Charlos turned to Akali and asked, "By the way, do you know Haki?"
Akali bowed and replied, "Yes."
"Good." Charlos nodded. "Starting tomorrow, teach me Haki. I want to learn it too."
"Yes, Saint Charlos."
Charlos's expression turned serious as he instructed her, "Akali, train those two properly. Don't disappoint me."
"Understood."
Akali acknowledged his orders, then turned and left with the sisters, Amira and Amina.
With only the two of them left in the hall, Shalria immediately wrapped her arms tightly around Charlos and pressed her small face against him. "Brother, what if those two get stronger and run away someday? You've already taken off their slave collars."
Charlos gently raised a hand and ruffled her hair, his voice calm and unhurried.
"Then I'll just have to become even stronger myself."
Shalria blinked her big eyes and tilted her head up to look at Charlos. "You're going to get stronger too, Brother? Hehe, then I'll get stronger with you!"
Charlos gently rubbed her head again. "Good girl."
Shalria immediately leaned her little face closer and said sweetly, "Give me a kiss, Brother."
Charlos lowered his head and lightly kissed her cheek. "Good girl."
Just as they were sharing that tender moment, someone shoved the residence's doors open.
With snot dangling from his nose, Charlos squeezed his pudgy body inside and stared greedily at Charlos. "Brother Charlos! I just saw two women with wings being taken out of your place. They're so pretty! Can you give them to me? I can trade you something!"
He had barely finished speaking.
Shalria's eyes turned cold. Without another word, she launched a vicious kick that sent Charlos flying out of the hall.
"You fat pig! Don't you ever set foot in Brother Charlos's residence again!"
Charlos's heart-wrenching wails immediately rang out from outside. "Ow, that hurts! It hurts! It hurts!"
Inside the Rosy Family's main hall.
Saint Roswald stood before the family head, his face filled with resentment and jealousy as he spoke in a spiteful tone.
"Father, what could that brat Charlos ever amount to? Do you know what happened? Shalria actually stole two rare Devil Fruits from the family for him to play around with! What's the point of keeping such a useless wastrel?"
He puffed out his chest and continued touting his own merits, looking utterly confident.
"You should value me instead! One day, I'll inherit your position and become the next head of the Rosy Family. Under my leadership, the entire Rosy Family will reach the height of prosperity!"
Seated above him, the head of the Rosy Family gave him an icy glance, his voice heavy with disappointment and authority.
"Roswald, what use are you and that idiot pig of a son of yours?"
He continued his reprimand in a low voice, every word bearing down on him.
"To put it bluntly, no one in the Rosy Family has managed to join God's Knights in countless years, across generation after generation. Charlos alone has the qualifications and the chance to enter their ranks."
The family head's gaze suddenly sharpened as he delivered a stern warning.
"If you dare cause trouble for him behind my back, stir up disputes in front of me, or pull any other tricks, I'll strip you of all inheritance rights. Try me."
Rosward's face turned an ugly shade of green. He snorted coldly, seething with resentment.
"God's Knights? Charlos thinks he's worthy? My son can join them too!"
With that, he flicked his sleeves and stormed away, his heart filled with resentment and bitterness.
Just after leaving the hall, he ran into Charlos, who had come tumbling back from the direction of Charlos's residence in a miserable state.
At the sight of that hopeless fool, Rosward's anger surged. He stepped forward and kicked Charlos hard.
"Hey! You stupid pig! Get up right now!"
Rubbing his aching body, Charlos staggered to his feet, looking bewildered. "Father, what's wrong?"
Rosward fixed him with a fierce stare and snapped through gritted teeth, "Starting today, no more spending all your time playing around and tormenting slaves! Settle down and train! I want you to give it everything you have and surpass Charlos! I want you to join God's Knights!"
Charlos shook his head blankly, looking aggrieved and ready to give up. "Huh? Compete with Brother Charlos? Then... I'd rather admit defeat."
Rosward flung aside the hand he had been gripping Charlos with and snarled through clenched teeth, "Damn it! Stupid pig! Stupid pig! You're all stupid pigs!"
With that, he stormed off again, still muttering, "Honestly, every last one of you is going to be the death of me."
In the residence's courtyard.
Akali stood ramrod straight in the courtyard, facing the sisters, Amira and Amina, her tone cold and stern.
"You two, repeat after me. The authority of the Celestial Dragons is supreme, and we must remain loyal to them forever."
Just as the sisters were about to repeat her words, a voice abruptly interrupted.
"Wait, Akali."
Charlos walked slowly out of the hall.
Akali immediately stopped and bowed. "Yes, Saint Charlos."
Charlos looked at her and asked evenly, "Why are you making them recite that?"
Akali answered honestly, "Now that they have formally begun training and entered your service, my lord, they must naturally recite an oath of allegiance every day to uphold their loyalty."
Charlos understood at once.
Sure enough, this was CP's favorite method of brainwashing: using daily oaths to completely shackle their subordinates' minds and loyalty.
He raised a hand slightly and said firmly, "Don't bother. There's no need. I trust them."
Akali replied respectfully, "Yes."
No sooner had she spoken than Shalria came running over, looking lively and playful in a brand-new training outfit.
She tilted her little face up, her eyes full of anticipation. "Brother! Look at my training outfit! Let's go train together!"
Akali lifted her head slightly, looked at Charlos, and asked, "Saint Charlos, will you be taking part in the special training too?"
Charlos casually picked his nose and nodded without hesitation. "Yes, that's right."
"Me too! Me too!" Shalria raised her little hand high and hurried to join in.
Akali hesitated for a moment before saying quietly, "If the training I arrange proves too demanding, please tell me directly."
Charlos waved a hand. "It won't. Just arrange it."
"Yes, Lord Charlos. Whatever you say. It certainly won't be too demanding." Akali bowed in acknowledgment.
Charlos let out a sigh of relief. "All right, let's get started."
Time slipped by, and before they knew it, it was late at night.
Charlos lay sprawled on the courtyard floor, his entire body aching and limp as he muttered, "I'm so tired."
Shalria staggered over to him and flopped straight into his arms, whining softly, "Brother, I'm so tired too."
Charlos raised a hand and gently patted her little head, his heart aching for her. "If it's too tiring, you can skip the special training tomorrow."
Shalria immediately lifted her little face stubbornly, her gaze earnest. "No. I want to train with you."
Akali walked slowly over and said respectfully, "Saint Charlos, if you feel the training is too intense, I can reduce the workload somewhat tomorrow."
Charlos hurriedly waved his hand. "No, no. Don't reduce it."
Then he asked, "How are those two doing?"
At his question, Akali immediately fell silent.
Charlos sensed something was wrong at once. He propped himself up and turned to look.
Amira and Amina were sitting quietly nearby, regulating their breathing. Their breaths were steady and their expressions relaxed, without the slightest sign of fatigue. They were simply taking a leisurely rest.
Charlos was dumbfounded.
Was the gap really that big?
Seeing Charlos looking their way, Amira and Amina hurriedly rose and stood properly.
"Charlos," the sisters said softly, correcting their form of address in a naturally obedient tone. "We used to do heavy, exhausting work in the village every day. We're already used to it. This little bit of training isn't tiring at all."
After hearing that, Charlos inwardly fell apart. Good heavens, this body of mine is way too weak! Well, of course it is. Since when do Celestial Dragons do any work?