The entire God's Knights responded in unison, then swiftly surrounded the terrified Ethanbaron family as if herding pigs.
Garling shot a slightly surprised look at Carl. It wasn't that he thought Carl was being too ruthless—on the contrary, knowing Carl's usual nature, he would have expected the Ethanbaron family to be executed on the spot.
Yet Carl not only spared their lives but even granted them a three-day grace period. That was unusually "merciful" and out of character for him.
In this respect, Garling wasn't as perceptive as the centuries-old Saturn. Saturn immediately grasped Carl's true intention.
Without Nusjuro, the Ethanbaron family was utterly finished. Even if they were stronger than the average Celestial Dragon house, they were still nothing to Carl, who could crush them with a flick of his fingers.
Granting them three days was likely meant to let these broken, terrified people spread word of Carl's overwhelming power—to let the other Celestial Dragons know that their new "master" was far more brutal than the Gorosei or even Lily, who once controlled things from the shadows.
...
Once the Ethanbaron family had been taken away, Nusjuro had already dissolved into a puddle of black liquid.
Carl glanced at it briefly before turning to Lily with a smile.
"Lily, he's been loyal to you for centuries, hasn't he? Why not beg for his life?"
Lily let out a cold snort and said,
"A dog that bites its master is not loyal. Besides, even if I did beg you, would you actually spare him, Saint Carl?You've always exterminated anyone who opposes you—no exceptions."
Carl smiled warmly and replied,
"Of course. It's one of my most cherished traditions. But if Lily had really pleaded with me... maybe, just maybe, I would've spared him."
"So you just wanted to make him live a life worse than death," Lily said flatly.
"Hahaha! As expected of my woman—you really do know me well."
"You..."
Being called his woman in front of so many people made Lily furious. She opened her mouth, about to retort, but the familiar wicked grin on Carl's face made her choke back the words.
Taking a deep breath, Lily closed her eyes, entering a meditative, monk-like state—a skill she'd perfected over her eight hundred years to endure irritating moments like this.
Carl didn't continue teasing her and instead shifted his gaze to Mards.
...
At that moment, Mards wished he were an Invisible Fruit user.He bitterly regretted following Nusjuro's faction—now he was dragged straight into an abyss with no way out.
But Carl didn't even spare him a word.Instead, smiling brightly, Carl waved at Akainu and the others and said,
"Good work, everyone. Go reorganize the troops. Tonight, let's have ourselves a proper celebration!"
Compared to the earlier brutal atmosphere, Carl's attitude now was like a complete transformation. Even the perpetually stern-faced Akainu couldn't help but smile faintly, while Aramaki excitedly shouted,
"Thank you, Saint Carl!"
Carl planted a hand on his hip and chuckled helplessly.
"Aramaki, you're a Marine. No need to add 'Saint' or 'Lord' every time."
Aramaki immediately snapped into a salute and barked,
"Yes, Saint Carl!"
Aokiji nudged Aramaki's side and muttered,
"Aramaki, Carl-senpai told you not to call him that..."
Without changing expression, Aramaki whispered back,
"Shut up! You greenhorn wouldn't understand my devotion to Saint Carl! Step aside!"
Hearing this, Aokiji merely pouted and said no more.
Borsalino's face lit up with a smile as radiant as a blooming chrysanthemum.
"Finally, some downtime... these last few days have been hellish."
Akainu snorted coldly and suddenly growled,
"As Admirals of the Navy, how can you..."
Before he could finish, Borsalino immediately raised both hands in mock surrender.
"Okay okay! My bad, duty comes first, no complaints!"
Akainu, having had his momentum cut off, simply folded his arms again and returned to his default icy expression.He gave Carl a respectful salute, then turned to address the others.
"Reorganize the troops. Stand by under the Red Line."
Without another word, Akainu strode off toward the elevator.Borsalino shrugged and followed, Aokiji and the others trailing behind.
...
Garling watched Akainu's retreating figure, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.He moved closer to Carl and said,
"Carl, Sakazuki is a good man."
Carl laughed.
"Garling-san , it's rare to hear you praise someone. You must really think highly of him."
Garling nodded.
"I like his character. Compared to that Borsalino..."
He shook his head.Carl quickly tried to defend Borsalino.
"Actually, Borsalino isn't bad. He might seem lazy, but when it matters, he can be counted on."
"You know your subordinates better than I do," Garling admitted. "Overall, you've gathered a decent group. I just personally prefer Sakazuki."
...
At that moment, Lucia walked by, and Carl casually wrapped an arm around her slim waist, chuckling,
"And my favorite is Lucia."
Hearing Carl's words, Lucia's heart felt like it was overflowing with honey. Not caring about the onlookers, she tiptoed and kissed Carl on the cheek.
From the side, Lily glanced over, her lips curling up almost imperceptibly.
"Saint Carl," she said, "are you just going to leave me standing here like this?"
Carl tightened his hold around Lucia's waist, then turned to Lily with an exaggeratedly surprised expression.
"Eh? I thought you had fallen asleep standing up."
Lily frowned.
"I am not a horse. I do not sleep on my feet."
"I don't know... you can still be ridden either way."
"What!?"
"Nothing, nothing," Carl chuckled. "Lily, how should I... arrange for you?"
Lily narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Saint Carl, do you still need to consult me now?"
"Of course I do! I respect you greatly, Lily. How about this—you don't return to the Flower Chamber tonight. Come back to the family estate with me. We can have some... deeper communication."
Hearing the phrase "deeper communication," Carl's harem of maids immediately understood, exchanging knowing glances.
Naturally, Lily also caught the implication. Her face flushed crimson, and she gritted her teeth.
"Fine, I'll go back with you! But as for deeper communication—you only get one!"
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+150 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg