Spandine finally could not endure it any longer.
With a sharp wave of his hand, a line of men in black suits instantly appeared behind him, their movements swift and disciplined.
However, before those men could even receive an order, a violent gust of wind swept across the deck.
The suited men were lifted off their feet and hurled away like leaves in a storm, slamming heavily into the edge of the deck.
Whoosh!
Spandine was still frozen in shock when he felt an overwhelming pressure rush toward him. In the next instant, Dragon appeared directly in front of him.
Spandine's eyes widened in horror.
"You…"
Dragon's hand shot out, clamping around Spandine's neck and lifting him clean off the ground.
Calling you a dog is an insult to dogs," Dragon said coldly. "Even dogs are not as disgusting as you."
From behind, Garp watched with his arms crossed, though his mouth spoke halfhearted restraint.
"Alright, Dragon. That's enough. You shouldn't be so rude to World Government officials."
Dragon let out a disdainful chuckle. Looking at Spandine's pale, terrified face, he spoke again.
"Today, I'm going to properly…"
Before he could finish, a streak of blood-red light flashed past.
The next moment, Dragon's body was sent flying backward, crashing violently into the wall of the room behind him.
Bang!
Spandine fell to his knees with a heavy thud. He did not even bother to check the bruises forming around his neck. Instead, he scrambled toward the figure beside him and clutched his leg tightly.
"Admiral Lloyd!" he cried. "You're finally here! Your subordinate was almost strangled to death by that Dragon!"
The newcomer was Lloyd.
He looked down at Spandine, his expression calm and unreadable.
"I saw everything," Lloyd said quietly. "You've been wronged."
Spandine's eyes immediately filled with tears. Afraid of dirtying Lloyd's uniform, he hurriedly straightened his upper body while remaining on his knees.
"Admiral Lloyd, enduring a little grievance is nothing if it's for you!"
The words were nauseating beyond belief.
Lloyd placed a hand on Spandine's shoulder.
"Stand behind me," he said evenly. "I'll handle this personally."
"Yes, sir!"
Spandine scurried behind Lloyd, gazing at his back with open reverence.
Inside the room, Garp had already pulled Dragon free from the shattered wall. Blood stained Dragon's abdomen, where five circular, bloody holes were clearly visible.
Garp suddenly looked up, his eyes blazing as he stared at Lloyd standing in the doorway.
Seeing his son injured so severely right in front of him, even Garp's usually carefree temperament could no longer hold.
The sharp, blood-stained claws on Lloyd's right hand slowly retracted. He met Garp's glare without emotion.
"Vice Admiral Garp," Lloyd said calmly, "Spandine is a senior official dispatched by the World Government. Attacking him without cause is a serious offense. What charge do you believe your son should face?"
Garp roared in fury.
"That's nonsense! Spandine was the one who called his lackeys and tried to attack us!"
Lloyd's expression did not change. He casually pointed to his ear.
"But what I heard was you mocking Spandine first. His subordinates were knocked out the moment they appeared, and I did not hear Spandine give any order to attack."
Behind Lloyd, Spandine nodded so hard it looked like his neck might snap. At that moment, he genuinely wished he could transform into a dog and lick Lloyd's leg in gratitude.
Garp was left momentarily speechless.
Nearby, Dragon coughed violently, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. The sight reignited Garp's fury. He pointed at Lloyd and shouted,
"Even if that's the case, your attack was far too heavy!"
Lloyd raised an eyebrow.
A scarlet aura slowly seeped from his body, thick and oppressive. He stepped forward into the room, his voice turning icy.
"So you're choosing to ignore the facts?"
Garp's fists instantly darkened as Armament Haki coated them. He narrowed his eyes.
"So what if I am?"
Crack!
Dense fractures spread across the floor and walls as the pressure in the room skyrocketed. The atmosphere became suffocating.
Just as the two were on the verge of clashing, Dragon suddenly spoke.
"Admiral Lloyd, I was in the wrong just now. Please forgive me."
Garp's body stiffened.
"What?" he exclaimed, staring at Dragon in disbelief. "Dragon, you…"
Dragon shot Garp a sharp look.
"Enough, Father!"
Enduring the excruciating pain in his abdomen, Dragon forced himself upright. He then bowed deeply toward Lloyd.
"Admiral Lloyd," Dragon said sincerely, "please forgive my recklessness, and my Father's as well."
Lloyd was momentarily surprised.
He remained silent as the crimson aura surrounding him slowly receded back into his body.
After studying Dragon carefully, Lloyd lifted a hand.
"Spandine."
Spandine immediately rushed forward, rubbing his hands nervously.
"Admiral Lloyd, did you call for me?"
Lloyd nodded and gestured for him to stand in front.
"The one you should receive an apology from," Lloyd said calmly, "is Spandine."
Dragon and Spandine were both stunned.
Garp took an angry step forward.
"Don't push it too far! Dragon can't possibly…"
Before he could finish, Dragon had already stepped in front of Spandine and bowed again, apologizing sincerely just as before.
Spandine did not respond immediately. Instead, he looked back at Lloyd with a questioning expression.
Only after Lloyd nodded did Spandine put on a magnanimous front, pretending to accept the apology while mocking Dragon a few times for good measure.
Dragon listened silently, his expression calm, taking none of it to heart.
Compared to Aramaki's venomous sarcasm, Spandine's taunts were meaningless.
Lloyd cast Spandine a brief glance.
Spandine immediately shut his mouth and obediently retreated behind him.
A subtle look of unease crossed Dragon's face.
From the beginning, he had sensed that something was off.
Spandine was a man who looked down on everyone, yet in front of Lloyd, his behavior was excessively fawning.
Was it simply because Lloyd was a Navy Admiral?
That made little sense.
Although Garp was only a Vice Admiral, everyone knew of his special standing within the Navy. If Garp wanted, he could become an Admiral at any time.
As a senior World Government official, Spandine could not possibly be ignorant of that fact.
Dragon also noticed that from the moment Lloyd appeared, Spandine referred to himself as a subordinate without hesitation.
That detail was particularly telling.
It had to be said that Dragon's mind was far sharper than his father's. While he quietly pieced together Lloyd's true standing, Garp was still sulking behind him.
Lloyd glanced at the bloody wounds in Dragon's abdomen and spoke calmly.
"I won't pursue this matter further. Go tend to your injuries. We'll be heading to the Goa Kingdom next. After so long at sea, it's time to rest."