One Piece: Starting in God Valley as a Slave

Hearing the name Olvia, Carl froze for a moment. To be honest, he had almost forgotten about this woman.

Considering the timeline, it would still be a little under three years before the events involving her would come to light.

Seeing Carl remain silent, Spandam continued,

"Saint Carl, because you showed interest in this woman before, I suppressed the news as soon as I received it. Currently, only our CP9 knows about this. CP0 is still unaware."

Carl nodded and said,

"You've done well. Leave this matter alone for now. We'll handle it once CP0 learns of it."

This was no small feat, yet Spandam showed no dissatisfaction with Carl's instructions. Instead, he responded respectfully,

"Understood! I will follow your orders!"

Ever since Spandam started serving Carl, he no longer needed to waste energy on currying favor or dealing with politics, as he had in the original story. With Carl as his backer, his path forward was clear.

All Spandam needed to do was prove his loyalty and capability to Carl. With those, promotions and riches would naturally follow without him having to worry. His guiding principle now was simple: serve Carl.

In short, if Carl wanted something done, Spandam would devote 200% of his effort to it. If Carl hadn't thought of it, Spandam would anticipate it in advance.

Take the Ohara situation, for instance. He had even managed to intercept the information before CP0. Suppressing it on time was a testament to his loyalty and competence.

Carl had certainly noticed this. Looking at Spandam's humble demeanor, Carl said,

"You handled this matter beautifully. I'll make sure you receive a proper reward."

Spandam's eyes lit up with determination, and he almost shouted like a soldier,

"Saint Carl! It is my honor and duty to serve you!"

Spandam didn't ask what the reward was. He only knew that anything Carl bestowed would be beyond the reach of ordinary men.

He bowed deeply, showering Carl with endless gratitude, practically deifying him.

Watching Spandam's performance, Monet and Sugar, who stood nearby, exchanged wide-eyed glances. They were utterly stunned by Spandam's bootlicking prowess.

Only when he noticed the Monet sisters did Spandam stop and turn to Carl, asking curiously,

"Saint Carl, who are these two?"

Carl glanced at the sisters with a smile and said,

"They're two little slaves I bought."

The Monet sisters smiled sweetly, and Spandam's mind began spinning. As far as he knew, Carl didn't share the Celestial Dragons' penchant for purchasing slaves. Supposedly, the only slave he had ever bought was Lucia.

And now, there were two more. It was evident they all shared a common trait—being cute, young girls. Lucia had merely grown up since then.

Could it be…? Spandam speculated wildly. Perhaps Carl had a preference for nurturing talents? If so, this wouldn't be unusual among nobles.

If this assumption was correct, Spandam had just found another way to curry favor with Carl. He resolved to discreetly look for "good seedlings" after he returned.

Unaware of Spandam's scheming thoughts, Carl waved dismissively,

"I'm heading back to Marineford. You can leave now."

Spandam quickly snapped back to reality, offering,

"Saint Carl, would you like to take my ship back?"

"No need. I'll be taking a detour first. You're dismissed."

"As you wish!"

Spandam retreated, bowing all the way, before finally leaving.

During the entire exchange, Monet couldn't help but feel that Spandam was more like Carl's true slave, so devoted that it made her feel inferior in comparison.

Carl chuckled lightly and addressed the Monet sisters,

"Take care of yourselves. I'll be off now. Goodbye."

With a hum, Carl disappeared into a swirling vortex of darkness, leaving the Monet sisters gaping in awe.

Carl didn't return directly to Marineford. As he had told Spandam, he took a detour—this time to Dr. Vegapunk's research lab.

Whenever Carl visited, it was always with a task. Vegapunk, used to this by now, greeted him with his usual line,

"Saint Carl, what would you have me do this time?"

Carl didn't waste words. He pulled out two banana-shaped Devil Fruits of different colors and handed them to Vegapunk.

"Find two excellent swords and infuse them with the powers of these Devil Fruits. You should be capable of that by now."

Vegapunk studied the fruits and nodded.

"These seem to be Zoan-types. If that's the case, it shouldn't be a problem."

Thanks to Carl's financial and material support, Vegapunk's research had advanced far beyond its original pace. For instance, he had already succeeded in granting inanimate objects the ability to "consume" Devil Fruits.

Carl nodded.

"Good. Once they're done, send them to the Figarland family. Leave the rest to me."

Without waiting for a reply, Carl activated his ability and vanished once again. Vegapunk silently turned and headed for his lab, carrying the two Devil Fruits.

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+185 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg