For the next month, except for returning to his quarters each night to rest, Lloyd spent nearly all his time in the training room with Garling.
During this period, Lloyd had already informed Ginny at the Marine Academy that he would remain in Mary Geoise a few extra days so she would not worry. What he did not know was that Kuma had already prepared to set off to find him that very day; if Lloyd had stayed even one more day, Kuma would most likely have flown directly to Mary Geoise, and things could have become a bit troublesome.
A month later, Lloyd emerged from the training room, his hair now nearly shoulder-length, and his demeanor had changed dramatically in that short span of time. A faint black aura subtly embraced him, giving him a mysterious and imposing presence.
Lucia, who had been waiting outside the training room most of the day, immediately stepped forward to drape a black cloak over Lloyd, saying softly, "You must be tired, Young Master, let's get you back and cleaned up."
Lloyd offered a slight smile, and just as he opened his mouth to speak, Garling stepped out behind him. Garling placed a hand on Lloyd's shoulder and said quietly, "Lloyd, your performance today has pleased me greatly. It seems I no longer need to coach you at my side. You may return to the Marines."
Lloyd paused, surprised. He had been so absorbed in his training that he nearly forgot an entire month had passed. Seeing the slight weariness in Garling's eyes moved him deeply; throughout this time, Garling had dedicated himself to instructing Lloyd, expending even more effort than Lloyd had put into his own training.
Lloyd pressed down on Garling's shoulder gently and replied, "Thank you, Garling sama."
A small smile curved Garling's lips as he waved a hand. "There is no need for thanks between us, after all, you are family."
With that, Garling produced a newspaper and unfolded it. Lloyd looked at it curiously; the pages were filled almost entirely with reports about the Roger Pirates. Since Xebec's death, Roger's influence at sea had grown immensely, and the events of his voyages naturally drew intense newspaper coverage: what country he had appeared in, which pirate crew he defeated, and so on.
The photo at the top of the page showed Roger surrounded by defeated soldiers, his boots on the chest of a bloodied officer, laughing triumphantly, with the members of the Roger Pirates behind him. Lucia saw the image too, her face twisting with disgust. She said resentfully, "Pirates are nothing but scum!"
Lloyd calmed her agitation for a moment before turning to the silent Garling. "Unc, why show me this? Are you warning me to be cautious of Roger?"
Garling pointed to the edge of the photo where a small figure wearing a straw hat appeared. Because the image was small, Lloyd had not noticed him at first. But once he saw the child, he recognized him immediately. The straw-hatted boy was one of the future Four Emperors, Red Hair Shanks. At the same time, Lloyd remembered the speculation on Earth about Shanks' origins—many believed he might be Garling's son. Garling's next words confirmed the suspicion.
"Since you have joined the Marines, you may run into the Roger Pirates someday. They are indeed powerful, so you must be cautious when that time comes."
After giving Lloyd several instructions, Garling's gaze lingered on Shanks' image in the photo, and he added, "Also, if you encounter this one… spare his life."
Lloyd did not ask why; he simply nodded with firm resolve and replied, "Understood, Uncle."
Garling then looked deeply at Lloyd and spoke slowly, "Don't you want to know who he truly is?"
"I don't need to know, I only know he must be very important to you, perhaps as important as I am?"
Garling paused, then nodded slightly. "Yes, you two are equally important to me, I do not want you to become enemies."
Lloyd then asked, "So do you want me to find a chance to bring him back?"
"No, I once told you to choose your own path, that same rule applies to him," Garling replied.
His upright posture suddenly drooped, and he exhaled heavily, gazing up at the slowly rising full moon. "But his path has already diverged from yours and mine."
With those words spoken, Garling turned and walked off alone, leaving just one final remark behind, "Tomorrow, I will arrange a ship in the name of the World Government to send you back. Rest well tonight."
Lloyd did not speak, he simply watched Garling's form fade into the night.
The next day, Lloyd and Lucia boarded the ship Garling had arranged. Lloyd stood on the deck, eyes fixed upward at the Red Line, feeling as though a pair of sharp eyes watched him from above. Only after the Red Line disappeared from sight did Lloyd retreat into the cabin, where he discussed Marine Academy matters with Lucia so she could better prepare for life there once the time came.
On the training grounds of the Marine Academy, Akainu was locked in ferocious hand-to-hand combat with Kuma, neither using any Devil Fruit powers, each blow covered in Armament Haki.
Kuma's physique might have seemed smaller beside Akainu's, yet Akainu's relentless and explosive assault steadily forced Kuma back.
Nearby, Kizaru casually ate a banana while watching with delight. Strawberry, recognizable by his tall forehead, squatted beside him and asked, "Borsalino, aren't you going to spar with Sakazuki? Kuma looks like he might collapse."
Kizaru flicked the banana peel into the air, then incinerated it with a blast of light. He stretched and said lazily, "I won't. It's rare the old man isn't here, so why not relax properly? What's the point of fighting?"
Strawberry, accustomed to Kizaru's idleness, shrugged and said, "I wonder what Zephyr san encountered today, he still hasn't come over."
"Who knows? Come on Kuma, I'm rooting for you," Kizaru said nonchalantly.
At this moment, in Zephyr's office, Zephyr sat studying a resume intently. The photo showed a young woman with an exceptionally striking face, her expression cold. What captured Zephyr's attention was not the image, but the details listed on the resume.
"Lucia Darkseid, Zoan, Human-Human Devil Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Fallen Angel form."
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