Garp raised his fist and shook it threateningly.
"Brat, has it been too long since you tasted my Fist of Love?"
Dragon pushed himself free from the shattered wall. He had intended to continue arguing, but the moment he looked up, he caught a rare hint of tension on Garp's face.
His expression paused.
After a brief silence, Dragon swallowed the words he had been about to say. He let out a quiet sigh, and his face gradually returned to calm.
"Sorry, Father," Dragon said softly. "I had a nightmare. My thoughts were a bit tangled. Don't take what I said earlier seriously."
The moment those words left his mouth, Garp released a long breath of relief. He stepped forward and patted Dragon firmly on the shoulder.
"I figured as much. You took a heavy hit, but you're still young. It's not impossible for you to catch up to Lloyd in the future."
Dragon glanced at him.
"But Lloyd seems younger than me, doesn't he?"
Garp choked for a moment.
"Cough, cough. Lloyd's case is special. He fought the Whitebeard Pirates during his cadet days and spent another year at sea after graduation. It's only natural for his strength to grow faster."
"I see," Dragon replied calmly. "Let's stop talking about him. There's nothing wrong with my body. Let's go back."
Garp nodded approvingly.
"As expected of my son. Tough as nails. Oh right, I almost forgot the good news. Your assessment results are out. Marine Headquarters has promoted you to Rear Admiral. Hahaha, you're almost catching up to me."
Dragon responded with little enthusiasm. The rank of Rear Admiral held no meaning for him.
Garp noticed this but did not think much of it. He himself had never cared about ranks, and it seemed only natural that his son would be the same.
…
Elsewhere, Lloyd had already returned to his office.
The first thing he did was call Marine Headquarters Hospital to inquire about Dragon's condition.
After hearing the report on Dragon's behavior, Lloyd ended the call. A playful, satisfied smile lingered on his face.
After a moment of thought, he picked up another den den mushi.
This time, he dialed Garling.
After a few bururu sounds, Garling's voice came through.
"Lloyd, what is it this time?"
A trace of awkwardness crossed Lloyd's face.
"Uncle Garling, listen to how cold that sounds. Can't I call you if nothing's wrong?"
The den den mushi mimicked Garling's scoff.
"Spare me that. Just say it. People from our family don't waste words."
"Alright," Lloyd replied smoothly. "Uncle Garling, it should almost be time to collect this year's Heavenly Tribute, correct?"
"Hm, about a month from now," Garling said. "Why? Did something catch your interest? I can tell the subordinates to keep an eye out."
"No need. I haven't set my sights on anything yet. There's simply an interesting individual among this year's graduates. I want him to participate in the Heavenly Tribute escort mission."
The annual Heavenly Tribute was a matter of the highest importance.
It required not only CP forces but also a portion of Marine power.
However, the Marines had always treated the escort rather perfunctorily. Otherwise, incidents like the loss of valuable Devil Fruits would never have occurred.
Garling sounded mildly curious.
"Oh? Who is it? That man named Aramaki?"
"No," Lloyd replied. "Monkey D. Dragon. Garp's son."
At the mention of Garp, the den den mushi's expression hardened as Garling narrowed his eyes.
"Him? That man Garp has never been fully aligned with the World Government. His son is unlikely to be much better."
"It seems you're already aware," Lloyd said calmly.
"Hmph. Of course. If not for his strength and his ties to certain Navy higher ups, he would have been eliminated long ago for some of his remarks and actions. The 'D' in his name is particularly irritating."
A low chuckle escaped Lloyd.
"That's precisely why I want Dragon to escort the Heavenly Tribute. Garp has avoided these missions for years by relying on his status. His son doesn't have that privilege. This will put pressure on Garp and allow us to observe Dragon's attitude."
Garling was silent for a moment before replying.
"Very well. I'll have the World Government issue the document. What rank is this Dragon now?"
"Rear Admiral."
"Oh? That's not bad. Still, the Heavenly Tribute is too important. He'll need someone reliable accompanying him."
Lloyd's smile deepened.
"Uncle Garling, I'll personally lead the escort. Is that reliable enough?"
"You're quite diligent," Garling remarked.
Lloyd's tone remained smooth and unhurried.
"The Heavenly Tribute belongs to us. Naturally, I have to keep an eye on it."
"Hm. That attitude reassures me."
After hanging up, Lloyd raised his hand and drew the wine glass from the cabinet toward him. He took out a bottle of red wine, poured it slowly, and watched the crimson liquid swirl inside the glass.
His thoughts returned to the day's assessment, and the smile on his face grew increasingly dangerous.
The Vampire Fruit possessed the ability to plunge its victims into deep sleep. Activation required his fangs to pierce their skin.
Ordinary people struck by this ability would never awaken unless Lloyd chose to release them. Otherwise, they would sleep until death.
More than that, Lloyd could manipulate the dreams of those he put to sleep.
The dream he implanted into Dragon forced him to experience the darkest aspects of the world. As for the source of that darkness, it naturally pointed toward the World Government.
A dream alone would not have caused such a violent reaction.
The true reason it worked so well was that Dragon already harbored subconscious resentment toward the World Government. Lloyd had merely amplified it.
He had defeated Dragon three times, each time striking not just at his body but at his beliefs.
With this final dream, the chances were high that Dragon was already deeply disillusioned with the Navy.
But that was still not enough.
What Lloyd wanted was not for Dragon to resign through proper channels.
He wanted Dragon to defect.
Only then could Lloyd execute justice without restraint.
A strange crimson light flickered through Lloyd's eyes. He drained the wine in a single motion and spoke softly.
"Dragon, can you endure it this time?"
Within a week, an official document from the World Government arrived at Marine Headquarters.
After reading it, Fleet Admiral Kong immediately convened a high level meeting.
When Kong announced that Dragon would be assigned to the Heavenly Tribute escort mission, Garp, who had been laughing moments earlier, froze.
He abruptly stood up.
"What!?" Garp shouted. "Dragon just graduated! Why is the World Government assigning him to the escort mission!?"
This time, Garp was genuinely anxious.
He despised the Celestial Dragons more than anyone. Now his own son was being ordered to collect money for them.
He could not accept it.
Just days earlier, Dragon had already shown disappointment toward the Navy. Garp did not dare imagine how he could convince his son to stay if Dragon were forced to witness the Celestial Dragons' behavior firsthand.