In a small house, Lucci leaned against the headboard, casually flipping through a newspaper.
His upper body was bare, wrapped in bandages. A white pigeon rested on a cup atop his knee, eyes closed, cooing softly.
The clock on the wall ticked rhythmically. Lucci glanced at it before setting the newspaper down on the nightstand.
He reached out to stroke the pigeon on his knee—his longtime pet, Hattori.
Hattori opened his eyes and tilted his head at Lucci. At Lucci's gesture toward a black suit hanging by the door, Hattori immediately understood, flying over to fetch it. For a pigeon, this strength was impressive.
Lucci got out of bed, draping the suit over his shoulders. Even this simple movement made his muscles and bones ache, causing him to frown slightly.
Hattori landed on Lucci's shoulder, cooing in concern. Lucci shook his head, signaling that he was fine, though a trace of worry flashed in his eyes.
He was concerned about Burūno and the others.
At this time of day, they should have returned long ago.
As a former CP9 agent, Lucci believed that anomalies always indicated danger. Burūno and the others must have encountered trouble—possibly even agents sent to capture them.
After spending so much time with them, Lucci's cold heart had already softened. There was no way he would sit idly by while they faced danger.
Even if, in his current state, going out would likely mean walking into death.
Tightening the suit around himself, Lucci prepared to leave in search of them.
Just as he reached the door, he suddenly stopped, his ears twitching. He sensed a group of people arriving outside.
Thanks to his Cat-Cat Fruit model, his perception was naturally heightened.
From the footsteps, Lucci recognized Burūno and the others—but there was also an unfamiliar presence.
Burūno and the others would never bring outsiders to his recovery hideout. As he debated whether to hide and observe, Kalifa's voice rang out.
"Carl-sama, this is our residence."
Hearing "Carl-sama," Lucci felt his blood surge. His mind went blank, and his body froze at the door.
With a soft click, the door opened. Burūno, who had been about to enter, was startled to see Lucci standing there, stunned.
"Lucci? What are you doing here?" Burūno exclaimed.
Kaku quickly stepped forward, waving a hand in front of Lucci's face. Only then did Lucci snap back to reality—and immediately, his gaze locked onto Carl at the back.
The next second, with a heavy "thud," Lucci fell to his knees. Burūno and the others were wide-eyed, thinking,
"Damn, all that treatment was wasted!"
But Lucci's expression showed no pain. He bowed his head and spoke loudly.
"Carl-sama!"
Even those who had been with Lucci for years had never seen him like this.
It was hard to believe that a man like Lucci would show such fervent devotion—this wasn't the reaction of a subordinate to a superior.
The reason was simple: to Lucci, Carl was the embodiment of his faith.
Aside from his loyalty to the World Government, Lucci had always followed the path of dark justice.
And Carl was the perfect fusion of both.
Seeing Carl in person was no different from a devout believer meeting their god.
For a moment, he even forgot that he was a fugitive.
Carl hadn't expected such a strong reaction. Kalifa and the others instinctively stepped aside, watching as Carl walked up to Lucci.
Glancing at the bandages on Lucci's back, Carl slightly bent down, extending a finger and pressing it against the wounds.
Lucci's body trembled. A moment later, he felt his blood flow accelerating, his face flushing red.
"Ugh…"
Lucci let out an involuntary groan. Before he could comprehend what was happening, Carl's finger had already lifted from his back.
A faint red glow flickered at Carl's fingertip before fading. He then spoke to the kneeling Lucci.
"How's the injury?"
Lowering his head, Lucci's face was filled with shock that no one could see.
Seeing his lack of response, Kaku hurriedly prompted him.
"Lucci, Carl-sama is asking you a question!"
Lucci snapped back to reality and quickly answered,
"I feel much better. I…"
"If you're better, then get up."
Lucci immediately shut his mouth and stood up, pulling off his bandages.
As the bandages came away, scabs flaked off onto the floor.
Burūno and the others watched in astonishment as Lucci moved his body. A long-lost ease washed over him. Clenching his fists, his muscles swelled instantly.
Seeing this, Jabra couldn't help but ask,
"Lucci, your injuries are healed? When did that happen?"
Lucci examined his body in disbelief and replied,
"Just now…"
Carl chuckled.
"Burūno and the others took good care of you. Your wounds were mostly healed, but there was still some internal congestion. I simply cleared it up for you."
With that, Carl walked past Lucci into the house, casually glancing around before remarking,
"The room is well-arranged, but it's a bit small."
Burūno rubbed his hands awkwardly and replied,
"Carl-sama, we were short on money, so we could only afford this small place on the outskirts. Aside from Kalifa and Lucci, the rest of us sleep on the couches…"
The ever-naïve Fukurou patted his chest proudly.
"I'm the pillow for everyone!"
Carl shook his head with an amused smile.
"You guys were collecting double salaries from the World Government and Water 7, weren't you? So where did all your money go?"
Burūno answered honestly,
"We left it all in Water 7. We had to leave in a hurry and couldn't bring much with us."
At this, Burūno's face filled with regret. If only he had stored all their money inside his Door-Door Space beforehand!
Carl crossed his arms and looked at Kalifa and the others with interest.
"I see. Then, do you want to go back with me? Your mission isn't finished yet, is it?"
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+230 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg