One Piece: Starting in God Valley as a Slave

Hearing that the visitor was Saturn, Carl and Garling exchanged glances. Then Garling calmly said,

"Everyone, leave us."

"Yes." Carlos immediately turned with Jona and left without lingering a second longer.

Carl stroked Sugar's small head before helping her down and said to Monet,

"You too should go and let Jona show you around."

Monet and her sister nodded obediently, then hurried out of the hall.

After they left, Carl turned to Garling,

"Uncle Garling, do you think Saturn is here because of Rosward?"

Garling thought for a moment and replied, "I doubt it. With his connections to our family, he's unlikely to get involved over someone like Rosward. If it were Warcury, though, I'd think otherwise."

"Heh, speaking of that old man Warcury, he has been unusually quiet since last time."

"Indeed, but we shouldn't underestimate him. He's full of schemes and could resurface to trouble us at any moment."

"Hmph. One of these days, I'll take him down."

"No need to waste too much energy on him. He's lived centuries, yet he's still stuck at that level. Just a washed-up failure."

"You're right."

...

In the guest hall, Saturn sat comfortably, occasionally sipping the hot tea that the servants brought. When Carl and Garling arrived, he set down his cup and gave a casual wave of greeting.

The three of them, being old acquaintances, exchanged brief pleasantries before Saturn got straight to the point. Looking at Carl with a solemn expression, he said,

"Saint Carl, I have to bring you with me tomorrow. Lord Imu wishes to meet you."

Upon hearing this, both Carl and Garling frowned, their expressions strikingly similar, which caused Saturn a moment of bewilderment. To be honest, if he hadn't collected Carl's blood sample at birth, he might have doubted Carl's lineage with Garling's resemblance so striking.

Meanwhile, Carl was nothing like his biological father, Darian, whose odd personality made him an outlier in the Figarland family history—a fact that removed Darian from the family records.

Just as Saturn's thoughts wandered, Carl suddenly asked, "Saint Saturn, why does Lord Imu want to meet me?"

Saturn returned to the present, responding, "Lord Imu simply said he wishes to meet you. You'll understand once you see him."

Carl fell silent for a moment, then smiled and replied,

"Of course. I've been curious about the world ruler, Lord Imu."

Garling shot Carl a look, folding his arms without saying a word.

Seeing Carl agree, Saturn stood up. "Then tomorrow morning, I'll come by to take you to meet Lord Imu." With that, Saturn headed toward the door, and Garling and Carl saw him off at the Figarland estate entrance.

At the gate, Saturn's guards were waiting, and they immediately approached when they saw him. However, Saturn raised a hand to stop them. Turning to Carl, he said,

"Don't worry. You have the Figarland family and the Knights of God backing you. Lord Imu holds no ill will toward you."

Garling raised an eyebrow, "Saint Saturn, shouldn't that be my line?"

Saturn smiled slightly, "Consider it an offhand comment." He paused briefly. "After all, we're family."

Carl folded his arms, suddenly asking, "Saint Saturn, when you say 'family,' does that include Lord Imu as well?"

Saturn gave Carl a deep look and replied, "Yes, Saint Carl. I only mean to remind you that no matter what conflicts arise among us, there's always a line that won't be crossed—it will never come to life or death."

Carl and Garling both glanced at Saturn in surprise. Realizing he may have said too much, Saturn refrained from speaking further, merely repeating that he'd return in the morning, and left under the protection of his guards.

Once Saturn and his entourage disappeared down the road, Garling turned to Carl and said,

"It's your first time meeting Lord Imu. Don't be nervous. Otherwise, you'll embarrass our family."

Carl rolled his eyes.

"Uncle Garling, was I nervous when I met you for the first time? Back then, you gave me quite the welcoming intimidation!"

"I was testing you. Besides, didn't you awaken your Conqueror's Haki that day?"

"Tch! You didn't expect me to awaken it, Uncle Garling. You just wanted to scare me and establish your unclely authority!"

"You brat! You're asking for it!"

"Try it, if you dare!"

Garling laughed, then swept his gaze across the nearby guards, who immediately averted their eyes, feigning ignorance. Once Garling disappeared in a flash, the guards finally glanced at each other, each resuming their patrol without another word.

Carl returned to the entrance of his quarters, only to hear a low conversation from the nearby courtyard. His brows raised, and he melted into the shadows.

In a distant courtyard, Jona and Carlos stood facing each other, their expressions both somewhat awkward.

Jona bit her lip and said softly, "Captain Carlos, it's late. You should go back..."

Carlos nodded, "Yes, it is getting late. Um, Jona, I wasn't ignoring you today on purpose. Lord Garling and Young Master were both present, after all."

"I know, Captain Carlos. I'm just a maid, there's no reason for you to pay special attention to me!"

Carlos quickly waved his hand, blurting out, "That's not it. I've never thought of you as just a maid."

Jona blinked in surprise. "Then how do you see me?"

Carlos's gaze shifted. "Well... I see you normally, like anyone."

With that, the air turned unbearably awkward. Even Carl, who'd been eavesdropping with his Vampire Fruit's invisibility, felt embarrassed on Carlos's behalf.

Yes, Carl had been hiding nearby, watching them with his stealth ability. Though Carlos was strong, he hadn't noticed Carl's presence—a feat that had even caught Garp off guard in the past.

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+185 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg