Chapter 4

Mole cleared his throat. "Admiral Sengoku, we've picked up a guy from a deserted island near Marineford."

"Picked up?" Sengoku's eyebrow twitched. Mole pretended not to notice.

"Yeah, well..." Mole continued, recounting the encounter with the Scissor Pirates. Then he asked, "So, this Loya guy - should we bring him into the fold? We could use the fresh blood, what with all these new pirates popping up."

He paused, then added with emphasis, "Though his seasickness is... something else."

"Seasickness?" Sengoku sighed, thinking, 'A seasick navy officer? That's rich.' Aloud, he said, "Well, we can't be picky these days. Sound him out, but dig into his background too."

Changing the subject, Sengoku continued, "I've got a job for you when you get back. It's about the Shichibukai."

"The Seven Warlords?" Mole echoed, his fist clenching involuntarily. 'Those damned pirates,' he thought, 'Working with them leaves a bad taste in my mouth.'

Aloud, he said tersely, "Understood, sir."

As he hung up, Mole muttered to himself, "Orders are orders. Even if they stink."

After weeks of roughing it, Loya finally had a real bed. Even if it was a basic navy bunk with a thin quilt over hard wood, it beat a pile of leaves on rock and dirt!

The ship doctor's medicine was working. He'd felt weak before, now just a bit queasy.

Settling in, Loya mentally activated his golden finger, opening the system panel.

The familiar interface greeted him:

Name: Christopher Loya

Energy Stage: Second Stage Zero Layer

Energy value: 0/400

Mana: 3500/3500

Mana Recovery Speed: 300/s

The jump from first to second order was significant. With 3500 mana, Loya could finally use high-cost Dragon Slayer spells like Ice Dragon's Roar and Ice Dragon's Wing Strike. The power of the former was already evident.

Besides the increase in magic power, a new icon appeared on his talent tree. Examining it, Loya wasn't sure which Dragon Slayer magic it was, but the skill seemed useful.

Ice Shape Magic: Use magic to mold ice into various forms.

This was the magic of a closet exhibitionist. Handy, but unrelated to the Dragon Slayer magic created by Irene Belserion. Was it because his attribute was ice that he could learn ice shaping indirectly?

Loya speculated. In Fairy Tail, molding magic was the freest form, reliant on the magician's ability. Even master-apprentice inheritances showed unique expressions of molding magic.

So, it wasn't strange that an ice dragon would know ice shape magic... though Loya wondered if its power could match his claw strikes.

Nevertheless, it was useful! On the desert island, Loya could only condense ice with moisture, but now he could create ice directly from magic, more conveniently and quickly.

This ability also allowed him to create ice platforms mid-air.

Two important passive abilities appeared as well. When Loya stepped into the second order, these abilities brought mixed feelings.

Dragon Power: 2/100%. Enhances Dragon Slayer magic strength. At over 30%, body transformation begins; over 90%, Dragon Slayer starts to dragonize.

Dragon's Body: 18/100%. Adapts body to dragon power, enhancing all-around Dragon Slayer qualities. Temporarily boosts adaptation by absorbing energy, with significant side effects.

Though Dragon Power was the source of a Dragon Slayer's abilities, its increase wasn't entirely good news. Loya hoped for the awakening mode from the original story, not wanting to turn into a dragon himself.

Dragon's Body was different. Enhancing Dragon Slayer qualities, its benefits outweighed the drawbacks... Even if it meant worsening seasickness.

This mirrored Wendy's experience a year later in the original story. Stronger, but more seasick. The stronger the Dragon Slayer, the worse the vehicle resistance.

Nightfall.

Knock knock!

Loya jerked awake, rubbing his eyes groggily. "Ugh... yeah, come in," he mumbled.

Squeak.

The iron hatch creaked open, making Loya wince. "Man, even warships need WD-40," he thought.

Mole's purple mohawk caught the moonlight as he entered, looking as unchanged as any anime character.

"Sorry about the accommodations," Mole said, then got straight to business. "So, Mr. Loya, where to? We're headed to Marineford, but that's off-limits. We can drop you at the nearest island if you'd prefer."

Loya's mind raced. "Marineford? Then Akainu's not Fleet Admiral yet..." He stroked his chin, suddenly very awake.

Aloud, he asked casually, "Marineford, huh? That's Marine HQ, right? Sounds... interesting."

Loya's mind raced, piecing together the world of One Piece. 'So many pirates, such a powerful navy... and Marineford at the center of it all.'

He caught Mole's hint about outsiders and Marineford. 'Ah, I see what you're doing there, Lieutenant General,' Loya thought, a sly grin spreading across his face.

"Say, Lieutenant General Mole," Loya began, feigning innocence, "what if I wanted to join the navy? I'm a free agent, no strings attached. Could give it my all, you know?"

Internally, Loya chuckled. 'Smooth, real smooth. Straight out of a job interview.'

His decision wasn't impulsive. 'In this world, Haki is king,' he reasoned. 'And where better to learn it than the navy?'

He recalled the dangers of this world - Celestial Dragons, tyrants, manipulative warlords. 'My half-baked Dragon Slayer magic won't cut it here. I need a proper teacher.'

Mole's eyes gleamed, but his voice remained stern. "You can join, but you'll start at the bottom. Can you handle that?"

"Absolutely," Loya replied, brimming with confidence. "Starting from scratch? Bring it on."

'Plus,' Loya thought, 'if Zephyr's still running the recruit camp, I hit the jackpot. The man who trained Kuzan, Sakazuki, and Borsalino? Sign me up!'

Mole nodded approvingly. "Good. We'll reach Marineford in two days. You'll start at the recruit camp. Now, let's eat."

"Yes, sir," Loya responded, already dreaming of his future training.

The navy doesn't hold banquets on deck like pirates but has a proper cafeteria.

At the cafeteria entrance, Loya took his seasickness meds from the ship doctor. His pale face quickly regained color. Still uncomfortable, but manageable now.

Without the young navy's support, Loya approached the cook.

"Hello, I need curry rice for ten, a pot of chicken drumsticks, and that fruit... No, just give me the whole basket."

Leaving the bewildered cook behind, Loya balanced rice in one hand, drumsticks in the other, and bit into the basket of fruit. He joined Mole's table with his loot.

Boom! The iron pot landed heavily, signaling it was packed with food. Mole's eyes twitched at the sight.

"Loya, do you always eat this much?"

"Ah?" With a chicken leg shoved in his mouth, Loya swallowed it bones and all within seconds. "No, I don't have much appetite today because of seasickness."

"No appetite..."

Within moments, Loya had put a sizable dent in the curry pot. Mole sighed, "I see why there was no food on the island."

Thankfully, they'd reach Marineford soon. Otherwise, Loya's voracious appetite might starve the whole crew.

Watching Loya devour his meal, other navies in the cafeteria began scrutinizing their curry rice, wondering if it was that delicious.

Loya finished his meal with a loud burp, ice crystals puffing out. "Man, that hit the spot! Hey, cook! Can I get five big meat bones to go?"

The navy personnel nearly fell over in shock. Mole rubbed his forehead, thinking, 'Great, we'll need to double our food budget for this guy.'

As Loya left, clutching his meat haul, he heard whispers and saw stunned looks. 'What? Never seen a hungry guy before?' he thought, gnawing on a bone.

Reaching the doctor's quarters, he knocked. "Yo, doc! Medicine man here!"

"Come in, Mr. Loya!" came the reply.

Loya entered, taking in the room. Two shivering sailors caught his eye, but the doctor was busy with a syringe.

"Here," the doctor said, handing over some bottles. "Take these. If you run out or feel worse, let me know pronto."

"Thanks, doc," Loya replied, pocketing the meds. He watched as the doctor approached one of the sailors, lifting the quilt. "Uh, what's the deal here?" Loya asked, curiosity getting the better of him.