The village of Jamanakai was quiet under the mid-morning sun, the streets warm and buzzing with shoppers and chatter. It was supposed to be an easy errand—a supply run, Master Wu had said. Simple. Peaceful.

But nothing stayed peaceful when Kai, Jay, Cole, and Zane were involved.

Kai balanced a sack of rice on his shoulder, grumbling. “We trained for this? Walking around with shopping lists?”

Jay tossed a bundle of carrots into their cart. “Come on, man. It’s not just groceries—it’s team bonding.”

“Technically,” Zane added, “gathering provisions is a necessary survival skill. And Master Wu said—”

Whatever Zane was about to say was cut off by a loud, high-pitched voice echoing through the marketplace.

“I AM LORD GARMADON! BOW BEFORE ME, MORTALS!!”

The boys froze. Several villagers shrieked.

At the center of the chaos stood a small, scrappy blond kid—no older than ten—with wild green eyes and a fistful of stolen candy. He wore a tattered black hoodie, too big for him, with a crudely drawn four-armed symbol stitched on the back. His other hand held a half-eaten lollipop like it was a staff of power.

“I HAVE COME TO CONQUER THIS PATHETIC SWEET SHOP!” he shouted dramatically, throwing taffy at the candy vendor like it was some kind of evil spell.

Cole blinked. “Did that… did that kid just say he’s Lord Garmadon?”

Jay gasped. “Wait—look at him! That’s Lloyd! Lloyd Garmadon!”

“You mean the dark lord’s kid?” Kai said, narrowing his eyes.

The boy hissed at a group of old ladies and scurried off with his pockets bulging with gumdrops.

“Should we stop him?” Zane asked.

Kai cracked his knuckles. “Let’s bring the mini-villain in.”

⸻

It didn’t take long for the four ninja to track Lloyd down—he wasn’t exactly stealthy, leaving a trail of wrappers and chaos behind him. When they cornered him near the village shrine, he glared up at them defiantly.

“I’m evil! My dad is the Dark Lord! If you capture me, he’ll destroy you!”

Jay crossed his arms. “Yeah, and I’m the king of Ninjago. Come on, kid.”

“I’m serious!” Lloyd barked. “You’ll regret this! You’ll all bow to me one day!”

Kai sighed. “Okay, crazy candy gremlin. Let’s go.”

Cole slung him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

Zane looked thoughtful. “Should we be concerned he believes he’s his father?”

Jay just smirked. “Please. He can barely hold a lollipop.”