That night, under the careful arrangement of the Five Elders, a grand banquet was held in Mary Geoise.
All the Celestial Dragons had gathered for this event, and the central figure of the evening was naturally Lloyd.
During the banquet, Saint Warcury took it upon himself to recite Lloyd's "achievements"—the execution of Saint Gulando, the traitor who had threatened Mary Geoise. He praised Lloyd for "sacrificing family for the greater good," while Saint Garling and Lloyd sat calmly, watching Warcury's performative display.
Most of the other Celestial Dragons, not particularly astute, whispered among themselves in awe and fear.
"Oh my god! Saint Gulando was truly that dangerous? No wonder he always gave me chills before!"
"We owe everything to Saint Lloyd—he protected us!"
"At crucial moments, we must rely on our own people. If that mad Saint Gulando had appeared earlier, even calling an Admiral would have been too late!"
"Don't forget—Saint Lloyd is an Admiral. Having him in the Navy is incredibly reassuring!"
"You're too timid. Saint Garling and his God's Knights are here too. Taking down Saint Gulando would have been effortless!"
"Regardless, Saint Gulando was Saint Lloyd's own father. To act against one's own blood for justice… that is true sacrifice."
Lloyd's exceptional hearing caught every word. He let out a faint yawn and muttered to Saint Garling beside him, "Uncle Garling, I knew attending this banquet would be tedious. It's truly dull."
Garling's expression softened with fondness. "It is a bit tiresome, yes. If you wish, leave first. I will remain here."
Lloyd nodded and rose, exchanging a few polite pleasantries before departing under the respectful gazes of the Celestial Dragons, returning directly to his palace.
This time, he traveled alone—Lucia did not accompany him. After a brief wash, Lloyd, clad in a black bathrobe, reclined on his bed, staring at his crimson right arm.
He drew back the robe's collar and examined the dense red veins snaking from his arm to his heart. He could feel a profound power constantly surging into him, emanating from that arm.
This was the essence of the power Saint Gulando had absorbed through the Blood-Blood Fruit, a force that had once elevated Gulando to near-equal footing with Garling, and even surpassed him briefly. Yet Saint Cassius had expelled Gulando from the family lineage, bestowing this power instead onto Lloyd.
Now all Lloyd had to do was wait for it to fully integrate into his body, merging with the inherent power of the Blood-Blood Fruit.
Centuries ago, to prevent the Dark-Dark Fruit from falling into the wrong hands, Saint Cassius had siphoned a portion of its inherent power and sealed it within the Demon Blade Muramasa. Even if an outsider became a Dark-Dark Fruit user, without the Muramasa's Darkness Power, awakening the fruit would be impossible.
Eight hundred years later, Saint Cassius replicated the process: he extracted the Blood-Blood Fruit's essence and gave it to Lloyd, along with the power Saint Gulando had absorbed. Normally, a Devil Fruit user could not accept the power of another fruit—it would be fatal.
But when Saint Cassius learned that Lloyd's body could accommodate multiple Devil Fruits—and that he was already a Vampire Fruit user—he immediately entrusted the Blood-Blood Fruit's power to him. Through consciousness, Saint Cassius also transmitted his understanding of Devil Fruits, teaching Lloyd the principles of power merging.
Saint Cassius, a figure from eight centuries past, knew that some Devil Fruits shared compatible inherent powers. The Vampire Fruit and the Blood-Blood Fruit were of similar tiers, allowing for potential integration.
He also speculated that the Dark-Dark Fruit's inherent power was incomplete, likely split across a lower-tier fruit he never had time to recover due to the war with Joy Boy. Saint Cassius had died with this uncertainty unresolved—until now.
Through Lloyd, Saint Cassius intended to test whether the inherent powers of the Vampire and Blood-Blood Fruits could merge. Even if they failed, Lloyd's constitution, capable of handling multiple Devil Fruits, would survive—at worst, gaining an additional ability.
Unknown to Saint Cassius, Lloyd could only wield three Devil Fruits at most. If the experiment failed, he would have no room for further powers.
Lloyd himself did not desire the Blood-Blood Fruit. Its ability to infinitely amplify power through blood absorption was inherently unstable. While potent, it could spiral out of control. Other abilities were merely bonuses—hardly worth sacrificing his final Devil Fruit slot.
Yet there was nothing he could do. Saint Cassius had already imposed the Blood-Blood Fruit's essence upon him, and now he could only wait for its full absorption. If the Vampire Fruit and Blood-Blood Fruit successfully merged, then—only then—would he consider taking the final Devil Fruit.
Lloyd rotated his wrist, and the Blood-Blood Fruit materialized in his hand. Though no longer whole, it remained a formidable Paramecia-type Devil Fruit, a treasure far too valuable to waste.
For top-tier Devil Fruits like the Blood-Blood and Float-Float Fruits, he would entrust them only to someone close and capable. Among those nearest to him, Ginny had not yet consumed a Devil Fruit.
Upon his return, he would ask Ginny if she desired the Float-Float Fruit.
As for the Blood-Blood Fruit, Lloyd dismissed it entirely. Its style did not suit Ginny, nor did it suit him.
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