Garling's eyes fell on the two bloody streaks across Lloyd's face and the crimson right arm. "Lloyd, what happened to your face and this arm?" he asked, concern threading his voice.
Lloyd raised his right arm casually, moving it with a faint smile. "A gift from my ancestor, Uncle Garling. I'll explain later. For now, we still have guests."
The "guests" were, of course, the Five Elders. Aside from Saint Saturn, who had intervened earlier, the remaining four had been silent observers the entire time.
They now stared at Lloyd with subtle expressions. What he had just said was astonishing. If true, it implied that the current Lloyd could access Saint Cassius 's power at any time.
Saint Warcury probed carefully, "Saint Lloyd … would you permit us to meet Saint Cassius?"
Lloyd's gaze swept over them coolly. "You'll have to wait. I need my ancestor's permission first."
Warcury lowered his usual haughty demeanor and bowed slightly. "Understood. Please convey our respect, Lloyd. Meeting Lord Cassius would be an honor for us."
Lloyd gave no response. He released his grip, letting the Demon Blade Muramasa float before him, then stared at it in silence. The Five Elders were frozen, fear and awe rooting them in place. Even Garling's hands clenched subconsciously as he observed his nephew.
A shadow of amusement crossed Lloyd's lips. Cassius had vanished completely; what the Five Elders witnessed now was, in truth, Lloyd acting.
After a brief pause, he shook his head. "No. The ancestor said he is recuperating and cannot appear unless absolutely necessary."
Warcury's face brightened. This kid is just putting on a show… still too green to fool an old man like me, he thought, and forced a smile. "Ah, so that's how it is…"
Before he could finish, his expression froze. Terror replaced the faint amusement in his eyes. The others mirrored him, horror etched across every face.
Lloyd's black hair lifted as though moved by wind, and a black aura surged from his body. The sky darkened instantly, the sun swallowed by the encroaching shadow, leaving only boundless darkness.
His eyes gleamed with an infinite black aura as a majestic voice rolled from his mouth. "King's Command: Utmost Darkness!"
Countless dark vortexes tore into the air above the Red Line, shaking the entire continent violently. In moments, more than half the planet was shrouded in darkness. This was true apocalyptic power.
Meanwhile, on the Grand Line, the barrel of wine in Roger's hand fell with a crash. He looked skyward, expression grave, drawing his long sword.
The Roger Pirates gathered on deck. Buggy, still inexperienced with Observation Haki, clutched Shanks' clothes in fear. "What's happening? Is this the end of the world?"
Buzz!
Roger unleashed Haoshoku Haki to its full extent, and Rayleigh, Jabra, and Barrett combined their Haki, tearing a gap in the overwhelming darkness.
Rayleigh frowned, turning to Roger. "Roger, do you know what this is?"
Roger closed his eyes, activating his ability to hear the voice of all things. After a moment, he opened them, grim. "No… my Observation Haki is failing. What is this darkness?"
It wasn't just them. Whitebeard, Big Mom, and countless other powerful figures felt the oppressive terror of the phenomenon.
The vortexes radiated destructive energy, capable of annihilating everything. Then, as suddenly as they appeared, the darkness receded like a tide, leaving the world as it was.
The entire event lasted less than ten seconds, but its impact lingered in every mind.
Except for Garling and the Five Elders, no one knew the source.
The Five Elders stood frozen, rigid as statues, eyes fixed on Lloyd.
Lloyd exhaled lightly, concealing his shock at the immense power he had just wielded. Even he had underestimated it. The fragment of Cassius Saint's power that remained, now unleashed in the real world, was far more terrifying than he had imagined.
This was beyond Devil Fruit awakening—it was an entirely different plane of power. Yet through it, Lloyd gained a deeper understanding of the Dark-Dark Fruit, refining his control over darkness.
Warcury, and the others gradually regained their composure, sweat beading their brows.
Warcury swallowed nervously. "Lloyd… was that… Lord Cassius?"
Lloyd's expression remained neutral. "Yes. Though the ancestor cannot appear directly, he can manifest a fraction of his power through me. Otherwise, some might truly believe he is dead."
Warcury laughed nervously, scratching his head. "Impossible! The power we just witnessed… anyone who doubts him after this would deserve whatever befalls them!"
Saint Saturn cast a sharp, disdainful glance at Warcury. The elder flinched, silenced instantly, cursing Saturn silently. Did he know Cassius had a contingency all along? And yet I played the fool…
This was Cassius—a legend from the era of Imu, one of the original twenty Celestial Figures, renowned above all others. And now, he had awakened through this boy, Lloyd.
Warcury reflected bitterly on his previous machinations against the Figarland Family, feeling as though tears were falling without a drop of moisture.
Saint Nusjuro and the other two neutral Elders stepped forward cautiously. Nusjuro spoke with a faint smile. "Lloyd, thank you for eliminating Gulando, a scourge to the Holy Land. I plan to hold a celebration banquet for you tonight in the Holy Land. Care to join?"
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Milestone
100 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter
200 Power Stones = 3 Bonus Chapters