Life back in Mary Geoise gradually became uneventful.
Time here passed both quickly and slowly.
The lives of the Celestial Dragons were unhurried, without the slightest trace of urgency.
And time often slipped away in just such an inadvertent manner.
Soon, the year 1503 of the Sea Calendar arrived.
Over the course of several months, Black defeated the last three powerhouses remaining in the Card Space.
The adult Red Earl revealed his swordsmanship.
Swordsmanship might not have been his strongest ability, but it was undoubtedly his most stylish.
Strength is temporary; style lasts a lifetime.
The Red Earl's weapon was an umbrella, and his swordsmanship emphasized elegance something Black felt suited his own temperament perfectly.
Every time he fought, his movements were wide and forceful, which truly did not match his noble status as a Celestial Dragon.
The elderly Akainu, as expected, dropped the Magu Magu no Mi.
It had to be said that a Marine backed by a complete support system was different from a pirate; their peak period was clearly longer.
Once pirates aged, no matter how powerful they were in their youth, their combat power would decline significantly.
The Akainu in the Card Space looked at least seventy years old, yet his strength had not diminished much.
If he were to fight a seventy-year-old Whitebeard, Akainu would likely still come out on top.
However, Black currently had no suitable maid to inherit the Magu Magu no Mi.
It should be noted that Akainu was originally a swordsman.
He only transitioned to close-quarters combat in order to fully unleash the destructive power of the Magu Magu no Mi.
As one of the most offensively powerful Logia Devil Fruits, it was indeed better suited for fighters with broad, overwhelming attack styles.
Among Black's subordinates, the only martial artist was Koala.
But she was already a user of the Pika Pika no Mi, and her fighting style leaned toward speed and precision, completely opposite to the heavy, sweeping nature required for magma-based combat.
Thus, the Magu Magu no Mi ability card could only be set aside for the time being.
The adult Golden Lion did not drop the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi, which Black desired most, but instead dropped his Haoshoku Haki.
Golden Lion Shiki's Haoshoku had a unique characteristic.
Even those who had never met him or experienced his presence could instantly recognize it as Shiki's the first time they felt it.
Of course, after Black integrated it into his own Haoshoku, that unique signature disappeared.
In addition, during these months of card draws, Black also obtained the adult Kuzan.
After defeating him, Black finally collected the Logia Devil Fruits of the three Admirals.
The Hie Hie no Mi matched Mandy's temperament so perfectly that it seemed tailor-made for her.
In reality, ice-based abilities did not boast extremely high direct damage; they focused more on control and elemental augmentation.
Across various abilities, ice users generally fell into three categories.
The first type focused purely on ranged elemental attacks typical ice mages, and the most common type.
The second type combined ranged ice techniques with physical combat, enhancing martial arts, swordsmanship, or archery with freezing effects.
The third type was more unconventional.
They used ice to create weapons for combat.
Aside from convenience, this approach was not significantly different from wielding real weapons.
Black used the Hie Hie no Mi ability card on Mandy and provided her with several development directions.
He hoped she would grow toward a style similar to that of Toshiro Hitsugaya or Esdeath.
Especially Esdeath her mastery of both martial arts and swordsmanship compensated for the relatively lower lethality of ice abilities.
By integrating freezing effects into blade strikes, one could achieve control, interference, and terrain manipulation.
Furthermore, if the Hie Hie no Mi could be developed to Awakening or beyond it might even reach the level of freezing space itself.
Though unlikely, it remained a possibility worth considering...
One day, Black was idly passing time in the manor with Perona and the others when a slave from Rosward's household once again delivered an invitation.
Black opened it and saw that it was yet another banquet invitation, leaving him somewhat speechless:
"It's been a year, and this guy still hasn't shown off enough?"
However, this time, Black decided to attend.
Because Rosward had explicitly stated that the highlight of the banquet would be extremely rare, high-quality slaves...
The twilight of Mary Geoise draped an amber veil over the Celestial Dragon manor.
Rosward's skirt swept lightly past crystal glasses.
In the span of a year, she had completely adapted to her current identity.
At the very least, she no longer stumbled while walking in high heels.
Inside the banquet hall, light refracted through diamond earrings, casting dancing reflections across the gilded walls.
When Black entered, all the guests had already arrived.
Upon seeing him, Rosward rushed forward as though greeting a close relative, enthusiastically introducing him to the others:
"My best friend Saint Hilbert Black!"
"If he hadn't recommended the West Blue to me, I might never have experienced what it truly feels like to be a woman!"
She then turned toward Black:
"Saint Black, you finally agreed to attend my banquet."
"I thought you had grown tired of these social gatherings."
Black had only come for the so-called "high-quality slaves," so he replied casually:
"Sailing is exhausting. I've just been resting recently."
"Saint Black, you're being too harsh."
Grothius of the Shepherd family swirled his wine glass and spoke lazily from the side:
"Rosward is now the most talked-about rising star in Mary Geoise."
A rising star?
Good. As expected, the Celestial Dragons' minds truly worked differently.
Just as a few Celestial Dragons were about to approach Black for advice on undergoing similar "transformations," a sharp voice cut in:
"I, however, think she's simply adopted a more flamboyant way of performing."
Everyone turned to look and saw Rosward's former wife now her "sister," Cloris.
Hearing this, Rosward's smile did not fade; instead, it grew even brighter:
"Flamboyant? No this is called transformation."
She spun in place, nearly losing her balance:
"After all, not everyone can perfectly manage two identities like I can."
Cloris gently stroked the jeweled necklace at her neck and let out a soft laugh:
"Rosward, your confidence is admirable."
"Unfortunately, no matter how magnificent the attire, it cannot conceal your true nature."
Rosward calmly picked up her glass and took a delicate sip:
"Palace Cloris, jealousy does not suit the elegance of a noble."
"Enough, Rosward."
Black had no interest in their family drama and cut in directly:
"Where is the surprise you mentioned?"
Rosward blinked in mild surprise, then smiled knowingly:
"Is Saint Black really that eager?"
"In that case…"
She clapped her hands sharply:
"Bring them in!"
A large cage was carried into the banquet hall.
Inside, three trembling girls huddled together.
The moment Black saw them, his eyes lit up.
Rosward's voice rang out with pride:
"These are the prizes I prepared for this banquet rare slaves from Amazon Lily!"