c6: Tier 2 Attributes, Join the Navy
After Vice Admiral Mole finished arranging accommodations for Loya, he entered the command room of the warship and retrieved the Den Den Mushi that connected directly to Marine Headquarters to none other than Fleet Admiral Sengoku.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford
Blu blu blu blu blu blu blu blu blu blu
Click
Sengoku picked up the receiver on the back of the Den Den Mushi. "It's you, Mole. What's going on?"
"That's right, Fleet Admiral Sengoku. I picked up a man stranded on a deserted island not far from Marineford"
"You picked him up?" Sengoku's eye twitched slightly. The subtle change in his expression was echoed perfectly through the Den Den Mushi's mimicry. Though the shift was minor, Mole noticed it. Still, he pretended not to and pressed on with his report.
"Yes... on our way back, we encountered the Scissor Pirates. For some reason, they were tailing our return route. It wasn't until today that we were forced to make landfall and engage them..."
Mole gave a clear and concise rundown of the earlier battle, highlighting the decisive role Loya played. Then he moved to the core of his report.
"As for this man Loya I'd like to propose recruiting him into the Navy. The number of new pirates rising lately is overwhelming. We need fresh blood"
He paused, then added gravely, "though I must mention, his seasickness is… extremely severe."
"Seasickness…" Sengoku repeated, brows knitting in thought. He wanted to respond immediately, but the words caught in his throat. The situation was complicated. From Mole's tone, this man named Loya clearly possessed considerable power. If trained properly, he could likely be deployed as combat-ready personnel in short order.
But a Navy officer who gets motion sick?
Navy soldiers who can't swim due to Devil Fruits were already accepted, albeit reluctantly. But seasickness… that was an entirely different issue. Still, Mole's point wasn't wrong the world was shifting quickly. Since the Great Pirate Era began, powerful rookies had been appearing in waves. The balance of power was increasingly unstable.
The Navy had suffered a generational gap in elite strength. Even Rear Admiral Drake had abandoned the Marines for piracy. Every viable candidate was a resource worth considering.
Having weighed the issue, Sengoku dropped his reservations.
"All right you may consider recruiting him. First, ask him directly if he's willing to join. And make sure to investigate his background thoroughly… Oh, and Mole once you return, I have a task involving the Shichibukai. Be ready."
"The Seven Warlords of the Sea...?"
Mole repeated the term slowly, his fist subconsciously clenching. This government-sanctioned pirate alliance established over 20 years ago had always sat wrong with him. That the proud Navy relied on pirates to maintain balance on the Grand Line was a deep stain on justice.
He gritted his teeth but quickly composed himself.
"Understood."
No matter what, he was a Marine. Marines followed orders.
---
After weeks on a desolate island, Loya finally had the luxury of sleeping in a real bed. It was nothing more than a standard Navy bunk thin mattress, thin quilt, wood stiff enough to bruise the back.
But it was still a bed! Not a leaf pile over cold stone and mud!
The ship doctor's medicine still worked wonders. Earlier, Loya had been too sick to stand. Now, while still a bit nauseated, he was stable.
Settling in, Loya rolled over in bed and mentally summoned his golden finger opening the system panel once more.
The familiar interface appeared before his mind's eye:
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Name: Christopher Loya (World Auto-corrected)
Energy Stage: Tier 2, Layer 0
Energy Value: 0 / 400
Mana: 3500 / 3500
Mana Recovery Rate: 300/sec
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The difference between Tier 1 and Tier 2 was massive. A mana pool of 3500 finally allowed him to wield the higher-tier techniques of Ice Dragon Slayer Magic Roar of the Ice Dragon and Ice Dragon Wing Strike, both notorious for their magical drain.
The sheer destructive power of the former had already been demonstrated freezing an entire segment of coastline and paralyzing the Scissor Pirates in moments.
In addition to the mana boost, a new icon had appeared on his talent tree. Loya examined it carefully. It wasn't part of Irene Belserion's lineage of Dragon Slayer techniques—yet it was undeniably useful.
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Ice-Make Magic: Use mana to shape ice into physical constructs. Create objects or weapons from ice freely.
Yes,
This was the same type of free-form shaping magic famously wielded by Fairy Tail's Gray Fullbuster infamously known for his habit of stripping off clothes mid-battle. Though functional, it had little to do with the structured, inheritance-based Dragon Slayer arts.
"Maybe… it's because my element is ice, and the system allows me to learn associated magic types?"
Loya could only speculate. Ice-Make was one of the most flexible magic types in Fairy Tail. It relied entirely on the mage's personal creativity and mana control. Even a master couldn't guarantee their student would create the same forms or techniques.
In that sense, perhaps it wasn't far-fetched that an Ice Dragon Slayer might also learn Ice-Make through affinity.
Still… could this magic's versatility rival the raw force of a one-claw strike from an Ice Dragon?
Possibly not but it had its uses.
Loya nodded to himself. On the desert island, he'd only been able to generate ice by supercooling ambient moisture a process that required a nearby water source. Now, with Ice-Make, he could manifest solid ice out of mana directly. Faster, easier, and more efficient.
That was how he'd managed to form ice pedestals in mid-air during the earlier battle.
And then there were the two major passive traits that had changed with his new tier. Upon reaching Tier 2, Loya had unlocked something... mixed in blessing.
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Dragon Force: 2 / 100%
Increases the power of Dragon Slayer Magic. Upon reaching 30%, partial transformation begins. At 90% and above, the Dragon Slayer begins full-scale draconification.
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It was official now. Loya could feel it deep in his core: his magic was beginning to carry the signature of a true dragon.
And with that, the dangerous reality of Dragon Force activation came ever closer.
Dragon's Body: 18/100% – The body gradually adapts to the influence of Dragon Force, improving the overall physical and magical qualities of Dragon Slayer wizards. Temporary adaptation can be enhanced through energy absorption, but doing so induces significant side effects.
Although Dragon Force is the foundational source of power for Dragon Slayers, its progression isn't entirely welcome news. Loya knew this well gaining power from dragons came with a steep cost. He could only hope that, as seen in the Fairy Tail manga, an alternative awakening mode might emerge eventually. He had no intention of becoming a dragon himself.
But the "Dragon's Body" trait was different this ability, which boosted all physical parameters and magical efficiency, leaned more toward benefits than drawbacks. The worst consequence, for now, was a sharp increase in seasickness.
This mirrored what happened to Wendy Marvell a year later in the original Fairy Tail timeline her strength grew dramatically, but so did her susceptibility to motion sickness. It was a widely shared trait among Dragon Slayers: the stronger they became, the less resistant they were to traveling in vehicles.
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Nighttime
Dong dong dong!
There was a firm knock on the door. Loya, who had just been drifting into sleep, opened his eyes groggily and rubbed at them.
"Come in!"
Squeak
Although the Navy maintained its warships well, age was inevitable. The iron hatch creaked with a metallic groan as it was pulled open.
Anime characters often benefitted from timeless designs and rarely changed clothes. Lieutenant General Mole's vivid purple mohawk caught the moonlight as he stepped inside.
He entered respectfully, first apologizing for the cramped, spartan cabin. Then, he got straight to the point.
"Mr. Loya, what are your plans now? Apologies in advance—our next destination is Marineford. As you may know, civilians aren't permitted inside. If necessary, we can dock at the nearest island and drop you off."
"Marineford... So the timeline is before Akainu becomes Fleet Admiral?" Loya murmured, stroking his chin.
This was indeed the One Piece world. With vast oceans teeming with pirates like schools of fish more numerous than crucian carp crossing a river the Navy's role was critical. Without their presence, the seas would descend into chaos.
And Marineford—strategically located near the Red Line was the world-renowned headquarters of the Navy. It was the place where legendary battles were fought, including the War of the Best where Whitebeard fell.
Mole's tone wasn't lost on Loya. Beneath the formal phrasing, there was an implicit offer: outsiders weren't usually allowed in Marineford unless, perhaps, they were becoming insiders. In other words, the Navy was probing whether Loya was willing to enlist.
With that in mind, Loya smirked and played along.
"Then... Lieutenant General Mole, may I join the Navy? I've got nowhere else to go, and no attachments to worry about. Joining the Navy would let me give 120% of my focus."
This was, in fact, the same line he used back when applying for his first job after college.
Loya's decision wasn't impulsive. It was the result of careful reasoning.
In the world of One Piece, what was the most important ability? Devil Fruits? No Haki.
Currently, Loya couldn't confirm whether his magic-based attacks could counteract Devil Fruit powers the way Haki did, particularly Armament Haki, which allowed physical contact with Logia users and enhanced raw strength. But one thing was clear learning Haki would vastly increase his power ceiling.
This world was perilous. From the callous cruelty of the Celestial Dragons, to the despotic rule of Wapol in Drum Kingdom, to manipulative tyrants like Doflamingo and Crocodile, danger lurked in every current. A man couldn't navigate the Grand Line on half-trained Ice Dragon Slayer magic alone.
After all, unlike Natsu Dragneel, Loya wasn't raised by a dragon. His knowledge of magic was largely self-directed—and incomplete.
That's why the Navy made perfect sense. He didn't just want to join for protection or stability. He needed access to the elite—mentors who could train him in Haki, who could sharpen his abilities, and prepare him for the turbulent seas ahead.
Right now, he could dominate small fry but the moment he met a real powerhouse, he'd be crushed. Brutally.
And in this vast world of pirates, what other organization could offer better training, structure, and legitimacy than the World Government's Navy?
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