Seeing Boa Hancock, Carl sized her up briefly and said,
"You're Boa Hancock, right?"
Hancock immediately lowered her head and responded,
"Yes, young master!"
Her face turned red. Carl had just mentioned that even in his slumber, he could hear things, and she certainly had said plenty over the years.
Lucia, nestled in Carl's arms, murmured,
"Young master, Hancock was sent by Spandam. She's now one of your personal maids."
Carl nodded slightly, smiling as he remarked,
"That guy... he actually managed to capture her."
"Young master, Hancock has great potential. She has already awakened her Conqueror's Haki!"
"Hmm, Lucia, you've been the one training them all these years, haven't you?"
"Yes, they've all mastered Rokushiki and Haki now."
Hearing this, Carl chuckled and shook his head.
"Well, keeping them here as maids seems like such a waste of talent..."
Bang!
The door suddenly burst open, and Monet barged in, shouting,
"Young master! I only want to be your maid!"
"Uh..."
Before Carl could reply, Ginny rushed in behind Monet. Lucia immediately shifted aside, allowing Ginny to leap into Carl's arms, crying uncontrollably, unable to say a word.
Ginny had been with Shirahoshi earlier. After all, Shirahoshi had already grown to nearly twelve meters tall. Carl's room was spacious enough for her to move freely, but the door wasn't high enough for her to enter.
Carl comforted Ginny for a while. During this time, Monet kept gazing at him, biting her lip with a sorrowful expression on her face.
However, Carl was overwhelmed by the situation. Once Ginny calmed down, he got out of bed, walked over to Monet, patted her head, and said gently,
"Alright, Monet. You misunderstood me. I didn't mean to send you all away."
Monet nodded vigorously. She raised her hand but quickly lowered it. She desperately wanted to hug Carl but knew she didn't have the same standing as Lucia to take such liberties.
Carl seemed to understand her thoughts. He reached out, pulled her into a hug, and said with a chuckle,
"What are you afraid of? If you want to hug me, just do it. Over the years, you've had your fair share of physical contact with me anyway."
Monet couldn't meet Carl's gaze. She buried her head in his chest and muttered,
"Young master, that was only because Lady Lucia allowed me to massage you!"
"Oh, is that so..."
Carl smirked meaningfully before turning his attention to Robin, who had remained silent. He asked,
"Robin, has the book your mother compiled for me been completed?"
Robin immediately responded,
"Yes, young master. It's been finished for some time. My mother has been waiting for you to wake up to review it."
"Hmm, I'll take a look when I have time. If the book meets my expectations, you and your mother can reunite freely in the future."
Hearing this, Carl paused momentarily before continuing,
"If you want, you can leave here with me and see the outside world. But your mother cannot, she has committed a grave crime."
To Carl's surprise, Robin nodded seriously, replying,
"Yes, young master. My mother is aware of her mistakes and has said she wishes to stay here to atone."
Carl was momentarily stunned but then nodded in approval.
"Good. It's admirable that she understands her fault."
Although internally puzzled at how Nico Olvia, known for her stubbornness, had come to such a realization, Carl knew there were more pressing matters to address.
For now, he needed to meet Garling. Over the years, Garling had frequently visited him while he slept, always ensuring no one else entered Carl's room during those visits.
If not for his slumber, Carl wouldn't have known his uncle could be so talkative. His ramblings sounded more like those of a lonely elder.
Thinking about it, Carl sighed inwardly,
"Uncle Garling, why are you so stubborn? I was asleep, and you couldn't bring yourself to capture Shanks to keep you company? Now look at him—he's become one of the Four Emperors..."
Initially, Carl had planned to take Shanks back during the fight with Roger, but things didn't go as planned. Roger had unexpectedly become the user of the Nika Fruit, and defeating him left Carl utterly exhausted, unable to spare any effort for Shanks.
Thankfully, Rayleigh had rescued Shanks. If Shanks hadn't risked returning to bid Roger farewell, Rayleigh wouldn't have had to lose an arm. Wait... an arm?
Carl suddenly turned to Lucia, startling her.
"Lucia, the Red-Haired Shanks you've mentioned—did the newspapers have any recent photos of him? Is he missing an arm or anything?"
Lucia blinked her large, beautiful eyes, thought for a moment, and replied,
"Young master, I recall seeing his photo in last month's paper. He didn't seem to have any injuries."
Relieved, Carl muttered,
"Good. Sakazuki always gets the job done."
Unbeknownst to Carl, it was actually Kuzan and Aramaki who had taken care of the Sea King that attacked Shanks, leaving a trail of devastation behind them. Their actions earned them the nickname "Scourges of the Sea" in some regions.
Satisfied that these matters were resolved, Carl smiled habitually and said to Lucia,
"Lucia, fetch me some clothes. I'm going to see Uncle Garling."
Before Lucia could respond, Monet and the others immediately chimed in unison,
"Young master, let me help you!"
Ginny burst out laughing at the sight, folding her hands behind her back as she watched Carl with a playful smile.
Lucia, however, had already retrieved Carl's clothes and naturally began helping him change, gently saying,
"Young master, before you were encased in that crystal, I had them practice dressing you."
Carl was genuinely unaware of this. During the initial years of his slumber, he had been completely unconscious—lost in the "blank years."
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+210 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg