Lloyd lowered his head and glanced at Wanda, a faint, dangerous smile forming on his lips.
"No need to argue. The two of you can come together."
As he spoke, Lloyd raised his hand, and a dark vortex formed within his palm. Carrot suddenly felt an overwhelming force seize her, like an invisible hand gripping her body. In an instant, she was pulled toward Lloyd, ending up in his arms with Wanda pressed against one side and herself on the other.
Carrot blinked in confusion, her eyes shifting toward Wanda at such close proximity.
"What just happened?"
Wanda raised a finger to her lips, signaling her to be quiet, then tilted her head back slightly and addressed Lloyd.
"Celestial Dragon Marshal, when do you intend to depart for Zou?"
Lloyd gave a slight smile, casually running his hand through Wanda's soft golden fur.
"Now."
"Eh? Right now?"
"That's correct. Zou isn't marked on any map, so you two will guide me."
Wanda nodded, though her expression carried a hint of uncertainty. Carrot suddenly interjected from the side.
"Wait! Wanda, we've been away for nearly half a year. Zunesha doesn't stay in one place!"
Wanda frowned lightly.
"Zou moves slowly, and Zunesha is massive. As long as we head in the right direction, we should be able to spot it."
Hearing this, Lloyd rose from his chair without releasing either of them, causing both girls to let out startled cries.
He stepped toward the windowsill, still holding them effortlessly, then glanced back at Lucia.
"Lucia, I'll be gone for a while. Handle anything that comes up."
Lucia bowed slightly.
"Understood, Young Master. Please take care."
Lloyd gave a faint nod.
"Don't worry."
With that, he placed one foot on the windowsill and leapt outward.
Intentionally, Lloyd refrained from using his flight immediately. His body plummeted straight toward the ground. Wanda remained composed, but Carrot panicked instantly, screaming as the wind roared past them.
"Ah! It's too high! We're going to die!"
Terrified, Carrot shut her eyes tightly and clung to Lloyd's waist, pressing herself against him as if trying to disappear into his body.
Just before impact, even Wanda instinctively closed her eyes. Then came a sharp whooshing sound, followed by a powerful gust of wind. Both girls opened their eyes simultaneously.
Behind Lloyd, a pair of enormous black wings had unfurled.
With a single powerful beat, he soared upward, carrying both of them high into the sky until they hovered far above the sea.
Below them, the entirety of Marineford stretched out like a miniature world.
Carrot swallowed nervously, her voice trembling.
"You… you have wings? Are there bird-type Minks?"
Wanda regained her composure and shook her head.
"No. This must be a Devil Fruit ability. It's rumored that the Celestial Dragon Marshal possesses more than one Devil Fruit power…"
Lloyd offered no explanation. He simply smiled faintly.
"Which direction?"
Wanda steadied herself and pointed ahead. Lloyd nodded.
"Hold on tightly. Don't fall."
He cast a brief glance at Carrot.
"Especially you. If you slip, I won't bother catching you."
Carrot stiffened, immediately tightening her grip around his waist.
Lloyd's lips curved slightly upward. Then, with a powerful beat of his wings, a sonic boom erupted. His figure became a streak of black light, vanishing instantly into the horizon.
By the time dusk settled, Lloyd finally came to a halt above a vast stretch of sea.
He looked down, a faint crease forming between his brows.
In his arms, both Carrot and Wanda had fallen asleep.
He gave them a slight shake.
"Wake up."
At his voice, they stirred. Wanda blinked and shook her head, peering weakly at the waters below.
"Celestial Dragon Marshal… how much longer do we have to fly like this?"
Carrot rubbed her face against Lloyd's waist, still groggy.
"Where are we…?"
"Near Dressrosa. You should have passed here before."
Wanda nodded.
"Yes. It's quite close to Zou. We spent our first night there after leaving."
Carrot's eyes widened.
"Then we're almost there? Wait… how long were we asleep?"
Lloyd pinched her waist lightly. Carrot yelped and squirmed.
"What a foolish rabbit. The day isn't even over yet."
Her ears shot upright in disbelief.
"That's impossible! It was so far!"
But when she met Lloyd's steady gaze, realization dawned on her face.
"It really took less than a day?!"
Wanda also stared at him in shock. The journey that had taken her and Carrot nearly half a year had been reduced to mere hours, and he had carried both of them the entire time.
The speed was beyond comprehension.
Ignoring their stunned expressions, Lloyd rolled his neck slightly.
"If Zou is nearby, I'll search the area."
At the mention of flying again, Carrot looked uneasy.
"Can you slow down this time? I don't want to faint again…"
Lloyd responded indifferently.
"I'll reduce the speed."
The moment he finished speaking, he launched forward once more.
As he traveled, Lloyd combined the sonic capabilities of his ability with Observation Haki, continuously scanning the surrounding sea over a wide radius.
Yet even as night fell, there was no sign of Zou.
The ocean below was silent, broken only by the occasional sound of waves.
Carrot shrank closer into Lloyd's arms, her voice quieter now.
"We still haven't found it… maybe we should rest first?"
Wanda licked her dry lips, her brows knitting together.
"That's strange. It should be around here…"
Lloyd's eyes narrowed, his golden pupils gleaming sharply in the darkness.
Given his speed and perception, he had already scoured the surrounding waters thoroughly. Missing something as enormous as Zunesha was impossible.
There was only one conclusion.
Zou had moved far from its previous location.
And such a shift could not happen without interference.
Joy Boy had undoubtedly returned to Zou.
===
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