Chapter 6 Tier 2 attributes, join the navy

After Lieutenant General Mole made arrangements for Loya, he went to the command room of the warship and took out the phone bug that connected him directly to Sengoku.

Naval Headquarters, Marineford

Blu blu blu blu blu...

Click.

Sengoku picked up the receiver on the back of the phone bug and asked, "It's you, Mole. What do you need?"

"Yes, Marshal Sengoku. On our way back to Marineford, we picked up a man stranded on a desert island..."

"You picked him up...?" Sengoku's mouth twitched slightly. Although the reaction was subtle, the phone bug captured it, and Mole noticed it on his end. Ignoring it, he continued, "Yes. On the way back, we encountered the Scissor Pirates. For some reason, they kept following our route, and today we were forced to land..."

Mole proceeded to summarize the recent battle with Sengoku, then requested his input. "About this one named Loya... could we recruit him into the navy? Recently, we've seen a constant rise in new pirates, and we need fresh blood to counter them."

"However, he suffers from extreme seasickness. Very severe."

At this, Mole emphasized his words with gravity.

"Seasickness…" Sengoku sighed, at a momentary loss for words. This Loya seemed capable and could quickly become combat-ready if he joined the navy. Yet, the idea of a navy recruit who couldn't handle the sea was odd, to say the least.

But the fact was that the sea was becoming more chaotic. New pirates were springing up, many of whom were quite powerful. Mole's concerns held merit. Moreover, there had been a significant decline in navy strength recently, making any potential recruits invaluable.

With that in mind, Sengoku put aside his concerns about Loya's seasickness and replied, "You may consider it. Speak with him first to see if he's interested, and be sure to conduct a thorough background check. Also, I have a mission related to the Seven Warlords that I'll assign to you when you return. Prepare accordingly."

"The Seven Warlords…?" Mole echoed, clenching his fists. This system that had existed for more than twenty years was a constant irritation for him. The idea that the navy needed pirates to maintain order on the Grand Line...

He gritted his teeth but soon released his fists, responding with conviction. "Understood!"

No matter what, he was a navy soldier first, and soldiers obey orders.

---

After being stranded on a desert island for weeks, Loya could finally sleep in a real bed. Even though it was just a standard navy bunk with a thin quilt over a hard mattress, it was still a bed—a real improvement over leaves piled on stone and mud.

The ship doctor's medication was effective, too; while he still felt somewhat queasy, he could rest. Relaxed, Loya lay on the bed, muttering to himself as he opened the system panel.

The familiar interface appeared before him:

Name: Christopher Loya (world autocorrect)

Energy Stage: Second Order, Zero Level

Energy Value: 0/400

Mana: 3500/3500

Mana Recovery Speed: 300/s

The difference between the first and second orders was apparent. With up to 3500 mana, Loya could now use two of the most magic-intensive dragon slayer spells, Ice Dragon's Roar and Ice Dragon's Wing Strike. The power of the former was particularly impressive.

In addition to his increased mana, a new icon appeared on his talent tree. Curious, Loya looked closely at it. Although he wasn't sure what type of dragon slayer magic it represented, it seemed useful.

Ice Shape Magic: Use magic to create ice in various shapes, even forming it directly from the air.

This wasn't part of the dragon slayer magic developed by Irene Belserion, but Loya guessed that, since his attribute was ice, he had the potential to use this shaping magic, which was the freest kind of magic in the Fairy Tail world. Shape magic was highly individual, often unique even among master and apprentice.

With its freedom and versatility, it wasn't strange that an ice dragon slayer could learn ice shaping magic. Loya wondered whether it could match the power of his other attacks. Still, it was undeniably helpful; he could now form ice directly with magic, rather than needing a water source. This also allowed him to create platforms of ice mid-air.

There were also two new passive abilities that came with mixed feelings. Upon reaching the second order, Loya noticed changes.

Dragon Power: 2/100% - Increases the strength of dragon slayer magic. However, once dragon power surpasses 30%, his body begins to transform, and after 90%, he starts becoming a dragon.

Dragon Body: 18/100% - The body gradually adapts to dragon power, enhancing the physical abilities of dragon slayers. This adaptation can be temporarily boosted by consuming energy, though with significant side effects.

While dragon power was the source of dragon slayer magic, its growth wasn't entirely good news. Loya could only hope that the awakening mode from the original story might appear in the future; he certainly didn't want to turn into a dragon himself.

On the other hand, dragon body was purely beneficial. By strengthening a dragon slayer's physique, it came with only one major drawback: worsened seasickness.

That was the same thing Wendy experienced in the original story. As her strength grew, so did her susceptibility to seasickness—a trend all dragon slayers faced.

---

Later That Night

Knock, knock, knock.

A knock on the door woke Loya, who was half asleep. He rubbed his eyes and called, "Please come in!"

Squeak.

Despite maintenance, the ship's age showed; the iron hatch made an unpleasant grinding sound as it opened.

Anime characters had one advantage: their looks were consistent, and they often didn't change outfits. Lieutenant General Mole's striking purple mohawk gleamed in the moonlight as he stepped in.

He apologized for the room's simplicity, then quickly got to the point.

"Mr. Loya, do you have any particular destination? I'm sorry, but our next stop is Marineford, which is off-limits to civilians. If you'd prefer, we can drop you off at the nearest island."

"Marineford... So this is before Akainu became Fleet Admiral?" Loya mused with interest.

In the world of One Piece, strength came foremost. While devil fruits were powerful, the ability to use haki was paramount. Loya didn't know if magic-enhanced attacks could bypass devil fruit powers as haki could, but learning haki would certainly boost his strength.

The world was too dangerous; life was cheap under the tyranny of nobles and criminals like the Celestial Dragons or villains like Flamingo and Crocodile. Relying solely on his half-developed dragon slayer magic wouldn't suffice here. Loya needed to learn haki, and no organization was more fitting than the navy.

With a smile, Loya seized the opportunity. "Lieutenant General Mole, would I be able to join the navy? I have nowhere else to go, no one waiting for me. If I join, I could focus entirely on the work."

Loya's decision wasn't on a whim. In this chaotic sea, he wanted to live well, and the navy offered access to haki and solid training—a means of survival.