"Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword." - Matthew 10:34
When Lilo returned the stare to the wiper, they averted their gaze.
'Soda's... brother? Wait... I haven't asked much about his past-'
But before Lilo could ponder this new revelation further, the courtroom was in motion. Everyone found their place, and a handler approached Lilo.
"Hello young sir, I have been informed by Turner... ahem, excuse me... Shepherd Wonka that you are a new recruit." The handler said inquisitively as he stepped closer to Lilo.
The man seemed to be in his early twenties. With a freshly shaven face and slicked back blue hair. He had blue pearl beads hanging from his ears and a neat dark blue tunic on.
His gentle eyes glazed over Lilo's features, as if assessing where he would be used best.
"My name is Mello, and I will be your handler. Please follow me to be cleansed of any potential curses." With that the handler turned into a hallway away from the courtyard.
Lilo still had a lot to be curious about, such as Soda's brother and Pop's aura; but he reluctantly ignored those things and followed Mello.
There were more colorful statues with runes engraved into them along the halls. As Lilo marveled at them, Soda was being dragged away from his brother.
"Hey! Wait, my range of travel as a ghost isn't far enough, let me get a better look at my brother!"
'You should have thought to be pouty before asking for such things. There isn't much I can do. We're being taken to be cleansed. Wanna fill me in on what that entails?'
Soda pouted a little more, refusing to answer, but suddenly a smile creased his lips.
"Ah, well we're screwed. The cleansing is what they refer to the craver's detection. Once they know what you are, they'll muzzle you and throw you into the den for sure."
'What kind of tests will they run on me?'
"Well in the past they would leave a shallow cut on you and see if it would heal; but they soon realized that craver's are capable of controlling every aspect of their body, including the speed of which they regenerate."
"So, the craver's who tried to hide themselves would heal slowly on purpose. Now, they simply bring candy and devil fruit into the interrogation room. While they ask questions about your background, usually craver's will succumb to their cravings from the potent scent of the fruit within minutes."
'Well, that shouldn't be a problem then.'
"What do you mean?"
'I've never felt any cravings. You told me craver's who aren't muzzled will turn within hours. I survived a whole night. I not your typical craver and I'll probably pass the cleansing.'
"We'll see..."
However, before Mello was able to guide them into the room, another set of heavy footsteps could be heard rapidly approached behind them.
The vast shadow casted from the tall arrogant figure was easily recognizable and it sent a shiver of excitement down Lilo's spine.
"Wait!" The voice was deep and laced with malice.
Lilo turned around to face the ever prideful shepherd, Pop.
"Excuse me sir, we are on our way to cleanse him, please do not inter-"
"Silence, you lowly wretch. You dare challenge the highest ranking shepherd official?"
"My deepest apologies sir, do with him as you wish."
Lilo observed all this with enticement and careful contemplation.
Pop's heavy footsteps echoed in the vast halls as he approached Lilo. When he stopped several steps away, his figure toward over Lilo's small frame; and Pop's broad shoulders seemed to engulf Lilo's petite build.
"My wipers tell me you survived a night at the forbidden temple alone?"
Lilo timidly nodded, trying to sell the impression that he was nervous in the presence of such a large figure.
In reality, he was at ease, completely comfortable with the idea of clashing with this man. Almost inviting such an occasion.
"That alone proves you are no mere craver. What are you?" Pop's tone was acusatory, as if afraid of learning something that would reveal Lilo's superiority.
Both Soda and Lilo picked up on this and exchanged a smirk. This prompted Lilo to drop the act of pretending to be weaker. One taste of another man's fear is all he needed to fuel his ever familiar tone of feeling superior.
"Better." Lilo's prepubescent voice was not convincing, but his face was stone cold with precise determination.
Pop's face contorted into something sour, menacing, and fierce. Anyone else would have scoffed at that comment, but Pop's ego matched that of Lilo's past life's. Here, he was the top dog. He was the best performing shepherd and he earned that title.
For a child to claim to be better was utter disrespect, and a feeling of burning rage filled Pop's heart.
He took two steps closer to the small petite child and glared straight into his soul.
"You... interest me." His thick callused hand gripped Lilo's fragile shoulder and caused pain to even his craver enhanced body. "Are you willing to die for that statement?"
Lilo grinned, biting back the urge to react to the death grip on his shoulder.
"Ha ha, I was just kidding sir. Why? Did I scare you?" Lilo's voice was clam and unbothered, but out of the corner of his eye he could tell Soda was growing anxious.
A deep rumble escaped Pop's mouth as a chuckle.
"No kid. But I'll teach you a thing or two about fear." Pop barely had to move his eyes to look over Lilo's shoulder. "Prepare the courtroom for a sparing session and gather everyone." He ordered the handler.
"I'm feeling an urge to make an example out of this peculiar child."
Pop kneeled and leaned in close to Lilo's ear, gripping his shoulder even tighter. "But something tells me your hiding something. Those eyes tell me you're a lot stronger than you look. Don't make me feel like I'm beating the shit out of a child. Put up a decent fight, make it a show for all the fans in attendance."
With those malice dripping words, Pop got up and left Lilo to ponder what had just transpired.
"You could have easily avoided that outcome." Soda said from a corner far enough from Pop's shadow, cowering in fear, worry written all over his face.
'Why would I want to do that?' Lilo was helpless against the gluttons... but against men... even within a child's body he was very sure of himself.
This new world had proven many challenges and confusing revelations about Lilo that he himself had not known. He was pushed to the limits by the gluttons in the outskirts.
All this new information was useless to him. He did not care about class, about gluttons, about any of this. None of this was of value to him. He wanted back his old life. Something told him that it was probably not a viable option.
He was fairly certain he had died and been reincarnation into this wretched world. Even if he hated everything new to learn; there were basic principles that did not leave from one world to another.
There was still wealth to be collected. Women to seduce. Power to be gained. But he had already accumulated that in his past life; and if he remembered correctly, in his final moments, those were not the things he missed or longed for.
There was another factor and fundamental principle that transferred over to this world.
People still found a reason to hate him. There were still enemies. In his past life, it did not take long for people to envy him or pick on him. Neither did it here.
The opposition he faced was always greater than the loved ones he gained... and yet, he still always managed to come out victorious. He may have felt alone, but his opponents were vanquished.
Indeed, this new life was meant for Lilo to start fresh. To change his lonely life and aspire to gain things that were not in relation to vanity. But to Lilo, this did not extinguish his desire to slay his opposition.
What right did they have to challenge him? His past was harsh, and he earned every victory with laboring efforts.
At this moment, Lilo determined in his heart. He did not desire vanity. But the desire to remain victorious still remained. If in this life he was to vanquish his loneliness, he do so with the exclusion of his enemies. They would still remain defeated by him.
No, he did not wish valor or fame. But his pride would never allow him to lose.
He did not wish death. He did not wish to be feared or respected. He did not even wish for a boon at end of this trial. He simply wished to relish in victory against an opponent.
And Pop seemed to be of a worthy adversary.