The black admiral epaulettes, combined with his strikingly young appearance, left Olvia with no doubt about the identity of the man standing before her.
Her expression turned solemn as she spoke in a low, steady voice,
"You are the Admiral… the Black Dragon."
The moment those words left her mouth, the entire ship seemed to freeze. Every scholar stood stiff, as though turned to stone.
Lloyd stood with his hands tucked into his pockets, a faint smile playing at his lips.
"It seems my reputation travels faster than I do."
With her suspicion confirmed, Olvia's strength seemed to drain away. Her arm lowered, and the pistol slipped from her grasp, clattering against the deck.
As a scholar well versed in world affairs, she knew exactly what the title of Admiral represented. The man before them was among the Navy's highest combat powers. To call his strength terrifying would be an understatement.
Each Admiral was an existence capable of destroying a nation alone.
Against such a figure, a mere firearm was laughable. Even if everyone aboard the ship fired at once, it would not be enough to scratch him.
Olvia suppressed the fear clawing at her chest and forced a strained smile.
"The Black Dragon Admiral's deeds have long spread across the seas. Your image has appeared in the newspapers many times. Of course we recognize you."
"Oh? I see," Lloyd replied lightly.
He lifted his foot and began walking toward them.
With every step he took, Olvia and the others unconsciously retreated. Their movements were small, but instinctive. Lloyd tilted his head slightly, and in the very next instant, he vanished from where he stood.
He reappeared directly in front of Olvia.
The sheer speed left her mind blank. Startled and shaken, she stumbled backward. Whether from fear or guilt, her footing slipped, and her body tipped toward the deck.
A sudden force surged outward.
An invisible pull dragged Olvia back, and with a dull thud, her face pressed straight into Lloyd's chest.
At the same time, the urn she had been holding slipped free from her arm and fell to the deck. The lid cracked open, and gray white ashes spilled out across the wooden planks.
As if mocking the moment, a gust of sea wind swept across the deck, scattering the ashes into the air. Within seconds, they were gone, carried away and lost to the sea.
Silence fell.
Then Olvia let out a cry filled with anguish.
"No!"
She broke free and rushed toward the edge of the deck, her movements frantic and unrestrained. Just as she was about to throw herself overboard, Lloyd raised a hand. The same force surged again, and Olvia was violently pulled back, her back slamming into his palm.
Even then, she continued to struggle, reaching toward the sea as she screamed,
"Let go of me! I need to bring him back!"
Lloyd frowned slightly. He pulled her closer and turned her to face him. The difference in their heights was obvious. When she was forced to look up, all she could see was his chest.
He reached out and gripped her chin, lifting her face until her eyes met his.
Those eyes were dark and bottomless, like twin voids. The moment Olvia looked into them, her body stiffened, and her frantic struggles came to a halt.
Lloyd spoke calmly, his voice devoid of emotion.
"The dead are not worth destroying yourself over. You would be wiser to cherish those who are still standing before you."
With that, he released her and pushed her aside without care. Olvia staggered and nearly collapsed onto the deck.
Lloyd's gaze swept across the ship.
Everyone he looked at immediately lowered their heads, not daring to meet his eyes. Even without deliberately releasing killing intent, the oppressive pressure surrounding him was more than these scholars could endure.
He glanced around once more and muttered quietly,
"Thirty three people in total, including Olvia. Everyone is present."
Those words rang in their ears like a sentence being read aloud.
Olvia wiped the tears from her face with trembling hands, forcing herself to regain composure. She spoke nervously,
"Black Dragon Admiral, I lost control just now. May I ask, did you come here specifically for us?"
Lloyd nodded.
Her heart sank instantly, but she still attempted one final defense.
"We are only here for academic research. As for what you overheard about the poneglyph, I believe you may have misunderstood…"
"You think I heard incorrectly?" Lloyd replied, smiling faintly.
He stepped closer, hands still in his pockets, and leaned down slightly. His voice dropped to a whisper beside her ear.
"Olvia, what level of importance do you think is required for an Admiral to come in person?"
His words slithered into her mind like a devil's whisper. Olvia's body trembled violently, her fists clenching tight. Suddenly, she raised her head and shouted,
"This was all my idea! It has nothing to do with them or with Ohara! Arrest me!"
She understood all too well the severity of her actions in the eyes of the World Government. If others were implicated, Ohara itself could be erased from the map.
From the moment she confirmed Lloyd's identity, she had already sensed that her secret had been exposed. She had only clung to false hope until now.
There was no escape.
To flee from an Admiral was more unrealistic than discovering every poneglyph in the world. Any further provocation would only invite death.
The other scholars wore conflicted expressions. Some could not bear to let Olvia shoulder everything alone and stepped forward, intending to share the blame.
Before they could speak, Lloyd suddenly changed the topic. He tilted his head, looking genuinely puzzled as he said,
"What idea? Did you do something remarkable? Something important enough to require me, an Admiral, to personally arrest you?"
Olvia froze. She hesitated before speaking,
"You mean… the forbidden history…"
Mid sentence, clarity struck her like lightning. She shut her mouth instantly.
Lloyd smiled faintly.
"Studying history is not exclusive to scholars, is it? I have no interest in the past. I merely heard some muttering and became curious. But all of you seem unusually nervous. Did you do something wrong?"
One of the scholars reacted quickly and blurted out,
"No, no! This is our first time meeting an Admiral, that's all. We are simply too nervous. Please do not misunderstand, Black Dragon Admiral!"
Olvia immediately followed along.
"Yes, that's right. We were just overwhelmed!"
Lloyd nodded slowly, appearing thoughtful.
"So it was my imagination…"
Everyone secretly let out a breath of relief.
Then Lloyd smiled brightly and continued,
"Do not tell me you actually did something bad. If you did, I would be very displeased."
The relief in their chests turned instantly into suffocating dread.