One Piece: Starting in God Valley as a Slave

As Carl was awkwardly wishing he could disappear into the ground, a voice rang out beside him.

"Carlos, with that bumbling look, you're really leading the First Division?"

Carlos was startled, instantly activating Armament Haki, turning his skin dark as he instinctively prepared to defend. But he quickly realized—that was the Young Master's voice!

Jona had already recognized him. She now looked flustered, as if she'd been caught doing something mischievous, her face filled with panic as she stood there, unsure of what to do.

With a mischievous grin, Carl emerged from the shadows, tilting his head and teasing,

"Well, well, looks like I've caught a pair of sneaky cats."

As Carl appeared, Carlos and Jona's expressions changed, and they immediately knelt.

"Young Master!"

With an amused smirk, Carl looked down at them, saying,

"Oh? Are you two really worshipping the heavens and earth before me? I'm not sure I'm worthy of that honor."

Carlos swallowed nervously and, before he knew it, blurted out, "You are our heavens, Young Master!"

Jona looked at Carlos, astonished, thinking,

You've got a silver tongue now, huh? Where was that smooth talk when you were with me just now?

Even Carl was caught off guard by Carl's unexpected declaration. He had originally intended to intimidate the pair a bit, but Carlos's remark made him laugh instead, completely dissolving any tension.

He waved his hand, signaling Carlos and Jona to rise, though both hesitated, too intimidated to move.

Carl chuckled, "It's just a romance, what are you afraid of?"

Carlos answered in a low voice, "Young Master, I've left my post without permission, which is against the rules."

"Well, at least you're honest."

"I wouldn't dare deceive you, Young Master!"

Carlos's tone was nothing but earnest, and Jona also admitted her mistake, following Carlos's lead.

Carl stroked his chin and asked, "Have you told Saint Garling about the two of you?"

Carlos replied honestly, "Not yet. I was planning to wait until our relationship was confirmed before speaking with Saint Garling."

His words were practically a confession. Hearing this, Jona blushed deeply, sneaking a glance at Carlos.

Carl wasn't one to break up a couple, and seeing the scene, he said,

"Alright, Carlos. Go report to uncle Garling about this later. Don't forget you're still the First Division's captain."

With that, Carl vanished, leaving Carlos and Jona staring at each other in surprise.

Returning to his quarters, Carl turned his wrist, and a bright red melon appeared in his hand. It was the Heat-Heat Fruit he'd obtained from Charlotte Oven, a potent Devil Fruit of the Paramecia class.

He had considered giving this Heat-Heat Fruit to Carlos, especially given Carlos's loyalty to the Figarland family. But simply handing it over seemed too hasty, he wanted to observe Carl further.

Storing the fruit, Carl approached his bedroom door. But as he opened it, two startled cries rang out from within.

Upon closer inspection, he found Monet and Sugar in his room. Both were barefoot, with pale, dainty feet. Monet stood near the wardrobe, wiping it down with a white towel, while a thin layer of frost clung to the surface. Sugar knelt on the floor with a towel in hand, a light sheen of sweat on her fair forehead.

Carl's silent approach had caught the two off guard.

Realizing it was Carl, Monet quickly bowed. "Young Master, you've returned."

Sugar followed her sister's lead and repeated the gesture.

Carl nodded, taking in the room's immaculate state. The place was noticeably cleaner, with some surfaces polished to a shine. It wasn't that previous maids had slacked, but Monet's Snow-Snow Fruit gave her a unique advantage in cleanliness.

After a moment of silence, Monet began to worry. She bit her lip, whispering,

"Young Master, I apologize. We're still a bit inexperienced, so we were a bit slow…" She had been cleaning at a good pace, but Carl had returned earlier than expected, and his quarters were vast, dwarfing even the main hall of a typical home.

Sugar glanced at Carl with a timid look, then quietly went back to wiping the floor, though she accidentally stepped on a small patch of frost, causing her to slip straight toward the bed leg.

In a flash, Carl caught Sugar, gently patting her on the head. "Little one, who told you to come clean? You know how small you are."

Sugar pouted, looking down with a hint of embarrassment.

Monet quickly explained, "Young Master, Sugar thought it'd be too tiring for me to do it alone, so she wanted to help."

Zephyr nodded in understanding, tapping Sugar's nose lightly. "Oh, I see. Then I owe you an apology, little Sugar."

With that, he magically produced a bunch of grapes, and Sugar's eyes lit up with excitement.

With a slight smile, Carl set Sugar on the bed, placing the grapes in her lap.

"This is a reward for good behavior. Go on, eat."

Turning to Monet, Carl spoke as if he were a father figure, saying gently,

"From now on, don't worry about cleaning. You two are still young. I'll arrange for a tutor tomorrow. Focus on your studies for now."

At this stage, education was indeed the most important thing for the sisters.

Monet gazed at Carl, her heartbeat quickening, feeling something she couldn't quite describe. She recalled what Jona had mentioned about Carl's powers, how he wielded the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit. But to her, Carl seemed more like a radiant sun, shining so brightly it nearly melted her frosty heart.

A wave of drowsiness hit Carl, and he let out a yawn, his eyelids drooping.

"Alright, the room's plenty clean. You two go rest, and come wake me up early tomorrow."

With that, he lay back on his bed and drifted straight to sleep.

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+185 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg