Inside a small house on the outskirts of Spring Queen City, Lucci leaned against the headboard while casually flipping through a newspaper.
His upper body was wrapped in bandages, exposing a muscular frame covered in scars and bruises. Beside his knee sat a white pigeon with its eyes closed, softly cooing while perched on a cup.
Tick.
Tick.
The wall clock continued moving steadily.
Lucci glanced at the time before tossing the newspaper onto the bedside table.
Raising his hand, he gently stroked the pigeon near him.
Its name was Hattori, the companion he had raised since childhood.
Hattori opened its eyes and tilted its head toward Lucci.
Lucci pointed toward the black suit hanging beside the door. Hattori immediately understood and flew over, grabbing the suit with its beak before bringing it back.
For a pigeon, its strength was absurdly impressive.
Lucci stepped off the bed and took the suit from Hattori. He casually draped it over his shoulders, but even such a simple movement caused a dull ache to spread through his body.
His brows tightened slightly.
Hattori landed on Lucci's shoulder and cooed worriedly.
Lucci shook his head gently, signaling that he was fine, but the concern in his eyes remained.
He was worried about Blueno and the others.
Under normal circumstances, they should have returned long ago.
As a former CP9 agent, Lucci trusted his instincts completely. Anything unusual usually meant danger.
Blueno and the others had most likely encountered trouble.
There was even a chance they had run into agents sent by the World Government to eliminate them.
During this period of hiding together, the coldness within Lucci had gradually softened because of his companions.
He absolutely could not stand by and watch them fall into danger.
Even if going out in his current condition was practically suicide.
Lucci tightened the suit around himself and prepared to leave the room.
However, the moment he reached the doorway, he suddenly stopped.
His ears twitched slightly.
Someone had arrived outside the house.
As the user of the Cat Cat Fruit, Model Leopard, Lucci possessed senses far beyond ordinary people.
Through the sound of footsteps alone, he could tell Blueno and the others had returned.
But there was also another unfamiliar set of footsteps among them.
Blueno and the others would never casually bring outsiders to the place where he was recovering.
Just as Lucci considered hiding temporarily to assess the situation, Kalifa's voice suddenly sounded from outside.
"Saint Lloyd, this is where we've been staying."
The instant Lucci heard the name "Saint Lloyd," his entire body froze.
Blood rushed violently through his veins, and his mind went blank.
Click.
The door slowly opened.
Blueno, who had opened it, immediately stared at Lucci standing stiffly in the doorway.
"Lucci? What are you doing standing there?"
Kaku quickly stepped forward and waved his hand in front of Lucci's face.
Only then did Lucci finally recover from his daze.
Then he saw Lloyd standing behind everyone.
Thud!
Without hesitation, Lucci dropped heavily to his knees.
Blueno and the others widened their eyes in alarm.
"It's over," Jabra muttered internally.
"All those injuries healed for nothing."
Yet Lucci showed no sign of pain.
Lowering his head deeply, he shouted with absolute reverence,
"Saint Lloyd!"
Even Blueno and the others, who had known Lucci for years, had never seen him behave like this before.
It was difficult to imagine someone as cold and ruthless as Lucci displaying such fanaticism.
This was no longer the attitude of a subordinate greeting a superior.
It resembled a believer standing before his god.
The reason was simple.
Lucci had always pursued what he called Dark Justice.
And Lloyd perfectly embodied everything Lucci believed in.
Absolute authority.
Absolute power.
Absolute control.
To Lucci, Lloyd was the ultimate existence born from both the World Government and justice itself.
At that moment, Lucci even forgot he was technically still a fugitive.
Lloyd himself seemed slightly surprised by Lucci's reaction.
Kalifa and the others silently stepped aside as Lloyd walked toward him.
Looking down at the bandages covering Lucci's back, Lloyd bent slightly and pressed a finger against them.
Lucci's body instantly trembled.
In the next moment, he felt his blood begin flowing violently throughout his body. Heat surged through his limbs, causing his skin to flush red.
"Ugh..."
A low groan escaped Lucci's mouth.
Before he could understand what was happening, Lloyd had already withdrawn his finger.
A faint crimson glow flickered briefly at Lloyd's fingertip before disappearing entirely.
Lloyd calmly asked,
"How are your injuries now?"
Lucci lowered his head.
Shock filled his eyes.
Seeing Lucci remain silent, Kaku hurriedly nudged him.
"Lucci! Saint Lloyd is talking to you!"
Lucci snapped back to reality and quickly replied,
"I feel much better, I..."
"If you're fine, then stand up."
Lucci immediately stopped talking and rose to his feet.
Then he tore away the bandages wrapped around his body.
As the bandages fell to the floor, dried scabs scattered alongside them.
Blueno and the others stared in disbelief.
Lucci moved his shoulders and clenched his fists tightly.
A powerful feeling he had not experienced in a long time surged through him.
His muscles instantly tightened and expanded with strength.
Jabra's eyes widened.
"Lucci... your injuries healed already? Since when?"
Lucci looked down at his own body in disbelief.
"Just now..."
Lloyd let out a faint chuckle.
"Blueno and the others took care of you well. Your injuries were already close to recovery. There was only stagnant blood left inside your body. I simply helped clear it out."
After speaking, Lloyd walked past Lucci and entered the house.
His gaze casually swept across the small interior.
"The place is arranged decently, but it's too cramped."
Blueno rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.
"Saint Lloyd... we really don't have much money right now. Renting a place like this on the outskirts is already difficult enough. Aside from Kalifa and Lucci having separate rooms, the rest of us sleep outside on the sofas."
Fukurou immediately puffed out his chest proudly.
"I even act as everyone's pillow!"
Hearing that, Lloyd shook his head with amusement.
"You've been receiving salaries from both the World Government and Water 7 for years. Where did all your money go?"
Blueno answered honestly,
"We left Water 7 too suddenly back then and couldn't bring much with us."
As he spoke, regret appeared all over his face.
If he had known things would turn out this way, he would have stuffed all his belongings inside his Door-Door Space beforehand.
Lloyd crossed his arms while looking at them thoughtfully.
"So that's how it is."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"Then tell me, do you intend to return with me?"
The room instantly fell silent.
Lloyd continued indifferently,
"After all, your mission was never completed, was it?"
===
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