After leaving Garling's presence, Lloyd immediately instructed his servants to begin renovating Gulando's old chambers.
Once the initial plans were set, Lloyd dealt with Olvia and Robin. For now, Olvia was to stay confined in a private room, while Robin was officially assigned to the maids under Lloyd's direct orders.
Olvia was permitted one hour each day with Robin, either before or after the library was completed. If she managed to finish the large task Lloyd had assigned her, she would be allowed to stay with her daughter permanently. The workload, however, was undeniably immense.
Originally, Lloyd had considered spending a few days with the Monet sisters, but circumstances had other plans for him, and he found himself far too occupied to indulge in anything idle.
・・・
On a small, distant island somewhere in the sea, a red‑haired pirate quietly carried a bowl of steaming medicinal soup into a simple cabin.
Inside, Buggy lay listlessly atop a bed, propping himself up only long enough to grunt at Shanks when he entered.
The moment Shanks saw Buggy looking so weak, concern stretched across his features. He placed the warm soup beside the bed before gently helping Buggy sit upright.
"Buggy, drink this medicine," Shanks urged, his voice calm but firm.
Buggy stared at the dark, bitter broth with a pale face, shaking his head so vigorously it seemed as though his skull might rattle. He refused outright.
Shanks sighed, resigned. "Alright, looks like I've got to do this myself."
Before Buggy could react, Shanks pinched his chin with one hand and lifted the bowl with the other, pouring the hot medicine straight into Buggy's mouth.
"Mmm, mmm, mmm, ugh!" Buggy spluttered like a fish pulled from water.
Seeing Buggy start to vomit, Shanks quickly clamped his hand over Buggy's mouth, barking, "Don't spit it out!"
With eyes wide and frantic, Buggy gulped down the medicine, then flopped back onto the bed as if his life force had dissolved from his body.
Shanks wiped sweat from his brow and murmured, "Taking care of people is really physically demanding…"
He stepped outside, stretching his back, when suddenly the sky filled with News Coos, each carrying newspapers that fluttered down like rain along their flight path.
This sight always signaled a major event in the world, and Shanks' eyes narrowed as he reached down and peeled a newspaper off his face.
The headline splashed across the page, and dominating it was a photo of Roger.
Shanks stood frozen for a heartbeat, then with a cry of excitement, he dashed back in and yanked Buggy from the bed.
"Hey Buggy! Captain Roger and the others succeeded, we're now the number one Pirates!"
"What!?" Buggy exclaimed blankly, feeling suddenly light as though his sickness had evaporated.
He snatched the newspaper from Shanks' hand and stared at the print, rereading it again and again. The more he read, the more his expression soured.
He should have been there. He really should have.
Buggy balled up the newspaper and threw it violently away, clutching his chest and stomping his feet.
"Damn it! Why did my body betray me like this! I wanted to go so badly!"
Shanks tried to console him gently. "Come on now, you weren't the only one who missed out. Didn't Toki also stay behind due to illness?"
Instead of calming down, Buggy seized Shanks by the collar, eyes blazing. "That's exactly why this is weird. Toki is one thing — she's a woman — but my body has always been strong. How could I suddenly get this fever?"
Shanks blinked, uncertain. "Uh, well, maybe it was just a coincidence. And besides, I'm here with you, right? Don't be down, I believe one day we'll go there again on our own feet!"
Shanks clenched his fist, and an unusual aura flickered around him.
Buggy, who was completely immune to that kind of presence, scoffed. "You think that's comforting? An opportunity like that comes once in a lifetime!"
Shanks wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, smiling helplessly. His calm only aggravated Buggy further.
"You still get to laugh! I'll tell you why I got sick this time… it's probably YOUR fault!"
"Huh? Me?" Shanks asked, genuinely surprised. "Why would it be my fault? I'm not a jinx!"
Buggy's face twisted in anger as he shot back. "Don't pretend you don't know! Think about it! Toki got sick just before we reached the place and now I got sick too! Coincidence? I think not!"
Shanks raised his hands defensively. "Well, I still think it's just coincidence. But why blame me?"
Buggy's forehead popped with that familiar rage symbol, and he bellowed, "Are you really this dense or pretending! Don't you have any idea how I ate that Devil Fruit in the first place?!"
"Ohhh, so that's what you were trying to say!" Shanks suddenly recalled. "I thought that happened because you were sneaking around!"
Both pirates immediately fell into their usual bickering rhythm.
They continued back and forth until a familiar voice boomed from outside the cabin.
"Hey! You two brats in there! We're back!"
Shanks and Buggy froze mid‑argue and turned their heads.
"That's Captain Roger!" they said in unison.
Without hesitation, the two of them barreled to the door.
As they reached it, several familiar figures approached from a short distance, led by the smiling Captain Roger himself.
Roger's eyes caught the sight of Shanks' straw hat, and something flickered in his gaze. He lifted his hand in greeting.
"I heard you two yelling from afar, are you at it again?"
===
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