Goa Kingdom was, in truth, the hometown of both Garp and his son. Windmill Village lay on the outskirts of the kingdom, little more than a quiet rural settlement on its fringes.
Because of this, the moment the destination was announced, Garp and Dragon became even more unwilling to leave their quarters. Both of them stood motionless, making no move to follow.
Lloyd narrowed his eyes.
"This is an order."
After saying that, he turned and walked away, leaving behind only a cold warning.
"If you dare to defy it, you will bear the consequences yourselves."
Dragon fell silent for a brief moment. He then turned toward Garp and spoke calmly.
"Father, let's go. The Navy cannot disobey orders."
Garp looked at him in surprise, thinking to himself when his son had started sounding so reasonable.
He let out a helpless sigh and shook his head.
"You should deal with your wound first. Lloyd really didn't hold back."
…
The moment Lloyd and his group disembarked, they were met with an overwhelmingly enthusiastic reception from the King of Goa Kingdom, along with nobles and officials lining the port.
Although Lloyd had come to collect the Heavenly Tribute, not a single person dared to show the slightest dissatisfaction.
Several noble ladies even attempted to flirt with the young and handsome Admiral. If not for Ginny and Lucia standing firmly at his sides, those overly eager women would likely have pressed themselves against him without restraint.
When the nobles noticed how Spandine, a World Government official, treated Lloyd with such open reverence, they rushed forward even more eagerly, all desperate to ingratiate themselves.
At that point, Spandine took it upon himself to clear the way.
He glared sharply and barked,
"Mind yourselves. Admiral Lloyd is here to rest. Anyone who dares disturb him will be punished for provoking the government."
The effect was immediate.
The nobles fell silent, stiff as statues. Aside from the King, who could still exchange a few words with Lloyd, everyone else could only stand aside and watch nervously.
Dragon observed the scene with cold eyes, his heart filled with disdain for these so-called nobles.
Lloyd cast a brief glance at Dragon, then turned to the smiling King beside him.
"This is the hometown of Vice Admiral Garp and Rear Admiral Dragon. They are also your subjects. Aren't you going to say a few words to them?"
A trace of awkwardness crossed the King's face.
"Admiral Lloyd, Vice Admiral Garp is… not easy to approach. Every time he returned in the past, I sent people to invite him, but he never wished to see me."
Lloyd merely smiled and said nothing more.
Surrounded by the King, nobles, and officials, Lloyd and his entourage entered Goa Kingdom proper. The outermost district was Central Street, where commoners lived.
At the sight of the King, the people hurriedly put down their work and lined both sides of the street, heads lowered, standing like rows of obedient servants.
Some of them secretly raised their eyes, stealing glances at Lloyd, who stood at the center of attention like the moon surrounded by stars.
When they saw the usually lofty King acting so submissively in front of him, shock rippled through their hearts.
Spandine followed closely behind Lloyd, not sparing a single glance for the commoners. In fact, he felt vaguely dissatisfied.
In his mind, this display was far from worthy of Lloyd's status.
According to World Government law, commoners who failed to kneel upon seeing someone of Lloyd's standing could be executed on the spot. That was no exaggeration.
Thinking of this, Spandine sighed inwardly.
"Admiral Lloyd is far too merciful."
Just as the group was about to leave the commoner district, a small purple-haired girl with a short bob suddenly ran into the middle of the road.
Her eyes were covered with a black cloth, and her hands waved uncertainly as she muttered,
"Strange… why did it suddenly get so quiet? Where did everyone go?"
The nobles were startled.
A young noble reacted instantly and shouted,
"Insolent brat! Where did this child come from? How dare she behave so rudely! Guards, seize her!"
At his command, guards rushed forward.
At that moment, a middle-aged couple pushed through the crowd. The woman had the same purple hair as the child, making it immediately clear she was her mother.
The woman pulled the girl tightly into her arms. The man dropped to his knees before them, panic flooding his voice.
"We beg your forgiveness. We failed to watch our daughter properly. Please, she is only a child. Spare her this once."
The girl sensed the danger. She reached up and pulled the cloth from her eyes, revealing large indigo-blue pupils. She looked timidly at the guards who had already surrounded her father.
The guards hesitated, clearly uneasy. But the young noble was relentless.
"What are you waiting for?" he snapped. "Admiral Lloyd is watching. Do you want to disgrace Goa Kingdom?"
After shouting, he immediately turned back around. The rage on his face vanished, replaced with an eager smile.
"Admiral Lloyd, please do not be angered. I will personally deal with this unruly child."
The King glanced at him with displeasure, thinking bitterly that this fool was trying far too hard to curry favor.
Spandine curled his lip in disdain. To him, the young noble was nothing more than a clown. Did he truly think Lloyd would be impressed by such behavior?
Garp clenched his fist, unable to bear it any longer, and took a step forward.
Ginny, standing to Lloyd's right, pursed her lips and gently tugged at his sleeve.
Lloyd took Ginny's hand, gave her a faint smile, then turned his gaze back to the young noble.
His expression was calm and detached.
"What is your name?"
The young noble's eyes lit up with joy, convinced his actions had earned recognition.
"Admiral Lloyd, my name is Otto Luke the Third."
Lloyd raised an eyebrow. The name sounded familiar.
After a moment, he remembered. This man was Sabo's biological father, though at this point in time, Sabo had yet to be born.
Lloyd's gaze grew subtly profound.
He glanced at Spandine.
Understanding instantly, Spandine rushed forward and, before Otto Luke could react, struck him hard across the face.
A sharp slap echoed through the street.
The commoners gasped as Otto Luke collapsed onto the ground, clutching his face.
The blow had been heavy enough to knock a tooth loose.
Yet even after being struck in public, Otto Luke did not dare cry out. Trembling, he asked in fear,
"Spandine… did I do something wrong?"
Spandine spat on the ground and sneered coldly.
"Do you think Admiral Lloyd would concern himself with a child? You're trying to tarnish his name."
____
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