One Piece: Only for Me

Lucia's eyes filled with tears the moment she saw Carl lying on the bed, weak but seething with anger. She cried out, **"Lord Carl!"** and tried to rush to his side, but Garling held her back. His gaze turned cold as he looked at Darian and demanded,

**"Darian, what are you doing? You claimed you were treating Carl. What illness has kept him like this for so long? He looks worse than before!"**

Darian calmly placed a vial of green liquid on Carl's bed and responded,

**"Shouldn't you be training? Why are you here? Carl is gravely ill—it's not something that can be cured overnight. It pains me to see him suffer, but he is my son."**

Darian emphasized the last few words, clearly warning Garling not to interfere.

Carl struggled to speak, but Darian pressed a firm hand over his mouth and whispered, **"Poor child, don't strain yourself. Just rest."**

Garling's eyes flickered with hesitation. He couldn't tell if Darian was lying, so he remained silent. Seeing Garling's moment of doubt, Darian smirked, preparing to send him away.

But before he could, Lucia suddenly shouted, **"He's lying! I heard everything last night—the experiments they're conducting on Lord Carl!"**

Darian's eyes narrowed. His hand moved to the crescent-shaped pendant on his chest, pulling out a hidden mini sword. With a swift flick, a sharp arc of sword energy shot toward Lucia.

**"You dare interfere? Die!"**

In an instant, Garling drew his sword and deflected the attack, but the force sent a residual shockwave that left a thin cut beneath Lucia's left eye.

She didn't even notice the blood trickling down her cheek. Instead, she grabbed Garling's sleeve tightly and pleaded, **"Please, take Lord Carl away! If this continues, he'll die!"**

Annoyed by her outburst, Garling threw her aside. He was about to speak when Carl suddenly opened his eyes. At the sight of Lucia's wound, electricity surged violently from his body as he roared,

**"Lucia!"**

Darian pulled back his hand, staring in disbelief at the blackened marks on his palm. His lips curled into a manic grin.

**"Hahaha! It worked! I did it!"**

Garling's expression darkened. He turned to Darian, his voice sharp.

**"What the hell is going on? You really experimented on Carl, didn't you?! You better explain yourself!"**

Darian's laughter slowed, and he looked at Garling with mock amusement.

**"Oh? My little brother thinks he can order me around? You're not the family head yet."**

Garling raised his sword, his stance unwavering.

**"That doesn't matter. As the leader of the Knights of God, I have the authority to judge even Celestial Dragons. Now, tell me the truth!"**

Darian stared at him for a moment—then suddenly burst into laughter.

**"The leader of the Knights of God, huh? So mighty, so righteous!"**

His smile twisted into something more sinister as he stepped closer.

**"You want to know what I did? Fine. I'll tell you!"**

His eyes gleamed with something dark as he turned to Carl, who lay frozen in horror.

**"Even if I train endlessly, I know I'll never surpass you in strength, Garling. But my son—his talent surpasses yours. Tell me, how could I let such a perfect body go to waste?"**

He reached out and touched Carl's forehead gently. His touch wasn't cold, yet Carl shivered.

**"Carl is like an unpolished gem—he must be refined. And I have dedicated myself to that purpose."**

Darian walked over to a nearby table, grabbed a thick report, and tossed it at Garling.

**"Here. Read this. This is my masterpiece."**

Garling caught the report and flipped through it.

His heart turned ice cold.

He clenched his fists, his rage barely contained. In one swift motion, he hurled the report to the ground and glared at Darian.

**"You're insane! Carl is just a child—how could you put him through something like this?!"**

Darian scoffed. **"My son is none of your concern. If you have nothing better to do, leave and stop interfering in my work."**

But Garling refused to budge.

He took a step forward, sword in hand, and declared, **"Hand Carl over to me. You don't deserve to be his father."**

Surprisingly, Darian remained calm. He folded his arms and smirked.

**"Oh? I almost forgot. You're going to be a father soon, aren't you?"**

Crack—!

The floor splintered beneath Garling's foot as he froze.

His eyes widened. **"You… how do you know that?"**

Darian chuckled. **"My dear brother, you spend all your time training. How much do you really know about what happens in our family? There's nothing that escapes my notice."**

Garling's grip on his sword tightened.

Darian leaned in, his voice a whisper. **"If you meddle in my affairs, I might just let a little… secret slip. How would you feel if you never got to be a father after all?"**

**"You—!"**

Garling's lips trembled with fury.

He wanted nothing more than to cut Darian down where he stood—but Darian's words had struck a nerve.

Darian chuckled darkly and patted Garling's shoulder. **"Relax. Let's not interfere in each other's business. My research is for Carl's own good. Do you really think I'd gamble with my own son's life?"**

Garling's grip remained tight on his sword. **"How long… will this so-called 'experiment' take?"**

**"Not long,"** Darian said, grinning. **"Didn't you see? Carl just released electricity. That proves I'm on the right track! Soon, he'll have the most perfect body in the world!"**

Darian didn't say the rest aloud: **"A body that will also belong to me."**

Garling exhaled deeply, then turned away. He grabbed Lucia and pulled her out of the room.

As they stepped outside, Lucia was still crying, still pleading. **"Please, save Lord Carl! You can't leave him there!"**

Garling averted his gaze and said coldly, **"Stop crying. Your loyalty is commendable. I will arrange for you to train with the guards. Work hard. When Carl returns, you'll be his personal bodyguard."**