Now that Carl had taken the Empty Throne, he had essentially become the one who ruled over all the laws of the world. But this wasn't the kind of law written by men—fragile and illusory, relying on power to enforce. No, what Carl held was something different: real, tangible rules. A fundamental force that governed all things that existed.
Something like teleportation, which was once a feat beyond the reach of others, had become as easy as breathing for Carl. He didn't even need to rely on Devil Fruit's power anymore.
To Kalifa, it felt like her vision blurred for just a second—then, the next moment, she was already inside Carl's private chambers with him.
What surprised Carl was that, in the vast palace hall, only Lily was present. Monet and the others were nowhere to be seen.
But with just a light touch of his senses, Carl instantly understood where they were. Monet and the others were currently having fun in the backyard pool.
Laughter and chatter from the women drifted into his ears, and Carl's lips curled into a smile.
Lily, seeing Carl suddenly appear, was momentarily stunned. But then she calmly placed a plump, crimson holy maiden fruit into her mouth and said softly,
"You're back."
Her tone was like that of a wife welcoming her husband home. As for the woman in Carl's arms—Kalifa—Lily didn't even spare her a glance.
Don't be fooled by how Lily often acted like a "woman" in front of Carl. Deep down, she was still the same Imu, the one who had ruled the world for over eight hundred years.
Aside from Carl, no one else was even worth her attention.
Kalifa's eyes widened the moment she saw Lily. Even though she herself was often called a beauty, she was still struck by Lily's godlike appearance. But it wasn't just Lily's looks—it was the noble, almost divine aura she radiated that truly stunned her.
Curiously observing Lily sitting on the sofa, Kalifa thought to herself,
"Who is she? Is she Carl-sama's woman? Of course… only a woman like her would be worthy of Carl-sama..."
With her background, Kalifa naturally had no idea who Lily really was. She didn't know that this woman had been the ruler of the world just a few days ago—someone whom even the Five Elders had to kneel before like old mutts.
Carl smiled slightly, held Kalifa close, and walked slowly toward the sofa, sitting down right next to Lily. Kalifa, too, pressed close and sat on his other side.
Lily didn't react to Carl's intimacy—she was already used to it. She didn't even try to move away. Instead, she picked up another holy maiden fruit and naturally brought it to Carl's lips.
Carl opened his mouth and took in the fruit—along with Lily's soft, pale fingertips.
Lily's cheeks turned rosy. Despite having lived for more than eight centuries, she had little experience with flirtation. She was no match for Carl in that arena.
She quickly pulled her fingers back, giving him a playful glare.
"Were you trying to eat me along with it?"
Carl casually draped an arm over Lily's shoulder and laughed.
"What's wrong? It's fine for you to eat me, but I'm not allowed to eat you?"
Lily raised an eyebrow, then frowned slightly.
"What are you talking about? When have I ever eaten you?"
Seeing that she had taken the bait, Carl smiled meaningfully and cast a glance between Lily's smooth, round thighs.
Lily instantly got the message. Her face flushed deep red, and she reached out to pinch Carl's thigh in embarrassment.
"Stop bringing that up!"
She didn't hold back either, but for someone with a monster-like body like Carl, it felt like little more than a tickle. Rather than scolding her, he found her even more adorable.
After all, seeing a woman who once stood at the peak of the world act like this was just too irresistibly cute—even Carl couldn't help but reach out and pinch Lily's cheek.
That finally set her off.
Lily crushed a holy maiden fruit in her hand and, with red juice dripping down her fingers, smeared it straight onto Carl's face. Carl wasn't about to back down either—he retaliated immediately.
Thus, these two mighty figures—the man among men and the woman among women—ended up goofing around on the sofa like a couple of playful kids.
Kalifa, completely ignored and left like a third wheel, could only sit there dumbfounded as she watched. Her heart quietly sighed: Carl-sama really was different from the rumors—so unlike those Celestial Dragons.
After all, those men treated even their own women like tools. They never saw them as people, let alone treated them this... gently.
"Carl-sama is such a gentle man..." she couldn't help but think.
...
After a bit of roughhousing, Carl and Lily sat upright again as if nothing had happened, both sipping tea gracefully—surprisingly in sync.
Even Kalifa, with all her training as a professional agent, had to fight hard to keep from laughing at the contrast.
Lily gently placed her teacup on the table and glanced down at her now-disheveled black dress. The fabric around her chest was completely torn, revealing a large expanse of snowy white skin.
She pouted, and with a thought, the dress began to shimmer and flow like liquid. In the blink of an eye, it was restored to pristine condition—an act that left Kalifa quietly stunned.
Carl casually remarked,
"It looked much better the way it was. Why fix it?"
Lily rolled her eyes.
"That's what you think. I thought it looked awful!"
Carl smirked.
"Sounds like you're asking for trouble again, huh?"
"You..."
Lily glared at him, ready to snap back. But when her eyes met Carl's dangerous gaze, her momentum instantly faltered. In the end, she just gave a small "hmph" and mumbled,
"You always bully me... Fine. I brought this on myself..."
Carl leaned in, whispering near her ear,
"What, feeling sorry for yourself now? Don't tell me you actually miss that jail-like life you used to have?"
Lily pursed her lips.
"Hmph, at least back then you were respectful. And look at you now... That little girl Robin was right—men really do change faster than you can flip a page."
...
Hearing that, Carl was momentarily speechless.
Robin, huh... I'll have to make time to teach that girl a lesson. She's been reading way too much nonsense. What kind of slander is this?!
Just as Carl was thinking of how to "re-educate" Robin, Lily gave a sideways glance at Kalifa, who had practically turned into an ostrich at Carl's side. She said dryly,
"Weren't you supposed to bring your little brother back? How did you end up bringing home her?"