Chapter 24

Loya's eyes widened as the implications sank in. This discovery was huge - it could save him a ton of time figuring out how to get stronger.

But the second revelation? That was even better. Loya realized his moves could actually change the system itself.

"Holy crap," he muttered. "That Awakening·Pseudo-Dragonization thing wasn't even in the system before. But now it's just... there."

Thinking back, Loya pinpointed the cause: his ultimate move, Shijie.

The transformation was significant. It wasn't quite on par with Natsu's full awakening from the original work, but it blew that Tower of Paradise dragon scale state out of the water.

By completing and using this move, then leveling up, he'd somehow integrated it into the system.

"It's like... every time I upgrade, I'm not just changing myself. I'm updating the whole damn system," Loya mused.

Taking a deep breath, Loya closed his eyes and activated the skill.

Hum~

A gentle vibration filled the air. Magical lines danced across his skin as scales began to form. They started transparent, quickly shifting to light blue, then deep blue.

Swish!

Two bat-like wings unfurled, creating a mini windstorm in the room. Everything not nailed down went flying. The air turned frigid, freezing everything it touched. The window burst open, sea breeze crystallizing into ice shards.

Loya examined his hands, now tipped with familiar white, razor-sharp claws. They seemed to glow with menace.

Feeling the changes within, Loya nodded, satisfied. Without intense combat, the mana drain was barely noticeable. Everything else felt similar to before, but his control over the magic was way more precise. No more worrying about it going haywire.

"This is a game-changer," Loya grinned.

Before, he'd used modeling magic to force his body to devour ice magic, awakening the dragon power. But that wild dragon energy made modeling magic unusable.

Now, as a system skill, it was way smoother. It activated the dragon power within, bringing out the scales naturally.

Not only could he still use modeling magic, but even his regular ice was stronger than dragon slayer magic ice, thanks to the dragon power boost.

Loya chuckled, imagining facing off against that mole again. "Give me 5 minutes, buddy, and you'll be a mole-sicle!"

Just as Loya was reveling in his newfound strength, a shout echoed through the dorm.

"Loya!!! Twice in one night! You're keeping everyone awake!"

Loya winced. Right. This form wasn't exactly subtle with its dragon aura.

"Sorry!" he called back, quickly deactivating the transformation. "Uh... just had a really intense dream about exams!"

As he flopped back onto his bed, Loya couldn't help but grin. Tomorrow was going to be interesting.

A few days later at Marineford:

Loya had been sleeping like a log. After the combat assessment, the recruits got a rare week off. Most were catching up on lost sleep, escaping the usual grueling routine.

It wasn't until late morning that Loya finally dragged himself out of bed, grumbling.

"Crap, another hour and they'll stop serving food!" The thought jolted him awake. For a foodie like Loya, missing a meal was a fate worse than death.

After a quick splash of water on his face, Loya bolted out the door.

Oddly, the hallway around his room was deserted. Living next to Loya had become... challenging. You never knew when you'd be woken by a sudden cold snap, why the floor was leaking, or why your freshly washed clothes were now frozen solid like fish jerky.

Unable to beat him, his neighbors had opted for a strategic retreat. With plenty of empty rooms, they'd quietly registered with the clerk downstairs and moved out.

The path to the cafeteria, usually bustling with hungry recruits, was eerily quiet. No more stampedes of trainees charging in like starved huskies. Instead, a few bleary-eyed zombies shuffled forward.

"Morning!" Loya called out cheerfully as he breezed past them.

Ms. S was on vacation back in the North Blue, having left with the supply ship. The second-in-command, a clean-cut but rough-looking guy, was in charge.

As Loya sauntered into the cafeteria, the man's eyes went wide. He dropped his spoon with a clatter and bolted for the kitchen, locking the door with a decisive click.

Everyone froze, forks and spoons suspended in mid-air.

"What the hell was that about?" someone muttered.

"No idea," another recruit whispered back, "but did you see his face? Dude looked terrified!"

Loya stood there, blinking in confusion. "Uh... did I miss something?"

Loya peered into the kitchen, his jaw dropping at the sight. Two huge buckets of curry bubbled away, with a big pot of rice in front. And... that was it.

"You gotta be kidding me!" Loya exploded. "Are you trying to starve us to death?!"

Sure, it might feed the handful of recruits left on base during the holiday. But they clearly hadn't factored in Loya's appetite.

With his recent power boost, Loya could easily put away food meant for a hundred people. If he were a jerk, he'd just grab it all for himself. But Loya wasn't that guy. He was too well-liked in the camp to pull something so selfish.

Feeling the chill emanating from Loya, the other recruits wisely stepped back, taking their food with them. Nobody wanted to eat curry-flavored popsicles.

"Come out!" Loya shouted, ice crystals spraying from his mouth. "I promise not to kill you!"

The onlookers exchanged glances. "Yeah, right," someone muttered. "One punch from him and we'd all be human ice sculptures."

Suddenly, a deep voice boomed out.

"Easy there, Loya. Uncle Art didn't mean any harm. Were you messing with your powers again last night? Scared the hell out of him while he was prepping ingredients. Caused a fire that burned everything. Poor guy's gotta face the music this afternoon."

Loya turned to see Aludo, an elite camp member, strolling in. He was dressed for vacation - casual shirt, floral shorts, and clogs. In his hand was a tiny dinner plate, licked clean.

"Even so," Loya groaned, "we gotta eat! Don't tell me you're full, Aludo."

Aludo, towering like a brown bear at four meters tall, sighed as he tossed his plate in the recycling. "Full? As if. Our chef's out sick, so I came looking for grub. My appetite might not be as crazy as yours, but it's nothing to sneeze at. Was hoping for a relaxing day, and now this..."

Before Loya joined up, Aludo had been the camp's undisputed eating champ. But compared to Loya? Aludo had gracefully ceded the title.

The two big eaters stood there, shoulders slumped, sighing in unison.

A nearby recruit piped up, "Uh, guys? Didn't you know elite camp members can eat at the barracks canteen? Should still be open."

Loya's head snapped up. "There's a what now?"

Aludo looked equally shocked. "Since when?"

The recruit's eye twitched. "Seriously? Even the elite guys don't know? And here I am, a nobody, with all the intel. You guys are something else."

"Can it," Loya growled. But faced with two notoriously hangry dudes, the recruit decided discretion was the better part of valor.

"Alright, alright. Look, they set this up last year. The recruit canteen gets swamped sometimes, so they made this new system to keep things running smooth. That's all I know, I swear."

Loya released the kid's collar, turning to Aludo. "Dinner?"

"Oh yeah," Aludo nodded. "Let's go."

As they headed out, Loya couldn't help but grin. Maybe this day wasn't a total loss after all.

As they left the cafeteria, Loya didn't bolt ahead. Sure, he could outpace even a big guy like Aludo, but something was nagging at him.

Loya wasn't officially part of the elite battalion yet. What if the canteen staff didn't recognize him?

He glanced at Aludo, who caught his look.

"What's with the face?" Aludo asked, raising an eyebrow.

Loya shrugged. "Just thinking... I might need you as my insurance policy. If they try to turn me away, you can vouch for me."

Suddenly, Loya's hands began to glow with concentrated magic power.

"Ice Make: Ice Wolf!"

With a crackling sound, two ice wolves materialized, each about two meters long. They gleamed like diamonds in the sunlight.

Aludo's jaw dropped as one of the wolves casually scratched its neck with a hind paw.

"Hold up," he sputtered. "Your ice can move? That's... that's not possible!"

Loya rolled his eyes. "We live in a world with Devil Fruits, and you're worried about scientific accuracy?"

Without waiting for a response, Loya hopped onto one of the ice wolves. "Come on, big guy. Hop on. It's faster than you lumbering along on foot."

Aludo hesitated for a moment, then shrugged and carefully climbed onto the second wolf. "Alright, alright. But if I end up with frostbite on my backside, you're explaining it to the medics."

As they set off, Loya couldn't help but grin. The looks on people's faces as they rode by on giant ice wolves? Priceless. Maybe being hungry wasn't so bad after all, if it led to moments like this.