The doctor finished his examination, straightened up, and respectfully delivered his report.
"Saint Charlos, there is nothing seriously wrong with you. Your development is perfectly normal. Your body simply has yet to fully mature. There is no need to worry."
Charlos's expression darkened. "Shut up."
The doctor dared not say another word. He hastily nodded, bowed, and hurried out of the room.
Shalria edged closer and gently took Charlos's hand, her eyes slightly red.
"Big brother... I-I didn't know! I'm sorry. I won't mess around like that again."
As she spoke, the little girl began to cry softly, looking aggrieved.
Charlos gently pulled his hand free and said helplessly, "Don't do that again."
Shalria immediately raised her little hand, her expression solemn. "I promise there won't be a next time! I still have to protect my happiness for the rest of my life!"
Charlos froze, then turned to stare at her. "Who taught you all that nonsense?"
Shalria's eyes darted about, stealing a glance at Amira and Amina beside her.
Charlos understood at once and turned to the sisters. "If I remember correctly, you two aren't very old either, are you?"
Amina nervously lowered her head and stared at the floor.
Amira's cheeks flushed as she answered softly, "We may be young... but we do know a little about what happens between men and women."
Charlos waved a hand and laughed casually. "It's fine. Don't worry. I certainly won't mistreat you in the future."
At those words, Amira and Amina turned scarlet, their ears burning as they stood too nervously to raise their heads.
Just then, Shalria grabbed Charlos's arm again and huffed, "What about me? You can't leave me out, big brother!"
Charlos looked at her and shook his head helplessly. "Not you."
Shalria tilted her head in confusion. "Huh? Why not?"
Charlos patted her little head and said calmly, "You'll understand when you're older."
Charlos picked up the newspaper and glanced over it, a sudden gleam flashing in his eyes.
Shalria tilted her head at him. "Big brother, did you think of something fun?"
Charlos chuckled. "Let's form a pirate crew of our own."
Shalria's eyes lit up. "A pirate crew? That sounds so fun! It's settled, then!"
She immediately added, "Then let's use our Celestial Dragon Throne Ship!"
Charlos nodded. "We don't have any other ships right now, so we'll have to use that one for the time being."
Akali stepped forward, her expression serious. "Saint Charlos, this must be reported to the family head. Permission to sail, provisions, and the assignment of accompanying guards all require the family's approval. Taking the Throne Ship out without authorization would cause considerable trouble."
Charlos considered it for a moment. "All right. I'll speak to Grandfather myself."
Shalria clenched her little fists and exclaimed excitedly, "I'm coming with you! I'll help convince him!"
Charlos took Shalria with him and headed toward the family head's residence.
Halfway there, they spotted Charlos in the distance, wielding a long whip and viciously lashing a slave crawling on the ground, all while hurling abuse.
"Why can't you crawl faster? Hurry up!"
At the sight, Shalria's little face filled with disgust.
"That stupid pig is being an eyesore again!"
Without another word, she charged over and delivered a flying kick, sending the unsuspecting Charlos flying once more.
Charlos was utterly bewildered as he sailed through the air. "Huh? Why am I flying again?"
Charlos could not be bothered to spare him another glance and pushed open the doors to the family head's residence.
Inside, the head of the Rosy Family looked up, his expression gentle.
"Charlos, you're here."
"Grandpa."
The family head looked at him and spoke slowly. "I hear you've been diligently training your Haki for the past three months. Are you planning to join the God's Knights someday?"
Charlos smiled faintly, putting on a mysterious air. "Grandpa, that's a secret. I can't tell you just yet."
The family head gazed into his eyes, his own filled with approval.
"You have ambition. I knew our Rosy Family would eventually produce an outstanding young talent. Tell me, what brings you here today?"
Charlos spoke with a serious expression:
"Grandpa, Roger is dead, and the Great Pirate Era has truly begun.
I want to venture out to sea and form a pirate crew of my own.
For this voyage, I'd like to use the family's Celestial Dragon Throne Ship."
At this, the family head furrowed his brows slightly and challenged him:
"No. Charlos, if you want to form a pirate crew, I won't stop you from taking off your Celestial Dragon clothing and disguising yourself as an ordinary person to gain experience at sea. But if you use the Celestial Dragon Throne Ship and parade across the seas under our noble identity as Celestial Dragons, how could you call yourself a pirate? You'd have it all backward. Utterly absurd."
Charlos paused at those words. After thinking it over carefully, he immediately understood the reasoning and said rather helplessly, "Grandpa, you're right. But we don't have a ship of our own to sail on."
The head of the Rosy Family stroked his beard and smiled indulgently. "What's so difficult about getting a ship? We'll simply have the craftsmen build one."
Charlos's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly thanked him. "Thank you, Grandpa!"
"Go on, my dear grandson. Youth is the time to venture freely into the world. Do whatever you wish." The family head waved a hand and gently instructed him, "Come see me again in half a month. I'll give you your new ship then."
"Thank you, Grandpa!"
Shalria immediately skipped forward and spoke in a bright, clear voice.
The family head looked at the lively little girl and asked with a smile, "Oh? Are you going out to sea as well, Shalria?"
"Yes, Grandpa! I want to keep going on adventures with big brother Charlos!"
"All right, all right. Whatever you two want."
Charlos returned to his palace with Shalria and recounted his conversation with the family head in full to Amira, Amina, and Akali.
"I have some good news for you. In half a month, we'll have a new ship of our own," Charlos said with a smile. "While we have these two weeks free, let's visit the Sabaody Archipelago to buy supplies and prepare everything we'll need for the voyage."
The moment he finished speaking, Amira and Amina both gave a faint, sudden shudder. A trace of unmistakable fear flashed through their eyes, and their bodies instinctively tensed.
Charlos caught every bit of that subtle change.
He raised an eyebrow and asked in confusion, "What's wrong with you two? Why are you frightened by the thought of going to the Sabaody Archipelago?"
Charlos reassured them. "Don't be afraid. From today onward, you belong to me. I'll bring my personal guard on this trip, and they'll protect us the entire way. With me here, no one can bully or hurt you."
Amira gently raised her head, her gaze much calmer, and bowed slightly. "Yes, we understand."
Amina quietly chimed in, "Mm."
Beside them, Akali bowed and requested his approval. "Saint Charlos, I will immediately assemble the guards and arrange the travel preparations. We can depart whenever you wish."
Charlos looked up and declared, "Then let's set off! Our destination is the Sabaody Archipelago!"
The party set off in grand procession, his personal guards marching alongside them in imposing ranks. As they made their way into the Sabaody Archipelago, every ordinary resident, merchant, and passerby who saw the procession's grandeur instinctively dropped to both knees and bowed their heads to the ground, not daring to look directly at them.
Shalria skipped along the whole way, her eyes full of wonder as she chattered nonstop.
"Wow! The roads here don't move by themselves! I thought the ground would carry us forward once we stood on it!"
Charlos helplessly reached out to stop her from darting around. "The ground doesn't move in the first place. Shalria, stop running and jumping everywhere. Behave yourself."
Just then, several casually dressed pirates with defiant airs happened to pass by the intersection.
Looking from a distance at the strange procession, the kneeling passersby, and the tightly disciplined guards, they could not help muttering among themselves.
"What a strange bunch... Isn't this display a little over the top?"
The moment those words were spoken, the sharp-eyed Shalria turned her head. Her little face stiffened, and she lifted her chin high, speaking coldly with the inborn arrogance of a Celestial Dragon:
"Who are you? Why do you not kneel in my presence?"