Not long after Saint Garling left the Family territory, the Golden Armored Guards arrived to report to Saint Lloyd.
"Saint Lloyd, Saint Shalria has arrived and is currently waiting in your chambers."
Upon hearing the report, Saint Lloyd immediately made his way toward his chambers.
Before even reaching the doors, he could already hear Shalria's voice drifting from inside.
"Sugar, bring me another plate of those grapes~"
"Here you go."
"Hm, I ran into Saint Garling on the way here. He said Saint Lloyd was already back."
"Huh? Young Master has returned? That's wonderful! Then he must still be with Saint Garling!"
A faint smile formed on Saint Lloyd's face as he listened to the conversation from outside. Without hesitation, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.
In the hall, Shalria was dressed in relaxed attire, seated comfortably on a luxurious sofa. Her fingers were stained with juice as she casually ate premium grapes, each one nearly the size of a ping pong ball. Just as she was about to take another bite, she froze upon seeing Saint Lloyd enter, her mouth forming a surprised "O" shape.
"Saint Lloyd!!"
Her voice rang out clearly.
At the sound, Monet, Boa Hancock, and Nico Robin, who had been in the backyard, immediately rushed in to greet Saint Lloyd upon his return.
Monet stepped forward first, gently removing his Marine Admiral cloak and hanging it neatly by the entrance.
The other women naturally gathered around him without hesitation, surrounding Saint Lloyd at the center.
Within the circle of women, Saint Lloyd casually pulled Monet closer by the waist, drawing her into his side.
"Where are Olvia and Pudding?" he asked calmly.
Robin answered immediately.
"Mother and Pudding went to the library."
Saint Lloyd gave a slight nod, then shifted his gaze to Robin.
"Why did you not accompany them?"
"Compared to the library, I prefer staying here. If I need any books, I can simply ask Mother to bring them back."
Sugar let out a soft chuckle and leaned toward Saint Lloyd's ear.
"Young Master, Sister Robin just does not want Aunt Olvia to see her private collection~"
She did not lower her voice at all.
Robin's expression instantly stiffened, and her face turned slightly red as she shot Sugar a sharp glare.
Sugar, however, immediately put on a pitiful expression and clung to Saint Lloyd like a koala attached to Kuma, pressing herself firmly against his chest.
Monet sighed helplessly, clearly accustomed to her sister's behavior.
"Sugar, you should not ask for mercy when Robin decides to deal with you later."
Sugar stuck out her lips.
"With Young Master here, I am not afraid at all."
Among all the attendants, Sugar was the most openly affectionate toward Saint Lloyd. She always found opportunities to cling to him and act spoiled.
In this timeline, Sugar had never consumed the Hobby Hobby Fruit, so she retained her mature appearance. Her figure was no less developed than Monet's, yet her personality remained childlike, especially in front of Saint Lloyd.
Robin narrowed her eyes, watching Sugar wriggle against Saint Lloyd like a restless child. In her mind, she was already planning a very thorough "lesson" for later, one that would make full use of her Hana Hana no Mi abilities in a practical way.
A faint, almost dangerous smile formed at the corner of her lips.
Saint Lloyd, unbothered, gently patted Sugar's head.
In his other hand, a black flash of energy appeared, and a green pineapple shaped Devil Fruit materialized, its color closely matching Sugar's hair.
The moment it appeared, the room fell silent.
Robin studied it carefully before speaking in surprise.
"This is a Logia type Wind Wind Fruit."
Having grown up within the Figarland Family, Robin had access to the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia stored in their archives. She could instantly recognize its classification.
This Wind Wind Fruit had been recovered by Saint Lloyd after defeating its previous user, Dragon. Any useful ability he encountered was routinely extracted and stored within his dark Bible for later use.
Saint Lloyd looked down at Sugar.
"This Wind Wind Fruit pairs well with Monet's Snow Snow Fruit. Do you want it?"
Sugar's eyes widened immediately.
She understood exactly what a Logia type Devil Fruit represented. Even within its category, the Wind Wind Fruit was considered highly versatile and powerful.
She blinked in confusion.
"Young Master, you want to give this Devil Fruit to me? That feels like a waste…"
Saint Lloyd lightly flicked her forehead.
"It is only a Devil Fruit. There is nothing to waste."
Sugar had been trained under Lucia. She had already mastered five of the Six Styles, lacking only Tekkai, and had awakened both Armament Haki and Observation Haki. In raw combat ability, she was already comparable to a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral.
More importantly, she was one of Saint Lloyd's closest people. For him, a Logia Devil Fruit held no special weight.
Monet gently held Saint Lloyd's arm.
"You have already been given permission. Do not hesitate."
Hearing this, Sugar finally accepted the fruit.
She carefully took it into her hands, then stood on tiptoe and kissed Saint Lloyd on the cheek.
"Thank you, Young Master."
After that, she quickly ran to the table, grabbed a spoon from the fruit plate, and began scooping out a portion of the Devil Fruit flesh.
Her actions caused the others to pause in confusion.
Monet sighed lightly.
"You are supposed to eat it whole. The taste is unbearable otherwise."
Sugar huffed.
"I am not stupid. I remember how badly you reacted back then, Sister. I just made it small so I can swallow it quickly."
She took a deep breath, then swallowed the extracted pulp in one motion.
Almost immediately, her expression twisted.
The taste hit her hard, far worse than she had imagined. Her eyes watered instantly, and she nearly gagged as the bitter, unnatural flavor spread across her mouth.
Tears quickly welled up as she struggled to contain her reaction, proving even someone as bold as Sugar could not escape the infamous taste of a Devil Fruit.
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