Receiving Saint Shalria's direct and passionate answer, Lloyd reached out and gently took her hand, drawing her closer to him.
This time, Saint Shalria no longer hesitated. She carefully leaned against Lloyd's shoulder, her entire body trembling slightly from excitement.
Lloyd spoke softly.
"I accept this marriage."
Her eyes widened instantly.
Saint Shalria abruptly raised her head and looked at Lloyd, her face filled with disbelief and overwhelming joy.
Lloyd continued.
"However, Saint Shalria, you cannot become the principal wife. Can you accept that?"
She froze.
After lowering her head, Saint Shalria remained silent for several moments before finally speaking in a quiet voice.
"Saint Lloyd, may I know who will become the principal wife?"
"Lucia."
The answer did not surprise her.
During this period, through her interactions with Monet and the others, Saint Shalria had already understood Lucia's place in Lloyd's heart. If anyone were to stand beside him as his principal wife, it could only be Lucia.
As a World Noble, it was impossible for Saint Shalria not to feel a trace of disappointment. Yet it was equally impossible for her to abandon her desire to marry Lloyd because of this.
Since birth, she had possessed nearly everything imaginable.
Status.
Wealth.
Authority.
Beauty.
Yet after meeting Lloyd, she had finally discovered something she genuinely wished to pursue.
Marrying Lloyd had become her goal, and she had devoted herself entirely to it. Compared to that dream, being unable to become the principal wife was merely a small regret.
Taking a deep breath, Saint Shalria raised her head and met Lloyd's eyes.
Her gaze was firm and unwavering.
"Saint Lloyd, I do not need the position of principal wife. I only want to marry you."
The moment those words left her lips, she felt an enormous weight disappear from her heart.
A faint smile appeared on Lloyd's face.
He raised his hand and gently caressed her smooth cheek.
"Very well. From this day onward, you are my fiancée."
Saint Shalria's eyes curved into beautiful crescents as she nodded vigorously.
"Mm."
Seeing this, Monet and the others simultaneously spoke.
"Shalria-sama."
Saint Shalria was momentarily stunned.
This was the first time they had addressed her with such respect.
When she realized what it meant, an overwhelming sense of happiness surged through her heart. She finally felt that her place within the Figarland household had truly changed.
However, she did not become arrogant because of it.
Instead, she hurriedly waved her hands.
"You don't need to call me that. In this house, only Saint Lloyd deserves such treatment."
Saint Shalria had long realized that Monet and the others were equally important to Lloyd.
Among them, Monet had already entrusted herself entirely to him.
The reason Saint Shalria had become Lloyd's fiancée was largely because of her World Noble bloodline. Furthermore, without Saint Garling's support, Lloyd would likely never have cared about her noble status at all.
She understood clearly that emotionally, she still could not compare to Monet and the others.
After all, they had grown up beside Lloyd.
Their bond with him was much deeper than hers.
If she attempted to suppress them merely because of her position as fiancée, it would only earn Lloyd's displeasure. Moreover, she genuinely got along with them and had long abandoned the arrogance with which she once viewed ordinary people.
Leaving behind the corrupt environment of many World Nobles in Mariejois had allowed Saint Shalria to mature rapidly.
Her actions at that moment also earned Lloyd's approval.
A trace of satisfaction appeared in his eyes.
He turned toward Monet.
"Monet, arrange for several servants to prepare another room."
Monet nodded.
She glanced at Saint Shalria before asking softly,
"Young Master, is the room being prepared for Shalria?"
Lloyd smiled slightly.
"That's right. Saint Shalria, from now on, if you wish to stay here overnight, you may use the room that has been prepared for you."
Saint Shalria's face instantly turned red.
The happiness she felt nearly caused her to lose consciousness.
Seeing her reaction, Monet could not help but laugh softly. She waved her hand, allowing several snowflakes to drift onto Saint Shalria's warm forehead and cool her down.
Lloyd then patted Sugar, who remained in his arms.
"Alright, Sugar. You can go now. I need to return to Marine Headquarters to arrange the military deployment."
Sugar immediately jumped off the sofa and cheerfully said,
"Young Master, go handle your work. I'll help the sisters decorate Saint Shalria's room."
Lloyd smiled and lightly pinched Sugar's soft cheek.
Moments later, his body transformed into a dark vortex.
The swirling darkness gradually vanished into the air.
After Lloyd departed, Saint Shalria immediately rose from the sofa before Monet could even speak.
"Hurry! Hurry! Monet, let me help decorate the room. I'm staying here tonight!"
Deep within her heart, Saint Shalria had already formed her own plan.
Once the room was prepared, she could naturally stay the night.
As for whether she actually slept in that room, that was another matter entirely.
Marineford.
Using Kamui, Lloyd returned directly to his office.
He first summoned Lucia before issuing an order to gather all senior officers of Marine Headquarters for an emergency meeting.
After receiving the command, Akainu and the other officers quickly assembled in the conference room.
Once everyone had arrived, Lloyd announced the decision to deploy troops to the Red Line for defensive operations.
The news immediately shocked everyone present.
Akainu slightly furrowed his brow and looked toward Lloyd, who sat at the head of the table.
"Celestial Marshal, what happened?"
Lloyd folded his arms.
His voice remained steady.
"Straw Hat Luffy, who escaped from East Blue previously, has now gained control of Zunesha. That giant elephant stands tens of thousands of meters tall. According to our intelligence, he is likely planning to lead Zou toward the Red Line."
"Nani!?"
The entire conference room erupted.
Smoke rose from Akainu's hands as his expression darkened.
"So this has happened... Monkey D. Luffy..."
Lloyd corrected him immediately.
"He is no longer Monkey D. Luffy."
"He is Joy Boy, a failure from eight hundred years ago who has returned to this era."
The historical text, Genesis of the Celestial Dragons, compiled by Olvia and distributed worldwide under the authority of the World Government, had already spread throughout the seas.
The initial publication deliberately omitted the later sections concerning Lloyd himself.
Nevertheless, countless readers had gained a deeper understanding of the events that occurred eight hundred years ago.
The officers gathered in the conference room had naturally read the work.
As a result, every one of them understood exactly who Joy Boy was.
He was the world's first pirate.
The origin of piracy itself.
The source of countless disasters that had plagued the seas for eight centuries.
And now, that ancient enemy had returned.
===
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