After sweeping through the Sabaody Archipelago, Lloyd returned to Charlos's residence with Law in tow.
Saint Rosward had already regained consciousness, though his face was swollen beyond recognition. He looked like a grotesque caricature of himself.
Rosward and his daughter clung to the already lifeless body of Saint Charlos, wailing in despair. Navy soldiers stood lined along both sides of the street, maintaining order and protection.
The moment Lloyd appeared, their cries abruptly ceased.
After a brief moment of shock, Rosward did something that left every soldier present stunned.
He scrambled forward on all fours, then tightly clutched Lloyd's leg, his voice trembling as he cried out,
"Saint Lloyd! You must uphold justice for our family!"
The soldiers exchanged uneasy glances. They did not dare question it, though the sight of a Celestial Dragon acting in such a desperate manner was deeply unsettling.
Lloyd remained indifferent.
"The murderer has already been executed," he said calmly. "Stay here and do not wander. Someone will be arranged to escort you and your daughter back to Mary Geoise."
Rosward nodded frantically.
At that moment, Shalria rushed forward as well. She wrapped her arms around Lloyd's other leg, her voice soft and trembling.
"Saint Lloyd, can you send me back? I am a little scared..."
Lloyd rejected her without hesitation.
"No. I have other matters to attend to. The Supernovas on this island have already been eliminated. There is nothing left to fear."
A chill ran down the soldiers' spines.
As expected of Admiral Black Dragon, he showed no regard even for the requests of Celestial Dragons. It was as if their authority held no weight before him.
Yet what happened next shocked them even more.
Sharia removed her bubble helmet, wiping away her tears as she bowed her head slightly.
"I am truly sorry, Saint Lloyd. I should not have made such an unreasonable request. Please forgive me."
Among the Celestial Dragons, Shalria possessed a rare beauty. Compared to her brother, they hardly seemed related at all.
Her fragile expression, paired with her noble status, stirred a sense of sympathy in those who witnessed it.
But Lloyd remained unmoved.
"Then stay here and behave."
As soon as he finished speaking, his figure blurred and vanished.
Rosward and Shalria, still clinging to his legs, were left grasping empty air.
By the time they looked up again, Lloyd was already gone.
---
At Mary Geoise, within the territory of the Figarland Family,
Lloyd went directly to Saint Garling Figarland.
Before Lloyd could speak, Garling asked,
"Has the one who killed Charlos been dealt with?"
Lloyd nodded.
"He is dead. A member of the Straw Hat Pirates was responsible."
Garling gave a satisfied nod.
"With you present, the Navy remains reliable."
Lloyd smiled faintly, his tone casual.
"It is unfortunate that the user of the Hito Hito no Mi Model Nika escaped."
He briefly recounted his encounter with Monkey D. Luffy.
Garling's expression darkened as he listened.
"You are saying that Joy Boy's will has awakened within this boy? Then this Nika fruit user is far from ordinary."
Lloyd spread his hands slightly.
"He is indeed unusual. Even the son of Gol D. Roger became a scapegoat for him."
As he spoke, Lloyd gestured toward Law, who had been casually thrown onto the ground.
"Enough about him. Uncle Garling, take a look at this."
Garling glanced down at Law.
"And who might this be?"
"His identity is irrelevant," Lloyd replied. "What matters is his Devil Fruit, the Ope Ope no Mi."
Garling raised an eyebrow, now observing Law with greater interest.
Lloyd continued,
"Send him to Egghead Island. Let Dr. Vegapunk study him thoroughly. It is time for our family to benefit from the Immortality Operation."
---
Within three days of the Sabaody incident, the news spread across the entire sea.
A Celestial Dragon had been killed at the Sabaody Archipelago by Roronoa Zoro, one of the Supernovas. This act provoked the legendary Admiral, Black Dragon, into action.
The result was catastrophic.
The rising pirate rookies who once shook the seas were nearly wiped out, each meeting a brutal end at Lloyd's hands.
But that was not all.
Even the former vice captain of the Roger Pirates, Silvers Rayleigh, had fallen.
Then came an even more shocking revelation.
Portgas D. Ace, the Supernova with the highest bounty, was revealed to be the son of the Pirate King.
Rumors claimed that Rayleigh had appeared at Sabaody to protect his captain's son, only to lose his life in the process.
After twenty-two years, Admiral Black Dragon had acted once again, and the scale of his achievements was nothing short of terrifying.
Among the many photographs published, one stood out the most.
Ace's severed head was mounted atop the Marine Headquarters, his eyes still wide open, frozen in death.
---
At Baltigo,
A cry filled with grief echoed through the air.
"Ace!!!"
Portgas D. Rouge fell to her knees, covering her face as tears streamed uncontrollably through her fingers.
Before her stood Monkey D. Dragon, his gaze fixed on the newspaper in his hands, cold sweat running down his face.
Bang!
The door burst open.
A young man wearing a black top hat rushed in, gripping a steel pipe tightly.
His vision blurred with tears as he looked toward Dragon.
"Dragon-san... Ace, he..."
Sabo could barely finish his sentence.
Dragon turned away, his voice low and firm.
"Sabo, compose yourself. As a commander, you should not be here at a time like this."
Sabo wiped his tears violently, his voice rising with emotion.
"But Ace is dead! And Luffy's whereabouts are unknown! They are both my brothers! How can you expect me to stay calm?"
Rouge's cries grew louder, each sob cutting deeply into Sabo's heart.
Dragon remained silent.
With a furious shout, Sabo slammed his fist into the wall, cracks spreading outward like a web.
"I am going to find Luffy! And that Admiral Black Dragon... I will kill him!"
Dragon's expression hardened.
"Enough!"
A sudden gust of wind erupted.
Caught off guard, Sabo was thrown to the ground.
In an instant, Dragon appeared before him, his presence overwhelming.
"Without my command, no one will act independently. Luffy may be my son, but he is not part of the Revolutionary Army. Sabo, you should understand this."
His voice carried both authority and finality.