Chapter 12

"Time to pay the piper, kid!"

Just before the ice swallowed his vision, Loya's eyes narrowed. He swallowed hard, a sinking feeling in his gut. Kuzan's frosty voice cut through the silence.

"Clever little trick you cooked up. What'd you call it? Icefall Funeral?"

Crunch!

"You yapped about applying what you've learned, but looks like you missed the point entirely."

Kuzan shrugged his jacket on, eyeing Loya as he gasped for air on the icy ground.

"That move? It'd work better coming from someone who bleeds ice like me. You're just pushing it around. Can't match my finesse."

Loya wanted to smack himself. Here he was, trying to be all cool, and for what? A bruised ego and busted ribs.

He'd gotten the bright idea to rip off Gaara's sand waterfall funeral from Naruto, making an icy version. First time he pulled it off, he'd actually caught Kuzan off guard.

Karma's a bitch, ain't it?

Sprawled on the ground, Loya gingerly prodded his side. Yep, at least three more broken ribs. And that was Kuzan going easy on him.

"Infirmary's got someone on duty. We'll pick this up tomorrow."

Kuzan strolled off, one hand in his pocket, not bothering to look back.

Once Kuzan was out of sight, Loya dragged himself up, limping towards the infirmary with a grimace plastered on his face.

"Why am I such an idiot?" Loya muttered, rolling his eyes at his own stupidity. He'd known damn well Kuzan could counter that move, but did that stop him? Nope. Not even for a second.

Loya limped into the infirmary, spotting a familiar face. "Lieutenant General Mole? What happened to you?"

Mole sat shirtless on a bed, bloodied bandages wrapped around his midsection. He forced a weak smile. "Loya? What brings you here?"

The old doctor chimed in before Loya could answer. "This one? He's a regular. Tangling with Kuzan'll do that to you."

"Guilty as charged," Loya shrugged, wincing as he sat down. "Doc, think I busted a few ribs this time."

Dr. Oliver barely glanced up from tending Mole. "You're moving and talking, can't be too bad. Take the usual meds, inside and out. You'll be fine in a couple days."

Loya bit back a groan. Dragon Slayer or not, broken ribs hurt like hell.

"So, what's your story?" he asked Mole, eyeing the nasty-looking wounds. Mole was no pushover – who could've done this?

Mole sighed, grimacing as the doctor changed his bandages. "Probably shouldn't tell you, but... ah, screw it. You're Zephyr and Kuzan's guy, right?"

He took a deep breath. "Got sent to dig up dirt on Doflamingo. Mission went smooth, until we got jumped by some Dark World hitmen on the way back. Lost a lot of good people. Barely made it out alive."

Loya's mind raced. Dark World? Doflamingo? This was big league stuff.

"How'd you get away?" he pressed.

Mole's face was a mix of anger and disbelief. "You're not gonna believe this, but... Doflamingo saved my ass."

Loya blinked. "Actually... yeah, I can see that. It's Doflamingo, after all."

Mole nodded grimly. "Exactly. Because it's Doflamingo."

He went on to explain the political tightrope walk between the Navy, World Government, and Warlords like Doflamingo. The Navy wanted to scrap the Warlord system, but Doflamingo wasn't about to go down without a fight.

"This was his way of sending a message," Mole concluded. "He's still playing by the rules... for now. But if we make a move first, all bets are off."

Loya leaned back, processing the information. The world of One Piece was a lot more complicated than he'd realized. Pirates, Marines, Revolutionaries, shadowy organizations... and here he was, caught in the middle of it all.

Shichibukai has existed for over a decade, becoming a vast entity. Initially, the World Government might have genuinely considered using Shichibukai to stabilize the seas, and indeed, it has done so.

Figures like Moonlight Moriah, the Sand Crocodile Crocodile, and powerhouses like Tyrant Bear and Hawkeye Mihawk have eliminated countless pirates, maintaining order.

In this regard, Shichibukai has been a positive force.

But over time, any system decays. Like the World Government, with the Celestial Dragons becoming the world's greatest blight, the Shichibukai system couldn't escape this fate.

Years later, Crocodile, in his quest for the ancient weapon Pluton, wreaked havoc in Alabasta, plunging the nation into war. Currently, Doflamingo uses his Shichibukai status to run an underground port in Dressrosa for illicit dealings.

After all, they're pirates. Can they really maintain stability for a few years, let alone a decade?

The Qiwuhai system has long been a thorn in the navy's side. The chaos they create now is more disruptive than the havoc wreaked by ordinary pirates. Yet, under orders from the world government, the navy can't dismantle this entrenched system overnight. All they can do is gather evidence and wait for the opportune moment to strike.

But Loya doesn't need to worry about this. With his limited strength and status as a mere recruit, he can't meddle in Qiwuhai affairs.

Bidding farewell to Mole and Dr. Oliver, Loya trudged back to his dormitory to apply some medication.

The cold ointment on his skin made him shiver in a strangely comforting way. Being at the navy headquarters, the medical capabilities were top-notch. Soon, his broken ribs itched as they began to heal, the searing pain ebbing away.

After wrapping himself in bandages, Loya silently opened his golden-finger panel.

Name: Christopher Loya

Energy Stage: Second Stage Third Layer

Energy Value: 400/700

Mana: 5000/5000

Mana Recovery Speed: 450/s

Through rigorous practice, Loya finally reached the second and third levels.

Although the attribute panel only shows magic values and recovery speeds, Loya feels his strength, endurance, and physical prowess improving with each upgrade.

The biggest change, though, is his combat experience from Kuzan's high-pressure training.

On the desert island, he faced beasts with an IQ below 25. They weren't even as smart as the fur tribe, or perhaps not even as clever as the Kung Fu Walrus. Fighting them only helped him familiarize himself with his power level.

But now, with Kuzan as his opponent, things are different. Kuzan isn't just any adversary. His mastery of fruit abilities and melee combat is at a general's level. Under his personal guidance, Loya's strength has skyrocketed. Especially his ability to withstand beatings—now rivaling even Aldo. Despite lacking defense, his recovery ability is unmatched.

Of course, this realization comes with a bittersweet taste.

Today, Loya earned 75 energy points. With his ability level rising, fighting Kuzan now yields only 50 points. He closed the panel, readying himself for the next round of practice.

Loya sat cross-legged, brow furrowed in concentration. Dragon Slayer Magic was all about raw power, but that wasn't enough. Not anymore.

He'd always admired Riman's up-close-and-personal fighting style, but he wasn't there yet. Not by a long shot. So, he needed an edge.

The idea hit him like a bolt from the blue – what if he could recreate that explosive state the Dragon Slayers in Fairy Tail used? Only problem: this world was fresh out of magic power.

Loya grinned. No magic in the environment? Fine. He'd make his own.

It was a crazy idea. Use ice modeling magic inside his body? Every attempt felt like his insides were being frozen solid. But after countless tries, he finally cracked it.

Gathering magic in his palm, Loya pressed it against his stomach. As long as it didn't form ice, it should work, right?

The sensation was indescribable. Like Arctic winds howling through his organs. But as quickly as it came, the feeling faded. His body reacted, changing in ways he couldn't quite grasp.

Heart racing, magic boiling, Loya stood. Time for a test drive.

He took a deep breath, wrapping himself in magic. The air crackled, blue lines of energy dancing across his skin.

Two quick punches split the air with sharp cracks. Loya frowned. Stronger, yeah, but not enough. Not even close to those Navy bigwigs and their fancy Sixth Form techniques.

As he mulled it over, something caught his eye. A patch of skin on his hand was... different. Cracking, revealing something dark blue underneath.

Curious, Loya formed an ice needle and poked at it. The needle snapped, and his eyes widened. That wasn't dirt or a callus. It was a scale.

A dragon scale.

Loya's mind raced. He'd felt changes before when leveling up his Dragon Slayer abilities, but nothing like this. This was new. This was big.

He examined the scale closely, a grin spreading across his face. Maybe he was onto something after all.