A chill ran down both Wanda and Carrot's spines at Lloyd's words.
However, Carrot did not doubt him in the slightest. Snorting coldly from Lucia's arms, she said,
"I knew it! Who would willingly hand their body over to someone else? That Joy Boy definitely deceived Luffy! An old monster who's lived for eight hundred years tricking a young pirate isn't surprising at all. Even Pedro was fooled by him!"
Lloyd merely smiled faintly and extended a hand toward Wanda, who was still on the ground.
Wanda hesitated briefly before placing her hand in his. Lloyd gently pulled her to her feet.
At that moment, the smile on Lloyd's face looked warm and refined, completely different from the ruthless and terrifying figure from earlier. Yet that contrast only made Wanda even more nervous.
Could it be that Lloyd had already decided the two of them were useless, and was preparing to kill them?
Under Wanda's uneasy gaze, Lloyd let out a quiet chuckle.
"I already understand the situation. I was somewhat rough earlier, so don't take it too seriously."
Wanda blinked repeatedly.
Somewhat rough?
He had practically been moments away from turning Carrot into spicy rabbit meat!
And that did not even sound like an apology. There was not a trace of sincerity in his tone.
Naturally, Wanda only dared to think those words internally.
During the journey to Marine Headquarters, she had already heard countless stories about Lloyd's terrifying reputation. After meeting him in person, she understood even more clearly that he was nothing like Joy Boy, who constantly wrapped himself in righteousness and heroism.
If she truly angered Lloyd, he would kill without hesitation.
With his strength, crushing her and Carrot would be no more difficult than stepping on insects.
Not to mention Lucia.
In Wanda's eyes, the woman standing nearby was equally terrifying.
If she remembered correctly, Lucia was the Navy's only female Admiral, Admiral Nightingale.
Looking at Carrot curled up in Lucia's embrace, Wanda could not help twitching awkwardly.
Lloyd paid no attention to Wanda's thoughts.
He was no longer the young man from God Valley who had once endured humiliation and restraint.
Now, he controlled the Navy, Cipher Pol, and the immense influence of the Figarland Family through Saint Garling. As long as Imu did not personally appear, he stood at the very peak of the world.
And kings did not need to apologize to insignificant people.
A king possessed the authority to decide the fate of all living things.
Lloyd lowered his gaze toward Wanda and spoke softly,
"What you and that little rabbit did today has earned the Mink Tribe a chance to survive."
Wanda's pupils contracted sharply.
Meanwhile, Lloyd had already turned and walked toward Lucia.
His eyes shifted toward Carrot in Lucia's arms.
Carrot instinctively shrank deeper into Lucia's embrace, still frightened of him. However, a single cold glance from Lucia immediately froze her in place.
Pursing her lips tightly, Carrot muttered in a tiny voice,
"We already told you everything. What else do you want from us?"
The corners of Lloyd's lips curved upward.
He raised a hand and gently stroked Carrot's fluffy head.
Carrot could not resist at all and simply allowed him to pat her ears and hair.
Lowering her head, she muttered softly,
"Since you touched me already, then don't mention spicy things anymore…"
Lloyd narrowed his eyes slightly before leaning close to her ear.
"What about steaming instead? At least your body would stay intact."
"Ahhhh!"
Carrot screamed in terror and immediately broke free from Lucia's arms. Ignoring her exhausted state, she rushed to Wanda's side and grabbed her tightly.
"Wanda! Hurry and…"
Before she could finish, Wanda gently pushed her aside.
Carrot froze in disbelief.
Wanda shook her head softly.
"Don't be afraid, Carrot. The Celestial Dragon Marshal will not hurt you."
After saying that, Wanda faced Lloyd with complete seriousness.
"Celestial Dragon Marshal, thank you for showing mercy to the Mink Tribe. We truly have no desire to become your enemy, and we have even less interest in joining any war."
Lloyd sat back down in his chair, resting his clasped hands against his knees as he spoke indifferently.
"You're thanking me too early. I only said I would leave the Mink Tribe a path to survive. For instance, if only the two of you remain alive, the Mink Tribe technically would not be extinct. After all, you already admitted the entire tribe has mobilized and is preparing to fight against me."
Wanda's entire body trembled violently.
"No, no! There are actually many people in the tribe who think the same way as Carrot and I! My sisters, for example, never participated in Joy Boy's so called preparations at all!"
Carrot also snapped back to her senses.
Immediately abandoning all thoughts about being steamed or turned into spicy meat, she bowed deeply toward Lloyd.
"C, Celestial Dragon Marshal, please stop that horrible Joy Boy! This is all his fault!"
Lloyd did not directly respond. Instead, he calmly asked,
"Wanda, you mentioned earlier that before leaving Zou, Joy Boy jumped down ahead of you, correct?"
Wanda immediately nodded.
"Yes. He leaped down directly. It sounds unbelievable, but I somehow felt he would be completely fine. In the end, his face even appeared in the clouds."
Carrot nodded vigorously as well.
Lloyd spoke evenly.
"Your instincts were correct. Falling cannot kill him. At his core, he is merely a disgusting mass of rubber."
"But he's a Devil Fruit user!" Carrot blurted out. "I heard Devil Fruit users lose their strength in the sea and become helpless once submerged. Zou stands above the ocean!"
"Joy Boy has already surpassed the limitations of ordinary Devil Fruit users," Lloyd replied. "The sea no longer affects him significantly, and he can fly."
Wanda and Carrot exchanged shocked looks.
After hesitating briefly, Carrot cautiously asked,
"Then… is that why he always manages to escape from you?"
Lloyd paused for a moment before giving a faint smile.
"His escapes have nothing to do with that. If those were his only abilities, escaping me would be impossible. I can do those things as well. I am not affected by seawater, and I can fly too."
"Then how does he escape?" Carrot asked quickly. "And if you meet him again, can you really capture him? That terrible guy somehow even made Zunesha obey him! If he isn't stopped, we won't even have a home anymore!"
Lloyd tilted his head slightly.
Looking at the indignant little rabbit before him, the amusement in his eyes deepened. He found Carrot increasingly entertaining.
"You do not need to remind me," he said calmly. "I will personally erase Joy Boy from this world."
He paused briefly before continuing,
"As for whether your home survives or not, that depends entirely on your future behavior."
===
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