharing her grief in their hearts.
For a brief moment, the deck was completely quiet.
Then a lightly amused voice broke the stillness.
"Poneglyph? That sounds like something rather interesting."
Everyone froze.
Olvia reacted instantly. She drew the pistol from her waist and scanned the deck, her eyes sharp. There was no one there besides her companions.
The voice sounded again.
"Do not bother looking around. I am up here."
All eyes snapped upward.
Perched atop the ship's mast sat a young man. No one had noticed when he arrived.
He rested his chin against one hand, gazing down at the scholars below with an almost casual expression. The sea breeze whipped at the cloak draped over his shoulders, causing it to billow loudly. Beneath the sunlight, the word "Justice" emblazoned on his coat stood out with striking clarity.
Normally, that word inspired reassurance and safety.
Now, it brought only fear.
The scholars stiffened, several of them trembling uncontrollably. Olvia tightened her grip on the pistol and aimed it upward, her voice cold and steady as she demanded,
"Who are you?"
The young man tilted his head slightly.
To everyone's shock, he leapt straight down from the mast, nearly thirty meters high, and landed on the deck as lightly as if he had stepped off a low stair.
Horror spread across the faces of everyone present.
It was not the jump itself that terrified them. Compared to the insignia on the man's shoulders, that feat meant nothing.
As scholars, they instantly recognized the black epaulettes and the authority they represented.
An Admiral.
____
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