Thinking of the red-nosed man from the past, Lloyd shook his head and let out a quiet chuckle.
"You really cannot forget Buggy, can you? Fine, I will settle this small regret for you."
Shanks paused, confused.
"Brother, what do you mean?"
At the side, Beckman sighed helplessly. In his mind, it was obvious. Lloyd was clearly planning to pull Buggy out of prison. With Lloyd's authority, releasing a Level 1 prisoner from Impel Down would only require a single order.
Lloyd raised his hand and tapped Shanks on the forehead.
"I can have the World Government issue a special pardon. Buggy will be released, but his sentence will not disappear, it will simply be turned into a suspended one."
Shanks felt relieved at first, but his expression quickly turned uneasy.
"Brother, would that not cause problems for you?"
"You are overestimating that red-nosed fool. He is not worth the trouble."
"That is true... Buggy has really made a mess of things over the years."
"You have the nerve to say that?" Lloyd's tone turned sharp. "Even if he has achieved nothing, his pursuit of treasure has never changed. What about you? A few words from Roger were enough to shake your resolve. You are a disgrace to this family."
Shanks could only smile bitterly and lower his head.
Lloyd folded his arms and glanced at Shanks's bright red hair.
"You are not young anymore. Have you not found a woman you like after all these years?"
Before Shanks could respond, Lucky Roux suddenly shouted excitedly while holding a piece of roasted meat.
"Yes, yes, her name is Ma... mmph mmph!"
Shanks immediately covered his mouth and snapped,
"Idiot! What nonsense are you saying? Can that meat not keep you quiet?"
Beckman calmly lit a cigarette and turned his head away, acting as if he did not know them.
Lucky Roux struggled, his face turning red as he tried to speak.
Lloyd tilted his head slightly.
"You are talking about Makino, right?"
Roux blinked and nodded vigorously.
Shanks froze in shock.
"You even know that?"
At that moment, Lloyd appeared completely omniscient in Shanks's eyes.
Lloyd snorted.
"Let him go. Why are you reacting like this?"
Shanks reluctantly removed his hand. Roux immediately shot him a resentful look.
Ignoring him, Shanks forced out a few awkward laughs and muttered,
"I was worried you would start urging me to get married..."
Lloyd heard him clearly. A faint irritation appeared on his face.
"Who would bother with that?"
Shanks shrank back and stayed silent.
Lloyd rolled his eyes and took out a cigarette. Roux quickly stepped forward and lit it for him. Lloyd gave him a brief approving glance.
Roux scratched his head.
"Ever since you visited before, Boss also picked up smoking. I light his cigarettes often."
Lloyd chuckled and tossed a cigarette toward Shanks.
Shanks caught it and grinned. Without asking for help, he exhaled a small flame and lit it himself.
The two brothers sat quietly, smoking.
When Lloyd's cigarette burned out, his fingertips turned pitch black as the butt vanished completely.
He looked at Shanks.
"So, you and Makino have already reached that stage?"
Shanks choked on his smoke and coughed violently.
"Cough, cough, what are you talking about?"
Lloyd narrowed his eyes slightly, studying him.
Under that gaze, Shanks hesitated, then leaned forward and whispered something into Lloyd's ear before quickly pulling back, his face flushed.
A knowing expression appeared on Lloyd's face.
"I see. That was quick. Red hair and green, quite a match."
Shanks only grinned foolishly in response.
Lloyd continued,
"Do you have a child?"
Shanks answered without hesitation.
"No."
Seeing his certainty, Lloyd paused briefly, then tapped the table lightly.
"I am not just referring to you and Makino."
Shanks immediately shot to his feet.
"Brother, what are you implying? I would never do something like that!"
Lloyd glanced at him indifferently.
"You are getting worked up again. Did I accuse you of anything? Sit down."
Shanks stiffened, then sat back down despite himself.
Ignoring his expression, Lloyd continued,
"Think carefully. Do you have a daughter?"
"A daughter? That is impossible... wait."
Shanks suddenly froze.
Beckman's expression changed as he turned to look at him.
A moment later, Shanks blurted out,
"Uta!"
He quickly looked at Lloyd.
"Brother, are you talking about Uta? Have you seen her?"
Lloyd replied evenly,
"Yes, I mean her. No, I have not seen her."
Shanks exhaled slowly.
"She is actually adopted, but I have always treated her as my own daughter."
"I know."
This time, Shanks was completely convinced of Lloyd's awareness. Even Beckman looked at Lloyd with a hint of awe.
The crew members nearby, having heard Uta's name, showed expressions filled with nostalgia.
Back then, Uta had truly been the heart of the Red Hair Pirates.
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