Galette led Stussy to the central area of Whole Cake Island and arranged a room for her to rest before the wedding the next day.
Under Galette's watchful gaze, Stussy openly brought Zero into the room without any attempt to hide their closeness.
After Galette left, the atmosphere inside shifted.
Zero raised his hand and removed his mask, revealing a handsome face and a pair of sharp, golden eyes. It was Lloyd.
Stussy took off her hat and stepped forward without hesitation, wrapping her arms around him.
"Master."
Lloyd's lips curved faintly as he ran his fingers through her soft hair.
"You were quite bold just now. This is Big Mom's territory. You were not worried about exposing yourself?"
Stussy lifted her head slightly, her eyes filled with confidence.
"With Master here, what is there to fear from the Yonko?"
Her gaze drifted toward the window, a knowing smile appearing on her lips.
"Besides, after tomorrow, the Big Mom Pirates may not even exist anymore… isn't that right, Master?"
Lloyd neither confirmed nor denied it. His expression remained unreadable.
"It is still too early to say. Let us go out for a walk later."
This time, Stussy did not immediately agree. She stepped closer, her voice softer, more suggestive.
"Before that, is there not something else you would rather do?"
The room soon fell into a quiet rhythm, the tension between them deepening before gradually fading into silence.
…
By the time the sun began to set, the sky outside was painted in warm colors.
Galette arrived at the door and was about to knock when it opened from the inside.
Stussy and Lloyd stepped out, both fully dressed once more, their masks back in place.
Galette paused briefly, then spoke.
"It is time for dinner. I will take you to the dining hall."
Stussy gave a graceful nod.
"Thank you, Galette."
Galette led the way again.
By the time they reached the dining hall, it was already more than half full.
A large white bird wearing a black top hat flapped its wings enthusiastically upon seeing Stussy. She responded with a polite smile and a nod.
This was Morgans, the man who controlled news and public opinion across the seas. Sitting beside him was his trusted subordinate, known as the Photo King.
Nearby sat Charlotte Praline, a tall woman with octopus-like features, who was attending to them.
The remaining rulers of the underworld were also present.
Feld, the loan shark.
Umit, the king of maritime transport.
Giberson, the smuggler.
And finally, Pieklo, seated slightly apart from the others, the man who ruled over the world's largest assassination network.
Unlike the others, Pieklo had no interest in influence or strategy. He only cared about killing for a price, which placed him outside their circle.
Pieklo himself seemed completely unconcerned, calmly wiping the blade of his massive scythe.
Beside him sat Charlotte Poire, Galette's younger sister, whose eerie appearance resembled a slit-mouthed woman.
When Galette arrived, Poire quickly moved away from Pieklo, clearly uncomfortable with him. She took a seat beside her sister instead.
Compared to Galette's composed demeanor, Poire was far more outgoing. After exchanging a few words with Galette, she turned her attention to Stussy and began chatting enthusiastically.
She showed particular interest in the Pleasure District and its various industries, occasionally speaking in suggestive tones.
Galette, listening from the side, rubbed her forehead in mild exasperation. Her gaze then shifted to Lloyd, who had remained silent the entire time.
After a moment, she stood and moved to sit beside him.
Lloyd turned his head slightly, meeting her gaze.
Through the mask, Galette caught a fleeting glimpse of golden light in his eyes before it vanished.
She froze for a brief moment.
By the time she recovered, Lloyd had already looked away.
That single glance, however, had piqued her interest.
Resting her chin on her hand, she nudged him lightly.
"Hey, what is your name?"
Lloyd's voice was low and steady.
"Zero."
Galette frowned slightly.
"I meant your real name. Who actually calls themselves Zero?"
Lloyd remained silent.
Galette leaned in closer, unwilling to give up.
"You are quite bold for a bodyguard. Take off your mask and let me see."
Lloyd did not respond. Instead, he simply turned his head away, dismissing her completely.
That reaction only fueled Galette's interest further.
She reached out to remove his mask, but before she could touch it, Lloyd raised his hand and knocked hers away.
The sharp sound echoed faintly.
Galette stared at the back of her reddened hand, momentarily stunned.
She had not expected someone in Stussy's position to dare lay a hand on a member of the Charlotte Family.
Poire blinked in surprise, clearly caught off guard by Lloyd's actions.
Stussy's expression, however, turned cold.
"Galette, please mind your behavior. Zero is not just my bodyguard. He is the person closest to me."
Galette's brows furrowed. She knew she had overstepped slightly, but being spoken to like this ignited her temper.
Before she could respond, a heavy presence suddenly settled across from Lloyd.
A large figure sat down without invitation.
It was Pieklo.
Stussy, Galette, and Poire all paused.
Pieklo ignored them completely. His attention was fixed entirely on Lloyd.
His half-covered face tilted slightly as he stared, his tongue briefly running across his lips.
"What a strong killing intent…"
His voice was rough, filled with interest.
"Kid, how about working for me?"
◇ I'll drop one bonus chapter for every 10 reviews
(Leave a review/comment)
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100
Power Stones.
◇ Read 80 | 100 chapters ahead on [email protected]/_Zeph