Splashing water landed on Lloyd's face, and he suddenly coughed violently. His cheeks flushed red, and faint steam rose from his skin, as though his blood had boiled.
Ivan and the others rushed over. Ivan supported Lloyd and said, "Lloyd, are you okay? Your body …"
Lloyd took a moment to steady himself, then unbuttoned his shirt. Over his chest, the skin was covered in crisscrossed scars and old stitch marks — deeply unsettling. His entire torso glowed crimson, especially around the heart, as if a red sun had burned into his flesh.
On the surface, his appearance resembled Luffy's Gear Second state. But unlike Luffy, who exudes vigor and speed when he activates Gear Second, Lloyd transformed into something fragile — like a deflated balloon, utterly drained.
This happened whenever he was emotionally stirred or pushed his body too hard. Clearly, it was a flaw inherited from his original body. Judging by the scars and the different clothes he wore — unlike the other slaves — his former life must have been far from ordinary.
But Lloyd had no recollection of those past memories. He didn't know how or why he carried this curse.
Swearing under his breath, he thought, "Not only do I lack a 'golden finger' cheat, but I've got a TM-Debuff."
He forced himself to endure the burning pain, then slowly sat down. Kuma (the big boy) immediately propped himself up to let Lloyd lean against him.
Ginny brought water in her small hands and gently helped Lloyd drink, carefully coaxing him so he didn't choke. Their concern warmed him — meeting these three had been a rare stroke of fortune in his horrible situation. If not for them, he might never have survived this long, let alone planned any escape from God Valley.
Lloyd's only real advantage was the knowledge from having read the manga — but it only went so far. The Celestial Dragons had hidden six Devil Fruits on God Valley, and their exact locations weren't detailed anywhere.
Still, he reasoned that if he stuck with Kuma and the others, their chance of finding the Paw-Paw Fruit would be high. That fruit was the centerpiece of his plan — the key to their survival.
According to what he had pieced together, two fruits were already likely identified: the Paw-Paw Fruit, and the Blue Dragon Fruit. Those alone ranked among the most powerful Devil Fruits of the Paramecia and Zoan types.
Lloyd suspected that among the remaining fruits in the other chests there might be mythical Zoan types, possibly the Phoenix or the Great Buddha. He didn't know for sure whether Whitebeard had already eaten his, but if not, the Tremor-Tremor Fruit was also a strong contender.
To Lloyd, any of those fruits represented a lifeline. Without a cheat system, a powerful Devil Fruit was the only real foundation he had in this deadly world of pirates.
He raised his head and looked Ginny in the eyes, his expression serious. "Ginny, are you absolutely certain you spread the news about these top-tier Devil Fruits?"
Ginny blinked, then straightened her posture. With confident intensity, she replied, "Yes, Lloyd. That's my specialty. I made sure that everyone who can receive the signal knows about it."
Relief washed over Lloyd. His biggest fear wasn't just dying here — it was that his presence might have somehow disrupted what was supposed to happen.
What if by joining, he'd altered the timing or attention of the Rocks Pirates or the Navy? If either of them didn't show up, God Valley would only be more dangerous — a slaughter, not a battlefield.
He believed chaos was their ally. For them to get the Devil Fruits, for their plan even to have a chance, God Valley had to descend into disorder.
From the timeline he'd tracked since Ginny's broadcast, he estimated that Rocks should have already arrived — the number of slaves on the island was dropping fast. If Rocks didn't come soon, he'd miss the only opportunity they had.
Maybe tomorrow the real battle would begin.
With that thought, Lloyd narrowed his eyes and went over his strategy again in his mind.
The Paw-Paw Fruit was his top priority — his ticket to power, to escape, to freedom. He had mentally rehearsed how he would develop its ability over and over in the past few days.
The Blue Dragon Fruit was also strong, no doubt. But to him, it paled in comparison to the god-level potential of the Paw-Paw.
Even though the dragon fruit could grant flight, on a battlefield like God Valley — full of powerful fighters skilled in Haki — his flying speed wouldn't be enough. He feared he'd be struck by an Armament or Conqueror's Haki before he could even get off the ground.
More than that, Lloyd cared about the three people beside him. He had only known them for a short while, but bonds in desperation grew deep, fast. Kuma, Ivan, Ginny — they were more than allies. They were his only real hope.
Even if escaping alone might be the most logically optimal move, Lloyd glanced at the arrow still lodged in Kuma's back and shook his head. Selfishness had its place, but compassion… that was what drove him.
He whispered softly, "If I eat the Paw-Paw Fruit … I'll do it for all of us."
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